I Want You To Be Yourself, and To Be Gentle with Yourself

Hi writers! I'm Liza Olmsted, a writer, editor, and publisher at Thinking Ink Press. I'm also neurodivergent* and I have invisible disabilities.

The publishing industry can be really hard on those of us with visible or invisible disabilities … or really just all of us. (This is true of all industries, really, but let’s focus for a minute.) We’re trained to believe due dates are Very Important. We’re trained to believe we should put in 100%, without ever asking “of what”? We’re trained to believe it’s an honor to be published, so we should make all the changes editors ask for, or do a lot of work for very little money.

I recently co-edited and published** a science fiction anthology featuring neurodivergent authors and neurodivergent main characters, The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters, which gave me lots of opportunities to think about those expectations, both as I set them and as I operated within them.

My co-editor and I went into this project with a goal to be supportive of neurodivergence in all its flavors. As a publisher, Thinking Ink Press values inclusion and diversity*** (and good storytelling!), and we’re aware that neurodivergent people can be excluded from publishing when their communication or working styles are out of sync from traditional publishing’s values. For example, autistic folks are less likely to have their work published because they may take instructions too literally, or they may miss cues or norms that aren't made explicit, or they may experience Pathological Demand Avoidance and be unable to make edits within the requested timeframe. ADHD folks are less likely to get published because they may have time blindness that causes them to miss due dates or because they may experience Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and be unable to hear an editor's suggestions in anything other than a severely critical tone. Folks who have depression may have a whole battle just to get words out, let alone be able to interact with an editor.

We wanted people with any of those challenges to still have their stories and poems included in this anthology.

As the project went along, I discovered I wasn’t applying those principles to myself, even while I was applying it to our authors. I would hold too strictly to due dates that my time blindness thought would be reasonable (they were not), and I’d end up exhausted and unable to make good decisions. Or I’d find myself caught in the belief that things needed to be perfect rather than done. Several times that I had a conversation with myself that went like:

Liza: “I just need to push through to get this done.”

Also Liza: “ok, but if one of your authors told you they were burning themself out to achieve your deadline, you would change the deadline.”

Liza: “👀 👀 no, but that's different.”

Also Liza: “it's not different. you can change the deadline.”

I made a practice of giving myself rest every time I heard myself think “I just need to get this done” or “I should be able to do more.” And I rested until I heard thoughts like “ooh, I know just how to [whatever]” or “ooh, I wonder if [something].” In other words, anytime I felt excited or curious about the project I could go back to work on it.

My native state is excitement and curiosity. When I’m healthy and able, I am excited and curious about something. When I’m not excited or curious, I’m probably unwell and need rest or help.† This project was one I was excited and passionate about, and I couldn’t wait for readers to be able to read the fantastic stories and poems. If I wasn’t excited to work on it, it wasn’t because I wasn’t excited about the project anymore.

I know, you might be wondering: What about when the deadline does matter, or your editor/publisher isn’t willing to work with you?

And I have two answers to that:

First, you can always ask for what you need or want (with the understanding that they can always say no). It gives them the chance to say yes, rather than choosing the “no” for them. For example, if someone asks you to write a piece “for a good cause,” you can write back thanking them for the opportunity and telling them what your rates are. They might say they’re really not able to pay, or you might discover they actually have some money they can give to people who need it. Or if your deadline is approaching and you need more time, you can ask for more time. It might turn out they’re behind, too!

Second, sometimes the best thing is to not have your piece published in that venue after all. If the editor isn’t able and willing to work with your communication style, or if the deadlines are too tight for you to meet without hurting yourself, or if you just can’t agree with the editor about what the piece should be … then don’t do it. And if you discover that they’re rude about a request you make, remember that you have what they want: fabulous content. It’s your work, and you get to choose who publishes it.††

Of course the consequence of me changing deadlines was that I had to apologize, more than once, to authors who received editorial notes, feedback, or even print editions of the book later than promised (sometimes months later—I’m so sorry). Fortunately for me, they’ve been incredibly understanding.

One of our authors was persistently late with their drafts and revisions (and even with signing the contract), but their story is fantastic and it’s an honor to have it in the book. Were we stressed out occasionally? Maybe a teensy bit. Did we publish the book anyway, and include their piece? We sure did! (Were we also running late? We absolutely were!)

Fundamentally, what’s special about your writing is you. Not the “you” that got squished into the wrong-shaped box when you were a kid. Not the “you” who can hit every deadline only by sacrificing your creativity or well-being.††† Not the “you” who is “appropriate” in how you communicate. I mean the you who sees the world differently from everyone else, who crafts a sentence the way only you would, who brings characters to life in a way no one else can.

You are the only one who can write what you wrote. As an editor, I ask: Please be gentle with your amazing self.

—

* You can tell I have ADHD in part because of how much I use footnotes and parentheticals. 😄

** A couple of definitions: Publishers are the people who make the book exist in the world. Editors are the people who hold the vision for the book and suggest changes to the interior. There's a ton of overlap between the two roles, and I held both for this project, so I use them somewhat interchangeably. Note that copyeditors are also editors, but they have a much more narrow scope and aren't who I'm talking about here. There are also freelance developmental editors you could hire to help polish your work, but again they're not who I'm talking about here.

*** If that’s important to you, too, Thinking Ink Press is often open to submissions.

† My autistic brain demands that I clarify that this is a gross oversimplification. Most of you don’t need or want me to enumerate the exceptions, but if you’d like to chat about the nuances of situations like this, feel free to drop me a line!

†† Side note about contracts: If you’ve already signed a contract, there may or may not be a lot you can do about your disagreement. Do your best to read through the contract ahead of time to make sure they can’t make edits without your approval, and that there are rights reversions, and generally that the contract isn’t predatory.

††† And if your superpower happens to be hitting deadlines while being brilliantly creative, that’s fantastic! We’re all different, and we all have wonderful things to share. That’s the point.

The Author

Liza Olmsted (they/she): Liza Olmsted (they/she) is the co-editor of The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters and refuses to struggle with ADHD, autism, or anxiety, regardless of how hard they struggle with her. They are also the editor of the inclusive writing inspiration book Your Writing Matters. Liza is one of the founders of Thinking Ink Press, which publishes fiction and nonfiction books with a focus on amplifying disabled, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent voices. Thinking Ink recently received fiscal sponsorship from the nonprofit Independent Arts & Media, which means it can now accept tax-deductible donations from US taxpayers who feel moved to support its mission.