by Susan Daffron, Logical Expressions

Although many authors start books, few actually finish them. Countless half-finished manuscripts lurk in drawers or obscure hard disk folders never to be seen again. If you never finish the book, your dream of being a book author remains just that: a dream. So what's stopping you?  

You may think you're avoiding the book because you "don't have time," but fear is often what's really behind most unfinished book projects. Here are five fears that could be keeping you from becoming a published author:  

1. Fear of rejection or failure. When it comes to publishing, the most likely fear lingering in the back of your mind is the fear that people will reject your work. If you have slaved over a book, there's a nagging worry that some critic is going to say the book is a banal, tedious read and you are a terrible writer.  

2. Fear of revelation. Writing a book is personal. Even if you're writing non-fiction, writing anything exposes little bits of who you really are to the world. Many writers are sensitive introverts and putting your writing "out there" can unleash all kinds of personal demons that hold you back.   

3. Fear of being ignored. A less obvious fear is that you'll share your carefully crafted prose with the reading public and be rewarded with absolutely nothing. No one reads your book. No one cares that you worked so hard on it. All you hear is the sound of crickets chirping.  

4. Fear of losing money and wasting your time. Publishing a book can be expensive. If you opt to publish it yourself, you will need to invest in editorial services. You may need to hire graphic designers to do the interior layout and cover. Even if you get a book contract and don't have out-of-pocket expenses, you'll spend a lot of time writing the book and promoting it after it's published. Time is money, and no one wants to waste it.  

5. Fear of the unknown.  Many authors stall out on a book project when the book is almost done. In the book, the War of Art, author Steven Pressfield talks about the concept of "resistance." Often authors have resistance to that last little push necessary to get the book out the door. That resistance comes down to the fear of the unknown. You don't know how publishing a book will change your life.

Every writer experiences these fears at one time or another. I've written 12 books and gone through phases where I felt anxious and worried about each one. The difference between published and unpublished authors is that published authors feel the fear and finish the book anyway.  

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About the Author: Susan Daffron, aka The Book Consultant, owns a book and software publishing company. She spends most of her time writing, laying out books in InDesign, or taking her five dogs out for romps in the forest. She also teaches people how to write and publish profitable client-attracting books and is organizing the third annual Self-Publishers Online Conference, which will be held May 10-12, 2011. Use the code Barnes11 to get 10% off your registration.