A Signed Copy

I started following Syd Logsdon over a year ago. At the time, I had no idea who he was, other than a fellow writer, and one who had many helpful things to say about the craft.

Did you know Syd Logsdon was published by Del Rey in 1979? And Pocket Books/Timescape in 1981? I sure didn’t. In our exchanges, he always had the humility of a struggling indie author. Like myself, he is eager to talk writing with anyone who will listen, and happy to share his insights.

Recently he’s become a bit of a mentor to me, albeit our interactions are sporadic at best. He’s read several of my books and sends detailed feedback each time he finishes one. And then this came in the mail:

That’s a copy of JANDRAX in my hand, Syd’s short novel which was published by Del Rey. I’m sure you know about Del Rey–a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House, i.e., one of the biggest names in SF!

It was wonderful to get this little gift, even better to have a professionally published author as a praise-doting fan. There are times when I question whether all the time and effort and disappointment that is the reality of modern writing…sometimes I wonder if it’s at all worth it. Having a friend like Syd is one of the things that keeps the spark inside alight.

I hope you take a moment to drop by his BLOG. There’s a lot of wisdom buried in those words. A long life and a long writing career.

Thanks for being a friend, Syd.

~JM