An Author's Gratitude

Another quality post brought to you by Steve!

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the States, so I thought I might start us off by listing some of the people I am grateful for as an author.  So, in no particular order, in 2019 I'm grateful for:

1.  My PA

This is the newest one on my list.  For years now I've dreamt about getting someone to pick up some of the heavy lifting I do, from around the time I realized that you can spend just as much, if not more time doing what I call "writing adjacent" business as opposed to actually writing.  That is, formatting your work, running social media, querying publishers, requesting reviews, and the like.  Earlier this year I just ran into kismet when fellow indie author Jessica Eppley was looking for a part-time job and I realized that was just what I needed: another writer who knows her way around Amazon, Twitter, and the like.  And I've never been more content as a writer, knowing my important but draining tasks are with someone I trust.

2.  My fellow authors

It sounds self-serving to say this on the group blog, but other authors help you recharge and refocus.  They're there to commiserate with and bounce ideas off of.  They can be your beta readers, your cheerleaders, your guides in the wilderness, your mentors, your proteges, and a million other things.  I'm not ashamed to say that some of the people on this very blog I speak to every day, and without their consistent support I wouldn't be where I am today.  

3.  My fans

Without fans, without readers, I'm nothing.  I know, I know, there is such a thing as ars gratia artis, and perhaps there will even be things I never publish and create solely for my own gratification.  But, by and large, we write to be read.  And even more exciting than having readers, is getting to know them, and getting feedback from them, and perhaps, in an even more important way, getting to know them as people and not just customers.  

4.  My girlfriend

None of which is to forget the real people in your life.  Not that any of you aren't "real" but there are the people you chat with online and see twice a year, and then there are the people you see day-in, day-out.  Every day, my girlfriend (life partner, really, but that sounds hokey) is there for me, not just for the writing stuff, but all of the other stuff, too.  The emotional support of a real person can't be overstated.  Make sure you're remembering the ones in your life.

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How about you?  Who are you grateful for this year (and every year?)