The writing world is filled with helpful tips that can get the ball rolling for aspiring authors. Most of them are good-natured and newbie-friendly, like gutter rails in a bowling alley. They soothe the nerves by offering timeless wisdom and gentle encouragement.

But here’s the thing. Publishing sucks. It’s cruel, it’s exhausting, and it doesn’t give a flaming turd about your feelings. If you are serious about giving it a proper go, then you need some bitter pills to go with those bonbons.

So in an effort to toughen up you would-be warriors, let’s go over some harsh truths that will help you navigate this nightmare of an industry.

Ditch the Dream, Learn the Biz

We all had the same fantasy. You’re sitting in a quiet study behind a hardwood desk. A wall of bookshelves features hardback copies of your numerous bestsellers. You have a dutiful agent who schedules book signings and sells your novels to big publishers.

Delightful, right? Now burn it with fire and forget about it. That’s not publishing.

You will be writing when you can and where you can. And don’t plan on just writing. Much of that time will be spent trying to figure out why a distributor rejected your submission. You will be applying to promo services, or tweaking your website, or yelling at your accountant because the new tax rules screwed your budget, or … (heavy sigh)

Very few writers earn enough to make it their career, and even less are successful enough to enjoy it. Every cent you make will be funneled back to marketing because nobody does it for you, even if you have an agent. Prepare yourself for an unforgiving business that saddles you with debt, self-employment tax, and stacks of 1099s. Your day job will persist, because it’s the only thing that keeps your authorship afloat.

Afraid of the Tech? Get Over It

There is a huge cottage industry within publishing that takes advantage of tech-phobic writers. They charge thousands of dollars to perform very simple tasks, which get bundled and sold to anyone with a “can’t be bothered” attitude.

Should you hire an artist to design your book cover? Probably. That’s a valuable skill.

Should you hire someone to format your book? Hell no. Learn the tool and do it yourself.

It’s perfectly reasonable to invest in professionals with high-value skill sets (like cover artists and web developers). But if you can’t format a manuscript, then you have no business in this industry. Learn the essential tools, otherwise you’re just a mark.

Marketing is Mandatory

Do you have the next great novel that will delight readers and wow critics? Great! Now create a robust launch plan, or watch your book face-plant into obscurity.

There are countless great novels lingering in a dark well of disinterest because their authors didn’t bother to market them. Hope is not a strategy. Publishing without a launch plan is like flushing your words down the toilet. No reader will “find” your book, no agent will “find” your book, and no producer will “find” your book. You have to find them.

Yes, there are a handful of miracle authors, but every one of them found a unique angle that nobody else saw. They reaped the initial rewards and every copycat failed. You have to market your book properly (and forever) to have any chance of succeeding.

Keep It Simple, Stupid

So you mastered the tech, created a launch plan, and released your first book. Congrats! Now throw everything you learned out the window because the next book will be totally different.

There are zero standards in publishing and the landscape is constantly shifting. Maintaining sanity in this industry depends on creating your own reliable standards that lessen the burden. If you design something kitschy or use a custom typeset, chances are high that your books will break in the future. For the love of Tim, stick with the tried and trues.

Embrace the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). This will avoid a lot of headaches. For example, the “Additional Works” page in the back matter is easy to update when you have a few titles. But after dozens of titles over multiple series and formats, it becomes a nightmare to maintain. Save yourself the hassle and just list the series. That way you can launch a new title without having to update a million different files.

Grow Thick Skin

In this day and age, everything is problematic and you will be attacked no matter what you publish. Know that there is an army of online misfits who have made it their mission to heap scorn. Nothing you write will slip through this gauntlet unscathed.

And the most infuriating part: they won’t even read your book. If it’s merely perceived as a challenge to their worldview, they will rage-post without any regard for your authorship. In fact, they will often attack you personally and you don’t get to defend yourself. You may even receive a few death threats. (Yes, over the fictional events of a fictional world.)

“But my work isn’t problematic.” Yes it is. Every group has zealots, and you’ll receive hate for things you couldn’t have possibly anticipated. Prepare yourself for this reality, because it will never end. The key is to delight enough normal readers to offset the zealots.

Aaaaaand breathe …

So now that I have scared the bejesus out of you, let’s take a moment to reflect. Publishing sucks, this is true. But it can also be fun and rewarding. I have met some of my closest friends through publishing, and it has given me some of my greatest creative highs. It’s brutal at times, but I keep coming back.

It’s important to remember the “why” of wanting to publish. We don’t slog through the process for the joy of purchasing another ISBN. We all hate formatting. We all hate marketing. We all hate the grind, but we keep going. Why? Because the love you receive from a giddy new fan is the most addictive thing in the universe.