When people learn I've had a book published, they often tell me of the book in their head. Some of those ideas are really good, others - not so marketable.
What has surprised me since getting my book published, is the attitude of some unpublished writers. Not sure if it's just professional jealousy because they're not yet published, sensitivity because they're in the middle of the rejection journey (where everyone has been) or just simply that they think their stuff is better than mine and why should I be the one to get published? And yes, there are a lot of really good writers out there who haven't yet managed to secure a publishing deal, just as there are quite a few published writers that make you wonder how they did it.
And then there's the "I could've done that" category of critics. The ones who tell you about the book in their head, then tell you how lucky you are to have scored a publising deal. Lucky? It had nothing to do with luck, and everything to do with writing it all down and then working like a maniac to find an agent, who in turn worked hard to get the right publishing contract. Everyone has a book in their head, and some of them could be really, really good - if only they could make it from the head to the keyboard.
Oh, and then there's this type of person - who basically didn't write a book and is now claiming compensation from someone who did. Fortunately the judge threw the case out, not because it has no merit but because the case has timed out under the statute of limitations.
I mean, how lazy can you get?
Or am I just being mean?