I know I shouldn't do this, but I can't help myself

I know I should not compare my book with other writers' books–their distribution, their sales rankings, their bookshelf presence–but I do it anyway. It's stupid and destructive, yeah, but there's a part of me that feeds on that feeling of failure.

A couple of days ago, Sherwood Smith talked a bit about authors who blame readers for their own lack of success. I didn't comment because I'm so far behind on my online reading, but for me, I always blame myself. That self-disgust and...