Humble reminders

by Stacey

This article from last week's PW serves as a good reminder to published and aspiring authors alike to remember to take nothing and no one for granted in this very fickle and cyclical, not to mention small, business. Sometimes we all get complacent, caught up in our busy, fast paced lives, but this kind of article for me is a reminder to take a step back, breathe, and forge on, doing the little things that can make a difference in your career, or in your life. I always try to remind my authors that there is a benefit to daily upkeep of your role as author, and there are cumulative and ongoing effects of networking, staying involved, going to conferences, meeting other authors, and most importantly, connecting with your fans. I recently sold a book by an adult author who was writing for the children's market for the first time. Last summer, he had met a big, bestselling children's author at a writer's conference (and an adult writer's conference at that) and decided to ask that author to read his book before we sent it to publishers. We wound up with a great quote, and all because of a networking event at a writer's conference. Small things do matter, and each book sale does make a difference. If you believe that, and you stay focused each and every day, you will get to where you want to be, and stay there.