In our last chapter, I prolly gave you the impression that independent publication is a vast blue watery paradise where all authors – big and small – can coexist in eternal harmony. Scratch that. Since the industry is long past its infancy (if you're a Gen Z writer, sucks to be you), the blue ocean is actually more like a blood-drenched, shark-infested and garbage-strewn tank. 

Ok, that was way too scary and gloomy. I apologize. But what I want you to understand is that this is natural in any kind of business. In a more expert-sounding tone, this is what we call "oversaturated market"(I told you I learned a whole gamut of useful things as an indie author). Just like with Netflix or Hollywood, which I heard makes about 400-500 movies every year, or with almost any product in this capitalist society for that matter, we get an overproduction of books. It is said that roughly 1 million e-books (roughly a quarter of them self-published) are released every year; all competing for the reader's attention and, what it all boils down to, time. Valuable, non-refundable time.

You might not see it but you can definitely feel it. When a reader picks up a book, they're undertaking a journey of discovery, where they hope to come out feeling refreshed or having been entertained. This is a very special moment when author and reader enter into an agreement, a contract of sorts, that each would give their best for their end of the bargain.

First, the reader will do their best to appreciate the work, to suspend their disbelief and exist for the next hour or so only in the world that the author's mind has crafted. Second, the author promises that they have made all conceivable effort to come up with the best representation of his genius – whether this entails plot, characterization, tone, word choice or even basic things like grammar, punctuation, spelling and so on.

Whenever there's a breakdown in this agreement, both parties end up dissatisfied. The reader regrets having wasted their time while the author gets frustrated and hurt by the negative feedback.

Of course there will be instances when it's not the author's fault. It could be partially or completely the reader's. Maybe the reader set their expectations too high. Maybe the reader's unrealistic or too demanding. Maybe the reader didn't really give the work enough chance to woo them. Maybe they stopped at first impressions or, God forbid, judged a book by its cover. Maybe they didn't go past the first few pages.

Sure, there will always be cases like these. But, think about it: Isn't all life like that? You can't please everyone and, what only people who have never worked in the service industry will contend with, the customer is always right. In this case, the reader's always right. Even when they're wrong.

I also know where authors are coming from. I know what's it's like to work many days and nights on a manuscript and then bare your soul or wear your heart on your sleeve, only to receive a very scathing comment or review. "Garbage! Not worth your time to read!"

This here can double as advice for authors who don't know how to deal with criticism. Believe me, I know how you feel. It's basically a miracle to be able to create such a symphony of words and ideas on a page from the absolute chaos that is someone's mind. Nothing comes close to it except perhaps, I'm imagining here, having a baby. I guess that's why somebody (arguably the poet and revolutionary Jose Marti) said:

"[Every man should] plant a tree, have a child, and write a book."

And then someone calls your book – your baby – an abomination. It's more than enough to drive you up a wall, isn't it?

What I do during times like this is, I think of one person I really admire, whether it's a celebrity, another author, a singer or movie director. I then go to a review site – there's so many of them: Amazon, Goodreads, IMDB, iTunes – and then I especially look for the negative comments and read them. I know this sounds terrible but there's a lesson here. What I'm trying to say is, parts of life will always be unfair. That's just how it is. Like I said earlier, you can't please everybody.

You adore Tay-tay. Check how many stars her songs have on iTunes or how many thumbs-down on Youtube. You think J.K. Rowling is perfect. Check out Amazon and Goodreads.

People judge by first impressions. You do, too. Don't try to deny it. And your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you only after a few months of getting to know each other – sorry to remind you of this – because he or she has sampled the merchandise and decided: "Welp! This is not for me."

But this is why, as authors (and potential lovers), we try to do everything in our power to avoid any clashes of taste. How? Well, first and foremost, your basic pre-flight checklist: punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing, spelling and so on. Whether you're an indie author or you're writing on Wattpad, always, always make sure to put your best foot forward. Again, it's just like stepping out in the real world. Halitosis? Gargle mouthwash. Smelly feet? Use foot deodorant. Go take a shower and put on your favorite shirt. Because, you know what they say, you just don't know who you're going to bump into on the street.

You don't know if your next casual browser might actually become a die-hard fan.

Up-next: Finally, I'll be talking about our beloved orange site: Wattpad.

Stay Phenomenal!

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I'll try to update this story every day (whoa!)

For those of you who are tuning in late, my book The Boyfriend App has been published. To the version uploaded here on WP, I added 6 new chapters plus 1 juicy bonus material about our beloved leading guy (bot?) Ecto. Plus, it has a gorgeous new cover. 

The publisher is now accepting pre-orders and can ship to select countries. Just visit my site www.phenomenalpen.com for details. 

Thanks!