Today marks my last day as an editor with Literary Mama. I started there in January 2014, after sending them a letter that basically said, “Hire me! I’m enthusiastic.” Of course, I had a few editing credentials to my name, too, but Literary Mama had confidence in me before I had confidence in myself. They put me in the Profiles Department with an outstanding co-editor, and in 2016, I moved into a senior editor position.

I’ve talked about how transformative Literary Mama has been for me and my career before. When I joined the team, I had no idea that I’d ever serve in the senior editor capacity or that I’d stay there for eight-and-a-half years. But something about the community is so endearing, so welcoming, and so educational. The all-volunteer staff are second to none, and during my time there, I broadened my perspective and my knowledge base, and I’ve become a more empathetic editor and person. Truthfully, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have reaped the rewards of the organization for so long.

My reasons for leaving stemmed mostly from increased familial obligations, but I’m not going to lie—I think the demands of Covid and my anxiety played a role in how much mental energy I could give to the journal. And since the journal is looking to expand and grow, I had no desire to be the person who couldn’t pull their weight. I’ll miss the connection I have with the entire Literary Mama team; after all, my inbox should be far less cluttered, but I am excited about how much more time I’ll have to devote to my family and my own projects.

And you know that saying about when one door closes, another door opens?

Yeah, that.

Image of open door by Brian from Pixabay.com.