I wouldn’t really describe myself as an optimist, but I’m not pessimist, either. Tonight I was on a nostalgia trip, and TCM obliged me with both The Parent Trap and Pollyanna. And I think that we can all learn something from Pollyanna, learning to look for the things to be glad about when you’re in a situation that might not be so happy.
So, publishing friends, let’s play the Glad Game! What good news is there as we approach some troubled times? I have a lot of things to be happy about personally, but I think that there’s a lot of good out there professionally too. For example, look at how many teens are out there passionate about reading. Retail sales may be down overall, but ours isn’t the only industry dealing with that, and being able to interact with the teens I know (and the cousins who are on the verge of leaving their teens) and see how passionate they are about the books they’re reading makes me remember that this is why I’m in this business.
Sales make sure I have a job, that’s for sure (and that can be read ironically right now, since I don’t have a full-time job, but even
so…) but none of us got into this business for the money. The money just makes sure that we can get the right books into the hands of kids and teens to get them excited about stories and reading.
What do you have to be glad about?