In the second part of my conversation with Eric Jay Dolin, (author of "Left for Dead," a true story about a captain of a sealing ship who was marooned on the Falkland Islands for 18 months in the early 1800s), we talk about the squishier side of writing, including dealing with your inner critic, getting through the parts of sharing your work that you'd really rather avoid, and managing your own expectations for how many copies your book will sell while also doing what you can to sell as many as possible.
We talked about:
- Getting geared up for giving talks as an introvert who grew up painfully shy (and the speaking tip that helps)
- The appeal of writing a book that will still be relevant in 30, 40, or more years
- How being in his 60s has affected his writing schedule, and his stress levels
- How being a writer can put you out of step with your friends once they start to hit retirement age, and you are still plugging along
- Taking aim at the belief that if you work hard, everything will work out
- The mystery and serendipity that impact how well your book sells
- The difference between wanting your book to sell well and expecting it to
Visit Eric at ⁠ericjaydolin.com⁠.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
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