30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 1 – the author community is incredible
September 6 2023 marks 5 years since my first book was released 😲 I’ve published 6 more since!
To celebrate, I’m sharing a new post about what I’ve learnt from being published EVERY DAY throughout the month. This post is part of that series!
Click here for the rest →
Welcome to my new blogging series! I’ve been thinking for a while about a way I could celebrate my FIVE YEAR anniversary of being a published author, and I figured what might be useful/interesting would be to share 30 things I’ve learnt throughout September - one per day.
My debut novel, The Rival, was published on 6 September 2018, which feels both like only yesterday and also like it was decades ago.
But of course, my writing journey started a LONG time before that, and if you want to hear more about it, you can read my journey to publication post here →
So let’s get started! It’s a new month and a new season and I’m excited to share with you everything I’ve learnt from five years of seeing my books on the shelves.
I wanted to start with something positive, because - understandably - there are going to be some positive AND negative things in this series.
Being a published author is a dream, of course, but it does also have its tough moments, and I want to pull the curtain back slightly and share with everyone exactly what they might be too.
But let’s start on a high - with easily my favourite thing about being an author!
You’ve probably worked it out from the subject line.
The best thing about being an author is… other authors.
“The author community is genuinely the most helpful, supportive, loveliest community I have ever encountered.”
Authors are almost universally kind, big-hearted, conscientious, interesting and entertaining people.
I’m lucky to have met many authors not just through my writing but also through my work as a web designer and it’s almost always a joy.
In fact, I can’t think of a single author I’ve met over the last few years who I wouldn’t want to share a beer with in the Harrogate tent. And I also can’t think of another job I’ve had where this has been the case.
So my advice to any authors out there is - if you haven’t already done so - find yourself an author tribe and make the most of them.
There are many times on the author journey when you feel frustrated, powerless, despondent, creatively stuck… and more! I could go on. But having trusted author colleagues to talk to makes all the difference when these issues feel overwhelming.
The truth is that other authors are the only ones who truly understand what it feels like on this side of the fence, and even though your editor and agent are there to hold your hand and guide you through the publishing process itself, it’s only other authors who get what it feels like emotionally.
So yes, the biggest takeaway I have had in my five years of being a published author is that the community I belong to is the best. And whenever I think about throwing in the towel (which believe me, ALL authors consider at some point) I remember that if I did so I’d be walking away from the best club I’ve ever joined.
But what if you’re just starting out and don’t have any author friends?
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! When I started writing I genuinely knew NOBODY in publishing and I knew NOBODY who was also writing. I actually made my first author friends through a forum called Writewords.
This was back in the dark ages of the internet where forums were all the rage. But happily, these days, there are so many places to find author friends. Here are a few of my top recommendations:
Where to find author friends
Or X or whatever the hell it’s now called. At the time of writing (September 2023) this is still where many authors, agents, editors and other publishing staff hang out. There are quite a few hashtags for writers: #AmWriting, #WritersLife, #WriterWednesday, #WordCount, #FridayReads, #WritingPrompt, #WriterCommunity.
All of which will put you in touch with your fellow writers. Don’t be shy, dive in and start chatting!
Ask your agent / publisher
If you have one or both, a great way of meeting fellow writers is through your agent or publisher. Don’t be afraid to ask your editor or agent if they have any other writers they work with that they could put you in touch with. I’ve met many of my writing friends through my agent.
It’s also very easy (and common) to get in touch with other authors who are published by your publisher - you might find you end up at an event with them anyway, so why not reach out to them beforehand and introduce yourself?
Online writing groups
There are tons of fantastic writing communities online, where it’s very easy to meet up with other writers. A simple google will reveal any groups local to you, but there are also lots that you can join no matter where in the world you live.
A few I’m a fan of include the The Savvy Writers’ Snug on Facebook, The Novelry, I Am In Print, and Jericho Writers.
Courses
If you have the money, then taking a writing course is a surefire way to meet other writers! And it can be a really fun, useful experience too.
I actually took the Faber Academy’s six-month ‘Writing A Novel’ course even though I already had an agent, because I wanted to get out of the house and meet other writers, and seven years on, we still all meet up regularly and stay in touch. It’s one of the best things I ever did.
My lovely Faber Academy group!
Obviously some of the ‘big’ writing courses are really pricey, but there are also short courses, online courses and courses at your local adult education college to consider, which can be more affordable.
Find other debuts in your year
If you are fortunate enough to have landed a publishing deal, then another thing I highly recommend is contacting other debut others who are being published at the same time as you. You might find you bump into each other on the publicity circuit once your books are being promoted anyway, and it’s always so great to have someone who’s at the same stage of the publication process as you to chat to!
