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Endurance Training for Writers: A MasterMind Group is Secret to Publishing Success

By JT Long

Writing is a challenging sport. Smart authors know they have to be disciplined, scheduling marathon creative sessions and pacing themselves so they can go the distance. Successful writers often take a team approach to publishing. By meeting regularly with a group of others pursuing the same dreams, they can share tips, resources and encouragement. We call this a MasterMind Writer’s Group and see it as a valuable tool for getting through those dark days when you are having trouble putting one word in front of the other.

In the world of meetups and tweetups and mashups, getting bodies in a room is usually not a challenge. To be really successful, however, it helps to define your goals so you will attract only those who are going down the same path. The following exercises can help you focus on the prize.

1. What is your goal? What is the purpose of the group? What is your vision of success? The more concrete your answer, the better your odds of achieving it. If your broad objective is to “be a writer” then ask yourself a few follow-up questions. What kind of writer? Published? Fiction? Non-fiction? Books? Magazines? Web? Romance? Young Adult? Maybe your goal is to write the bestselling Genius Guide to Baking Cookies using Green Technology. Whatever it is, write it down. Remember to be specific and detailed.
2. Now think about what individual steps you need to take to accomplish that goal. How much research, writing (break it down by chapters), pitching to agents, rewriting, packaging, rewriting and marketing will you have to do? What do you already know? What do you need to know? What do you not even know that you don’t know? How specifically can a MasterMind Writer Group help you achieve these goals? Encouragement? Agent suggestions? Success stories? Maybe you need a group that can hold you accountable to writing a chapter a week and help you debate the pros and cons of self-publishing versus selling the idea to a publisher who specializes in food for the future. Be honest with yourself. Write down the specific ways your group can help you move forward.
3. What can you offer other writers in return? Remember, this is a two way street. Can you act as an unbiased sounding board committed to helping every other member find the dedication and resources to meet individual goals? That may mean pledging to be quiet and let others have the stage sometimes. You may just find that you learn more from listening than talking. Consider what resources you can bring to the table. The inherent benefit of bringing together a group of people is that they all know people who know people. What literary editors, agents and other resources could refer to other members? So your pledge to helping others might read: I am open to listening, sharing and whooping it up. Take some time to do a literary inventory. Look at your resume. Think about what skills you have, who you know, how much time you can devote. Write that down.
4. Now put it all together. In any race it is easier to get to the finish line when you know where you are going. A mission statement acts as a mental global positioning system mapping out where you are and where you want to go. The final hypothetical mission statement based on the first three responses might read: MasterMind Writer Group dedicated to listening sharing and celebrating progress toward publishing effectively in niche markets. Now it is time for you to do some soul searching. Look at your written responses and come up with a statement that reflects your goals.

Are you ready to take the first step? Whether you are a novice or a veteran wordsmith, the power of a dedicated MasterMind Writer’s Support Group can make all the difference in your journey toward publishing.

JT Long is the co-author with Jennifer Sander of Writer’s Secret, Mastermind Your Way to Publishing Success. She blogs at MasterMind Writers and is an independent journalist for local and national magazines.