by Alex J. Cavanaugh, @AlexJCavanaugh  

While writing itself is usually a solitary venture, everything else we need to accomplish as authors is not. We need input from critique partners, advice on publishing, assistance with marketing, and encouragement. To accomplish that, we need to network with others.

There are many great ways to connect and find other writers: blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Sometimes we’re lucky and we find a group of writers. One that is active and networking with one another. Perhaps it’s a growing group that’s spreading to other platforms. That’s a big plus, as with a large group, we can make a lot of quality connections.

When I first began writing, it was just me. I wasn’t online and I wasn’t involved in any writing groups. It wasn’t until I signed my first contract and was forced to venture online that I realized what I was missing. Those connections are so important!

I’m fortunate to be involved in what I believe is the ultimate networking group – the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Connecting writers through several platforms and with a hashtag of #IWSG on Twitter, it’s swelled to over two thousand members in just three years. And we have four ways for writers and authors to connect:Continue reading