How many of us harbor a secret fantasy that we'll someday write a book? I've got at least a half-dozen works in progress. They include several young adult novels, a madcap road trip tale based on a true story, a memoir about growing up Japanese-Jewish, and two non-fiction books.
Every time I finish a book by a female author that I truly enjoy, I pore over the acknowledgments page to see who is thanked.
And it's become clear to me that having a clutch of literary friends to turn to for advice and support may be what separates the published from the non-published...or me from my first book deal.
A Social Network for Women Writers
Creating an online environment to nurture, support, encourage, and educate women writers is the goal of the recently launched website SHE WRITES.
More than a gathering place for literary women, SHE WRITES is a social network for women readers and writers that offers everything from book reviews, writers groups, forums, blogs, videos, and live chat. An events listing includes writing courses and workshops (both the real world and online varieties), bookfairs, readings and book signings, and retreats.
And SHE WRITES offers upcoming webinars that cover topics such as Innovative Publicity, Blogging for Writers and Becoming a Writing Coach.
Reviewed, Rewarded, Treated Differently
Founded by Kamy Wicoff, a female author and co-founder (along with Nancy K. Miller) of the
New York Salon for Women Writers, SHE WRITES is female-centric for a very good reason. As Wicoff explains:
Women continue to face unique challenges as authors, and need to connect, organize and share knowledge if they are to achieve parity with male writers....Women writers are reviewed differently, rewarded differently, and treated differently than their male counterparts. (I loved Katha Pollitt's column in The Nation asking, what if John Updike had been Jan?)
The good news is that despite this, women are also more powerful and visible in publishing than ever before, and SHE WRITES both celebrates that success and aims to expand upon it.
Wicoff smartly utilizes the expertise of SHE WRITES members to benefit other member writers. Earlier this week the site's first-ever webinar, Twitter For Writers, was taught by Sarah Milstein, who literally wrote the book on Twitter. Archived at the SHE WRITES site, this and upcoming webinars will be available for download -- another resource for members.
You Write It, You Sell It
Despite its name, SHE WRITES is not exclusive to women although Wicoff created it with female authors in mind. Aware of the changing face of book publishing, she sees another purpose for SHE WRITES:
Writers--male and female--are facing an enormous new set of challenges as the publishing industry is in crisis. These days most writers, from first-time novelists to famous authors publishing their fourteenth books, are expected not only to write a book but to sell it.
Every writer I know feels she has to become a full-time marketer, promoter, and solopreneur every time she publishes, AND on her own dime! It's incredibly inefficient.
SHE WRITES says: what if writers could share what they know directly with one another, about everything from reaching indie book sellers to niche marketing? What if there was a one-stop shop (see our SHE NEEDS HELP section) for authors seeking help to support their efforts? What if writers could find one another off-line and form local salons affiliated with SHE WRITES, and in the process establish a circuit -- and underground railroad of sorts -- for the members of our community?
I hope to pull all of this off and a whole lot more. Every single thing I do with SHE WRITES will aim to make the lives of women writers better and easier.
Authors Whose Names You'll Know
Wicoff chose a social networking format for SHE WRITES to make the site dynamic and to encourage women to reach out to each other. In the first month alone, nearly 3500 members joined SHE WRITES (registration is free) from all 50 states and over 70 countries.
What makes SHE WRITES so powerful is its mix of successful, recognizable published writers and wannabe authors in an environment that honors the efforts of all women, no matter how well-known or obscure.
On the home page of SHE WRITES is a blog post by Hope Edelman (author of the groundbreaking book Motherless Daughters) describing how unglamorous it is when a writer with several books under her belt visits Chicago-area bookstores with two impatient, noisy, bathroom-needy kids. I also recognize the name of Pamela Redmond Satran, the author behind the baby name book I constantly referred to during my first pregnancy 18 years ago.
More We Give, More We Get
The fact that so many women writers who've 'made it' are hanging around SHE WRITES and participating in its active and lively groups, blogs, and forums says something about the depth, breadth, and quality of the site's offerings. Wicoff isn't surprised by their participation or by the drive to connect with other women writers. She feels it too:
Writers are so often alone. Imagine what we can do together....I am a big believer in the psychology of abundance. More is more. The more we give the more we get; the easier it gets. I can't help believing this is a particularly female instinct.
Few of us will ever be able to enjoy the benefits of a prestigious writers' conference like Bread Loaf or a creative retreat like Yaddo. Yet in the age of the internet with social networking providing opportunities to connect and inspire each other, SHE WRITES is a tool, a resource, a community, and a much-needed kick in the pants for any woman who's ever said "I've always wanted to write a book" but has never gone further than that statement.
Now, with a website dedicated to women writers and the opportunity to build your own online circle of mentors and friends, you have no excuses to hide behind. It's time to stop talking about it and start typing.
