Tag: team work

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It Takes a Village

group of people standing indoors

September 12, 2022-We had the best weekend at Supercrawl! It’s always a fabulous event in the city of Hamilton and droves of people came out to support artists of all kinds. Special thanks to my team for helping out and promoting their books and the books of their fellow authors. As I was looking at the company that’s been created, I couldn’t help but feel so blessed that we’re such a strong unit as I watched them interact with each other and the public. I’m so proud of them and honoured to lead this team. Huge thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat and support our work!

With any endeavour, you can’t go at it alone and it really does take a village to make your dreams come to life! There are so many people involved not only with book production (author, artist, formatters, marketers, publishers, designers, distributors, store owners, and the list goes on infinitely) but with everything that comes afterward, which I personally think is the most fun part!

The whole point of this life is to learn, to grow, to share your gifts, and connect with others. I’ve been so fortunate to meet some wonderful people along all of the stops on my journey and I know that they’ve played a huge part in all that I’ve been able to accomplish so far. I sincerely hope that I’ve been able to help them in some small way as well.

So, how do we support each other? Here are some ideas to help our fellow authors:

  1. Reach out. Send an email, text, or message to the author to let them know that you’ve read their book and enjoyed it. This is huge for authors because most of us have imposter syndrome and never think we’re really good enough. A kind note from a friend or reader who liked our book is a huge confidence boost.
  2. Support them at events. If you’re in the area and are available to swing by and offer a few words of encouragement or support at an event, this is such a great thing to do. It’s always nice to chat with a friendly face and takes some of the pressure off.
  3. Buy their books. If you have the means, purchasing their book is a great way to show that you support your local authors and artists. Sales matter as much as everything else and it’s the financial backing that helps us make more books and share more stories.
  4. Share on social media. By sharing author’s posts on social media, you help us get the word out! This is especially important for new releases and letting others know where we’ll be at events etc. It’s a free thing that you can do that make such a difference!
  5. Give great reviews. Leaving a review on their website, emailing it to them, posting it on social media, or on Amazon, is super helpful to the author because it helps build and solidify their credibility. People look to reviews before purchasing a lot of the time, so your reviews help tremendously.
  6. Word of mouth works. Spreading positivity, love, respect, and kindness are all wonderful ways to help authors and really our fellow humans. We’re all in this together and we need each other to succeed in everything. No one goes at this alone!
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Special Teams

March 9, 2020– Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge hockey fan. Publishing, for me, is a lot like hockey in the sense that there are coaches, teammates, and special teams who kill penalties/score on powerplays.  Why is it important to have special teams in publishing, and what are they? I’m glad you asked.

  1. Illustrators/Graphic Artists-These are the teammates that we depend on when we’re in a dire situation. These are the teammates behind the bench that are stitching us up after we’ve been hit with a puck to the face, and they’re making sure we can get back on the ice quickly and safely. They are always performing their best, and they stick to deadlines. Without them, our books would be black, white, and grey. They bring colour and imagination to an otherwise dull world. These are the teammates that I call on when we need changes made quickly and accurately. Thank you, Alex, Erin, Emily J, Emily K, Shamayal, Chris, Sarah, Dani, Nikki, Danielle, and Chi. 
  2. Editors-These are the teammates that are sent in to kill penalties and ensure that the House is protected and error-free in each and every manuscript that we publish. We depend on them to make sure we won’t be caught doing something stupid. They check for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and sentence structure. They make sure that we are putting out our best work. Thank you, Helen. 
  3. Authors-These are the teammates that are sent out on a powerplay. They’re the ones who drive the business forward by selling their books, they do book signings, and get people interested in our publishing company. They are the ambassadors of our team, and they represent us well. They score the goals when the opportunities arise.  They are the storytellers and they bring their genius to every project. Without them, there would be no team. Thank you, Tamara, Tim, Ken, Michelle, Samantha, Tonya, Joanne, Gina, Lindsay, Paul, and Rachel. 
  4. Coaches-This is me. I’m the one drawing up the plays on the ice and coming up with strategies. I say where we go and in which direction we’re headed to contend for Lord Stanley. I put the players where their strengths are and make adjustments as needed. I see the best in them and work with them accordingly for the benefit of the entire team. I’m on the ice with them for every practice, and at the end of the day, the team will rise to the level of their training. It’s my job to make sure that we are profitable, winning, and that everyone succeeds. I, like any other coach, am focused on developing my team to be the best that they can. And I’m also hoping to keep my job…

Special teams in publishing are so crucial because the entire team has different roles and will be called upon at various times to help the team where and when it needs it most. I’m not sending in our penalty killers when we’re on the powerplay. X LLB

 

Bruins vs Hurricanes
Ask my team if this is what they look like when I yell…