I’m excited to share the news about my friend Melody Owen’s new Author Nation community for writers!
by Melody Owen
I started my career teaching English to Adults in Asia and South America and loved teaching writing.
I mostly worked with professionals looking to boost their career in the global world or with students who were applying to do graduate work in an English speaking country. Writing well, writing persuasively was a large part of what I taught.
So, I have always been teaching writing or writing my own articles and other pieces.
Authors Had Questions but No Place to Get Answers
Fast forward to 2016, when I led a group of authors locally where I live (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Each month, we held events that included interviewing authors, education, meet and greets with podcast producers, or whatever the authors needed.
Along with teaching/coaching writing and editing, I realized that many authors had questions but no answers. Not having a resource to get answers often leads to authors spending far more money than was necessary, hiring suspect “publishers” and making decisions that had serious consequences to their careers.
The monthly meetings became the place to get all the answers and support one another. Authors would call me for help and I was always pleased to be able to support them.
Then came the pandemic: no more in person meetings.
From there, I decided to take the spirit of the local group and try to create a global community. Why couldn’t I create something bigger and better?
Author Nation is the culmination of two years of research, talking to authors, trying different technologies, and working with a beta group.
What has come out of that work is a community that is affordable and still provides everything an author needs.
Why Author Nation? Authors Succeed When They Collaborate with Other Authors
Unlike cars, most people buy multiple books. Authors are not in competition. Authors succeed when they collaborate with other authors.
That concept played into the idea that we are a nation.
Then, the other aspect comes from the idea that authors are risk-takers and change-makers. When you decide to become an author, you put yourself on the line. Before you see any reward, you work for hours, all because you have a story on an idea that could change someone’s life.
To me, that is the kind of place I want to live. That is a nation of like-mined people.
We no longer need to be separated by borders so why not create a nation, an inclusive place where authors can gather, write, and support one another?
To me that is what makes a good nation and so I have created a nation of authors. People can self-select to be part of it when they share our values and goals.
Author Nation is a Place Where Writers Belong
My greatest hope is that writers will find a place they belong. Where people celebrate their successes and lift them up when things get challenging.
I also want writers to have a place to get the resources they need while retaining control of their content and creativity. How we do that is built into the community and the benefits we offer.
We offer monthly accountability calls.
During these calls members announce their intentions for the month and get support for any obstacles that are in their way. Each author has a progress journal in the community to put those goals down in writing.
Weekly, we have a writing session online.
We write together for 90 minutes, and then we spend 30 minutes on anything that came up during the session. Daily or weekly, authors can update their author journals with their progress. We all see the progress and can celebrate together or offer suggestions when needed.
We have a section in the community called Path to Publishing, which is divided into four sections: planning, producing, publishing, and promoting.
Here authors find the resources they need to move from idea to published book.
We also offer monthly educational events just like we used to in our in-person meetings but now they are online so we can record them and keep them. If anyone has a question, we will have a resource to help them. And we are creating new resources all the time!
The vision is for Author Nation to be the place authors can come to get the support, resources, and inspiration they need to publish a book that readers love and the author feels proud to have as part of their legacy.
How My Career Led Me to Create Author Nation
Like many people, my career is like a winding river.
I love to write and do my share of writing but I am not good at sharing my writing. I am one of those writers who never thinks their words are worthy. Don’t we always pick the career we personally need? I have written two books yet none are on the market right now. I am working on that.
In my lifetime I have worked as an English instructor at university, a private college, and private institutions. I worked for Oxford University Press in South America in the education division, which meant I gave keynotes at conferences, taught workshops, and met with client schools. Most of my work was in marketing and public relations. I loved it.
Back in Canada, I ran an English department for a small private college before branching out on my own. Most of my life I have worked as an entrepreneur building my own businesses and shifting with the world. I did slow down for several years to look after my mother (Alzheimer’s) and raise my daughters. I always has my toe in the water though, so to speak.
In 2019, I produced, wrote, and performed a solo show with the help of an amazing team and used to tell stories from the stage before Covid hit. I hope to get back on stage one day but for now, I am busy building Author Nation.
Most of my life I have worked with language, helping people express themselves through the written word. Author Nation is the natural next step in my professional and personal growth.
The Author Nation Website: How I Created It with the Help of Authors
This project took two years and lots of cue cards, journaling, and large sheets of paper with diagrams on them.
I spoke to authors, helped them, and asked them what they needed. I looked at what was successful in the in-person events and pondered how technology and a global world would impact those successes. I couldn’t replicate what we had but I could use the lessons learned coupled with the new needs brought on by the pandemic to build something that solved the problems authors were facing now.
I also wanted a technology that could grow with us. The community as it is represents what authors want now, and as the community grows it will shift as needs shift. The foundation is solid but we can redecorate as needed, to use a house analogy.
When I had a good grasp of what I thought it should look like I found what I thought was the right technology and built the prototype. Then, I realized I wanted something different so I kept looking and found a new technology for the final product. I spoke to other community builders and looked at other communities, found the best tech for the job, and then built what you see now.
It was a two-year process and worth the work. I love how it turned out!
Three Reasons Writers Should Join Author Nation
1. Community
We are an inclusive group of like-minded individuals who are here to change the world and share our stories. This is where change-makers and storytellers belong. Find your people at Author Nation.
When I first started in-person events, I underestimated the value of community, belonging, and networking. Yes, people came for the education, but they also LOVED the breaks where they could mingle with people who thought like them, felt like them, and experienced the world like them.
2. Resources
Most publishing houses and consultants have a one size fits all solution. We have resources. Have a question? We will give you the information you need to make the best decision for you and your book. You can be self-published or traditionally published. Do you need your own ISBN? Let me tell you the pros and cons of both decisions.
Having access to the resources you need while still maintaining control of your content and creativity is an exceptional feat in the publishing industry.
3. Support
Writing a book is a huge project with lots of ups and downs, questions and obstacles. Author Nation provides all the missing pieces. You can work one-on-one with a book coach like me, or you can benefit from a community of authors that includes me, with different experiences and their own definition of success.
Although I lead the community, support comes from the everyone. The price of belonging to the community is much less than working with a writing coach privately, and yet I believe the value offered is greater. And that is coming from me, a writing coach!
Where is Author Nation Going?
From here, we are going where the community needs to go. As I said earlier, I built this community for authors. Being the leader means listening to the needs of the community and providing what they need.
Yes, we will expand. What’s next? That is up to community members.
WRITING AND WELLNESS SPECIAL
Join Author Nation and use the coupon WELLNESS for $100.00 off an annual membership until September 16th, 2022, at midnight PST!
* * *
Melody Ann Owen is the founder of Author Nation, a community for authors by authors.
Melody is a storyteller at heart who believes in the power of words, spoken and written. She has spent her life helping others express themselves through her work, whether telling tall tales, teaching, speaking, or coaching.
For more information on Melody and Author Nation, check out the Author Nation home page, and learn more about the benefits of joining.