Last week, I received a touching email message from an author who wondered if I could help him figure out how\u00a0he could get feedback on his book before he published it.<\/p>\n

It’s not that he didn’t have faith in his book — it was more that he didn’t want to invest in the publishing process if he didn’t have outside validation that he had written something that others would like to read.<\/p>\n

His tone\u00a0was gentle, honest, realistic.<\/p>\n

And it touched me.<\/p>\n

I’m not even sure why. Maybe his lack of\u00a0arrogance suggested vulnerability. He didn’t presume that if he could write a book, the world would want to read it. Instead, he asked, “How can I find out if this is any good?”<\/p>\n

Join\u00a0an author community<\/h2>\n

This is where belonging to writers’ group\u00a0can make a significant difference in an author’s career. Whether your group is the kind that meets face-to-face<\/a> on a regular schedule or virtual — the kind that exists online — you can often find someone who has their act\u00a0together to read your manuscript and offer at least an overview opinion.<\/p>\n

Being part of a writers’ community takes time and effort, though, and you might feel like you don\u2019t have enough time to do enough\u00a0as it is. I hear you! But be open to the possibilities with a group.\u00a0Your community connections will help you with those tasks \u2013 writing, publishing, and promoting — that often weigh you down.<\/p>\n

So for that author and others like him who could benefit from the multi-faceted support that comes from belonging to a group of like-minded people who can cheer you on, offer advice, help promote your newest title, or commiserate, I offer this list of online\u00a0options\u00a0where you can connect with like-minded authors so you\u2019ve got the right network, relationships, and support you need for your writing career.<\/p>\n

<\/a>1.\u00a0Absolute Write Water Cooler<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

This collection of forums covers a wide range of writing topics and book genres, but because there are so many of them, you can usually get the information or support you need when you need it.<\/p>\n

The one thing I don\u2019t like about this site is precisely what so many others do<\/em> like \u2013 users can be anonymous. I prefer forums where you use your name so that you\u2019re more likely to feel accountable for your comments.<\/p>\n

<\/a>2.\u00a0Scribophile<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is a friendly online community with many forums with a lot of daily activity. Get your questions about publishing answered, discuss and review books, or make new friends in \u201cThe Cool Hang-Out Chill Zone.\u201d One friendly soul welcomed me with a site e-mail message as soon as I joined \u2013 and that\u2019s indicative of the community atmosphere as a whole.<\/p>\n

There is both a free and premium level.<\/p>\n

<\/a>3.\u00a0Savvy Authors<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Savvy Authors describes itself as a network that promotes \u201cmentoring and sharing of knowledge and expertise\u201d among the nearly 8,000 members and offers a strong support network. Its greatest value for community building is more likely to be in the Yahoo \u201cloop\u201d than on the forums, where there\u2019s less chatter.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s a premium level that offers perks that includes discounts on in-house courses, the free basic level offers all you need to connect with other authors.<\/p>\n

<\/a>4.\u00a0Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Use the Facebook search box to search for specific terms that will work for you (\u201chealth writers\u201d or \u201cself-published authors\u201d). In the results page, select the \u201cmore\u201d tab and then select \u201cgroups\u201d for results.<\/p>\n

Be careful to avoid those groups that are designed to help authors announce publication, free days, review requests, and so on. They aren’t communities — authors don’t get to know each other and converse or share information — they’re more like advertising sites than groups.<\/p>\n

You might need to join a few groups before you find one where you feel at home. Feel free to join and try out my private Facebook \u201cBuild Book Buzz group<\/a>. It offers a friendly gathering spot for authors who want to talk about book marketing.<\/p>\n

<\/a>5.\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

LinkedIn hosts many author discussion groups. To find the right one for you, go to the search box at the top of the page. From the dropdown menu to the left of the box, select \u201cGroups.\u201d Then enter your search term \u2013 ghostwriters, book marketing, and so on.<\/p>\n

Participation makes all the difference in LinkedIn groups. The more you start or contribute to discussions, the more you\u2019ll get from your membership.<\/p>\n

Pick 2<\/h2>\n

Join two groups initially and try them out. Then add a few more. Participate regularly so you get value plus a sense of each group\u2019s personality. You might find that over time, you look forward to signing in to one of them more than the others. That group will most likely be the home of your new author community.<\/p>\n

The Build Book Buzz Facebook group<\/a> is a great place to start if you want to learn more about book marketing in particular. We have a supportive group of busy, smart authors who are willing to share what they know and ask and answer questions. Join us today<\/a> and introduce yourself!<\/p>\n

What author communities do you recommend to your writer friends? <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

Last week, I received a touching email message from an author who wondered if I could help him figure out how\u00a0he could get feedback on his book before he published it.<\/p>\n

It’s not that he didn’t have faith in his book — it was more that he didn’t want to invest in the publishing process if he didn’t have outside validation that he had written something that others would like to read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":20082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,11],"tags":[620,621],"class_list":["post-7379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-tactics","tag-author-communities","tag-writers-group"],"yoast_head":"\n