Newsletters and Networking. These are two very practical aspects of the writing life. Upfront, I’m going to be linking to further reading on these topics since I can’t possibly cover everything here, so take some time to do some digging if you’re at all interested.
If you are a published author – or plan to become one – a newsletter is an essential tool. It’s “Marketing 101”. Even in these days of social media hypertension, an email newsletter is considered by marketing experts as the single most important piece of an author’s platform. It allows you to speak directly to your audience without the hindrance of censorship, algorithms, or any number of other roadblocks that can occur on social media. I won’t go into all the details here since I’ve written some posts on the professional blog on the topic. (Links at the bottom.) These expound on the importance of an email newsletter and also provide tips on starting and maintaining one.
I recently wrote a post on my personal blog called "Anatomy of a Newsletter" about my own newsletter journey. I started mine in 2013 and I’m still going strong more than ten years later.
Networking is another essential aspect of the writing life, but unlike a newsletter, networking with other authors is something we should all be doing, whether we hope to be published or whether we simply write for purely personal reasons. Everyone needs encouragement; a group of individuals that “gets” our need to scribble words. Finding like-minded individuals—one’s tribe—opens doors of friendship and support, but can also be an entry into further education and skill building. Being part of a writing community, whether it be large or small, is important for our health as writers. No one is an island. Although writing is a solitary activity, it should not be isolating.
Organizations like InScribe, The Word Guild, ACFW etc. are an essential part of the mix. (I belong to all three of those mentioned as well as the Playwright’s Guild of Canada.) However, sometimes we need a smaller, more intimate group—a place where we can feel safe and heard. This is where community writing groups come in. (InScribe partners with many writing groups across the country. Contact Sharon Hamilton for details.) Your group might be less organized, or you might be part of a small virtual group online.
Whichever way you do it, find people you trust and engage with them!
Building Your Writing Community
Tracy Krauss writes from her home in northern BC. She is currently serving as InScribe's Regional Rep for BC/North and Acquisitions Editor for FellowScript magazine Visit her website for more: tracykrauss.com fiction on the edge without crossing the line.
Thank you, dear Tracy, for reminding us of the importance of maintaining a newsletter. It's an absolute must. So much wisdom in this post.
ReplyDeleteNetworking with authors is doable for introverts too. I exchange regular encouragement with another author through private messages. When we met in person last year, teary eyes--as we said goodbye--proved the strength of our bond. A tiny network is better than no network.
Blessings.
How special! It's true that we can form deep connections with people we've never actually met in person.
DeleteMy teacher, no, my Professor, does it again! This slow learner keeps learning all the time. Thank you, once again, for giving me more to add to my skills. Yay, for life-long learning!
ReplyDeleteLearning never ends! Glad there was something of value here.
DeleteI love this paragraph - “ Everyone needs encouragement; a group of individuals that “gets” our need to scribble words. Finding like-minded individuals—one’s tribe—opens doors of friendship and support, but can also be an entry into further education and skill building. Being part of a writing community, whether it be large or small, is important for our health as writers. No one is an island. Although writing is a solitary activity, it should not be isolating.” Absolutely true! Thanks for this wonderful post. (Thinking this would be a great workshop for conference)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. Perhaps... :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouragement and all the tips/guidance you've given us. God has been nudging me to begin expanding my outreach, and a newsletter is a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteYes. I started mine in 2013, but I had been "thinking" about it for a few years by that time! It was scary and I was worried I wasn't going to do it "right". Then I just decided it was time to take action, right or wrong.
DeleteI find the idea of writing a newsletter pretty scary ... but then when I wanted to start a blog I found that scary too. Thank you for the nudge to face that fear, and for the links that will tell me how to do it!
ReplyDeleteDo it afraid!!!
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