This spring I attended a writers’ conference in Utah. When I walked into the conference center, I noticed their sign said “Welcome to the Tribe.”Now, I know what a tribe is, but the word used to be limited to aboriginal groups in far-flung eras or countries. I know it’s become a buzz-word in social media though, and seeing it on the conference sign got me thinking, “Why is finding your tribe important?”
Of course it didn’t take me long to figure it out—writers need other writers. They need like-minded people to learn from, to share with, and to relate to.
Bestselling author and blogger Seth Godin says,
“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”
So what does a tribe of writers look like? How can you find yours, and why should you bother?
Your tribe should consist of writers who have similar goals as you and, hopefully, a similar schedule as you.
Your tribe should be there for you to run word sprints (you can do this online, via Twitter, Facebook or a chatroom). They can provide a group to whom you’re accountable for your daily word goal. They might encourage you and brainstorm with you when you’re stuck, or offer feedback on manuscripts.
Many “tribes” give tips to one another on how to promote their work.
Some tribe members go much further. I know writers who have influential friends in the book industry who help set up book-signing tours. I know some writer who create “writer’s circles,” where the authors gladly help promote one another’s books on Facebook, Twitter, and so on. I recently heard of one group of romance writers, for example, where each woman in the group was making an average of over $200,000 per month this way.
If it’s not obvious already—finding and growing your tribe is worth it. Because having like-minded friends you can share your writing journey with is priceless.
WE are a type of tribe—if you’ve noticed I enjoy helping to spread the word of your new releases or important things you’re doing in the community. And today we have another opportunity to support a member of our tribe.
Let’s participate in a “Book Bomb” for Danyelle Leafty’s Bottomless: A Companion to Tales of the Snow Queen! You can purchase it here.
A “book bomb” is when an author or publisher asks readers to purchase a particular book from Amazon on a specific day. If enough readers cooperate, it pushes the book up in Amazon’s rankings, giving it more exposure.
Bottomless is only $0.99 today, so pick up your copy and help a fellow tribeswoman out!
