BlackWriters.net User Guide
Your Reference Guide to Using Our Member Platform
(Updated May 3, 2023)
Welcome! We are delighted to have you become part of our community and look forward to engaging with you in our online network. To that end, we’ve created this guide for new members as an orientation to the features our network has to offer.
We strongly encourage you to make the most of your membership by reaching out and speaking up! Peruse fellow members’ profiles and feel free to message them with interest in what they’re doing or to respond to them. Visit their websites. Find members located near you. Share your thoughts, goals, challenges, questions, or the like and your needs on the main feed or in interest groups. Attend our online meetings. The only way to become an engaged member and utilize your membership is to make the effort.
Interested in receiving calls for submissions or job postings for freelance, full-time, and other writing jobs/gigs? Subscribe to our announcement list here.
To view all groups in the network, click the link below.
If at any time while you’re familiarizing yourself with our network you find there’s a tribe you don’t see but would like help to create, speak up! Tribes are created solely in response to members’ requests, so if you don’t see one it’s either because no one has yet requested it OR there wasn’t previously enough demand for it. As we grow, that may change, and we can always recheck the pulse to gauge new interest.
- Navigate to the group in the network and click the button to request to join: M.I.A. Tribe
- Email MIAtribe {at} blackwriters.org for detailed instructions on what to do next.
Subscribe to the Beta Readers group via this link, then follow the instructions in the group to submit your request or introduce yourself as a beta reader. You should also post Beta Reader requests to the chat within the network. Messages posted to the chat are sent directly to all members via their inboxes.
Additionally, submitting your post for “MEMBER NEWS” will also help to ensure you get more eyes on your call for a beta reader. We can post not only to the next newsletter, but we can share in our extended networks on social media.
BWC offers members the opportunity to share book releases with our internal and external networks. For detailed info on how to share your book, see Member Book Promo Support. Additionally, from time to time coach Gwyn Jordan creates promotional video (as shown on the home page of this website) featuring members’ books. Watch the feed for new opportunities to be included in any potential future videos.
Additionally, you can have your book featured on our Members’ Books page. You may upload your book cover here.
Members of critique groups must be present to critique others’ works and to be critiqued. One cannot join and not participate in the critiquing and have his/her work critiqued. If a member does not offer critiques for two meetings, barring extenuating circumstances, they will be removed from the group and their spot opened up. Removed members may reapply for any available spots when they’re ready and able to participate but will be required to critique others prior to submitting any of their own work.
In the main dashboard as well as in each tribe, there is an all-member chat feature offering members one big chat room for all members on the web/desktop version of the platform. The chat room is not available in native mobile apps. All members are welcome to chat with other members and community leaders via the chat. Hosts also send out time-sensitive alerts or important information for members via the all-member chat. You can share text, images, video links, and emojis in the All Member Chat area.
Upon joining, you should have received a confirmation email from our newsletter list. If you did not, be sure to subscribe to our biannual members-only newsletter for community news, membership renewal specials, and upcoming events. This list is different from our public subscribers list, so subscribe to this one to ensure you don’t miss out.
BWC hosts various discussions each month that offer members a chance to get to know each other a little better. Meetings are hosted by J.C. Moore weekly on Sundays (live writing sessions) with writer support group meetings the last Tuesday of each month. Joanna Crews hosts The Dash live writing sprints weekly as well. Other meetings are hosted from time to time, so check the event calendar for announcements.
When you’re posting an article, you can add multiple file attachments directly within the post. When you’re adding material to be critiqued by your tribe, you can only add one attachment per post.
To add multiple attachments to articles:
Press enter to start a new line of text, and use the + button along the left to open up the options to add a photo, embed a video, embed a media file hosted elsewhere, add a file attachment like a PDF, or include a section divider.
To add single attachments to posts:
Select the paper clip icon and it will give you the option to add a file attachment to your post. Once you save and publish it, other members can just click to download your attachment. If you need to add multiple attachments to a post, add them to the post using the Reply function.
- Discovery–Use the Discovery tab to find groups to join or events going on.
- How to tag another member in a post or comment
- How your activity feed works
- Edit or change the topics you follow
- Become an Ambassador
- How to leave the network
- Manage the notifications you receive
If you are a professional freelance editor or book/writing coach, you may apply to list your services in our freelance editors and proofreaders directory. Visit BlackEditorsProofreaders.com/join/ for details. And even if you’re not ready to join the directory, you are welcome to join our network on Telegram at blackeditorsproofreaders.com/black-editors-network/.
What to Post/What to Avoid Posting
Post questions, thoughts, ideas, suggestions, needs, wants, experiences, goals, and dreams related to any and all aspects of writing and publishing.
Post your new book releases; book covers; book trailers; links to your published articles, essays, or other works; links to your website or blog; and anything related to your writing that you want to share.
Post your virtual or in-person book signings and live interviews on the event calendar with sharing to the feed.
Post your stories, excerpts, chapters, poems, synopses, query letters, pitches, or the like for feedback in the appropriate tribes (or advise us if a new tribe is needed). You may also share your writings on the main feed if solely for our reading enjoyment.
Do not post advertisements for anything other than your books. Book postings are fully approved. If you’re considering sharing something other than your book with a cost attached, it is considered an ad and is subject to immediate removal.
Do not post in all caps. This is considered shouting in internet etiquette and is, therefore, deemed rude behavior.
Do not post anything that may be construed as a personal attack on anyone else’s character, intelligence, sense of humor, writing skill, knowledge, level of experience or anything else to which they or others reading it may take offense.
Do not post fee-based events or services advertisements for external organizations. If they wish to advertise in our platform, they would need to contact us to submit their ad for pre-approval and purchase ad space.
Posts or comments that violate these guidelines will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Posts may be subject to deletion with or without notice to the poster.
It is of extreme importance to those of us who value this space that this network remain a safe place for any and everyone to feel comfortable sharing his/her writing, challenges, dreams, goals, and successes. It is also critical for those of us here to support others to be allowed to do so freely. Personal attacks will absolutely not be tolerated and are considered grounds for removal from this platform.