An Open Letter to Stiletto Gang Readers from Debra H. Goldstein

Dear Stiletto Gang Readers,

I’m one of those people who still writes Holiday Letters and shoves them into my Seasons Greetings cards that are sent to friends I haven’t seen in years, but still feel close to. You are a different breed of folks, but I, as well as the other members of the Stiletto Gang, have a special affinity with you.

 

You fulfill our dreams by reading the words we write. At the very moment we feel down or lost, one of you posts a good review, sends a postcard or e-mail, or makes a social media comment that lifts our spirits up. Your support of our work keeps us actively involved in an unpredictable business world.

 

It is a world of editor and publisher subjectivity balanced by dollar signs. Very few of us become New York Times bestselling authors, but you give us the incentive to continue writing even if our expenses outweigh our profits. All writers want to make money, but the reality is that they don’t. In fact, many authors could make far more by ignoring the voices in their heads that demand to be expressed. Are we insane or, as some think, simply stupid?

 

I think the answer boils down to one word: passion. We have a passion to write that can’t be quelled. Luckily, when it does dim, you rekindle it. Thank you and happy holidays. Debra