Smugglivus 2017: On Other People’s Achievements

Welcome to Smugglivus 2017! Throughout this month, we will have guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2017, looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2018, and more.

For our last Smugglivus post of 2017, we welcome back to the blog Brazilian, author, editor and agent Taissa Reis!

I feel like this is a repeating theme, but 2017 wasn’t easy. I made less money, spent all of my financial reserves, had a major anxiety crisis that kept me from working for a while (and it’s making a comeback just in time for Christmas!) and watched as my country is turning inch by inch in the direction of conservatism in the imminence of the 2018 presidential elections in Brazil. But 2017 for me was also the year of being grateful for other people in my life and, honestly, that was the main thing that held me up through the whole year. We don’t have thanksgiving in Brazil, but Christmas and New Year are the time we take to look back at the year that has passed, so here are the things that kept me at bay in 2017.

I was grateful to work with an amazing business partner and incredible authors in my literary agency, allowing me to have not just presented an writing and publishing workshop for 50 people in November, but also to have published an own voices short story collection about LGBTQIA people with happy Christmas stories.

I was grateful to see friends being extremely happy because they have reached unexpected goals in their lives, such as writing their first comic book, publishing a short story or being nominated for an award. And also for the friends that reached carefully planned and expected goals, such as organizing the first YA convention in Brazil, signing a contract with the publisher of their dreams or launching their book in partnership and as the main product of the biggest comic festival in Brazil.

I was grateful to see friends finishing their first novel and for the ones that are still figuring it out, but keep trying.

ADIVINHA QUEM TERMINOU DE ESCREVER O FIRST DRAFT DO ROMANCE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!

— Sofia Soter ?? (@sofiasoter) October 1, 2017

I was grateful for being able to help support artists I deeply care about (Alliah, Emm Roy, Bogi Takács, Fangirl Happy Hour) and see the difference that just a little money can make in their lives. I was grateful for authors I love getting new book deals and publishing new books.

I was grateful to see real change happening in the SFF and YA market in Brazil, with big publishers and editors looking outside the “box” and publishing more diverse books.

I was grateful for musicians releasing great albums that spoke truly to my heart, and for the people that introduced them to me.

I was grateful for being able to have an amazing community around me, and to see that each and every one of these people are unique and mean the world to me.

No matter how bad things are, we are never truly alone. And I’m grateful for that.

Taissa Reis is a literary agent at Agência Página 7, freelance editor and translator, and master of gifs.