s: Choose carefully the people with whom you share your ideas. Make sure they are 1) your intended audience and 2) the kind of people that tend to be supportive. Don’t go to the "naysayers" who like to shoot down most of your ideas anyway. In fact, make a vow never to mention your book idea to anyone who tends to bOne is that you should never talk about your book idea. There are two reasons for this viewpoint. One is that if you talk too much about your book, you will dissipate the energy it takes to actually write your book. The other is that if you talk about your book and get negative feedback, it could discourage you from writing it as well.

Better to just keep your ideas to yourself, this perspective says, and focus on writing.

The other side of this debate says that you should talk about your book idea to people. How else can you test if anyone will be interested in your idea or not? Why waste so much time and energy writing something nobody will want to read, and nobody will ever publish?

Which side is right?

Well, both are right, to an extent. At least, I’ll tell you my perspective from 28 years in publishing as an author and editor.

First, whether you should talk about your book or not depends in large part on what kind of person and writer you are. Extroverts—people who are outwardly focused and who get their energy from interacting with people—probably must talk to people. Often, these kinds of writers don’t even know what they think unless they do talk things out and get feedback.

The important thing here is: Choose carefully the people with whom you share your ideas. Make sure they are 1) your intended audience and 2) the kind of people that tend to be supportive. Don’t go to the "naysayers" who like to shoot down most of your ideas anyway. In fact, make a vow never to mention your book idea to anyone who tends to b

m writing it as well.

Better to just keep your ideas to yourself, this perspective says, and focus on writing.

The other side of this debate says that you should talk about your book idea to people. How else can you test if anyone will be interested in your idea or not? Why waste so much time and energy writing something nobody will want to read, and nobody will ever publish?

Which side is right?

Well, both are right, to an extent. At least, I’ll tell you my perspective from 28 years in publishing as an author and editor.

First, whether you should talk about your book or not depends in large part on what kind of person and writer you are. Extroverts—people who are outwardly focused and who get their energy from interacting with people—probably must talk to people. Often, these kinds of writers don’t even know what they think unless they do talk things out and get feedback.

The important thing here is: Choose carefully the people with whom you share your ideas. Make sure they are 1) your intended audience and 2) the kind of people that tend to be supportive. Don’t go to the "naysayers" who like to shoot down most of your ideas anyway. In fact, make a vow never to mention your book idea to anyone who tends to b

writing something nobody will want to read, and nobody will ever publish?

Which side is right?

Well, both are right, to an extent. At least, I’ll tell you my perspective from 28 years in publishing as an author and editor.

First, whether you should talk about your book or not depends in large part on what kind of person and writer you are. Extroverts—people who are outwardly focused and who get their energy from interacting with people—probably must talk to people. Often, these kinds of writers don’t even know what they think unless they do talk things out and get feedback.

The important thing here is: Choose carefully the people with whom you share your ideas. Make sure they are 1) your intended audience and 2) the kind of people that tend to be supportive. Don’t go to the "naysayers" who like to shoot down most of your ideas anyway. In fact, make a vow never to mention your book idea to anyone who tends to b

t on what kind of person and writer you are. Extroverts—people who are outwardly focused and who get their energy from interacting with people—probably must talk to people. Often, these kinds of writers don’t even know what they think unless they do talk things out and get feedback.

The important thing here is: Choose carefully the people with whom you share your ideas. Make sure they are 1) your intended audience and 2) the kind of people that tend to be supportive. Don’t go to the "naysayers" who like to shoot down most of your ideas anyway. In fact, make a vow never to mention your book idea to anyone who tends to b

s: Choose carefully the people with whom you share your ideas. Make sure they are 1) your intended audience and 2) the kind of people that tend to be supportive. Don’t go to the "naysayers" who like to shoot down most of your ideas anyway. In fact, make a vow never to mention your book idea to anyone who tends to be negative about your ideas.

Introvert writers get their energy from their inner world, from reflection and solitude. They may be particularly sensitive to criticism. They often need time to mull and ponder their ideas to develop them fully.

They need to do this pondering alone. If they present their ideas too early, someone may rightly point out flaws, which will cause the Introvert writer to doubt and second-guess him or herself, and perhaps abandon the project as unworthy after all. The energy for the project will ebb away, and the writer won’t know why he or she has lost interest.

If you’re an Introvert writer, develop your ideas until you have a good feel for the overall shape of your book. When you do talk about it (and you must, eventually), be very careful to whom you reveal it. Again, choose someone who is supportive and who would be the intended audience.

Another factor that affects the answer to this question has to do with whether you tend to be what I call a “structure” writer or a “discovery” writer.

A structure writer is someone who likes to plan what to say ahead of time. These writers outline things and gain energy and ideas from doing so. They like to make a plan and then work their plan.

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