No genre is immune from this phenomenon. It’s due to a handful of possibilities, ranging from understandable to frustrating, mostly related to the changes and struggles of the publishing industry itself.

As writers, we have to weigh the pros and cons of each safety choice, which can include financial cost, social cost, a potential dip in book sales, and other matters. Personally, I aim for a balance that makes me feel safer without simultaneously feeling silenced.

We in the writing community need to discuss and (re)define success as writers. There’s a lot of false senses of success out there, making many of us feel inadequate when we've actually done well. So let's break down these misconceptions.