I belong to an online community—or, “secret group” as Facebook calls us—of thirty debut authors. We talk shop, ask each other for advice, listen to each other’s complaints and worries with support and encouragement, basically we help each other through the process of publishing a book after it’s been sold. There are no manuals or guides for this part of being a writer, and publishing is a murky and complicated business once you’re on the other side. We have banded together as people bonded by this uncommon experience. We’re called Book Pregnant, and right now we are kicking ass.

• Lydia Netzer, author of Shine Shine Shine, has a review in the New York Freaking Times today! For you non-book people, that is a huge deal, and not easy to get. Not only that, but they LOVED her novel. They had nothing but praise for this book that is sure to make it back into the NYT on the bestseller list when it comes out on July 17th.
• Fobbit, a tragicomedy set during the Iraq war, was just hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as “an instant classic.” It doesn’t come out until September but the generous David Abrams is giving away an advance copy and some Fobbit-y swag so you can be the coolest reader on your block just by entering this free contest.
• If one Book Pregnant book contest wasn’t enough, you can also win a copy through Goodreads of the exceptional YA novel The Exceptionals about—can you guess?—exceptionally gifted teens and a chilling prophesy, by Erin Cashman.
• Amy Franklin-Willis’ novel, The Lost Saints of Tennessee is featured in Barnes and Noble’s community blog: Cover Stories. There’s an adorable photo of her dad at eight years old.

This is just good news—and only the good news that is public and okay to post—from the past few days!! Over the past few months we’ve had members hit the NYT bestseller list, do NPR and other radio interviews, get reviews in countless prestigious magazines, newspapers, websites, and trade journals, appear on hundreds of blogs, receive blurbs from big-name authors, release book trailers, speak at TEDx, give dozens of readings at universities, indie bookstores, and libraries, win literary contests, sell second books, and so much more. We are full of powerhouse talents and I’m so pleased and honored to be part of this tribe.

Find out more about Book Pregnant writers and our books, and check out our blog, the way we pass some of the knowledge we’ve gained from each other along to you.

Are you part of a writing tribe?