Hi Eric, A thought-provoking post.

Having taught students to write I know how important encouragement is and how easily a budding talent can be crushed. But when you embark on publishing you're the most vulnerable you've ever been and any negative feedback even from weak critics or mean spirited readers can be devastating.

You're right,it's incredibly taxing, and so, encouraging others with talent is probably the most generous thing you can do that can make all the difference in their life. Congrats again on your book and also on reaching out to other like-minded authors.