Dear Members,

Welcome to the Book Writing World. We have a terrific group of accomplished and engaged writers. This week is devoted to getting you connected–to the site and to each other.

To start, be sure you’ve joined one group (or maybe up to two groups) from the following list:

Planning Your Book

Drafting Your Book

Revising Your Book

Finishing Your Book

You will see them listed under “Courses” on the blue menu bar near the top of the site. Short descriptions of each course are available through that menu. I strongly suggest that you do not join more than two. One will get you where you need to go. In certain instances, some folks are straddling two because of their individual processes and paths. And that is fine, too. If you’ve gotten enthusiastic and joined them all, unjoin the ones that are not yet–or currently–relevant to your project. You can always go check them out–everything is open to every one–but I don’t want you to get overwhelmed or unfocused.

Please begin by reading the Orientation Welcome (Week 1) in your course and posting your comments as directed. Please take a few minutes and read the other comments and get to know your group members.

Second, check out the Video Tutorials section and learn your way around the site. Even founding members would probably do well to review this material, now offered in Angie’s succinct videos; I learned things from watching them.

I hope you can come to either Monday or Thursday’s conference/ coaching call. If not, they will be recorded and posted under “coaching calls.”

A great place to go when you come to the site is the “Activity” listing. See the buttons on the upper right of the site. “Activity” is second, after “Home.” This will keep you apprised of all current conversations and actions. You might also go right to your “Groups” in the same set of buttons or in the list of groups on the right margin.

You can update your status to let us know how your book and writing life are going-much as one might on Facebook or Twitter. We want to hear about your progress! Please use the site to communicate with me, as well, unless it’s a very private matter. Your questions–and my answers to them–are usually helpful to others as well, be they about craft or logistics.

Next week, we’ll identify your own best process and your own specific goals for the quarter, and thereafter you’ll begin each week by posting your goals in the “Goals Success” group. Please join the “Goals Success” group and “The Writing Life” group–site of a general conversation for the whole community. Other useful groups: “Technical Support” keeps you in touch with Angie if you have a technical problem or need assistance. “Coaching, Craft and Goals Calls” will keep you connected to the conferences part of our conversation as well as alerting you to special events or circumstances relating to the calls. With these four groups and your course group, you’ll be all set in the Book Writing World. Use Angie’s Video tutorial on email options and setting in order to get email notifications in the number and frequency that will work best for you.

I look forward to learning more about your projects and watching them–and you–flourish.

Elizabeth