Easy Peasy Books

073: Shushing the Fear Monster: Why Authors Struggle and How to Keep Moving with Gillian Whitney

Gillian Whitney Season 3 Episode 3

Let's talk about the thing nobody wants to admit: writing and publishing a book is scary. Like, sick-to-your-stomach, can't-hit-the-publish-button scary. In this honest solo episode, Gillian gets real about the fear that showed up at every stage of her author journey—from the blank page to the marketing that came after. She shares the uncomfortable truth about hovering over that publish button with her mouse, being too afraid to tell anyone about her first book, and the surprising backlash that came from keeping it all secret.

But here's the good news: fear doesn't have to stop you. Gillian walks you through practical strategies for dealing with fear at each stage—writing, publishing, and marketing. Plus, she shares a powerful reframe from Elizabeth Gilbert's "Big Magic" that changes everything about how you think about fear. Spoiler alert: fear gets a seat in the car, but it absolutely does not get to drive. If you've ever felt like an imposter, worried about who you think you are to write a book, or struggled to tell people about your work, this episode is your permission slip to keep going anyway.