What I Wish You Knew: Georgia Beaverson

Writer, editor and author

Written by Georgia Beaverson, edited by Laura Schaefer

I am a freelance writer, editor and author. I chose it because my one true love/skill is writing. I love words and always have.
I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had a long career doing what I enjoy. It’s been a constant source of challenge, fulfillment, and, yes, joy. As a writer for children, it’s an honor to provide stories a child might love – what I write might even change his or her life.

Weathering the storm
The economic downturn was a huge challenge for me as freelancers are the first to go in a bad economy. I lost all of my clients but one, most because they were print publications that went under. It was an unhappy surprise, as I had always had more than enough freelance work to keep me busy before that. I’m not sure I could have done more to anticipate that or to have done something to get out of the situation. Sometimes you just have to weather the storm.

My biggest regret is having my first novel published and being too naive to make the best decisions surrounding it.
 

What I wish you knew

One of the most frequent responses I get to being a writer is disbelief. “People pay you for that?” is a common one. When my novel came out, I also heard a lot of people claim, “I have a novel in me." I wish people realized that writing and editing is a highly skilled, technical expertise. I am not a glorified clerical worker. Just because you’re able to type a sentence or read a novel does not mean that you could be a writer. It’s a calling, not a just a job.
I am nearing the supposed end of my career, but I do not plan to retire. I will write on no matter what. It gives focus and a level of meaning to my life. The constant challenge it gives me keeps me sharp and interested. Why would I let that go?

I just finished a rewrite on a manuscript I’m hopeful about. I’ve come very, very close to selling a couple of things but they fell through late in the process. I keep telling myself that if I don’t try then it can’t happen. So, fingers crossed for 2017!