I
Met My Friends Through the IWSG
by Stephanie Faris
by Stephanie Faris
I’m
not even sure how I found the Insecure
Writers Support Group (IWSG). I distinctly recall being
completely perplexed as to how to get new readers when I first
started blogging outside of MySpace. On MySpace, there was a “Top
Blogs” section that lists the most popular blogs by category. You
simply found your category of interest and started reading. In the
general blogosphere, no such ranking exists.
I believe it started when I started following a few commenters on agent blogs like Janet Reid’s and Nathan Bransford. They were very popular at the time and read by bloggers who were trying to find an agent, as I was. I picked up a few regular readers through doing that, then begin searching their blog comments for great new blogs to read. Somewhere in that process, I stumbled upon the IWSG and its monthly posts. I realized this was the community I was seeking.
I believe it started when I started following a few commenters on agent blogs like Janet Reid’s and Nathan Bransford. They were very popular at the time and read by bloggers who were trying to find an agent, as I was. I picked up a few regular readers through doing that, then begin searching their blog comments for great new blogs to read. Somewhere in that process, I stumbled upon the IWSG and its monthly posts. I realized this was the community I was seeking.
What
is the IWSG? It’s a group of writers, originally put together by
blogger/writer Alex Cavanaugh. On the first Wednesday of each month,
we post about our insecurities and give each other a big morale
boost. Every April, some members of the same community participate in
the A
to Z Challenge, where we post every day on a themed topic,
starting with the letter A and ending with Z.
The
genius of the IWSG is that it gives writers a way to support and
inspire each other while also providing a great resource for finding
that small community of writers who will support us throughout our
careers. We can support them back, as well, which is often even more
gratifying.
Today,
I’m an active member of the IWSG. I participate in the monthly
post, except when it’s A to Z Challenge month, and, like Christine,
most the members of my blogging support community are members, as
well. I highly recommend it for any author no matter where you are in
your career. The support will keep you going when you’re ready to
give up and, once you’re published, you’ll find the members of
IWSG are some of the best people in the world to help you out with
your marketing. If you’re a writer and aren’t a member of IWSG,
check it out!
Blurb:
Piper helps some four-legged friends find the perfect home in the third book of the brand-new Piper Morgan series.
Piper is super excited to help out at Bark Street, a local animal shelter in town. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by adorable puppies and dogs all day? And when Piper sees Taffy, the cutest dog she has ever seen, Piper is determined to find a way to bring Taffy home. But it won’t be easy—especially when she finds out someone else wants to make Taffy a part of their family, too!
Author Photo (click for full resolution):
Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.
Stephanie
is the Simon & Schuster author of 30
Days of No Gossip and 25
Roses,
as well as the upcoming Piper
Morgan series.
When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online
websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite
subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a
sales executive.
Links:
