Dear 2023…
Thank you for being the textbook definition of a great start to my Saturn return. Through whatever cosmic forces you have granted unto me from this astrological event, I have never felt this invigorated before.
In January, I delved into the realm of print-on-demand product design and tried to sell some through Squarespace, though I ended up moving them to my Ko-fi page instead. I’ll be aiming to showcase more products on social media in the future, but I’m still proud of myself for getting my toes wet.
In February, I turned 29, and with that flip of the first digit, I think a different switch went off in my head. One that made me realize that I should do something with this last year in my twenties. Be bold. Be experimental. Be somebody that isn’t afraid about not having enough money to do the things they want.
In March, I found the gumption within myself to interview the legendary Nisi Shawl for The Coachella Review. This came about after I had been nominated for the Editor of the Voice to Books column for the magazine and after I had picked up a copy of New Suns at my local, Black-owned, independent bookstore a few months before. Divine timing or not, it felt electrifying to have that happen, and I look forward to reading Shawl’s other works.
In April, I not only landed a job at the aforementioned local, Black-owned, independent bookstore, but I also attended the inaugural expo of another Black-owned, independent bookstore. Helping Sistah Scifi launch its inaugural Author Expo was an absolute thrill, and I hope that they continue it as an annual event.
In May, I became a sensitivity reader for Salt & Sage Books, and although my first signed client didn’t quite come through, I eagerly await the next one!
In June, I finally had the realization that #FeatherWIP is an upmarket novel rather than a Jemisin-esque one. Realizing that your current work won’t be like that works you admire is a tough pill to swallow, but it was one that needed to be swallowed. #FeatherWIP was suffering because of it, and now, I think it’ll be better for it in ways that I can articulate to an agent or an editor in the future.
In July, I applied for the Speculative Literature Foundation’s Diverse Writers Grants and managed to get to the second round on my first try. I actually applied with what the beginning of #FeatherWIP at that time, and while I’m glad that it got their attention, I’m glad that they didn’t go with it. They wanted something I couldn’t give them, and that just means I’ll have to work harder at finding what they want or making #FeatherWIP something their interested in.
In August, I become one of four trainees of the Sourcebooks BIPOC Editorial Training Program, and that’s four out of roughly 300 applicants. That’s a 1.33% percent chance, and I have my friends and family to thank for getting my cover letter and experience into shape for a program that I applied to multiple times.
In September, I also joined the Tessera Editorial BIPOC Mentorship program, the editorial assignments of which I gained immensely helpful feedback. I wasn’t expecting to hear from them since I’d been on the waitlist for nearly a year, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear from them and that there’d be a good amount of overlap between Sourcebooks’ program and Tessera’s program.
In October, Phantoms earned enough in lifetime royalties for me to become an Associate member of the esteemed Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. On the surface, it might not seem like much, but having it earned over $100 in lifetime sales is a significant accomplishment for an indie author. And I wanted it to mean something more by applying to the SFWA. Now, with that membership, I can nominate speculative fiction from BIPOC and QUILTBAG+ authors like myself.
In November, I learned about the Codex Writers Group, applied to join, and was soon accepted. The group itself is not talked about often in writerly circles, but if Tobias Buckell and Aliette de Bodard have made their home there, you bet that I will.
In December, I also officially became a Member of the LGBTQ+ Editors Association. I heard about it through LinkedIn, and as someone looking to help other BIPOC and QUILTBAG+ writers tell their stories, I want to be a part of the younger organizations that help with that.
And yes, 2023. There were some moments where I felt low, and I could talk all about them on this platform or any other if I wanted to. But I don’t. As someone who often thinks that I don’t tip the needle or make big waves in their life, I write these annual letters as a way to remind myself that I am, indeed, making waves and taking names.
Here’s to 2024 looking even more fierce and powerful.
Love,
KP