Show Yourself Some Love

Last February we encouraged you to show your work some love by creating a submission strategy and by formatting that letter correctly. Lisha Cauthen gave us  Dedicated to the One You Love: Nine Steps to Targeting an Agent/Editor, reminded us that agents don’t care if yo mama loves you, and answered one of those questions we love to hate Query Letter vs. Cover Letter, Wouldn’t you Love to Know the Difference?

This Valentine’s Day I want to remind you to show yourself some love!

Working towards publication is hard. Really hard. You ride the highs and lows of creative bouts. You spend endless amounts of time on projects that are invisible to pretty much everyone, working to perfect that manuscript; that artwork, not only writing but studying markets endlessly. You may have to fight against the many other responsibilities in life for your time to create for your work, especially if you aren’t paid for it (yet!). Some of you might not have the full support of a significant other in your creative aspirations (if that happens to be the case give them this post by author Morgan Shamy’s spouse). You may even have to struggle against your own confidence in your abilities. No matter your situation and struggles it takes a lot of will power and determination to work towards publication.

You are striving to create something wonderful to share with others. You are putting in the hard work towards a goal that some only dream of or talk about. Know that there are people out there who respect and admire what you do, even if you are unpublished.

So take a moment and be proud of yourself! Maybe even give yourself a reward–a break… a day out… chocolate? I hope you’ll do something to show yourself some love. (I’ve got my box of chocolates right here next to the computer. Heh heh.)

Happy Valentine’s Day to each and every one of you writers and illustrators! Without you the world would be a much less interesting place.