It’s the first Wednesday of 2022 and that means the first IWSG Day of 2022.
Wait a minute. When did 2022 happen???
The awesome co-hosts for the January 5 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken!
January 5 (optional) question – What’s the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?
My biggest regret is self-publishing a book after feeling pressured into doing it by a writing group. I’m not sure I ever got over that, but I’m working on it, I hope.
I may self-publish again but not until I’m really, really ready.
Looking back, one of the things I love about IWSG is the mix of pro and amateur (like me) authors, sometimes with real answers, always with real support, as the name of the group suggests.
That’s all I have to say this month. Working up to editing my 2021 NaNo novel for possible, eventual publication. So the whole to-publish or not-to-publish, to-submit or not-to-submit question is hot on my mind right now. And, that isn’t even at the top of my list of personal anxieties, even though it IS on the list.
Hope you have a safe, healthy, and successful 2022.
Any plans for the New Year? I love living vicariously through other people’s plans. Hit me up with awesome plans. They don’t even have to be real plans. I’m up for unrealistic fantasies too!
Anne Higa 
“Unrealistic fantasies” made me laugh. That’s exactly what I’ve been indulging in lately regarding travel. My husband and I have been watching Hawaii Life on HGTV and living vicariously through the people on the show. It feels like a mini vacation for my brain.
Is it really 2022? I’ve been asking the same question.
To self-publish or not to self-publish? That’s the burning question on the mind of many writers. I say, do what your gut tells you to do. Trust your gut. It never lies.
Happy New Year, Anne!
Happy IWSG Day!
I’ve toyed with the idea of NaNo and then don’t. Do I ‘chicken out’ or just get distracted? I did do Woovember and posted each day which is writing and I was proud that I did all 30 days (if you work with wool, primarily spinning it is a thing), but writing on a book, no. However new year, new opportunities. Do your edits and publish!
You got a story out there, and that was an accomplishment. My goal is to finish the novel I’ve been working on for two years. We’ll see where it ends up. And, I’d like to do a big Walk this year and travel.
Cheers to you in 2022!
Thank you for your honest comments on self-publishing. I am hoping to finish the hard edits on my book this year, and that question is coming up. I don’t think I have the platform, web/tech savvy, or time to devote to selling my own book. I barely muster up the time to write. Your advice here is so appreciated.
Julia Quay
Oh, that sounds like a painful experience, being pressured into publishing a book when you weren’t ready. It sounds like good experience, though.
Happy 2022!
♥.•*¨Elizabeth Mueller¨*•.♥
Ugh! I haven’t been pressured to publish anything, but critique groups can be a mixed bag sometimes. It does sound like you learned something–and I’m sure that will help you decide what to do with you new MS.
My plans for 2022 other than writing: a trip to Crater Lake and celebrating our silver anniversary.
Wishing you lots of joy and writing success in 2022!
Sorry you were pressured into publishing before you were ready. Here’s to having better experiences in the future. Good luck with the current project!
The Warrior Muse
Sorry the first book didn’t work out. Don’t let it discourage you.
For 2022, I plan on teleporting to the other side of the galaxy. Well, not for real. Just vicariously through my book release in April.
I know how that pressure from writing group can be. Sorry it ended poorly for you! My 2022 plans include getting published for my non-fiction handbook and finishing my fantasy manuscript. It’s a big goal for sure. Happy 2022 to you!
Every experience is a valuable lesson. Don’t regret your publication, even if it wasn’t ‘successful’. Look at it instead as a learning curve. As long as you learned something, it is a success.
My grandma always said: better do and regret it than not do and regret it. I stand behind that motto.