The Insecure Writer’s Support Group ~ No#64
If you’re looking for my A to Z Challenge D-post, then click HERE
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time.
A big thank you to our co-hosts for this month’s posting: Christopher D. Votey, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Fundy Blue, and Chrys Fey!
Don’t forget to visit them and thank them for co-hosting!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
OUR GOAL: The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (Book Club) is for writers to read/learn about the writing craft. In this book club, we will swap back and forth between non-fiction writing books and fiction books that demonstrate how to do certain aspects of storytelling.
No promo. No review or beta reader requests. Just writers reading books and discussing those books with other writers.
A reminder about the upcoming IWSG TWITTER PITCH PARTY!
All writers and authors are invited to participate in our very first Twitter Pitch. Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On July 27, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query. Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch – it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents. We invite all of you to join us that day! Authors with a publisher or agent, please ask if they would like to participate or pass along their contact information to the IWSG. We intend for this to be a twice yearly event, July and January, giving our members a great opportunity for publication. Help us spread the word!
See the IWSG Twitter Pitch page for details and a sample email to send to your publisher or agent.
No, I haven’t used the challenge as a marketing /networking opportunity for my book. Well, I don’t have a book…yet. I do know of authors who have done so. There are many authors who have also published books which were written during the A to Z challenge.
Have you joined the IWSG Goodreads Book Club? Will you be joining in our Twitter Pitch? Being in the right place at the right time is how many authors find their agent or publisher.
Happy IWSG Day!
Thanks for sharing the book club and Twitter pitch info 🙂
Just joined the book club — and love the Twitter pitch idea!
Can’t wait for our first Twitter pitch. My fingers are itching to support any way I can. I’ve never used the A-Z challenge to market my book. But I did do a group A-Z, my theme was poetry forms.
There have been a lot of people who’ve published what they wrote for the A to Z.
I think the twitter pitch is a great idea, but right now I’m off the idea of trying to go through someone else, it’s been nothing but headaches for me. Probably just me, or maybe just my writing. Feeling less than secure these days, but still can’t walk away! Wonder what that will take? Hmm….
We have so much happening now! So awesome.
I’m not participating in the A to Z Challenge this year. I did join the book club and need to get the book. I almost forgot about the IWSG post today. I need to refocus.
IWSG is growing leaps and bounds – it’s huge now! 🙂
Have a great day!
A new twitter pitch… Do you ever find yourself thinking, “If only I could find the time”? Yeah, me too. ALL THE TIME. =) Cheese to you, Michelle!
Hopefully I’ll have my current WIP complete so I can participate in the twitter pitch.
I love writing one sentence log lines! I’m not on the traditional path anymore, but I think it’s great to have another pitch contest out there for the people who are. An opportunity is an opportunity, and they are so much fun to browse through. I have to give mad kudos to everyone who can make a 140 character pitch exciting. 😀
I’m hoping to hear a lot of success stories from the Twitter pitch. It’s going to be awesome.
IWSG is one busy, AWESOME group!
I’m in the Goodreads club! Haven’t started the book of the month yet, but I do have that on my list. Oye! That list.
The IWSG is doing so much awesome stuff these days. It’s neat to be a part of it. 🙂
I’m very excited about the pitch party, even if I second guess everything I put together. Ugh. Do better, Ryan.
I’m hesitant about the Good Reads group and I don’t even know why. After I get back from Mexico, I’ll bite the bullet and join.
I joined the Goodreads group and am excited about taking part. Amazing how many things the IWSG has going on now. 🙂
Thank you for all the info Michelle. The goodreads group sounds lovely. Do you know how books will be selected? Thank you!
Hi,
That is exactly what I am working on and one of the reasons that I am not participating this year in the A to Z. I want to finally get my book that I wrote during the last four challenges ready to send out to an agent.
Wishing you all the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
Interesting about the twitter pitch! I wonder if the IWSG group will have a different selection of agents and editors than the usual ones at pitch parties. Or maybe just another opportunity and new writers find a way to pitch. Very cool!
Here’s my IWSG for April Stephanie Scott YA Author
Good idea on the book club. I think that is a great way to go. Focus on it like an opportunity to learn something about the craft. Glad to be a part of this group. Once I free up some time in my life, I think I would like to join.
I joined the book club — now I have to find the book on my shelves! I’m pretty sure I have a copy…
So much is happening with the #IWSG!!! I’m looking forward to the pitch party!
Hi Michelle!
I checked out the twitter pitch. I even added my IWSG post to the IWSG FB page and see how that goes.
Now I need to get the pitch date onto my whiteboard (((snigger))) and not forget about it.
I’m going to email you about one of the publishing houses on the list for the pitch. I know they don’t pay royalties to the authors–they pocket them all themselves. True story, and not overly uncommon, I’d say.
Denise 🙂
I’ve never used A-Z for book marketing purposes. It never came up to do so when I published my poetry chapbook. Now, I might do an A-Z marketing in the future and see what the results may be.
Congratulations on the pitch party! IWSG is doing wonderful things for the writer community :).
I’m still working on my first book too. Maybe when it’s finished I’ll try the A to Z challenge for myself.
Hi Michelle….
Tiz, I… The Blurb King! Yes, I am still alive. LOL. Sorry for not dropping by in a while, but you know my story. Just too stressed with life. But I am trying to cope the best way I can and I promised myself to at LEAST say hi to my wonderful blogger friends this month.
Haven’t forgot about you hop… I am getting better. Had some very very exciting news today… will fill you in more later once I see where it’s headed, if at all…
Yes… Very fun news from the IWSG… I hope to join the book club, and I will definitely do the pitch. Sounds like a good chance to get a work published.
Anyway… hope all is well… HUGS…
Wow, there’s a lot happening with this that I was unaware of! Thanks for the information. Don’t know if I can manage it all, but will try to check a lot of it out. 🙂
It’s very cool how ISWG is expanding! I really like the Goodreads book club idea. I need to check that out. It will depend on where I’m at with querying my current book as to whether I’ll join the Twitter pitch party. But I did my first pitch party last month and it was a blast!
Someday we’ll need to compile a list of all the books that have resulted from A to Z posts. I know there have been quite a few.
For me, A to Z is a marketing tool for myself and my blog. I’ve not had a book yet to test out the marketing possibilities of A to Z in that respect.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out