On the path through any journey, you need to keep educating yourself about your craft, reading, listening, watching, learning from all others that went before and all that have come after you.
It’s a great way to learn of all the new things that are coming our way.
As authors, we need to be across the board and on the ball because the publishing field is changing so much and so fast, that sometimes, we can’t keep up.
But one way of doing so, is to look at all of the writing/publishing groups you come across. Figure out if you can learn from them, if they are supportive of each other and not egotistically narcissistic in dictating how the publishing business is, and how authors should be.
Find a group that loves to learn and help each other out instead of pull each other down. And believe me, there are quite a few of those, apparently.
But the two I belong to, aren’t.
Alliance of Independent Authors I joined last year. Known as Alli, it was started by Orna Ross for authors like herself and grew from that. Alli has partnerships with companies such as Ingram Sparks where we self-publishing authors get a great deal on publishing our books with them.
There are book designers and editors who will do Alli members a deal, and John Doppler wades through all of the information on publishing houses and whether or not you need to beware and stay away.
For an author who’s already published, it’s a yearly cost of $129AUD. Varying levels of membership have varying costs, it all depends on where you are in your writing journey. Also, as a member, you get free books to publishing written by Alli members themselves, and you get to join the Facebook page.
The next group is Self Publishing Formula by Mark Dawson.
A former lawyer and trad pubbed author, when he was dumped by his pub house, as so many authors are, he started self-publishing and slowly built up Self Publishing Formula. You can join the Facebook group, buy the courses, watch or listen to the podcasts, and learn so much it’s ridiculous.
I really wish all of these things had been around 12 years ago when I wrote my first book. Back then, I only had my local writing centre and Romance Authors of Australia. I left both behind years ago.
If you’re a writer or author and are looking for your tribe, these are two groups you need to check out and join.
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