Peter Orullian, Kevin Hearne, Shawn Speakman, Jim Butcher
5. SUVUDU CONTRIBUTORS
Matt Staggs, Kyle Munley, David Pomerico, Joe Scalora and the other people who write for Suvudu. This is a fun job. It’s fun because of the fans who comment but also fun because of those who write alongside me. We all bring our own ideas of what makes this genre great, our own areas of expertise and areas of development, and it’s always an awesome day to wake up, write an article, and then read what your fellow contributors are doing. I’m thankful to these people because they keep me on my toes and keep me informed, but better yet, they make me a better writer. Thanks, guys!
4. PUBLICISTS
Publicists often do not get the credit they deserve but I work with them every day, for Suvudu and The Signed Page. David Moench, Patty Garcia, Justin Golenbock, and several others act as the courier between some of the largest publishing houses and those of us hunting for interviews, video interviews, book reviews, events, etc. Without them, much of the content on Suvudu would be hard to come by. While they largely exist behind the scenes, publicist deserve our thanks!
3. EDITORS
Editors work their asses off, fulfilling many different roles within a publishing house. I know many of them and without them some of the books you’ve loved this year would be less than great. One in particular I am going to mention though: Betsy Mitchell. She has been the Editor In Chief at Del Rey Books for a decade now, bringing some of the best new books to the line. She has also been a close friend due to editing Terry Brooks and Naomi Novik—two authors I work for—and she has always been supportive of my own writing endeavors. Betsy will be following her own pursuits but I would be remiss not to mention her specifically and say how thankful I am for her. She has been wonderful to work with and will be missed.
2. AUTHORS
This year, I was diagnosed with cancer. I also do not have health insurance, meaning I am on my own to pay the $140,000 of medical bills that have grown over the last six months. What to do? Ask 20+ great writers if they want to take part in a short story anthology I will small press publish to end those bills! Authors know the plight I am going through. They rarely have health insurance either and if we can help each other when times of crises arise, we are the stronger for it. Many of them are New York Times bestsellers; many of them will hit the list soon. I am extremely thankful for these authors because without them I would be bankrupt beyond repair! More on this anthology and who is partaking in it on January 1, 2012 but know all are great, caring people!
1. BOOKS & READERS
Books make this industry—and my life—run, and 2011 was one helluva year for book releases. It was one helluva year for readers too! It saw the publication of A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin, The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, all of which were years in the writing with fans impatiently waiting. It’s seen some new blood enter the fray and established writers take their next step. The books are great but you readers make all of this worthwhile. Without you, we’d have nothing to talk about! And let’s face it: We all are thankful to have the chance to talk about the fantasy and science fiction we all love!
