The Saying That "Art is Never Finished, Only Abandoned" and the Agonies of the Self-Published Writer

Considering the artist's challenge of walking away from a project some have an easier time than others. This is partly a matter of temperament, but partly also circumstances.

Those who have been allowed to feel themselves genuine artists who have done worthy work in the past and thus given grounds to think that they at least can do so again probably have an easier time than those who, like Kilgore Trout, have never been allowed to think of themselves as artists.

Those who have support from those others, and don't have to rely so fully on their own judgment--as people only do when they have been allowed to think of themselves as artists--probably have an easier time than those who don't.

And those who have someone to take a work off their hands--as people only do when they have been allowed to think of themselves as artists--have especially valuable assistance here. The thing is off their hands--and even if they were tempted to go back and go on working on it the "abandoned" work has already been carried off, giving them that much more inducement to look ahead rather than back.

By contrast the self-published writer tends to be without all that. They are often not allowed to think of themselves as genuine artists, and unsure whether their work has been worthy. They often have no support from others. And what they produced remains on their hands, even after they have put it before the public. Their manuscript with the self-publishing service they used is just one login away--all as the temptation to go back and tinker or more is enormous.

Consider it yet another of the miseries of their lot.