WRITER’S GROUPS
I highly recommend at the beginning of your writing to find a writer’s group. Most bookstores and libraries have them, and if not, they will be able to find a location where they are held. Don’t wait until your story has been completed. These groups are wonderful for support. Ideas fly around from the members on where you can improve, how to make your characters come to life, what might work better than what you are doing, or may point out something that isn’t important to your story.
Get all the help you can with your writing. That’s how you grown in becoming and interesting author. Don’t depend on yourself by thinking you have all the answers. Writers learn by hearing the mistakes other authors have made and their bad experiences. Their mistakes will save you time and money…and heartbreak. Other authors can open doors for you in the publishing world showing you what is and isn’t important. They can lead you to a publisher or agent.
No matter what it takes, you need to get yourself seen in the public eye. Go to book readings, conferences or media functions dealing with radio hosts or newspaper editors. Introduce yourself and your future book, even before it’s published. Ask for any airtime or a newspaper story about two weeks before your book is published and available. If it’s done too soon before the publication, people forget. Have your business cards, postcards, bookmarks on hand to pass out or a published book with your website and email so they can review your book to make a better interview. Authors are taken more seriously when you have your website up and running. Be Forward, yet professional.
This is a sample out of my workshop handbook Bring Your Manuscript to Publication. It’s available on Amazon.com and in Kindle.
Alberta Sequeira, Author and Speaker 