Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers

Writing Groups for Support and Critique

Hi All

I run a free internet writing group called writerscave (www.writerscave.co.uk). It's a small but friendly international group which exists simply to critique and improve writers and poets skills. I set it up out of the ashes of a paysite that annoyingly disappeared and run it for free because I get out a lot personal value from it and so do my members. It's also free and I don't ask for donations because I don't want to beholden to any members if they chose to leave or I one day decide that I don't want to run the group anymore.

Given that Authors.com is largely around promotion and ideas for publishing I wondered if anyone uses similar critique sites such as my writerscave. Do you find them useful or a distraction to the main task of writing books

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Borislava Borissova on September 20, 2011 at 8:38pm

Yes, Steve, therefore I am interested in new opportunities if there are any.

Steve Norris said:

Hi Borislava - I've just updated my blog on the site with a similar question. It seems easy to influence a small amount of sales with this route but not a major amount

Borislava Borissova said:

I would like to ask you what your experience say about sells of a book? I am not sure participation at amazon forums is helpful for more sells, FB and Twitter are of very little use. Blogsites are not what they were in the past. Now the sites with big number of followers changes their surface in too short time so many people could not see your promotion or review if they don't open the blog at the right day and the small blog sites have not enough followers, yet. What to be the next channel for gaining possible readers?

Permalink Reply by Catherine Green on September 20, 2011 at 11:30pm

I think on some level we just have to accept that once our book is live online, it is in the hands of the customers. As you say, we can use blogs and social networks, but we have to constantly re-post or regenerate our material so that different people can see us at different times. I think a more solid form of promotion would be to get articles in printed media, so customers can learn more about us that way. For example, I approached a local glossy lifestyle magazine, and they are reviewing my book on their 'bookshelf' page October edition. I can't wait to see it!

Permalink Reply by Steve Norris on September 20, 2011 at 11:36pm

Catherine I agree - Print media is vital

I have an article in the local paper hitting this week and I'm hoping that kicks off a response. Just noticed that facebook have given me $50 worth of advertising so going to think about how to use that.

kerching!

Permalink Reply by Catherine Green on September 20, 2011 at 11:56pm

Nice one!

Permalink Reply by Robert L. Allen on September 21, 2011 at 8:18am

A friend of mine is in the music business and he went to different stores where music is sold and asked if he could put his music on display at a small percentage for the store. They areed. If I remember correctly, I purchsed Stevy Ray Vond that way.

Permalink Reply by Stacy Eaton on September 25, 2011 at 4:29pm

Steve - Catherine - I just joined both the sites you all mentioned... Steve - waiting for my acceptance there. lol

All the time it takes to promote, and get out there does take a lot out of my spare time. I have found that I do spend time on twitter - and I do visit facebook (at least every other day), but alot of the other sites, I just have have a lot of time to visit. I love this site - so I make sure I keep up with this one. I haven't had time to sit and work on my own projects in over a week. Hard to when you only have a few minutes here and there to devote to it.

Permalink Reply by Steve Norris on September 25, 2011 at 9:45pm

Hi Stacey, accepted your registration. Very different purpose to Authors.com. Not as a good template as Authors is, partly becuase it is a DIY process by me, but regardless of the forum quality the members are great people and we have a good productive community going.

I decided that I will keep plugging this book until year end, I've arranged quite a few signings in the Yorkshire/Lancashire area now up to Christmas. That will put my book in many of the regions bookstores. By Christmas I hope to have book 2 complete and then I will have a market to exploit with 2 books to go at.

All I've got to do now is finish writing book 2. If only it was that easy.

Permalink Reply by Stacy Eaton on September 26, 2011 at 3:44pm

Steve - Yep got it! And went in and said hello! I will check out more of the site a bit later!!!

All those book signings sound great!!! Go get book 2 done!