Practicing Gratitude On My Favorite Holiday

Appreciation for the Book Community

For those of us in the US, amid all the food and football and drinking and days off work, this is the time of the year we are supposed to take a moment and reflect on those things that really matter. Which is one of the reasons Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday. While all the other holidays have their place, this one has always been special to me because we are meant to practice gratitude for the good things in your life; family, friends, health, success, etc. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the typical grind of the day-to-day and a reminder of what’s important. And this year, I have even more to be grateful for than usual. With the launch of my debut novel back in October, I expected a lot of things. But one thing I was not expecting was the immense support and sense of community I would find waiting for me.

Lets get one thing out of the way right off the bat, I’ve never been a big social media guy. Sure, I had Facebook and Instagram but I was never a serious user. I’ve never posted regularly, never given much time or thought to cultivating a “presence” on any platform. But when I found myself staring down the barrel of my novel’s rapidly approaching launch date with no connections, no money and no marketing plan, I knew I had to do something to get the word out there. So I turned to the avenue that was most readily available and convenient to me; social media. I cast out into the uncharted and turbulent waters of the internet without much hope and was surprised to find a veritable ocean of readers, influencers, reviewers and fellow authors more than happy to welcome me and help me on my journey.

Through my very short time having a “public presence” online, I’ve come to know some truly awesome people and communities. I have been consistently impressed at the openness and willingness of those in the Book Community to lend their time and platforms to a relative unknown just starting out. The connections I’ve made have helped me spread the word about my work, led to me booking interviews and author features and even in person events. And now that I’m here, I know I’m not a special case. I see it happening over and over again, everyday. People voluntarily doing what they can to help each other achieve their dreams and elevate each others art. While it’s sometimes easy to get caught up in the drama or the unending cycle of updates online, it bears recognizing the good that can be found there as well.

So, this year, I would just like to say thank you to everyone in the Book Community who has lent their time and helped me and others like me on their journeys, no matter what platform. I am extremely proud to be part of such a positive and supportive community and excited to see it keep growing.