Tribe Writers Archives | Staci Troilo

One year ago, I had a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. While the devil asked questions and told tales of my future in a deep, sexy tenor, the angel stayed silent, apparently also enraptured by the velvet tones and melodious words.

The trouble was, I didn’t actually like the words I was hearing.

My future? Bleak.

There were no finished works, no hardworking agents, no meticulous editors, no signed contracts.

No published books.

I sat at my desk, fingers poised on keys I was too nervous to type on, hovering over a touchpad I was too timid to click.

I didn’t have writer’s block. I had writer’s paralysis.

Either I was going to listen to the devil on my shoulder or I was going to turn things around.

Finally the angel spoke up. Its voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear as church bells carried on a soft summer wind.

Tribe Writers.

I don’t know how I found the link in the sea of emails I hadn’t opened, but I did. I don’t know why I purchased the course (when I had never signed up for even free online courses, let alone ones that had fees—let alone ones that were brand new and had no testimonials), but I did. I don’t know how I mustered the courage to open the first of the modules, but I did.

And I’m glad.

The content was challenging—but manageable.

The work pushed me out of my comfort zone—which I needed.

The people I met are friendly, knowledgeable, inspiring—and I still go to them today when I have a question.

One year later, I’m not sure if the devil is still on my shoulder. The angel is still there, and singing up a storm.

I got my first novel published (Mystery, Ink.: Mystery Heir) in both eBook and print formats. I secured an agent who is representing a four book series of mine, one of which is complete, one of which is almost done, and all of which have full synopses completed. I also started a second, unrelated, series. I’ve taken a job as an editor and I’ve become a book reviewer as well. All that, and I’m helping four writer friends along on their own writing journeys in a group we formed, as well as a few more writers via email. Not too shabby for a girl who was staring—all but catatonic—at her laptop a year ago.

Tribe Writers is more than a course. It’s a journey. And it’s a community. And I hope you’re ready to join it. If you have any questions for me about Tribe Writers, leave them in the comments section and I’ll be happy to answer them. If you’re ready to sign up now, there’s a link in my sidebar that will take you to a registration page.

Happy Anniversary Tribe Writers! It’s been a great year. Looking forward to many more.

If you’re a frequent visitor to this blog, then you know I’m a writer, and occasionally I try to pass on bits of advice to help other writers in their craft. Sometimes it’s in the form of a story from my personal life, other times it’s just a straight up blog post with information.

Today is going to be a little different.

Before I continue, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you consider yourself a writer?
Have you begun shipping your work yet?
Do you know how to write and edit effectively?
Do you have a plan in place to get constructive feedback on your work?
Do you know what steps to take to have a successful launch?
Have you begun to define yourself as a brand?
Are you working on a platform so you’re more marketable?
Is your platform strong and growing steadily?
Do you know who your target audience is?
Do you know how to reach them?

Those are some daunting questions, especially to the beginner, but even to the established writer. Some of those terms may be unfamiliar to you. And you know what? I haven’t even introduced two of the most important terms yet: Cartel and Tribe.

Sometimes people bat buzzwords around and don’t really give you any solid framework with which to understand it. I’m going to do my best to help you along. Look at the questions again.

If the first five questions really got your attention, I urge you to check out Joe Bunting’s Story Cartel Course. Studying six short rules, you will learn the importance of sharing your work, connecting with other writers, writing and editing techniques, reviewing methods, and collaborating for successful book releases. The course wraps up with a series of tools designed to teach you to reach a larger audience faster. Each week, experts in the field share their knowledge and offer tips for navigating the publishing industry. Exercises help you hone your craft, and you always have support from the contacts you make in the forums. The strongest supporter of all is founder Joe Bunting, who also hosts a regular web-chat to introduce new material and answer any questions you might have. This comprehensive program gives you lifetime access to the materials and the forums, so unlike traditional classes, once you sign up, you can keep learning at your own pace for as long as you like, and access like that is priceless. I was a staff member for the pioneer run, and I thought the program was great, and Joe is continually tweaking the program to make it even better for future students. If you write fiction, this is a course you don’t want to miss. Click “Story Cartel” to register or join the waiting list, or click on the logo in my sidebar.

If the second set of questions piqued your interest, you may be more interested in growing your platform and online presence than working on your writing. And that’s great. Both the craft of writing and the discipline of marketing go hand-in-hand these days. You pretty much can’t have a successful career without both. If learning to use social media to increase your brand awareness is something you’re interested in, then signing up for the Tribe Writers course is something you should consider. This course offers eight weeks of lessons designed to help you improve your writing while increasing your platform, a large forum of current and former classmates to support your efforts and interact with, interviews from experts in the fields of publishing and social media, and regular web-chats with founder Jeff Goins, who makes certain all students feel welcome and encouraged. This program offers lifetime access to the materials and the forums, so you can work at your own pace. I was a pioneer member of Tribe Writers, and it just gets better every time Jeff offers it. If you’re looking to build a tribe of dedicated followers, you want to take this course. Click “Tribe Writers” to register or join the waiting list, or click the logo in my sidebar.

In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I’m an affiliate member of both of these courses. If you use these links, a portion of your tuition will be passed on to me. But I wouldn’t be an affiliate member if I didn’t believe in these programs, and I wouldn’t be recommending them to you if I wasn’t certain they work.

If you have any questions about either of the programs, you can email the founders, or you can ask me. I’d be happy to tell you more about my experiences in those courses.

Best wishes, and happy writing!