Friday, December 26, 2014

So, what's your super power...?


As you know, I’m published through Astraea Press. Stephanie Taylor is the boss lady and with permission of my sweet friend, Heather Gray, I’m going to share a post that she shared on our author loop. While it obviously points at AP and Stephanie, so much of it could be for all authors out there. Do enjoy, and thank you Heather for allowing me to spread your words. *smile*

So, what's your super power...? 
I got a box today. Thankfully, it was wrapped in plastic when it got dropped off. (What ever happened to knocking on the door and handing the package to a real live person...?)  
I digress...  
I've been working on these Headtalker campaigns, and when it's time to describe the publisher, I've been saying something like this: "Astraea Press is a publisher that enjoys giving new authors a voice..." That's not a perfect description (nor the whole description), but you get the idea. (I say "new and established authors" if it's an author that's got a backlist.) Anyway... (again w/ the digressing) ... 
I got a box today. I opened it up, and you know what was inside? Books! My books! And while I know the money isn't in print sales, there's still a thrill at holding one of my own books in my hands. And today, doing so got me to thinking about super powers...
I haven't figured out my super power yet. I'm debating between sarcasm and over­-organization. I'm really good at drinking coffee, too.  
And snoring.  
I do know Stephanie Taylor's super power, though. She turns writers into authors, and she makes dreams come true. 
Being an author isn't easy. There's criticism, self­doubt, constant comparison, etc. Just when we think we've become our own worst enemy, somebody gives us a review that makes us want to hide in a dark corner and rock back and forth while sucking our thumb. We grow from that, though, even if some days that growth is measured only in the thickness of our skin. And it eventually balances out. We keep it at, we hone our craft, we work hard, and we get better. We put out more books, we get more reviews, and then the moment comes when someone tweets their squee moment of the day...meeting their favorite author. 
And we're tagged in the tweet. Sure, we have to read it a dozen times before it sinks in and we realize who they're talking about...but still. What a moment.  
The thing is, if somebody didn't give us that first chance, none of the rest would follow. The bad reviews that make us work harder, the editor comments that make us better writers, the good reviews that make us want to keep going, and the chance we have to do it all over again ­­ none of that would happen if nobody ever took a chance on us to begin with.  
I know that not everybody with AP is a first-­time author, but I also know that a lot of us are (or were). And so, while I'm all filled with holiday sentimentality and glowing with the joy of holding my own book, I want to say thank you to Stephanie Taylor for using her super power for good instead of evil.

Want to get to know Heather better? Look her up. She's all around the web!

Website: http://www.heathergraywriting.com/
Twitter handle: @LaughDreamWrite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.gray.1029




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