Jul92018

10 Authors Who Helped My Career Early On

Good day Gentle Reader,

I decided to join in a bit of fun and spread the love by sharing ten authors who have helped me in my career.

Whether it was blurbing my very first book or for on-going counsel and friendship, read on to find out who!

Since I have had (and accumulated) so many over my decade as a pro, I decided to go with only those specifically from very early on in my career who maybe didn’t realize how important they were to me.

10 Authors Who Helped Miss Gail Early On

  1. Mike Shepherd
    Mike invited me to sit with him during lunch at a con when I was a wide-eyed wannabe impressionable young writer. He gave me good advice and, most importantly, was kind and generous with his time. He modeled for me how an author ought to behave with new unknown writers. I’ve tried to do him justice by paying it forward, now that I’m a grizzled old warrior myself.
  2. Mur Lafferty
    Mur’s I Should Be Writing podcast gave me hope in dark times and was a voice of reason for years before I ever met her in person. Being interviewed for this podcast was a personal goal of mine and possibly a greater honor than being nominated for the Campbell (sorry SFWA). I’m delighted to call her a friend and peer, and couldn’t be more thrilled by her continued success.

    Howard Tayler, Mur Lafferty, Gail Carriger at WorldCon in Melbourne

  3. Howard Tayler
    I met Howard because I recognized his voice at a con party from his podcast Writing Excuses. (I trotted across the room at him waving an accusatory finger and saying, “You’re 15 minutes long!” To which he replied, deadpan, “And not that smart.” We’ve been great friends ever since. I’ve always enjoyed his very different perspective on being a creative, having come out of the world of online comics.
  4. Angie Fox
    Angie gave me my very first cover blurb. And very very kind she was too.
  5. Kristine Kathryn Rusch
    Kris holds the starring roll as the first time I encountered an established author who had read and enjoyed my books. She was almost giddy when she met me at a con party. From such an icon of the field, I was utterly overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and approval. I’ve watched her career evolve to being entirely indie, and I read her business blog with great interest. I don’t always agree with her, but I utterly respect her.
  6. Mercedes Lackey
    So important as an inspiration, and then to get to meet her in person and learn she read my books and enjoyed them. I’m still get giddy thinking about it. I have a whole blog about her importance to my queer characters (and identity).
  7. Peter V Brett
    Initially we met at World Fantasy 2009, Soulless’s launch weekend. But it was a few months later, when Peat came trundling up to a small East Coast con to say hi and hang out, that we became thick as thieves. We’ve been devoted author chums ever since. Right up to and including the part where he (and the lovely Wesley Chu) consoled my sobbing drunk arse at World Fantasy in 2012 after B&N lost 500 signed books. It was Peat who came up with the solution, and it’s Peat who I still go to at those times when the author and business sides of my life conflict in painful ways.
  8. Ken Scholes
    From the very beginning Ken and I were clearly kindred spirits. He was at a World Con new author meet & greet, I sat down next to him, and neither of us ever looked back.
  9. Mike Perschon
    In the arena of steampunk Mike (and Kevin, of course) have always been my foundation. Mike brought with him an entirely new perspective and academic way of looking at genre which I love and always find valuable. He also has the most wonderful voice. Someday I will write a Canadian werewolf character in honor of Mike.
  10. J Daniel Sawyer
    Dan is my rock, there’s no other way of putting it. We’ve written together, argued, driven around the country, consoled each other, and bolstered each other up. Our lives have taken us in different directions but we still try to Skype regularly and I know he’s always at the end of a phone line if I need him. He’s written me into his books, and I’ve written him into mine. We still work on projects together, as he is the audio genius behind Crudrat and now 20 Minute Delay.

So there you have it. Bet you didn’t know a lot of these Gail intimates, because as important as we are to each other, we don’t really talk about it publicly that much.

Anyway, show them a little joy if you can, try a book or two, tell them Gail sent you along with her love.

And in the immortal words of Dan, “be good to yourself” (and to the people who support you).

Yours,

Miss Gail

(Inspired by a Facebook Post from Piper J Drake.)

COMING JULY 17!

Amazon (hardcover) (audio) | B&N (hardcover) | Book Depository (hardcover)

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 Amazon.uk (paperback)| Book Depository (paperback) Kobo

Direct from Gail for Kindle .mobi | non-Amazon digital readers .epub

 Competence by Gail Carriger is the third in the Custard Protocol series featuring Primrose, Rue, and all their crazy friends..

Accidentally abandoned!

All alone in Singapore, proper Miss Primrose Tunstell must steal helium to save her airship, the Spotted Custard, in a scheme involving a lovesick werecat and a fake fish tail.

UPCOMING SCRIBBLES

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

“You know you’re a writer when…

You meet someone who’s a jerk and the first thing you think is, “Dammit, now that perfectly good name is ruined for future characters.”

~ Gail Carriger

Book News:

Outfits for Tash from Ace Artemis

Quote of the Day:

“The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived.”

~ Oscar Wilde

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Posted by Gail Carriger

3 Responses

  1. Rhiannon Lynn said:

    Wonderful!
    And not to be too cheesy, but….I have to admit that you, Madame, have truly helped me with understanding LBGTQ characters – purely from your writing. Thank you – I’ve now been able to incorporate a few into my own writing (mostly lesbians, or those who are…”opportunistic”, as 80%-ish of my own characters are women…) and within certain historical settings – 1920’s to ’60’s (which are mostly a bit cloak-and-dagger…) this has been great fun. OF course, writing in a sort-of-future (it’s still only first-drafts) allows a LOT more freedom…

    1. Gail Carriger said:

      Honestly, you couldn’t have said a nicer thing. Representation matters, especially in fiction. Especially in fantasy and alt universes and magical worlds, because it’s aspirational. You’ve made my day.

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