How to Create, Cultivate, & Maintain an Active Author/Reader…

(Originally published on One Author to Another blog by Samantha Cole, Sept. 21, 2018. Reprinted with permission.)

By Samantha Cole

Some of the most frequent questions I see in author groups have to do with creating, cultivating, and maintaining an author’s FB reader group for fans of their books. When should I start one? How do I get people to join? How do I get them to engage on posts? Etc., etc., etc.

Let’s see if I can answer those questions for you.

When should I create a FB reader group?

It doesn’t occur to many new authors to start a group BEFORE they release their first book, but this is actually the best time to do it. It’s going to take a while to build up your membership (took me three years to hit 1000+ members), but if you’re already active in the FB book community then you have a head start. Create the group, think of a cute/fun name that has a connection to your books, then invite the book community members, that you interact with the most, to join. If you already have a book out, get crackin’ on creating that group.

How do I get people to join my group? There are several ways:

1) Post the link on your wall and your author page if you have one.

2) Post the link on all your other social media profiles too—Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon author page, etc.

3) If you are already sending out newsletters, make a big announcement in it that you’ve started a reader group and invite them to join—don’t forget to give them the direct link.

4) If you’re doing takeover events, put an invite to join your group in its own post! Don’t bury it with all your other “stalk me” social media links.

5) When a reader contacts you through Messenger, your profile, your page, email, or any other social media site, to let you know they enjoyed your book and maybe left a review, invite them to join your FB group.

6) Right after “The End” in your books, tell the readers if they enjoyed the book and would like to learn more about your other books or upcoming ones, then they should join your group!

7) Be VERY cautious who you let in your groups, though. You will be bombarded with creepers wanting to join. Because my group is called The Sexy Six-Pack’s Sirens, I attract the trolls who do a FB search for the word “sexy.” Turn on the feature that creates a popup for join requests that gives them 1-3 questions they have to answer. They can be funny or serious, but make one of them “Name one of (your) books.” You’d be surprised at how many weird responses I get to that one.

Here’s the big one! How do I get my members to be active in my group?

This is the #1 group question I see all the time. I’ve written a similar response every time I’ve answered it, and seeing the question again today prompted this blog post. So here we go:

1) Post several times a day, every day! Let me say that again! Post SEVERAL times a day, EVERY day. If you’re not active, your members won’t be active.

2) Don’t just post about your books! Post about other things too. Here’s a list of things I post about, but pretty much anything goes (except religion, politics, or any other hot-button topic).

• Excerpts from works in progress—the steamy or very funny parts.
• Pictures of men and women who have inspired my characters.
• Memes—always fun.
• I recently start posting daily “funnies”—funny cartoons (try to make sure you won’t offend anyone with one—again avoid hot-button topics).
• I ask my members to help name towns and businesses for my books.
• I’ve had contests where the prize is for the winner to become a character in my book (name, physical attributes).
• I show my members the covers and book teasers before they go live.
• Live writes (more on that below).
• Invite other authors to come into your group and do a takeover for an hour or a day
• Post the links to another author’s books that you’ve enjoyed—especially if they’re on sale!
• Let your members know who your favorite authors are—it’ll give them something to read while they’re not-so-patiently waiting for your next book
• Let your members post about a new author or book they read (I’m not saying let them promo other authors every day, but the occasional OMG! I just found this amazing book! is allowed).
• Keep a growing list of your members birthdays in a spread sheet and give monthly or weekly shoutouts to those whose birthdays are coming up.
• Post about your real life—my members have heard about my mom’s health issues, my brother visiting and disrupting my routine for a few weeks, my dogs’ antics, my move to a new condo, crappy weather, etc. (But don’t get TOO personal).
• Let them post about stuff going on in their lives too—but within reason. Avoid controversial stuff and not every day. But if they need a prayer for a family member (or themselves) because of health issues or accidents, have a funny thing that happened to them, have a question that’s non-book related, or they’ve accomplished something big in their lives that they’re proud of, I let them post about it.
• Ask random book and non-book questions like When and who was your first kiss? Are you a dog or cat person? My characters are getting married—what do you think their wedding dress or tux/suit looks like? Which of my characters is your favorite and why? What was the last movie you saw? ANYTHING!
  • Now I know a lot of authors will say that they ask these questions in their group and they’re met with the sound of crickets. These types of posts really only work if you are engaging the members every day with all the other types of posts.
• Suggestions for book titles. (I’ve gotten a huge response to this twice now and have used some of the titles. My new Hazard Falls series was named after a member’s suggestion when I asked for a small town name for the series.)
• Run contests with the prizes being an ARC or a $5 gift card.
• Post funny videos (again, avoid controversial).
• Post name game pictures (the ones with the first letter of your last name means something and the color shirt your wearing means something else). You can find these by Googling them or even making one that has your book/series theme to it.
• Copy and post a glowing review that a member gave you on one of your books and thank them for their kind words.
• Encourage them to post their reviews.
• Create a second secret group and tell your readers to join it if they want to discuss your latest releases without putting spoilers in the main group for those who still haven’t read it yet. (In that group, immediately after a book release, I create a post asking what their favorite scene was.)
• Ask for suggestions for a character’s name (I had my group suggest names for a pregnant couple’s child).
• Post pictures of you meeting your group members at signings.
• Keep an ongoing list of your upcoming signings in the file section of the group. I ask for volunteers to help at signings this way too. First person to volunteer, I pay for their assistant ticket and then give them a gift (book, gift card, or something else) at the end of the signing.
• Create albums with your book teasers and covers in them so members can easily grab one if they want to post it somewhere.
• Ask your members what jobs they’ve held so you can create a list for future research on a character’s job.
• Do a live video and talk about your upcoming books or anything else!
• And anything else you can think of that will garner responses. If you post any of the above only once or twice a week, it’s not going to work! Post often and you’ll start to see more and more engagement. Remind members to turn their group notifications to “All” so they don’t miss anything!

