The Great Taboo: Professional Jealousy

© 2007 Sylvia Day

How To Turn Professional Jealousy Into Admiration and Support

1. It’s NOT healthy to be jealous.
2. Jealousy is not the problem, it’s a symptom of the problem.
3. Look inside yourself. Find out where your jealousy comes from and what sets it off.
4. Be competitive, not jealous.
5. Strive for success but don’t wish for someone else to fail.
6. If you admire someone, befriend them. Don’t try to tear them down. (Karma bites back.)
7. Direct your feelings appropriately. If another author gets a bigger advance, larger print run, more support, etc. that’s not the author’s decision, that’s the publisher’s. Don’t resent the author for accepting the very things you covet.
8. Distance yourself from friends who encourage your envy. (see #1)
9. Make friends with people who will help you focus on YOUR successes instead of someone else’s.
10. Direct all of that misguided energy into your work. Being jealous is a waste of your precious time and resources. Write a great book, that’s the key to success.

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