Connecting with like-minded people is one of the best ways to find solace in this crazy industry. However, don’t make the mistake that so many writers make and join every “writing community” that you can find. If you do so, you will probably quickly discover that many are nothing more than a source of aggravation. Not because the groups themselves have something wrong with them, but because you don’t belong in all of them, pure and simple.

There are many stages in careers. I’ve been a professional web content writer for about 16 years, so this whole writing for a living thing is old hat to me. While it’s true that last year was the first time I published a novel length work of fiction, I’m not new to the industry. Therefore when I look to join writing communities or follow Facebook pages geared toward writers, I admit, I search for ones with members who make their living as writers, and have been kicking around in this line of work for a long time.

The reason is because I have things in common with those people. Sometimes I’ve ended up in groups where a young person would come on and post “I’d like to write a novel, what should it be about?” And I’ve got my head bitten off for saying “If you don’t know, WE don’t know, LOL” until I realized that the entire group was young, aspiring writers, most of whom were not even out of college yet. Well, there was nothing wrong with that person’s post, I just didn’t get it because “Writers Group” to me meant other people like me, who earn their living this way and can’t get RID of all the ideas for novels in their heads.

Bottom line, that just wasn’t the group for me. When joining communities and following pages, sometimes less is more. Hone in on the ones that will offer you the most rather than making the mistake of joining everything and anything. If you’ve been at it for a long time and know the ropes, the best groups you can join are ones made up of other people just like you. They’ve been in the trenches for decades, they know how the novel publishing game is played, and they have the experience to understand what you’re talking about without you having to leave continuous explanations.

It works the same way with newbies. They are best off in groups where they can express the common frustrations that occur when someone is first breaking into the business. It’s not that any writing organization or forum is “wrong,” it’s just that a group might be wrong for YOU. Be selective! Discover where your peers are and join those groups. You’ll be glad you did! You’ll find yourself in interesting conversations, sharing good advice, and offering and getting support from people who “know what you mean.” Write on!