What is it about the Catholic Writers Guild that makes networking so fulfilling? For six years, I have attended the live conferences and learned much from the sessions on how to write better and market better. I gained even more from the relationships formed with Catholic writers across the continent.
More than six years ago I began blogging and found an almost transparent network of like-minded Catholic bloggers who inspired me, helped me with technical know-how, critiqued my work and called me on to greater publications outside my little blog world.
Critique groups
Many CWG writers have helped me, especially those in my critique groups, and I have only met a few of them in person. No matter; we understand what the other writers believe and what’s important to them. We trust one another with our manuscripts. We work for the good of the other writer.
My education and career in journalism gave me a head start in editing skills, enabling me to give back a little. Others gave me their time to show me the nuances of blogging and social media that I lacked. No, it wasn’t that we purposely traded one-on-one, keeping score so that no one got more than they gave. It was rather an economy of grace where we give to another member of the body of Christ and miraculously receive what we need from some other part of that body.
Blog tours
The marketing phenomenon that illustrates this synergy is the blog tour. I must have participated in a dozen or more of these round-robin book promotions in the last couple of years. I learned much about marketing, networking, and publishing by hosting one day of one blog tour at a time under the guidance of savvy authors. The complimentary books I received from my author mentors are special because I feel a sense of pride in helping introduce them. The blog tour posts were a needed change for my readers and for me.
As I sent book proposal after book proposal to publishers over the last few years, I visualized my own blog launch tour with some of the authors that I support. Imagine my surprise when my first publication was not a book but a DVD. Videotaping my evangelization seminar for a DVD was not how I intended to further my publishing career. Nevertheless, that’s what evolved as the next step. I’ll spare you all the trials in getting the DVD on the market. I made enough mistakes to help a dozen seminar speakers.
In my blog tour launching my DVD, Sharing Your Faith Story, a three-part seminar for evangelization, I found I had learned how to promote books for others. I used that expertise to get my DVD into the hands of those who need it. Many of the authors I blogged reviews for were not available for my blog tour, and some newer blogging friends joined my team. All are CWG members.
My second blog tour is coming up in the fall. You can be sure that my book launch will start with a blog tour on the websites of my CWG friends.
The abundance mentality
My relationships in the Catholic Writers Guild are human, not perfect, but generosity reigns. The open-heartedness of those in my CWG network approaches that of the abundance mentality: there’s plenty for everyone. In applying it to writing, there’s plenty of ways to publish your work, plenty of resources to share with other writers, plenty of opportunities to help others. Where else do you find this attitude, especially in the business world?
We are blessed as Christian writers to find grace at work among us. We are doubly blessed as members of the body of Christ known as the Catholic Writers Guild.
How has the abundance mentality of the members of the Catholic Writers Guild affected your writing and publishing?
(© 2015, revised 2018, Nancy HC Ward)
Nancy Ward
Nancy Ward, convert, journalist, author, and speaker, writes from Texas about Catholicism, conversion and Christian community at NancyHCWard.com, JOYAlive.net, and other websites and magazines. Through her Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story workshops, retreats and DVD, she shares her conversion story in Catholic parishes and at conferences, equipping others to share their stories. She contributed to the award-winning The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion, facilitates two Catholic Writers Guild critique groups, serves on the Guild’s Board, and speaks at national writers conferences.
Amen! Grace is at work among us — first and last!
Amen! In my experience, the person who comes to the CMN Tradeshow and the CWCL with a “me” mentality doesn’t show up again. The person who comes with nothing but negativity eventually stops (and perhaps none too soon). It’s the – as you put it – abundance mentality that wins out. If I come with my work as part of something bigger, my contribution to the Kingdom, then I have a chance to succeed.
Or to be it more succinctly, Mt 20:16.