Hustle culture in publishing can be detrimental to mental health as it often promotes working long hours, sacrificing personal time, and prioritizing productivity over self-care. This can lead to burnout, stress, and anxiety. It is important for individuals and organizations to prioritize mental health and establish healthy work-life boundaries.
I recently watched a Tiktok video where the creator said that most authors burn out by book three.
This is because authors, often Indie authors, want to meet the demands of their wonderful fans and start writing and producing books too quickly. This hustle culture is leading to many authors quitting altogether because churning out books that quickly isn’t good for their mental health.
Burnout is a common problem among authors, and it can happen at any point in their career. While some authors may experience burnout by book three, others may experience it early if they are subscribing to hustle culture or this idea that they must produce many books in a single year. Burnout can depend on various factors such as the author’s writing process, workload, stress levels, and personal circumstances. It is essential for writers to take care of their mental and physical health to prevent burnout and maintain their creativity.
However, it may also be important for readers to curb their enthusiasm when requesting for the next book to be written by their favorite new author. While authors love that they have fans, I’ve seen many authors feel too much pressure to produce when they do not have time, money, or even capacity to do this. Some authors manage the rush production of books well! But not all authors can do this.I have not experienced this pressure, but I do tend to recognize my own limits. However, I am concerned for the brilliant authors I’m seeing who are taking on too much. I hope they understand that those fans will likely still be there for them even if they can’t produce so many books in one year. I hope they slow down, if they need to, so that they stick around for the long haul.