3 ) Live Writes

A live write is when you do just that—write live in a group or event. These can be done solo or with a partner, and you can invite other authors to do one in your group. You can alternate POV or paragraphs.

• Announce the live write all week with the time and date.
• At the start of the live write, ask for story prompts for the author/authors—images, careers, places, etc
• Choose a prompt and begin. Write a paragraph or two (don’t worry about typos, they’re expected)  in the comments of the post then hit enter. If you’re doing this solo, then just start the next paragraph under that. If two authors are involved, then wait a few minutes for the other author to post their section, then read it and continue the story. (Duals are fun because you never know what direction the other author is going to go in lol).
• Some authors prefer that the members don’t comment (they can like) in between posted scenes. I, personally, don’t mind, as I get feedback on what I’ve already written. Either way, make sure the members know which you prefer before you start.
• Sessions can go anywhere from 1-2 hours. (Trust me, the time flies!)
• Have fun! I’ve done several of these, both solo and with a partner, and one has even inspired an upcoming book.

So that’s the lowdown on starting, cultivating, and maintaining an active FB reader group. As always, these are just suggestions, and other authors may have some other ideas. Do what works best for you. Feel free to join the Author Group Ideas Facebook group where authors and PAs share posts and ideas that worked for them in their reader groups!

Samantha Cole is a retired policewoman and former paramedic who is thrilled to add USA Today Bestselling Author and Award-Winning Author to my list of exciting careers. She has more than 25 titles published in the romance/suspense and comtemporary romance genres. Her standalone novel, The Friar, (since retitled The Road to Solace) won a silver medal in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Awards out of over 1000 entries. You can find her blog at oneauthortoanother.com

DisABLED Writer—Dealing with Fear and Focus

by Cherrilynn Bisbano

Many writers endure physical and/or mental challenges as they try to get their words on paper. I have a friend who died in a car accident. God revived him and called him to write. His traumatic brain injury doesn’t keep him from obeying God. He studies the craft and edits his manuscript, but it takes him three times the effort. He amazes me and encourages me.

I know of others, like Joni Eareckson Tada, who are paralyzed and use their mouth with a pen to peck out their stories on a computer.

I have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).  I did not realize I had it until my son was diagnosed with it 12 years ago.  I finally had the answer to my fidgeting, lack of concentration, unfinished projects, and my urge to blurt things out during a conversation because I’m afraid the words will escape me.

I liken my thoughts to a squirrel scrambling to collect nuts. There are so many acorns that he stops in his tracks. “Which way do I go?  Which nut do I focus on first?  Which one is the biggest?”

I am that squirrel, with a hundred thoughts flashing around in my brain.  What chapter to I focus on today? What will touch the reader’s heart?  What Bible verses do I use?  I need to dust my bookshelf. LUNCH!

I sit at my desk, head in my hands.

