A Little Group Therapy

[Greg R. Fishbone]

Poking around MyNESCBWI, you may have noticed that a navigation item called "Groups". You may have asked yourself, "What are groups? What are their features? Can I join them? Can I start my own? And what sorts of groups would appeal to a community of authors and illustrators anyway?" These answers and more as we explore ways to...

Join a Group

Groups are sets of like-minded MyNESCBWIans who have joined together to form their own social mini-network tied into the main social network. Groups have their own forums, comment walls, text boxes, RSS importers, and membership lists. Group activity shows up on the MyNESCBWI home page, and group participation is displayed on each member's My Page.

There are two kinds of groups: public and private. Public groups can be viewed and joined by anyone, while private groups are by invitation only and can only be viewed by group members. This is a choice that's made when the group is formed, and can't be changed afterward, so think carefully!

When you're viewing a public group, joining up is just a mouse-click away. Starting a new group is easy too--just click on the "Add a Group" link on the groups page, enter the information for your group, and invite a few folks from your friends list or address book. You can also include a graphic to represent your group on the MyNESCBWI Groups page.

Some examples of groups you might want to join or start are:

• Genre Groups: As an example I've set up a group for fantasy and science fiction writers to discuss challenges specific to the speculative fiction genres, but any type of writing or style of artwork is ripe for grouping.
• Online Critique Groups: Michelle Henninger has already created a critique group set up for illustrators to display their work and receive constructive feedback. Such groups can be public, like Michelle's, or private and invitation-only.
• Professional Development Groups: These might include groups discussing school visits, the ins and outs of manuscript submission, or any other aspect of sharing know-how to advance our publishing careers.
• Geographic Groups: Feel a need to connect with peers in your own backyard? Fellow writers in Maine? Fellow artists on Cape Cod? Die-hard New Englanders currently living in other parts of the country?
• And whatever other types of groups you can imagine.

The group feature is yet another way to bring people together, pool our knowledge, encourage active participation, and have a bit of fun. Enjoy!