Small Press Week is an event conceived of and organised by Upper Rubber Boot Books to “talk about exciting new releases, classic back-catalog titles, and what makes small press publishing so fearless, intimate, creative, and heart-warming”. This is day three where we are encouraged to shine a spotlight on all our 2016 new releases.
The American Thanksgiving is upon us, so today we look at who makes us grateful to be in publishing.
Cori
What and who makes me grateful to be in publishing, eh? Wow that’s a long list. I’m going to try and narrow it down to my top three, in no particular order:
1. I’m grateful that publishing allows me to work from home.
My child is an adult now but when they were younger working from home meant I got to be here when they got home, I got to volunteer in their classroom, to go on field trips. It meant when the school called to say, “They are okay but there was an accident in gym class and we need to come pick them up and take them for stitches…” I didn’t need to hesitate for even a second before dashing out the door.
Working from home also means I don’t have to commute and in the middle of a Canadian winter, I promise you, that is a perk that is impossible to over-value.
It also means I don’t have to wear grown-up clothes if I don’t want to. I could work in a pantsuit or my pajamas, it totally doesn’t matter and no one (aside from my family) will know unless I tell them!
2. Publishing has really allowed me to find my people. I get to work, every single day, with amazing authors, editors, publishers, marketers… the list goes on and on. In particular I am especially thankful to have met and worked with Elesha Teskey, Anna Kyle, Wendy Sparrow, Alexa Piper, Sarena Ulibarri, Laura Harvey and Trysh Thompson. Oh! And Elaine, and Jen, and Em, and Tiffany, and Mary, and TJ, and Nicole, and… I think you get the idea. I don’t like everyone I’ve brushed up across, of course, there’s no industry where that would be the case, but the huge, vast majority of the people I work with I would happily sit down with for a drink. Or a meal. Or a food fight…
What? It would be fun and you know it!
3. I am so ridiculously thankful that I get to spend my days reading and creating books. Books were like life preservers to me when I was younger, so just having the ability, the privilege of creating awesome books? Wow. I am so grateful that not only do I get to do it, it’s my job to do it! Past Me would be so incredibly envious of Present Me!
Elesha
Every day I’m grateful that I stepped on this road. Though it hasn’t been very long for me, I’ve learned so much and it’s been an adventure. So for me, I’m grateful for…
1. Cori. She invited me on board and put me to work. She’s been patient while I learn and had confidence in my ability to get stuff done.
2. My husband. I do publicity for P&K as well as work another job, so I’m often very busy and things get missed on the home front. He tries to pick up my slack when he can and doesn’t complain about missing out on time with me because I’m working.
3. The authors. I’ve worked with some really great people and love helping bring their book-babies into the world!
4. Readers. Without readers, there would be no audience to share these treasures with!
