One, about twelve years ago had me lying on the couch reading and watching tv for four months… de-stressing. It was necessary, but with my periodic hermit tendencies, I pulled back from almost everyone I knew. Scared myself, actually. After a while, I started to come out of it, developed a routine (sort of like you describe the startup of a freelancing business), and thanks to my brother-in-law and his mother, started writing again when they told me about the ST: Strange New Worlds contest.

Remembering that dark, scary time helps me face the rough patch I’m going through at the day job now. whatever happens, I’ve been through before. I can do it again. And with changes I’m making now, I’ve noticed that my ideas are flowing again, and the writing is up. Now I’ve just got to start completing and submitting. Thanks, again!

You need hard copies to photocopy, sometimes to prove that something’s been published (believe it or not). Tech changes as well. A lot of my early stories are hard to access on computer. It’s easier to scan and send a copy. And it’s more impressive to send a published novel to a foreign publisher than a manuscript, even when the foreign publisher knows the novel’s been published. There are a million other reasons (charity give aways, etc) but they’re not obvious until someone asks, and you don’t have a copy.

I have a question. How is it helpful to have copies of your publications? I can understand the nostalgia/pride value, but the way you put it made it sound to me like there’s a business reason. Maybe it’s obvious, but I haven’t been published yet (at least, not in physical publications), so I can’t figure it out!