“Lord, I need your help!”

I knew God would not call me to write and then leave me scurrying about gathering up words that don’t make sense. I continued to pray.

A friend of mine mentioned an online Discipleship Counseling Course through Eternity College. The course was free. I like free. He said he grew closer to God after the class. I signed up and found myself with ten hours of homework each week. Homework that would change my life forever.

We had to complete the book, You Can Change by Tim Chester. The book states to pick one thing you want God to help you change. I chose procrastination and lack of focus. Working through the book helped me realize why I procrastinate—fear of failure.

As a child, my biological father told me I would amount to nothing. He was abusive and called me an animal. If my earthly father did not believe in me why would a Holy God? I had a mindset to always expect failure.

How did the fear dissolve? I replaced the lies with truth.

I recited these verses daily.

“Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Ephesians 1:4 ESV

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16

I said to myself, If God chose me before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless knowing everything I’ve done and will do, salvation has nothing to do with my works. He must truly love me.

I wrestled daily with the truth of the Word. The lies I believed were deeply rooted. The Word took hold in my heart and dissolved the lies. The transformation did not happen overnight. After months of proclaiming this truth, the shackles loosened, and the fear of failure released its grip.

I believe the Word and know I have the power to overcome. God proves Himself faithful over and over.

So what about my lack of focus? Fear caused some of my attention deficit along with my brain chemistry. I learned to make a schedule and follow it. When I’m overwhelmed with all I need to do, I turn to my schedule, knowing I blocked time for everything, even rest.

I also keep Bible verses by my desk to motivate me. I pray they inspire you.

“Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” (2 Corinthians 8:11 NIV)

“Be confident and determined. Start the work and don’t let anything stop you. The LORD God, whom I serve, will be with you. He will not abandon you, but he will stay with you until you finish the work” (1 Chronicles 28:20 GNT)

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NLT)

At times, ADHD allows brain squirrels to invade my day. I don’t mind my scattered ideas being named after my furry friends. I’ve learned from them as they chase each other up and down trees, scurry across the yard, hang from the bird feeder, and gather acorns like it’s a relay race. It seems nuts, but their work gets accomplished and they have fun while doing it.

No, you won’t find me hanging from my chandelier anytime soon, although I might climb a tree or two. However I’m determined to have fun and accept my ADHD. I’ve shortened this to ADH because there is no disorder in Gods Kingdom. Our Heavenly Father will get all the glory for using this squirrel chaser and he will also use you!

Do you chase squirrels? What keeps you from writing?

Cherrilynn Bisbano is an author and a book proposal writer, and a vendor for AuthorsCommunity.net.

Cover Stories

by Margaret Welwood

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is one adage that doesn’t work for young children. So how do we get these powerful little judges on our side?

Reading to children is an incredibly rich source of feedback on illustrations, plot, pacing, and wording. Cover artists also do well by offering young audiences a choice of covers for consideration.

Here I offer a few observations on other authors’ covers, gleaned during my story times:

I offered my after school care group a choice of five stories one day, but we only had time to read four before they became restless. The one that didn’t get picked was written by a renowned husband and wife author team. I talked about the stories each time I let a child choose—why did this one get left out?

I think I might have an answer. The authors’ names are at the top, over the title, and the names and book title are in a fairly large box, over a third of the cover—and most young children don’t read much. The cover picture is full of activity in an interesting setting, but it’s done in lovely pastels.

So, what did they pick? I believe Woof and the Haunted House by Danae Dobson was first. The house on the cover looks haunted too, especially against the garish orange sunset.

When I introduced this book I explained that I didn’t like spooky stories, but I liked this one because it had a happy ending. I remember the doubt on one little boy’s face. Could he trust me or not?

Turned out he could.

Self-Control by Henrietta Gambill and Caring by Jane Belk Moncure were also chosen. I was a little surprised at this, but I shouldn’t have been. They’re older books, but young children wouldn’t notice that. The cover pictures are simple, clear and bright.

The fourth book chosen, The Unplanned Voyage by Barbara Davoll, has large writing on the front cover, but the picture is brighter than that of the book that wasn’t chosen—and it’s very cute. The plot is relatively complex, but it was easy to tell the story using the lovely bright pictures of Christopher Churchmouse and his little family.

