Getting ‘it’ in the Salon Chair

I recently got my hair done. It was time to hide the grey—again. When Holly was finished I absolutely loved the color and the cut. “Holly, you make me look better! I mean I’m a nice looking lady but you definitely polish me. Thank you! You’re my stylist editor.” I laughed at the spontaneous idea that I just spit out of my mouth in the salon chair.

“For real though. I’m happy with me, but you definitely enhance my situation.” Holly laughed at the compliment. She also agreed to take a photo for this post. She is incredibly skilled and if you’re curious, book an appointment with her here.

Because I’m in a co-authorship with David I’ve always known the importance of teamwork. It seems having people who care about us, our end goal and our success work with us and for us is the best way to get the result we want. There’s an African proverb that reads if you want to go fast, go alone and if you want to go far, go together.

How David is my writing stylist

How does this relate to Dave? This same a-ha moment happened with David. At the end of every month Dave and I send a newsletter out to those who have signed up for one. If you’d like to be on that list click here. It’s always a quick turnaround because it seems each month goes by so quickly and all of a sudden it’s the 28th or the 29th and time to punch out another newsletter to our subscribers. He messages letting me know it’s time. I say all my favorite words—usually the bad ones—out loud and then I get in front of the computer and let people know what’s going on with Counios and Gane.

I generally have very little issue with content—despite the curse words. Let’s be honest—I like them (the curse words, and the news letters). I punch out a couple of very Counios toned paragraphs and pass them on to David. He almost always makes changes. I don’t mind. He also always sends me my edited version to make sure I’m okay with the changes. I always am. In fact my reaction to last months edits by Dave was very much like the reaction in the salon chair. “Dave! It’s perfect! I liked what I wrote, but now I love it! Thank you.”

Liking and loving

Here’s my truth about the matter. I love what I write. I love every word, even if it’s hokey or off point a little. I feel like I must love my words. They are like my children. And David comes along and makes them look a wee bit nicer. I appreciate the co-parenting of my words. They were already pretty good but now they look better thanks to David. See. He just adds the polish. And, I like it.

Learning curves and gratitude for David

So, let’s talk about learning curves. For me, they are sometimes steep and challenging. I have climbed many metaphorical hills learning both the creative and the business sides of writing. My most recent learning curve came with subscriptions and online books. Dave—being Dave—has been thinking a lot about offering our books as a subscription experience. He came up with a plan, and once he worked out all the potential glitches, he reached out to me.

And Dave—being Dave—thoroughly explained the strategy to me.

But me—being me—had to have it explained over and over again. I kept asking questions. Probably annoying questions. And probably the same questions.

• Wait—what if they want a signed paperback to give to someone for Christmas?”
• “What if they already own our books?”
• “What is the benefit for them?”
• “What is the benefit for us?”

I just didn’t understand the idea of a subscription. The only point of reference I have for subscriptions was magazines or Colombia House music. (Wow! Did I ever just date myself. If you know about Columbia House then you are old like me. If you don’t then you are definitely from a different generation).

Dave answered every single query:

• “Our readers can buy them as long as we have them to sell.”
• “If they have the books, they don’t need to worry. This is just another option.”
• “The benefit is that it gives them full access to all our books and the ability to read them in whatever digital format they want. And if they pay extra, they can get big discounts on paperbacks, and for even a little more, they get early access to the books.”
• “For us, the benefit is a few things. Printing books has become more expensive. This allows us to continue offering our books even when we can’t afford a reprint. Also, it connects us closer with our readers; paid subscriptions are a direct line to them. And finally, it helps support new ideas like doing audiobooks or experimenting with new stories without the costly expense of printing them.”

I’m not as involved in the digital world as many are. But I now realize subscriptions aren’t penalizing readers who love the tactile nature of paperbound books. It’s about providing access to our stories—no matter what—for those who want to read them. And that feels pretty good.

It also feels good to understand and learn yet another aspect in this writing realm. So grateful for Dave—and for Holly.