On Mental Health (A Bonus!)

Writing can be an incredibly lonely journey. You spend most of your days inside your head moving pieces around in a world formed from your imagination. One day you will seek and hopefully find a home for your words, but that process often feels like a game where you’re the only one that doesn’t know the rules. In honor of this month being Mental Health Awareness Month, I am updating this reminder to fortify your support system and to make sure you take care of yourself like the magical and brave creature that you are.

I am an editor, but I would argue that the biggest piece of my job is as a trusted friend. The writing business is not for the weak. In fact, I have years of training and volunteer experience on crisis hotlines that I never thought I’d use as an editor but I do…almost every day. I use this training when talking to authors during fragile times, to share my criticism as kindly and constructively as possible, to actively search for hidden meanings behind their words when they ask questions about the business or for guidance on their careers. A Sweet Valley High book where the twins were volunteers at a teen hotline inspired me to embark on this hobby and I never knew it would come so in handy. Maybe even more so than my English and Master’s in Publishing degrees. I am talking my clients off virtual ledges almost every single day and encouraging them to keep going even when it often seems like there is no light at the end of their tunnel.

But here’s the thing! The only guarantee in this business comes when you don’t give up. And continuing on, believing in your words even when it seems like the whole world is telling you not to, is so hard but also the only way you’ll ever succeed.

I am honored that so many of my clients call me a friend and know that I care about them as well as their writing. Take a moment and ask yourself: what kind of support do I have in my writing journey? I strongly encourage everyone on the precarious writing path to make your mental health a priority in whatever way that looks like for you and to surround yourself with very supportive friends. This is a hard business. Don’t forget to take care of yourself as much as you take care of your words.

It is also important to note that so much of what you see on social media is carefully curated. It can be so hard when it feels like everyone is having perfect beautiful writing careers but that is not reality and you’re doing yourselves no favors getting lost inside their fantasy. It is impossible to know how many rejections, tears, and manuscripts that were really just drafts to learn on it took to get there. If you find anything on social media triggering, this is your permission to unfollow it.

Until next time,

Inside an Editor’s Brain is written by Kristen Weber, a freelance book editor who has worked with thousands of authors over the course of her career. She aims to be a kind and trustworthy voice during the crazy-making writing and publishing business. You can read most articles for free, but if you’d like to support Kristen and her efforts and get access to a few bonuses - including access to her private chat which is like having an editor inside your pocket - consider upgrading below.