Hi folks,
Before I say anything else: I AM NOT LEAVING.
That said, I am giving ownership of Absolute Write to MacAllister Stone in a few days.
I have so much love for this place and all the people in it. I'm pretty sure you all know that. You may also suspect that it's a pretty stressful job running this place. I get plenty of hate mail in addition to the "love mail," lawsuit threats from basically everyone who's ever been listed on the Bewares board, really hurtful things I've seen said about me online, etc. That and the ultra-enjoyable tech troubles and random crises that seem to pop up every two weeks or so.
Mac knows about all that stuff, because I talk to her about it when it gets me down. And yet when I asked her if she'd consider taking over AW, her answer-- without a single question or qualification-- was yes. She didn't ask about our earnings, or how much time this will take for her, or what her personal liabilities would be... just "yes." Mac loves this community like I do. She wants what's best for it. And I can't wait to see what she does with it.
She's more technology-minded than I am, so I think you can expect to see some cool updates and improvements-- things like podcasts and RSS feeds. But as far as the tone and style of this forum, I don't think you'll see much change in that at all. There's a real warmth to this place, and Mac has always been one of the people at the heart of that. We share the same philosophies about how this place works best.
As for my involvement here, it's hard to predict. I'm more than halfway through my pregnancy. So far, I'm feeling good, though I get tired easily. I have known from the beginning that I need to cut back on stress, so that's what I'm trying to do. I don't want to worry about putting out a newsletter while I'm having contractions.
My current plan is to stay as active here as usual for about the next month, while Mac transitions into her new role. After that, I'd like to cut back or possibly take a full break. Long term, I'm not sure what my position here will be, but I don't ever plan to leave forever. (Heck, I'd have to send Billy the Enforcer and Tiny Terror after myself.)
I hope you can understand, and I know you'll support Mac as she becomes the new head honcho (honchette?) around here. She's a pretty amazing person, and she's inheriting a fantastic staff (including Charlie and Fahim, who'll remain her co-administrators; and Amy Brozio-Andrews, the managing editor of Absolute Write; in addition to the terrific members of the Mod Squad and all the great people who write for our newsletters).
Thank you for letting me feel that I've done something meaningful for these last 7 years. Most people, if they wanted to stop running their business, could just shut down the business and walk away. I can't do that. You people would riot. And that feels cool. I know that Absolute Write has grown a lot bigger than me.
I could go on and on, but I'll just leave it at this:
Thank you. Lots of love to you.
And welcome to your new job, MacAllister.
Before I say anything else: I AM NOT LEAVING.
That said, I am giving ownership of Absolute Write to MacAllister Stone in a few days.
I have so much love for this place and all the people in it. I'm pretty sure you all know that. You may also suspect that it's a pretty stressful job running this place. I get plenty of hate mail in addition to the "love mail," lawsuit threats from basically everyone who's ever been listed on the Bewares board, really hurtful things I've seen said about me online, etc. That and the ultra-enjoyable tech troubles and random crises that seem to pop up every two weeks or so.
Mac knows about all that stuff, because I talk to her about it when it gets me down. And yet when I asked her if she'd consider taking over AW, her answer-- without a single question or qualification-- was yes. She didn't ask about our earnings, or how much time this will take for her, or what her personal liabilities would be... just "yes." Mac loves this community like I do. She wants what's best for it. And I can't wait to see what she does with it.
She's more technology-minded than I am, so I think you can expect to see some cool updates and improvements-- things like podcasts and RSS feeds. But as far as the tone and style of this forum, I don't think you'll see much change in that at all. There's a real warmth to this place, and Mac has always been one of the people at the heart of that. We share the same philosophies about how this place works best.
As for my involvement here, it's hard to predict. I'm more than halfway through my pregnancy. So far, I'm feeling good, though I get tired easily. I have known from the beginning that I need to cut back on stress, so that's what I'm trying to do. I don't want to worry about putting out a newsletter while I'm having contractions.
My current plan is to stay as active here as usual for about the next month, while Mac transitions into her new role. After that, I'd like to cut back or possibly take a full break. Long term, I'm not sure what my position here will be, but I don't ever plan to leave forever. (Heck, I'd have to send Billy the Enforcer and Tiny Terror after myself.)
I hope you can understand, and I know you'll support Mac as she becomes the new head honcho (honchette?) around here. She's a pretty amazing person, and she's inheriting a fantastic staff (including Charlie and Fahim, who'll remain her co-administrators; and Amy Brozio-Andrews, the managing editor of Absolute Write; in addition to the terrific members of the Mod Squad and all the great people who write for our newsletters).
Thank you for letting me feel that I've done something meaningful for these last 7 years. Most people, if they wanted to stop running their business, could just shut down the business and walk away. I can't do that. You people would riot. And that feels cool. I know that Absolute Write has grown a lot bigger than me.
I could go on and on, but I'll just leave it at this:
Thank you. Lots of love to you.
And welcome to your new job, MacAllister.