Christmas story readings at the museum yielded some real encouragement to indie authors. I lined up a group of religious and “gently secular” books, and had the young audiences choose what they would like to hear. The indie book covers were just as popular as those of traditionally published books. Johnny Boyd’s The Mouse in the Manger and my own books held their own or surpassed the traditionally published children’s books.

Our target market has much to tell us about defying the old adage—and judging a book by its cover!

Margaret Welwood loved teaching English as a Second Language, writing magazine articles, and editing a business magazine and adult non-fiction books (one an Amazon #1 best seller, the other a Writer’s Digest award winner). However, with the arrival of grandchildren and their welcome request—“Grandma, can you tell me a story?”—she began writing and editing picture books for children. This is now her favorite genre.

Please visit eBookChristian to learn about Margaret’s picture books for children (both print and digital), and her Authors Community (AC) vendor page for her editing services.

Margaret has been working with AC author Terri Martin on Happy’s Surprise, a charming tale of a little rabbit, his grandpa (think Grandparents Day), and an important life lesson learned the easy way! For those of us who have learned too many lessons the hard way, this is a refreshing and comforting story.

If you’re an aspiring children’s book writer, please check out the benefits of a free membership in the Authors Community, and the value in the Manuscript Bundle.

Novel Starting Point: Where, oh, Where to Start?

by Sarah Tun

In recent posts we’ve been discussing flashbacks and general structure of a longer piece of writing. Today, I’d like to raise some thoughts about choosing the starting point for a novel.

I have completed several full length manuscripts. Each time I’ve developed a story line, I’ve begun with the focus on my central character. I’ve written several drafts of any piece of fiction that I’ve published, and sometimes each re-write (or partial re-write) has begun from a different point in the character’s story, until finally I’ve found the best place for my story to take flight.

What I’m drawing attention to is that wherever the story begins in the timeline of the character’s life is crucial to sharing the plot effectively, as well as creating an engaging atmosphere, and allowing setting and supporting characters to develop, so that a round and full piece is composed. Like a symphony, a written story must flow from one scene to the next, with engaging and meaningful moments strung together, providing clues and suspense along the way, and building towards a series of moments that reveal more about the character, until finally all interaction in the story builds to the climax of tension, before descending to a satisfying resolution.

For me, character is key to any story, and where the story begins in the main character’s life will trigger the movement and flow of the story thereafter.

Questions to flush out my story:

1. Who is the main character? (Never take anything for granted. I’m currently finishing a piece where the antagonist has become a different character in the story, and the central figure, while still the same person, has a very different thought process to the one I originally planned.)
2. What does this main character desire most. Think deep!
3. Who is blocking that desire being fulfilled? Which one of these two characters will succeed?
4. “Why?”… Asking an almost never-ending stream of “why’s” will lead you to unveil the story from the main character’s point of view.
5. What is the central message or theme you want to convey to the readers?
6. Consider the life of the main character. Where is the best place to start his or her journey, in order to share their journey, step by thrilling step, to its logical conclusion?

Why dig deep?

There are no right or wrong answers, but digging deeply into the nature and motivation of the main character will help you to begin your story in the best place possible. You want to take your reader on an exciting journey. Building from the foundation of character is an excellent place to start.

I’d be delighted to read how others develop their stories and for us to share more about our writing experiences…. For example,

1. What’s the most number of drafts you’ve written before moving to the editing stage for publication?
2. How many of us start with story, or with character?
3. Have you ever started out thinking your story was a tragedy and it ended up with a happy ending (or vice versa)?

 

Blessings, Sarah

 

Sarah Tun is an author, developmental editor as well as a professional voice for voice overs and narrations. She’s been a Vendor Partner with Authors Community since 2017.

The End Game

by Steven M. Moore, Contributer

If you’re a reader, do you peruse what’s at the end of a book? Many authors only include a short bio, but you might like a bit more. What can authors add to that for you, especially authors of indie books and those writing for indie publishers (small presses)? Consider it a bit of dessert after that full meal corresponding to the book you just read.

I’ll go through the back material I’d like to see as a reader.  For the first page:

A thank you to the reader.  Here’s an example: “Thank you for reading The Vienna Gig. There are so many good authors and good books, I’m honored you chose mine.” The advantage of such a message is that it’s the perfect place to continue to ask for a review on Amazon: “If you have the time, please write a short review on Amazon—other readers and I would find such a review beneficial.”  If the reader has finished your book and arrived at this message, s/he probably liked the book, so it’s also likely the review will be positive.  This message is also a good lead-in to…

A list of your similar books.  You can start this list with something like “If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy:”  If the book is in genre X and you also write genre Y, I’d just list the genre-X books, but that’s up to you.  Many authors put the list of other books in front. I’d do one or the other, but not both, and something like “Other books by John Q. Author:” sounds a wee bit cold at the start of the book.

