The decision to write a book is: - Exciting and exhilarating - Overwhelming - Stress-inducing - One of those life experiences that kind of find you going from euphoria to total depression in three seconds flat

Staying on top of that emotional roller coaster by managing the support of your well meaning friends can serve you well in many ways you may not have considered.

Whether you are writing a book, training for your first triathlon or launching a new business, there's nothing quite like the feeling of putting that idea out there, into the world.

The good news: your family, friends, neighbors, mailman, hairdresser and kids piano teacher all love you and are genuinely interested in and supportive of your success as an author.

The bad news, they can support you straight into paralysis because they care so much about you and your book that they bring it up at every turn. Two weeks after you tell them about your plans, don't be surprised if someone asks you if the book is out yet.

So, you'll find yourself in a very contradictory situation: surrounded by people who so much want you to succeed---at something most of them don't have the first clue about.

Here are three tips to leverage the well-meaning yet potentially unnerving support of your friends and family to your advantage, and still be on speaking terms with them when it's time to send out invites to your book launch party:

1. Thank them sincerely for their interest and support. Remember, lots of people think it's really cool to know someone who is writing a book. There's a certain mystique by association. They WILL tell everyone they know about you. And you don't know who they know.

2. Tell them you will keep them apprised on your progress---then do it via email and blogs. This helps you prepare for the marketing phase of your publishing journey, teaching you how to talk about your book with confidence.

3. Steer the conversation from "when" topics to "what" topics. Even though you know this intellectually, you can start to feel like a failure emotionally when your progress doesn't meet their expectations. Keep in mind. They likely understand very little of the process you are in the middle of or how long it takes.

"What" questions---questions about your content, give you a great opportunity to practice thinking on your feet which you will need to do for media interviews.

While it's impossible to completely slow down or stop the roller coaster that is your publishing journey, these three tips will make the ride quite a bit more enjoyable.

Copyright (c) 2007 Gail Richards