When we picture a successful writer, we often imagine them sitting at a desk, typing all day. Writing a book is often a solitary venture. It requires a lot of time to sit by yourself and write. But in reality, the process of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing a book is not a solitary endeavor. It takes a community to help you publish your book.
Authors rarely ask for help or seek out the support of other writers. Instead, they try to go it alone. Yes, I am guilt of trying to do it all on my own. This is where we go wrong. Without a writing community to encourage you, support you, and hold you accountable, it’s easy for us to give up on our goals. We need a strong writing community to keep writing.
I recently attended an in person writing event that strengthened my belief in my writing community. It can feel isolating to go through the ups and downs of writing all by yourself. While you can share your experience with family and friends, no one understands you better than the people who are also writers. A good writing community will tell you when something is not working and when it is. Here are some reasons why you should join or strengthening your writing community.
Inspiration
Inspiration is key to the writing process. For me, I am lucky. I find inspiration everywhere – a walk in nature, children’s books and shows, and the playground. Your community also creates inspiration. The easiest way to gather inspiration from other writers is to follow them on your favorite social media platform. I personally love Instagram: I enjoy seeing writers’ content and talking to writers over social media. It’s really easy to reach out and strike up a conversation when two people share the same passion.
At the in person event, there were some inspiring guest speakers, but I gained the best insight and inspiration from my fellow picture book writers. Listening to other writers share what they have learned, their growth, experiences and their successes as published authors, was one of the best ways for me to gain inspiration for my writing. Always remember that your ideas are meant to be shared.
Advice
Although many writers don’t consider this, it can be extremely helpful to enlist the help of an established author (or authors) to help mentor you through the writing and publishing process. That way, you always have someone around to share tips, answer your questions, and help you navigate what is often a complicated and confusing process for new authors.
Feedback
It is a fact that it’s tough to look at your own work with an objective eye. That’s where feedback from your community proves to be very valuable. As you are editing your book and preparing to publish, or even after you’ve published a book and are getting ready to start your next one, hearing from others can ensure your book is the best it can be.
Many authors, including myself, are afraid of criticism of rejection. But feedback is necessary if you want to become a better writer. Great writers are not great writers because they can write without mistakes. They are great because they are able to listen to others, take feedback, and fix their mistakes in order to get better. It is never easy to received criticism, but try to remember it is about your writing and it should not be taken personally.
Support
There are moments at every stage of the writing, editing, and publishing process where writers can give up. Maybe they don’t have enough time. Maybe more important things come up. Or perhaps they give up because they get lost or confused during the process. This is why support and encouragement are so vital for writers determined to succeed. Having others around—whether it’s family, friends, other writers, or readers interested in your book—to support and encourage you can be the difference between an unfinished draft and a published book.
Helping Others
Once you become the expert, you can start helping other authors to reach their writing goals. Maybe you learned helpful tips about publishing on Amazon, or know the best ways to market a book on Instagram. All of the things you learn along your writing journey can be passed onto other aspiring writers who are hoping to find their success. Think about the skills you have learned and how you can use your knowledge to support other authors.
Thoughts …
Attending an author event is an enriching experience. It’s an opportunity to meet other authors in person. Know that you are part of a community of like minded writers who will support you in your journey. You may leave with a bunch of new friends. This event was a celebration of a shared dream to be picture book authors. Your dream can come true too if you remember all things are possible when you believe.
With gratitude …
I am so glad you’re here. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I am grateful that I can share my writing journey with you. It is an endless journey of learning and growing. A journey that I am enjoying.
I am now booking author visits for the 2023 -2024 school year. If you are a classroom teacher, teacher assistant, Parent Teacher Association President, or After school Director I can work with you to create a visit that will meet the needs of your students. Please contact me to book your visit.
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Please consider purchasing a copy of Two Wins for Wiley or Gertie Saves the Dayfor gifts. If you are going to a baby shower, birthday party or thinking about books for summer reading. It is my wish to get as many books as I can into the hands of children. Children need to hear all kinds of stories. A book is the best gift I can think of for both children and adults!
A request …
You can really help this author by leaving a book review on Amazon or Goodreads. You can leave a review for Gertie Saves the Day here or here. Two Wins for Wiley here or here. Reviews can be as easy as 2-3 sentences. It should take about 30 seconds to leave and would make a huge difference for me. Need help writing a review? Click here.