"Published Anyway" Series

Part 1: 

Publish That Piece - Share your work, even when it scares you

Image by Author

As writers, we face many struggles along the way, one of the most common being the fear of hitting “publish.” You’ve finished a piece of writing, and it sits there for weeks in your drafts folder. You’ve read it a dozen times, maybe even rewritten parts of it.

But there's still that little voice in your head that speaks. 

Is this worth sharing? What if no one reads it?

I know that fear. 

When I started writing on platforms, I felt it every time I hit “publish. Most times, I would feel that small moment of hesitation. Will it land? Will people connect with it? And will I be judged?

But I’ve learnt to tell myself the truth. "You’ll never know unless you put it out there."

Every time I push through the fear and publish, I learn something new. Sometimes it's about my writing style. Sometimes it’s about my audience. Sometimes it’s about myself. But it’s always a step to growth.

Waiting for the right moment to publish is a trap. You’ll keep putting it off, and eventually, that piece will just sit there, forgotten and collecting digital dust. The hesitation or fear will be there, but the trick is to publish anyway.

Someone out there needs your words. Your piece will help them see things differently, comfort them, make them laugh, or give them a sense of reassurance. Your words should reach one person rather than sit idle in a folder.

Most importantly, when you share your work with the world, you’ll learn, you’ll improve, and you’ll connect with people who need your words.

So don’t let that little voice stop you. Don’t wait for the fear to disappear. Just publish that piece.

Part 2: 

Fear Before Publishing is Normal

Fear is a Normal Human Emotion. It’s that feeling that rises when something feels uncertain or risky. Sometimes it shows up as a racing heart. Other times, it’s quiet, whispering in a small voice. This kind of fear keeps us safe from physical harm.

But in publishing, fear takes a different shape. It’s emotional (the fear of not being good enough, of being judged). It’s not about physical safety.

Publishing means letting go of something personal we created, and it’s normal to feel a tight knot in your chest.

I recall that when I first started writing on platforms, I felt fear. I would stare at the screen for hours, rereading my words ten times, and I would even unnecessarily change words and sentences.

My finger would hang over the publish button like it was a launch button for a missile. I was scared no one would respond at all.

But I published it anyway, and people found my work interesting. It was a great win for me to be seen.

Even experienced writers feel this way before publishing.

The Harm Fear Can Cause

Fear before publishing is normal, but that doesn't mean you should listen to it. What happens when you do?

1. Your work stays hidden.

2. You over-edit until the piece loses its original voice.

3. You delay publishing until it ends up forgotten in a folder, or worse, even deleted. 

4. You miss out on growth. 

Unfortunately, the fear never disappears. There’s no way to overcome it completely. All you can do is publish anyway. You defeat fear by not letting it decide for you.

Every time you do, you win. You grow. You build your courage.

Part 3:

The Exposed Feeling After Publishing

Have you ever been exposed before, maybe by a sibling to your parents, or by a friend to someone else? That feeling of standing in the open, that’s exactly what publishing can feel like.

After you hit “publish,” you’ll feel vulnerable. Like you’ve just revealed a part of yourself to the world, and now your inner thoughts are visible to everyone.

Here are some common emotions that follow publishing:

1. Anxiety: Worrying about how people will respond. Refreshing stats, checking comments, and waiting.

2. Regret: "Maybe I shouldn't have shared that." "Was I too honest?" or "Did I overshare?"

3. Fear of Judgement: Worrying if people will think less of you. 

4. Embarrassment: Feeling unsure about your writing voice, your story, or how it reads now that it's live. 

5. Hope: Hoping someone reads, resonates, or leaves a kind comment.

6. Relief and excitement: Often hiding under fear.

It’s normal to feel exposed after publishing, and there’s nothing to do to prevent the feeling or make it disappear.

Why Do We Feel This Way?

We feel exposed after publishing because writing is personal. Even if the topic isn’t deeply emotional, it carries your voice, your thoughts, and your creativity.

When you publish, it’s like saying, “Here’re my thoughts, read it, respond to it, maybe even judge it.”

There’s also the fear of being misunderstood and criticized, because once your work is out there, you’re not in control anymore, so anyone can read your work and react however they want. That makes you feel open, like you're standing in a spotlight.

Fortunately, those exposed feelings bring powerful results.

You build emotional strength and confidence. You start to connect with readers in real ways because your honesty draws them in, and your words make them feel seen, too.

Feedback, whether good or bad, helps you write better. Also, you start discovering more about yourself, your voice, and the values that shape your words.

Writing is brave, but publishing is braver.

Part 4:

Publish Anyway: Growth Over Applause 

Keep Sharing, Even in Silence.

It feels good when people clap for your work, leave kind comments, or tell you how much your words meant to them. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be appreciated.

But somewhere along the way, you can start chasing applause more than growth. You refresh your stats. You check for new comments. You compare your numbers with someone else’s. And when you don’t get the response you hoped for, you feel discouraged.

This is how applause becomes the measure of success. And when that happens, you start writing for approval instead of writing with purpose.

The Problem with Chasing Applause

When applause becomes your main goal, your work starts to shift.

You begin to write what you think will get attention, and not what you truly want to say.

You might hold back your honest voice. You might follow trends that don’t excite you. You might feel anxious whenever a post doesn’t perform “well enough,” and you’ll lose focus on your “why” for writing.

Applause is unpredictable, so you can’t control who sees your work, when it resonates, or how people will react. Some of your best writing might go unnoticed, and something you wrote quickly might take off. That’s how it goes.

So if you tie your motivation to applause, you’ll always feel like you’re chasing something that moves.

What If You Focus on Growth Instead?

Growth means you’re showing up consistently. You’re learning with every piece you publish. You’re building your writing muscles, your voice, and your confidence.

Focusing on growth takes the pressure off each post. You don’t need every piece to go viral, making your goal simpler: publish, learn, and improve. Likewise, you’ll always be better than you were yesterday.

As you maintain this approach, you continuously build a body of work and trust in yourself.

Quiet Growth is Still Growth

Some seasons of writing feel quiet, as no one seems to notice what you’re sharing, and it feels like you’re shouting into a void.

But know that in the quiet, you develop your discipline and learn how to keep showing up. Also, you grow in ways applause alone can never give you.

So, publish even when it’s quiet, when it feels like no one is watching, because those are the moments that shape you most.

What You Gain by Choosing Growth Over Applause

1. Consistency: You'll publish more often, because you're not waiting for massive attention.

2. Confidence: Every post adds to your confidence. You start to believe in your voice because you practiced it. 

3. Better Writing: The more you write and reflect, the better your writing becomes. 

4. Real Readers: When you grow steadily, the right readers find you, because your work speaks to them. 

5. Your "why" for writing remains the same and never changes because you're focused on growth and self-improvement.

Conclusion

Applause is lovely. We all enjoy it.

Consistency: You'll publish more often, because you're not waiting for massive attention.

But it should never be the reason you write or the reason you stop.

Let growth be your goal. Let it be enough to publish one piece today, and another next week, and another after that. You don’t need every post to be a hit.

You just need to keep going because the more you show up, the more you grow. And the more you grow, the more people will notice quietly in their own time.

Thank You for Reading

That wraps up my “Published Anyway” series.

I started this series to remind myself (and you) that writing isn’t about being perfect or popular. It’s about being honest, brave, and consistent.

So whatever you’re working on, publish it anyway.

Even if you’re scared.

Even if it feels too honest.

Even if no one claps.

Growth is happening. Keep writing.