What if nobody likes it?

What if it’s a terrible idea after all?

What if the plot only sounded good in theory, but completely falls apart on the page?

What if the edits weren’t enough?

What if people judge me because I couldn’t afford a professional editor yet?

What if I publish it… and it flops?

These thoughts, known as imposter syndrome, are loud and persistent. I know them well, as most—if not all—authors do. They echo in the quiet moments between chapters, in the sound of the mouse hitting “save,” and in the heavy inhale before sharing your work with the world.

But here’s the other side of that fear:

What if it makes it?

What if your story finds the exact person who needs it?

What if someone out there is quietly drowning—and your book becomes the thing that keeps them afloat?

What if your words save someone… including you?

The doubt will come. So will the impostor syndrome. But they are not the truth.

Your voice matters.

Your story matters.

Your why matters.

Even if it only helps you. Even if it’s just one reader who feels seen, understood, or a little less alone because of something you created.

Write the book. Finish the book. Publish the book.

Don’t let fear, anxiety, trauma, or self-doubt steal the dreams you’ve held onto for so long. You’ve survived worse than blank pages.

Keep going. Keep swimming.

You got this.

—H. L. Rillon