Your website.  I’d end this first page of back material with “For more information, visit my website: http://JohnQAuthor.com.

Notes, Disclaimers, and Acknowledgments. In the next section of back material I suggest, you can include material about how you came to write the book, your sources if you did research for the book, and reasons why you didn’t do X when writing the story (create an ET language, have Y marry Z, and so forth).

You might not have any of that, but there are always people who helped you put the book together and you should acknowledge them—your agent, chief editor, copy editor, cover artist, and beta-readers. You might also want to acknowledge those who inspired you to write the book. And don’t forget your significant other is you have one—that person has to live with a nerd who’s always writing!

Author bio. Can’t forget that!  You don’t want to write a memoir here, just a few paragraphs containing the essentials: where you were born, where you live now, what experiences you had that might relate to your writing, and so forth.  Don’t include your mailing address or telephone number, but do indicate your website (yes, again), author page on Facebook or other social media, and your contact info if your website doesn’t have a contact page (say if does if you do).

This isn’t a place to be a name-dropper.  Maybe you live next door to superstar author X or were a ghost writer for politician Y, but I’d leave them out—the reader might hate X and Y!  For the same reason, don’t say that your goal in your writing life is to write like Z.

Will your readers care about any of this?  Maybe not, but none of it can hurt either.  All authors need to learn to include interesting back material because some readers love this.  I know I do.  It’s a fitting end for the journey I’ve made as a reader of the author’s book.

 

Steven M. Moore

http://stevenmmoore.com

[Editor’s Note: My deep apologies to Steven. This blog post was submitted last year and was to be published last year. It got lost in the dead blog files, ACK!!!]

Writing a Picture Book for Children? Consult an Army…

by Margaret Welwood

Photo by Tarra Young

Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14, NKJV)

Most of us are flattered when someone asks for our opinion, especially if we know the request is sincere. I have found adults and children alike to be so open in their responses—and often the reasons for them—when I’ve sought their input.

The Cover

Children who judge a book by its cover and the adults who strive to please them have much to teach us!

Please take a look at my little slide show for the cover of Marie and Mr. Bee here. (Interestingly, there were no comments on this blog post; my answers came from in-person conversations and social media contacts.)

Here’s a sample of the helpful comments:

Cover A (Marie and all her forest friends under the old oak tree)

“All kids love animals.” (foreign student/chef)

“Softer, friendly.” (library staff)

“I like the animals with the chair.” (guardian of a young man with a disability)

“I like how the orange color frames the picture.” (arts center staff)

“The chair is not the focus.” (arts center staff)

“Kids will see a fox, bear, and squirrels. It looks friendly and inviting.” (dad of a three-year-old)

“It shows the story.” (college staff)

Cover B (Rescue mission—Marie is wheeling back to her cabin with the ailing Mr. Bee on her lap)

“I’d be most inclined to pick this one off the shelf.” (acting children’s librarian)

“Tells more of the story, piques curiosity.” (library staff)

“I like the colors better.” (Christian bookstore staff)

“Marie is bigger.” (college staff, photo contest winner)

“It jumps out more. The chair is noteworthy.” (college instructor)

“I like the flowers on the wheel, and the bee.” (kindergartner)

“The bee is on her lap and it’s not stinging her.” (kindergartner)

“It looks really interesting. It looks like fall. I’m probably going to do something in the fall.” (grade two student)

Cover C (Marie and Mr. Bee are playing Helper Bee, a board game)

“I like the characters. It makes me curious about the story.” (store clerk)

“I really love this one. They’re playing a board game. It’s reminiscent of a classic book.” (bookstore manager)

“She’s playing a game with the bee.” (kindergartner)

“I like playing board games with my daughter.” (store clerk)

“I really like bees.” (grade two student)

“The bee is playing a board game.” (grade two student)

Cover A was the clear winner, but those who liked B and C were still able to enjoy their favorite pictures in the book.

