Life is Short, Celebrate

I'm a big believer in celebrating life. The good, the bad and the ugly. I'm also a big believer in celebrating the many successes we're lucky enough to have at BookEnds. It's one of the things we do really well (successes and celebrations).

Just recently I took my team out to celebrate 15 years as an agency. I also took them for a spa day because we had a damn good month. Occasionally I'll order cupcakes from one of our favorite cupcake bakeries or bring coffee from Starbucks. And when we have another book hit the New York Times list you're going to bet that I'm popping some sort of cork.

Too often we get caught up in the minutia of life and start to think that things like a new contract, hitting a bestseller list, the release of another book, or even finishing a new book are things that just happen or are supposed to happen. We forget how hard we fought to get here. Remember when you were struggling to find an agent and dreaming of getting published? Just because it's your fifth contract doesn't mean it's anything less than your first. In fact, continuing to be published is something to celebrate in and of itself. Sometimes it deserves a bigger celebration than that first contract.

There's a lot in this business worth celebrating and not just for published authors. Have you finished another book? Did an agent request material? Did you just get another rejection, but this one with some really great feedback? Celebrate it all! 

I think that it's too easy to focus on the negative or the long-term and we lose what's happening now. We forget that now is what will get us there. No matter what it is you're proud of take some time to celebrate. Buy yourself a coffee, treat yourself to flowers or eat that pint of ice cream that's been calling your name.

Or, if you're like me, keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge at all times and pop it open whenever you deserve that pat on the back. This is a tough career and each step is a milestone worthy of a celebration.

--jhf