I am launching a writer’s club for new and unpublished authors who want to help each other break into the publishing world. It is a Google Group called New Christian Authors. It is a private club, and is by invitation only.
Read on to find out how the club works, who the club is for, the rules of the club, and to request an invitation.
How it Works
The goal is simple: to help the members get more exposure and traffic from Facebook and Twitter. Members of this group will post one link per week to their blog or Facebook page, and the other members will “Like” it on Facebook, “Tweet” it in Twitter, and if they want to, comment on it.
If we get 100 authors, this could result in a substantial increase to your social network and blog readership. If each member has an average of 100 Friends and 100 Twitter followers, and 80% of the members “Like” and “Tweet” your post each week, this will result in exposure to 16,000 people per week.
Who can Join
The author group is private, and there are a few requirements to join.
1. The group is for Christian authors only who are looking to publish for a Christian audience. Both fiction and non-fiction Christian authors are welcome.
2. You cannot be an established author. You can either be unpublished, or have no more than one book published. E-Books and self-published books do not count.
3. If/when an author in the group becomes published, he/she promises to help other members in the group also get published, and in return, they promise to write about and review the author’s book so they can sell more copies.
4. You must have a blog. You can start one on Blogger.com, WordPress.com, or on a Christian community blog like GraceGround.com.
5. You must have at least 50 Facebook friends.
6. You must have at least 50 Twitter followers.
The Rules
Here are the basic rules you need to follow:
1. Each member can only post one request per week. This is to make sure the volume of emails will be moderate and that only quality content will be submitted. This may be a blog post or Facebook page.
2. Members can submit requests for quality content only. No spam, affiliate links, or selling stuff. A good rule of thumb is: Would other people want to share it naturally on Facebook? If the answer is no, don’t send it to the club.
3. The request should contain the title of article/page, and the real URL (i.e., no shortened links). Obviously the requested article/page also needs to have a Facebook “Share” or “Like” button on it, and the ability to “Tweet” it.
4. Members must “Like” and “Tweet” at least 80% of the requests. The 20% margin is to allow for content that is completely unrelated to your niche/interests.
5. No off-topic chat in the group home. Members can use the mailing list only for voting requests, to make sure the volume of emails will be moderate.
How To Join
The club is completely free, and you can also leave at anytime. If you meet the requirements above and can follow the group rules, send an email to au****@********ks.org, including links to (1) your blog, (2) your Facebook account, and (3) your Twitter feed. Make sure your email address has an active Google account on it, because we use Google Groups to power the mailing list.
If you fit the requirements, you will receive an invitation to join the club. Also, feel free to invite any other aspiring authors you know. We are going to limit membership to 100 authors, so get in now!
I’m simply curious about the requirement of Christian-for-Christian. I am a Christian, and a fiction writer. I’ve got a blog, am on Facebook, Twitter, have an agent, and am currently working to get a book to publishers. However, my writing is not solely focused on the CBA market. I’ve read plenty of Christian authors, know a good deal about fiction, publishing, and such. I can respect that audience, but my writing is definitely for a larger one. So just wanting some clarification as for the reasoning behind that requirement.
And to clarify, this is in no way disparaging of this group. I can entirely respect the decision to focus on that slice of the market, but simply wondering about the reasoning behind it.
JR,
Honestly, I didn’t really even think about it. Hmmm…I wonder what that says about me? Especially since I rarely read Christian fiction. Can’t stand the stuff…ha ha.
Anyway, now that you have raised the question, let me think about it. I will try to get back to by Monday.
No worries, Jeremy. Just curious where this might take people. I know ABA and CBA are quite different markets, but authors sometimes straddle the line. I can enjoy Christian fiction, but I honestly rarely look at a book and judge it according to the beliefs of the author. It’s more the writing, the plot, and so on that I hope most writers would want to establish.
This sounds like a great idea. I’m interested in joining maybe this summer. Right now I’m balancing a busy season at work plus wrapping up an MBA.
Sounds good. Get that MBA done.
Hi Jeremy, I would love to join your group but don’t quite meet all of your criteria either. I have 76 facebook friends but just started on twitter last week, so unfortunately have no followers. I do have a blog AND a website. Am attending the Colorado Christian Writers’ Conference in Denver in May and would LOVE to have a decent twitter following built up before I arrive. I would be a faithful member. Am playing hooky from my dissertation to get this project off the ground. My publishing credits are meager–an academic article, a mini-play, and a letter to the editor in an Archie comic book in 1971. I am gung-ho about this book I’m working on and am doing all I can to market before I even get an agent on board. Let me know if you decide to bend your rules! Christi
You should be fine. It won’t take too long for you to get 50 Twitter followers. I’ll send the invite. Make sure your email is attached to your google account.
Archie comic book? Are you kidding? Please don’t list that…
Jeremy, Drop me a line at edcyzewski (at) gmail (dot) com. I have a few ideas on ways to help you with this group. One of them involves doing some reviews of my book A Path to Publishing and generating some conversations from there.
blessings,
Ed