10.18.26
Inspiration comes in the strangest of places sometimes, don’t you think?
In the process of stressing over WildStar Press and packing orders and becoming more responsible at my day job while my freelance editing/writing has been dry and bones, I was watching Dropout–– because of course it’s a good show to pass the time–– specifically the behind the scenes of Last Man Standing. It was a finale for the season and I sat there listening to Sam Reich, a man that created the company with a lot more resources and privilege than I could ever have, be so passionate and so grateful for being able to do the job that he does and do it on his own terms. And while I took a break to eat ramen and watch the show, I had this swell of pride? Realization? Definitely understanding. That yeah I too want to be a part of something even larger than me.
WildStar Press is something that is and will be larger than me. Not in the Marvel/DC/Image etc kind of way, but in the way that it fills people with pride and joy to say they’ve published something with me.
And to be fair, I’ve gotten to witness that already.
Let’s fast forward a bit to when I was going through and clearing my emails (you should clean out your emails guys). Despite finding and deleting all of the rejection letters I’ve gotten over the span of 2022, it’s hard to be demotivated by those when I’ve also found the excited emails of people pitching to the press and getting accepted, or even in personal emails where people have just said “Hey! [x] recommended you!” in regards to editing. This coupled with the joy I get to witness when books get published and I tell that artist that 20 people preordered their book or that I sold out of it at a convention.
Sam Reich may have the notoriety and the money, but I have that same passion of building something bigger and better and sustainable for those around me whether it’s publishing their book or helping them by editing their story so it’s the best that it can be when it reaches its final stages. So despite the exhaustion of juggling all of this by myself on top of a day job I’ve become more and more “important” in, it is a nice reminder for my personal career and WSP that I don’t need to burn bright and fast (and tbh I don’t think I really am). Those folktales were right, slow and steady does win the race.
But I swear this blog won’t be all dreams and ambitions and yearning, I’ve just been busy. Literally just dumped money into shipping 150+ books out for a Kickstarter. (There were bumps in the road, unfortunately it required out of pocket funds. But we got there despite it all.)
My next blog will finally be the analysis I’ve wanted to do on why Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo are my favorite anime. It’s been unchanging since I’ve watched them and while I’m sure I’m not the first to rant and rave about Shinchiro Watanabe’s writing, I still want to do it. That way if anyone asks I can just “force” them to read my reasons. Keep an eye out for that next now that one major project is cleared from my plate… I still have others… yeahhh break time’s over, let me get back to work.
--------
See you in the stars 🌟