"I'm afraid to submit."
One tough writer's response.
I’m incredibly intimidated by the system of “literary gatekeepers” I imagine, and so I don’t even approach the gate. I’ve published a couple things on Medium, but I have never submitted to a publication, or approached writing a book, because the gears and levers of it all really intimidate me.
Time for some tough love! Nothing ever got published that was not first submitted.
You are going to have to find a way to reduce your fear. There is no other way to publish. Hint: submit a lot.
Aim for 100 rejections a year. Make it part of the job.
I hope it helps you to know that every single book you see has been rejected a time and again, as well as every single piece you read in a magazine. I’ve gotten a million-zillion-hundred-ka-jillion rejections and I’m still standing.
I have a few things to say on Edit Your Darlings about developing that tough skin.