How is FEEDBACK Related to Publishing Success?

Recently, I was featured in our local newspaper. They gave me a full page, which was kind of a big deal. During the interview for the article, I was asked how I felt about one of the big local writing groups. This group was huge in our city; they have many participants, and I’ve actually taught as an instructor. 

They might have been looking for a bit of sensationalism when they asked me this question. The reporter read my book, Storytelling for Pantsers, and knew how I felt about bad feedback, especially from this writing group. Of course, I answered the question—I’m not really one to disparage and believe that there is a place for free writing groups.

In truth, free writing groups are only great for camaraderie.

So what is the difference between someone who’s a hobbyist and someone who wants to be a professional?

I enjoy painting. I’m not very good at it, but I really enjoy it. I can spend time with other painters, share ideas, give each other a little feedback and such. This is great because we’re having fun doing our hobby, but not one of us dreams of becoming a professional painter one day. This is the same as writing groups. 

If you’re a hobbyist and you just want to write for fun, these free writing groups will meet your needs. However, if you actually want to become a professional, and are looking for professional results, you need professional feedback.

Let’s take another analogy: If I want to become a professional skiier I won’t just hang out at the ski club. Instead, I’ll hire a professional and dedicate a lot of time to training.

To be a professional writer you need professional training.

Are there anomalies to this? Yes. However, most of us would need training, support, and feedback that will make us successful professional writers. 

In Write to Publish, you will find the same sense of camaraderie with other as those free local writing groups. However, here we focus on bringing you to the path of publishing success. We provide different tools that can take you to this end goal. The feedback that we do here is based on my study of neuroscience. You might have heard me mention about my time at the brain-imaging lab at MIT and how I study and teach how the brain impacts creativity. 

What we use in the Writing Gym is just that: neuroscience-based feedback. And we do it well. If you are ready to learn more and speak with me about where you are, where you’d like to go, and how you can get there, put yourself right into my calendar.