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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/19583
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Some of this might sound cliche, but it's what I often cling to when I'm feeling insecure about letting anyone look at something I'm working on. That being said, even experienced writers often have trouble letting go of their work. Writers are typically predisposed to keeping everything they've created under lock-and-key until it's absolutely _perfect_. The problem for most writers is that it's difficult (and often impossible) to ever feel as if something is good enough to be seen by anyone. Personally nothing has made me feel more vulnerable than sending a Google doc off to someone, knowing that I'm bound to have dozens of comments on every little detail, most of which I hadn't even considered.

You've alluded to being shy about sending your books to your friends to read, and you're completely justified in feeling that way. However, the reality is that unfortunately, you can't control how people react to your writing. And in a lot of ways, that's really, really good news. Even better, if your friends represent the audience you'd ultimately like your books to reach on a larger scale, their feedback will help you shape future drafts.

So, there isn't really any hard-and-fast advice I can give about how to remedy your anxiety. But, I'd encourage you to be brave and send it off for review, especially if you have a group of friends you trust with giving you constructive feedback (even if it's not what you want to hear). If you have a feeling your "friends" will rip into your work just for the sake of having a bit of fun at your expense, find a different group to get feedback from. Writers groups are fairly easy to find online, and because most of us are of a similarly sensitive mindset, there's a great deal of solidarity to be found when you're asking for help from people who have been (and are still) in your shoes.

Original score: 5