Authors...do you suffer from A.A.S?

If you are an author, having published one or more books, especially if you are an independent publisher, you probably suffer from A.A.S. or Author-Anxiety-Syndrome.

It’s not an official title - and certainly the mental health field hasn’t dreamed it up yet as a way of prescribing drugs, but I think that many authors, like myself, wake up in the morning, wondering if our book(s) have sold and checking our Amazon author page to see if that is the case.

A.A.S. - I know, it sounds bad if you say it aloud - but if you are an author or planning to be one, you will deal with this syndrome sometime - the anxiety after having written and published a book, waiting for those sales to start.

Some gurus will tell you that the way to ameliorate that anxiety is to offer your book(s) for $0.99 cents, or give them away for free, or nearly so, through Kindle Unlimited or some other platform, in order to grow your readership, but I argue another perspective as I think that such approaches are demeaning to the art itself and that authors are worth a lot more. Nobody sells anything for $0.99 or for free, unless you are selling cheesy hamburgers or some such. And let’s be honest, after spending months, a year or more, sweating bullets to finish and publish your book, the very idea of giving it away or making $0.32 cents on the dollar has got to be abhorrent.

Let’s take an example, Homer, the famous Grecian poet. He was born sometime in the 8th century B.C., nearly 3000 years ago, and is credited with writing the classics, the Iliad and the Odyssey - making Homer possibly the oldest author in known history and one of the most famous.

One can only envision this author, sitting on a hilltop overlooking the Grecian sea, or maybe stooped over a bench, not with a typewriter or computer, but a mere scroll, diligently writing two of the most classic stories in history, word by word.

He did not have social media or a publishing house at his beck and call. No Amazon, no book platforms - and yet, his works have survived nearly three thousand years, and will continue to do so.

Back to you, the author - if you do suffer from A.A.S. - if you stay up late at night trying to figure out new ways of promoting your books, new social media platforms, how to gain more traction, more readers, more sales, and I am not suggesting you shouldn’t be trying to do so, but keep in mind, once your book or books are published, regardless of anything, they too, like Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey, will continue to echo down the corridors of time, because the great thing about words and stories, is they never truly die. They stay in the memories of people - and they ripple through time. It’s something to be proud of because there is a certain infinity associated with them - a legacy.

I am reminded of one particular book that changed my life as a youth, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach. A short book with many pictures, with a simple but empowering message, and one that fueled my passion to find my path in life and also eventually fueled a writing career.

Never underestimate the power of your words. I am sure that Richard Bach had no idea at the time that he had changed my life, or the ripples he would cause later on - and we can never know what ripples we cause in others who read our books.

So, as to A.A.S. - take a coffee and relax and just keep writing. You’ve got lots of time to catch up with Homer!

Réal Laplaine

Author and human rights activist

www.reallaplaine.com