The writing business
can feel very personal.
The primary product
comes completely from
a writer’s brain.
It can be challenging
to hear criticism of our products.
It feels like criticism of ourselves,
of how our brains work.
“You are not your work,
embrace criticism”
Which is easy to say
but more challenging to do.
One way I separate myself
from my business
is to use a pen name.
When my pen name
is criticized,
I tell myself
readers (customers) are not really criticizing me
because they don’t know
anything about me.
They don’t even know
my real name.
The pen name puts some distance
between my products
and myself.
This is one reason
why I caution entrepreneurs
about naming businesses
after themselves.
An attack on the business
might feel like
an attack on yourself.
It is more challenging to react
calmly, professionally
to that.
Try your best
to emotionally separate yourself
from your business.