As a Writer; YOU HAVE TO HAVE FRIENDS.

“No man is an island…” was stated by John Donne. This quote is important in life, and is invaluable to any writer trying to become a published author.


I am a new author, and everything I did from the beginning to now, has been a journey and a new adventure for me. This journey has been long and there have been many twists and turns, but the one thing that has helped me move along are my friends and acquaintances I have made during the entire process.

When I finished my novel, I first looked for a publisher. I searched the web and found some potential publishers that seemed more than eager to get my book out to the world. I was enthusiastic and excited, but I continued researching: This is when I found the darker side of the writing world.

I discovered sites like Preditors & Editors and Absolute Write. These sites gathered information from authors and websites and evaluated businesses that deal in the publishing world. What I found from these sites were that there were many people in the publishing world who are not looking out for the interest of the author, or trying to get books published, but in fact, are merely cheating people of their money.

If it was not for other authors who contributed or took the time to do the research, I too would have fallen victim to one of these corrupt business. These authors took the time and effort to help people like me, who are babes in the woods and unaware of the dangers that were looking behind the trees.

It was through social media that I found other authors that began helping me in a direct manner. Many of these people were authors whack had worked with the publisher I decided to go with. These people became my mentors and assisted me in creating websites, including this blog. I have to give these people the credit for any success I may ever achieve as an author.

If you want to see some of the people who helped me look at the author's page with my publisher:

It was not only my publisher’s authors that have helped me, through other sites, such as Linkedin, Goodreads and Pinterest. I connected with many different people in the publishing world. These people have given me valuable information on topics ranging from marketing to book cover designs.

Once I was with a publisher, I searched to find people who may be interested in reading my novel. Not only did I look for people who liked to read, (book clubs, etc.) I searched for people who may like medieval literature or history. My initial interest was indeed to find people to buy my upcoming book, but what I found was more friends.

These people, who I connected with, had the same interests as I did. We had discussions about medieval times, and how people lived back then. I looked at their sites and found information I was unaware of previously. Sometimes, in your search, you will make good friends whom you were not seeking to find.

I want to state again the beginning of my blog: No man is an Island.

When you learn about information, either about the publishing world, or a topic, you are interested in, take the time share it with someone who is looking for it. Take your knowledge you have acquired and pass it on to others.

You do not need to be an expert in a topic to share knowledge. You merely have to take the effort to share what you know with those who are seeking it. When you share information, you will find you share more than that with the people you are talking with, and hopefully find some friends along the way.

As always, leave a comment of question, it is always great to hear from you!

Next Time: Back to the Medieval Age.