And, another thing...

As I mentioned earlier, I was really discouraged by the slushpile post from Agent 007. I was really wound up about it and wrote this huge, long blog post in my head while on the treadmill yesterday.

When I finally had a chance to get to my computer, I took another look at Agent 007's site. She had written the post that was in my head. (I know. I know. It's easy to say these things after the fact.)

So, I'll leave it at this: Her new post fits in so much better with my little version of how the world works. I have a great life. A really great life. People are always telling me how lucky I am. I might look lucky, but those close to me know that I've worked hard for all these "lucky breaks" that I've gotten.

When I lost my job (and, this was a blessing) all this freelance work fell into my lap. Not because I was lucky, but because I had a reputation. There are so many slackers in this world, people who don't understand why they are passed over for promotions or special perks (And, they are always the jealous people who think the world owes them something). It's not difficult to rise to the top. You just need to deliver consistently good work every day. You don't have to be brilliant...or suckup. You just need to be a little bit better than the people who spend their days gossiping by the coffee pot. You need to work a little longer than all those people who take two hour lunches. And, a little harder than the people who spend their afternoons shopping online when they should be writing reports.

All it takes is persistence and consistency. I still have to believe that the publishing business works the same way.