Aspiring authors: Worry not about kakorrhaphiophobia!

A local writing group invited me to join them for a session a few days ago. For close to 90 minutes, they lobbed all sorts of questions my way. Most of their queries pertained to publishing.

I looked around the table, examining each face and considering the clear abundance of creativity represented there. One person writes short stories. Another practices journaling. A third is working on a novel. Two said they pen poetry.

Each writer expressed interest in publishing a book. At the same time, every group member also pointed out lots of unknowns about the process of publication.

I was pleased to try fielding their inquiries. Although I couldn’t fully answer every question (especially the pinpointed particulars of projected print runs and potential publisher payments), I was encouraged to see a few faces light up at the prospect of seeing their work eventually end up in print.

It can be done. And, although the publishing world can be a quagmire of complexities, the biggest barrier for most first-time authors seems to be kakorrhaphiophobia.

What is kakorrhaphiophobia?

Simply put, kakorrhaphiophobia is the fear of failure or defeat. The word is derived from a pair of Greek terms:

kakos = bad or evil

phobos = fear

Essentially, kakorrhaphiophobia is all about fearing something terrible that might happen, if one tries something unfamiliar or unknown.

Kakorrhaphiophobia can be crippling to writers.

• Kakorrhaphiophobia can keep us from drafting that first short story.
• Kakorrhaphiophobia can block us from finishing that debut novel.
• Kakorrhaphiophobia can scare us away from submitting that initial manuscript (or query) to a publisher.
• Kakorrhaphiophobia can make us put down our pens (or switch off the computer) and stop writing.

Don’t let this happen to you.

Keep on writing. Set your own bar high, and keep it there. Write often, and write well. Pick your best work, and go for it. It’s not easy, but it really is that simple.

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