Ah the Green-eyed Monster. It's a rare person, especially an insecure writer, who can resist the urge to compare herself to her peers - and find herself utterly lacking.

Other writers are:

1. More successful
2. More prolific
3. More talented
4. More sociable
5. More popular

And probably better-looking with a nicer computer, a dog that doesn't bark at skateboarders, and a spouse or partner who does all the gourmet cooking/grocery shopping/laundry/toilet cleaning.

It's incredibly tempting to look at someone else and think, "That should have been my book deal!"
"That should have been my spot on the NYT Bestsellers list!"
"That should have been my..."

And so on and so on.

But even if you resist, that competitive urge can creep into your reading of their books. You might have read an awesome review from a popular blogger or saw that a trade mag gave it a star or perhaps a good friend who isn't a writer recommended it to you.

Naturally you're curious so you grab a copy and reluctantly/eagerly dig into it. I say reluctantly because if it's really good, you'll find your work lacking. And eagerly because deep down, you're a reader and you want to inhale a great book. God knows I do! I love sinking into a good book and getting to know new awesome characters.

A. You finish and you love it.

Great! Tell the world, meaning your friends and fans and maybe the author herself. Authors love to hear positive feedback.

B. You finish and you hate it.

Do you report this to the world too? To your Goodreads account? To your Twitter followers? To your friends on Facebook and your fans on Instagram?

The Green-eyed Monster wants you to tell everyone when it's bad. Of course he does. He wants you to feel better about yourself.

But you have to listen to your Inner Reader, the one who drives you to write because you love books and you love stories and it's your fondest desire that other people love your books.

Your Inner Reader says "Shhh..." Say nothing.

When I read a book, I will absolutely happily tell Twitter and Facebook and people IRL and when I hate it, I tell no one. That's not fair to the author. That's not fair to her fans. Especially if it's a super popular book and a super popular author. How do I know that my reading of the book wasn't colored with a green hue?

So you're not going to read reviews from me. I don't want to judge other writers, those I know and those I don't. Did I read a certain book? Check my GR shelf and you'll find out. Did I like it? Well, you'll just have to contact me personally and ask.

Happy reading!