I loved the title to this article, which was picked up by Publisher’s Weekly’s twitter feed. The article itself didn’t impress me as much, but I think most writers know, and most non-writers probably do not, that publishing a book— especially one that matters a lot to the writer, is often a grief process.
All of the hope and expectation that a writer had during the creation process comes crashing into the reality of a glutted marketplace. Imagining possibilities makes people happy. Recognizing limitations is a small death requiring a mourning period.
Five Stages of Grief Following the Publication of Your First Book: The Awl
Story and Self 