Today’s post is written by L. Danvers.
It’s no secret that writing can be a lonely business.
We writers often hide ourselves away in our so-called writing caves, fueling ourselves with way too much caffeine as we type furiously on our keyboards.
(Okay, sometimes that time is spent staring helplessly at blank screens.)
But just because you’re writing alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. While you may have local meet-up groups for writers in your area, you may be hesitant to put yourself out there.
The great thing about Facebook groups is that, even if you simply lurk and read other peoples’ posts, you can start to feel a sense of community with fellow writers.
Facebook groups can be a treasure trove of information for indie writers. They’re also a great place to connect with like-minded people who understand the challenges you face in the world of publishing. And, what’s more, people in those groups often have helpful advice for overcoming those challenges.
While the groups below are open to all writers (whether you plan to go the indie or traditional publishing route), I found them particularly helpful when I was new to self-publishing.
Here are five of the must-join groups for indie authors:
1. SPF Community
If you’re not familiar with Mark Dawson, he is an absolute force to be reckoned with in the indie author community. After becoming wildly successful at running Facebook ads to promote his books, he started the Self Publishing Formula. (I’m not affiliated with SPF at all, but I’m a huge fan of the courses and highly recommend them.)
Unlike the groups made specifically for students of his paid courses, the SPF Community Facebook group is open to anyone. With a whopping 25,000+ members, you can find answers to just about any question you can think of, simply by using the search function to view previous posts in the group.
2. 20Booksto50k®
If you’re curious about the title, it’s based on the idea by Michael Anderle that you could make fifty-thousand dollars a year if you published twenty books that earned seven and a half dollars each day.
As you might have guessed, the 20Booksto50k® Facebook group is all about how to make money as an author. In addition to connecting with nearly 60,000 fellow authors, you also have access to the group’s files. Whether you’re looking for a template for outlining your novel or a publication checklist, the files tab has you covered!
3. Indie Pub
At just over 1000 members, the Indie Pub Facebook group is a little less overwhelming than some of the others on this list. While massive groups have their advantages, it’s also nice to be part of smaller online communities where you can get to know fellow authors a little better.
This group is a great place for sharing marketing strategies, discussing the craft of writing, and even sharing some good old inspirational posts.
4. The Indie Author Mindset
Run by Adam Croft, The Indie Author Mindset Facebook group focuses more on the strategy of selling your books. If you’re not familiar with Adam Croft, he’s had numerous #1 best-selling books in the entire Amazon store.
A big perk of this group is getting tips and information from Croft himself.
5. The 5-Day Author Ad Profit Challenge
If you’ve already published your book (or are about to), this group is definitely one you want to be a part of! The 5-Day Author Ad Profit Challenge Facebook group is run by Bryan Cohen, the synopsis/blurb-guru of the indie author community.
He’s started a free challenge that runs multiple times of the year where he walks you step-by-step through creating and managing ads on Amazon.
This group is free to join and definitely worth your time if you’ve considered advertising on Amazon.
When joining Facebook groups, always remember to read carefully over the rules.
One of the most important ones is that no self-promotion is allowed. In other words, don’t join groups and start posting trying to get other people to buy your book. The groups are full of authors who want to sell their books, too. But the groups are not the place to pitch your novel. They’re meant for learning and networking.
Many groups also highly encourage you to search previous posts before asking questions. Finally, it’s important to search for groups specific to your own genre, too. Writing science fiction is entirely different than writing a memoir, and connecting with established authors in your own genre can be incredibly helpful. In my case, I write young adult fiction.
And that brings me to my bonus pick for anyone else who also writes YA books:
Bonus Pick: An Alliance of Young Adult Authors
If you happen to be a fellow YA author, the An Alliance of Young Adult Authors Facebook group is the place to be!
In addition to getting to know fellow YA authors, one of my favorite features of this group is the “Team Up Tuesday” posts. On Tuesdays, you can collaborate with fellow authors to arrange newsletter swaps, share Facebook posts and more.
These groups were invaluable resources for me as I began my journey as an indie author. I hope the groups featured in this list will prove to be just as helpful for you, too.