You see that little blurb in the "About Me" section? A writer struggling to find her self-confidence? Yup, that was me six months ago. But that butterfly is now spreading her wings wider each day and soon she'll be able to fly. It didn't take an agent noticing me to give me confidence or a big book deal. It took writing friends, in particular, people I've beta'd for. In a past blog entry I put out an invititation to help others by beta reading for them. You can read about that here. Since then, I've beta'd for quite a few projects and am now being referred to other writers. Do you know what a good feeling that is? I'm glowing over here. In fact, I've turned into a nerd and saved all my emails that pump up my writing ego with quotes like:
"You're my favorite beta reader ever!"
"I'm thrilled to have found you."
And most recently, "You're a freakin genius."
Yes, if you saw me right now, I'd be puffing out my chest like a penguin. I'm actually beginning to believe in myself and my writing abilities and I owe it all to my fellow betas. I love you guys! And just like the title says - flattery will get you everywhere. Tee hee. And I like care packages too. :)
Have you saved any special emails that pump up your ego in order to look at later when you're feeling down? Do you have a favorite compliment to share?
You ARE a great beta reader! I'll be pestering you soon for my YA if you're still feeling altruistic.
ReplyDeleteI sure am! Send it along whenever you like, Claire. :)
ReplyDeleteI recognize one of those. :) And I'd say it again in a heartbeat. What kind of care packages do you like? ;)
ReplyDeleteHee hee. Something with Hershey's chocolate in it. Just kidding! We'll get together for lunch one day and you can buy my dessert! Although I could say the same of you. We'll buy each other's desserts. :)
ReplyDeleteAww, love this post! Yes, I save all those emails I get that help me feel better about what I've done to try and help people with writing stuff. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and you ARE a genius. :)