I also sought feedback on the cover for my first book, Scissortown. Once the cover picture you see here was chosen from two options, my son designed a more intricate scissors border. I offered a cover with this border and a scissors-free cover for feedback. Now the focus was on the scissors! This feature certainly captured people’s attention, but they were also afraid that scissors-happy children would cut along the dotted line! Perhaps the defining moment came when a former college instructor said, “Children will like it because they can cut it.” The scissors border was relegated to the “Creative Ideas Not to Use” file.

The Title

 Feedback on the title of my second book was also highly instructive. I liked Marie and Mr. Drone better than Marie and Mr. Bee. However, I was happy to change the title when most of my Facebook contacts—including the children of a beekeeper and despite the picture of a little girl and a bee on the cover—thought the drone was a machine!

The Font

I sent out samples of the Scissortown cover with a few different fonts. I also tested fonts for the pages of the story. This time there was no contest; the fonts you see in the book won hands down, and I used it for my other books as well.

So there you have it. No doubt the people in your circles will be as pleased to help you as my contacts have been to help me. And the finished product will be something you know will resonate with readers.

Margaret Welwood loved teaching English as a Second Language, writing magazine articles, and editing a business magazine and adult non-fiction books (one an Amazon #1 best seller, the other a Writer’s Digest award winner). However, with the arrival of grandchildren and their welcome request—“Grandma, can you tell me a story?”—she began writing and editing picture books for children. This is now her favorite genre.

Please visit eBookChristian to learn about Margaret’s picture books for children (both print and digital), and her Authors Community (AC) vendor page for her editing services.

Margaret is now working with AC author Terri Martin on Happy’s Surprise, a charming tale of a little rabbit, his grandpa (think Grandparents Day), and an important life lesson learned the easy way! For those of us who have learned too many lessons the hard way, this is a refreshing and comforting story.

If you’re an aspiring children’s book writer, please check out the benefits of a free membership in the Authors Community, and the value in the Manuscript Bundle.

Reaping and Sowing

by Sarah Tun

We reap what we sow. Isn’t that right? Here at Authors Community it is easy to reap first from the great blog posts, and newsletters, and even from eBookChristian.com. Those are all free right into our inbox.

Jesus said some seeds yielded one hundred fold, sixty fold, and thirty fold. That’s a lot of fruit and perhaps we all are not reaping everything we possibly can if all we are doing is reaping the surface stuff.

So here’s how I encourage us all, myself included, to pour into Authors Community in order to reap what we need from it.

Writing is, generally speaking, a solitary experience. Here at Authors Community, we are a collective of individuals, accustomed to working primarily alone, but learning to tap into the blessing we can receive by connecting with others.

Let’s pursue that diligently, and earnestly this week, in three steps.

1. Consider: “Why did I join?” Perhaps it was to network, or to get writing or marketing tips. Perhaps because you know someone involved, you decided to join because of his or her endorsement. Certainly that’s what got me started! Or perhaps you’re not quite sure why you joined, but you were hopeful Authors Community would give something to your career that you need. If you’ve received, will you share about it? If you haven’t, could it be because you’ve not sown into it?
2. Once you have an idea of why you joined, how about making a contribution of your time (and wordsmith gift) by posting a blog post about your aims, frustrations, successes, challenges… or confirmation that you are quite simply on the course or road the LORD has put you on and now, step-by-step, you’re discovering your destiny (you can send it if you’re not sure where to post it: laruspress@gmail.com or send it in to Gina@authorscommunity.net).
3. Can’t think of what to share? Can you ask your questions on the Forum, or offer an answer to someone else’s question? By the way: What is the Fellowship Forum? It is the chat room or discussion place on the Authors Community site where you can air your concerns, queries, and questions about your work or life as a writer, and all its nuances.

When we get involved, we are sowing into our work and that of others. Then we will reap — receive, benefit, harvest from that involvement.

Soon we will start a regular live face-face-to-face group meeting as part of the Forum. We’ll meet to discuss a particular topic posted in advance, or several; we can pray into the industry and share our experiences so that others can benefit and be encouraged. Difficulties are just as valuable as achievements and breakthroughs. But we need a fellowship that meets to bring together all of our experiences and makes us a stronger, more connected group. AC is not just for today, but for the future… a future where many obstacles can be faced and overcome. Together we’re stronger. Let’s sow so we can reap all that the Father has for us. He doesn’t work alone, and neither should we:)

GOD BLESS the work of your hands…

Sarah Tun is a narrator for audio books and videos, a story coach, and a developmental editor. You can contact her at the email address in the body of this post or use our Request Services form.