Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 102 of the podcast and it's February 15, 2023  as we record this.  Main Topic: Professional relationships: When to Ditch Them and When to Nurture Them. PATREON: No new patrons this week. Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in us and in the podcast.  This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a postcard from me, a shout out on the podcast, and we can make announcements for you on air. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.    Comments: email from listener: For a while now I’ve been meaning to congratulate you both on 100 episodes!  I found the show last Summer and became a fan right away. Keep up the great work!   Jason A Meuschke Thriller Author/Podcast Host   Get the latest episode on all podcast platforms or by going to www.samplechapterpodcast.com Questions from listeners: Chad Boyer says, What is your favorite checklist (in general)? What is your favorite checklist for writing? Also for Erick: Does he have a favorite checklist since he knows you? or if he doesn't what checklist would he love to have or need this year? Announcements:    1) Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. “We’ll be touching on book structure, story hypothesis, plotting that doesn’t hurt, author action plans, and more.”  Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information. Alumni and patron price is $775.  $850 Only one ticket left. Monthly payments are an option. Send me a message Valerie@valerieihsan.com for a unique PayPal link, or go to the shopping page on my website to purchase in one lump sum.  2) We need topic suggestions and interviewees. (Once a month.) Please send to writercraftpodcast@gmail.com.    UPDATE:  Valerie: still panicking on the cover, sent out ARCs Erick: sending novella to the editor on Friday; editing next Patreon essays   Just finished:    The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman   I'M READING: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz;  Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs by Suzanne Clothier;    Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton.    Up Next:  In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Heather Webber Erick's Reading:  Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Goosebumps #1 by RL Stine Show Notes:  Professional relationships can evolve into projects that you work on together. Recognize when a relationship doesn't serve you. Be aware of how to be friendly, but not friends, and watch that boundary slippage with clients. Musts: Communication and authenticity Nuture by being kind and clear and flexible. End relationships that are no longer serving you, your values, or your needs. It may be uncomfortable, but people evolve. It's okay to end a professional relationship. Not all of them will be the long-term kind. Next episode: Mailing list maintenance     Resources:  Raven Publicity (publicity for authors) The Shades of Orange (Rachel, Book Blogger on YouTube) for book recommendations SF/Fantasy/Horror Contact Erick for business-starting advice. Contact Valerie for book coaching for help writing your book. Other Resources: Thomas Umstattd Jr, at Novel Marketing Podcast. Ep255: How to Create an Email Onboarding Drip Campaign Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter. Valerie's new day book for the year 2023 is: Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga by Rolf Gates. I've published our 2022 Book List on the website: valerieihsan.com/podcast-news   The Author Life Community Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link) Disco