Author Smarts:
Getting Comfortable with Discomfort

Wouldn’t it be the cat’s meow if your authoring, publishing and writing worlds were cozy and comfortable?

Wouldn’t it be? But rarely is it. For many authors—we excel at create discomfort. Yup, sometimes for ourselves … and sometimes for our readers.

Your writing can be shocking to some; it can be a rude awakening; it can be action goosing … it can get people off their duffs. Yes … it can be uncomfortable.

If the intent of your words is to provoke change, you’ll be creating discomfort for some. Guaranteed.

We writers are the weather barometers with our words. Sometimes we reflect current thoughts and happenings; other times, we become forecasters.

Change is uncomfortable—it’s easier to talk about the latest movie or what you had for dinner last night.

This past week, another book for a business author I had the pleasure of working with was FINISHED … now the book launch is in the planning works; major work and mega hours have been spent getting to this point; smiles are on our faces … and yes, relief.

All of us on the team are ready to proclaim, “This is going to help people, this is well-crafted, we are proud of this book and the author. Jay Nakagawa’s “The UnConventional Strategist” will debut at the Barnes & Noble Southlands Book Fair on May 16—I’m excited to be there with him, introducing people who buy my books to him.

What’s a lot more difficult (but important and ) is to say all of the above and add, “… and this is going to make (some) people uncomfortable … and maybe, I’m included.”

Change. Love it and sometimes hate it. But accept it … and for me personally, I’ve always found change to be a good thing. Uncomfortable at times. But in the end, a bridge to good things.

My advice: be comfortable with discomfort. It’s the ride throughout the year of the Fire Horse.

Dr. Judith Briles is the award-winning and bestselling author of 48 books and calls Colorado home. When she’s not in the kitchen or in the garden, she’s working with clients as The Book Shepherd, a book and publishing consulting and project management firm that works with authors at all stages of their book to create and publish a book they never regret! She’s the founder of the first Authors’ Hall of Fame exclusively dedicated to ensuring the legacy of authors connected in some way with Colorado.

Judith’s books have been translated into 17 countries with over 1,000,000 copies sold! They have been featured in over 2,000 radio and TV shows including repeat appearances on CNN, CNBC, and Oprah. She has worked with over 1,500 authors and created 500 plus bestsellers. Print publications include Newsweek, People, Time, The Wall Street Journal and … The National Enquirer! Her popular podcast, AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing is dedicated to authors and writers and their success and is ranked in the top ten in four categories on GoodPods.

©2026 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved.