Tag: vetted services - Mala Naidoo's Book World

Often writers feel alone while tapping out the stories that come tumbling out of imaginative worlds with a benevolent muse guiding the next brainwave.

Writing starts out feeling like a lonely affair and the actual writing will always be a lone love affair with your writing tools – however, the number of support communities available to writers is phenomenal. Facebook groups with experienced authors and authorpreneurs abound.

You can choose to actively engage in these forums or lurk a while until you find the courage to ask a question or respond to someone’s question. There are local groups such as Writers Around Australia created by Lisa Braun and Tina Bonett who generously share posts and ideas. The New South Wales Writers’ Centre to keep up to date with advice and events. The Professional Association I find immeasurably beneficial is ALLi based in the UK, established by Orna Ross with a team of talented and experienced authors, with a worldwide membership.

The Platform for Building Authors and Authorpreneur Mastermind by the Winsome Media Group, established by Juliet Dillion Clark is inspirational and provides valuable advice on how to grow your author platform to get noticed to drive sales.

An excellent inspirational forum to enhance your speaking skills (as authors we are inclined to be introverts) and seek speaking opportunities to add another stream of income to your job as a writer, is Big Impact and Income Speakers under the helm of Amondarose Igoe. Here you will find inspiration and support to build confidence and grow your author business – both Winsome Media Group and Big Impact and Income Speakers are US based.

The SPF community established by author Mark Dawson is a great sharing and advice UK forum with worldwide membership. Women Writers Women’s Books is a supportive, informative network of authors created by Barbara Bos. BooksGoSocial Author’s Group run by four dedicated administrators offers advice to authors through sharing ideas and is great for marketing your books.

Following a range of podcasts and signing up for webinars allows authors to connect with developments in a rapidly changing publishing landscape.

I religiously follow The Creative Penn, ALLi and SPF Podcasts and select topics from a range of presenters on other forums as the need arises – quite often I might add! Smart Author podcasts with Mark Coker from Smashwords publishing platform offers solid advice for authors starting out. So you want to be a writer (Australia) with Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait covers a range of topics from local to global writing and publishing trends.

Digital publishing platforms that are providing excellent services to authors are Draft2Digital with a range of great features for new and established authors. Kobo offers distribution to Canada and the Netherlands. KDP is a prominent publishing platform from the dawn of eBook publishing. (2007) – the choice is vast, you eventually find your comfort zone and work with your chosen publishing platforms. Reedsy, UK based, provides a range of vetted services as does ALLi from editors, to cover designers and Reedsy provides an advanced formatting book service. For an Australian based formatting/cover design service go to WorkingType.

For POD, IngramSpark and CreateSpace/KDP provide excellent platforms to get your print book out into the world.

There are many more services and professional author bodies available, after trying them you eventually settle on your ‘favourites’ because you can’t possibly follow all. Being selective ensures you are not doubling up and eating into your writing time, the most crucial aspect of your writing career.

There’s an oasis of supportive networks out there, reach out and you’ll be amazed at the wealth of advice you will receive.

I hope you find the platforms I respect and trust beneficial for you on your writing journey.

Happy Writing!