How Writers Stay Connected
Talking to my cousin today, he reminded me why writers tend to congregate on Twitter. Writers write, and so it makes sense that a text-based platform is where we tend to casually connect. But, it’s becoming increasingly clear that artists and writers are not welcome there. The algorithm actively works against us, and we’re constantly having to reinvent the wheel on how to stay connected and in community there.
Soapbox
It’s a lot of work, to say the least. And this isn’t to say I hate machine learning. As an SFF enthusiast, I’m intrigued by it, and Twitter is, at the end of the day, machine learning.
And so, the better question here would be, “If Twitter ain't it, then what is?”
The Ideal
I’ve said this to anyone who will listen before, and I’ll say it again: writers need a platform that’s just for writers (and readers!). I’m not talking Kindle, I’m not talking Medium or Substack or Post. I’m talking about a place for creative writers to talk shop, mingle with readers, and grow in their community together instead of shouting into a void.
The Reality
Growing community is something that’s spouted around as general marketing advice, especially in the online coaching/consulting world. It’s true for artists and writers, too. The reality of this is that social media is both social and media…And a lot of folks get caught up in the social piece, forgetting about the media part, or vice versa. The challenge here for creating community is how to grow in a* community.
The Practical
I somehow** managed to grow my Twitter following by nearly 1000% percent in a year’s time. And it did cost me in mental capacity and fatigue. I’m setting my sights on Instagram and TikTok to do similar, but I know it won’t feel the same as Twitter.
I, too, forgot the “media” part of social media, getting tangled up in the social. Of course, I do not regret it.
I’ve made so many life-changing connections that it’s hard to imagine ever leaving that platform, even though, again, it’s increasingly clear creative folks are not welcome there by the power that be (we all know who I’m talking about, but I feel for the devs).
Ok, ok! Enough prattle! How do you stay connected and in community with writers and readers?
I can only speak from my experience, and every experience is unique, but here is how I’ve managed to prioritize staying connected, especially to creative folks with the hope readers will follow eventually***:
Writer Groups
One is my alpha readers: 2-4 folks that I’ve stayed in contact with from grad school. We try to meet virtually weekly as life permits and read each other’s work on a rotating basis to workshop as a team.
Another is my Twitter group. We virtually meet weekly for two hours to write/create/shoot the sh*t. The rule of thumb here is: everything counts as writing during those two hours.
The third is a paid group that I’m hopeful will help teach me how to write a manuscript in a year because, again, it can not take me ten years to write a novel. That’s not sustainable business practice, as much as my heart disagrees.
Volunteer/Writing Conferences
I used to volunteer at the library pulling/shelving holds pre-pandemic. While I wasn’t necessarily connected directly in community, I enjoyed supporting local readers quietly in this way.
Festivals and conferences always have volunteer programs. My typical plan of attack for these is to attend one year as a participant, the next as a volunteer, and oscillate back and forth. Hopefully, one day soon, I’ll be joining as an author.
This to say, don’t be shy to put in volunteer or panel applications at local book festivals or special interest conferences! I’m an introvert, too, and get overwhelmed easily. I try to go for smaller, background volunteering opportunities and this is also why I scope out a conference first before volunteering. Regardless, it’s a great way to simply be around like-minded people. Also, there are plenty of virtual and in-person opportunities to participate in community in this way.
Discord, maybe?
I haven’t figured out Discord outside of keeping in touch with my FFXIV group. But, my writer group from Twitter has started our own server. We’ll see how it goes!
Shameless Self-Promo****
This may not be the most insightful blog post, but it certainly is top of mind for me at the moment as we ramp up to launch TILTING GRAVITY!
March 15: Cover reveal!
(Ides of March because ~beytral vibes~.)March 21: Preorder goes live!
(New moon because ~moon vibes~. Incentive package information to come!)April 2: Release date!
(Because dad said even days were always lucky for me.)
*Please note, I am not saying your community intentionally.
**By being authentically me and not filtering; by asking questions and engaging in conversation with those who answered; by including the people who follow me in writing and publishing decisions.
***The reason I’m emphasizing connecting with readers is both for marketing reasons and because we should never forget who runs this industry: the reader.
****It is my blog, after all.