5 Types Of Writer Friends You Should Avoid


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5 Types Of Writer Friends You Should Avoid

By

April Aragam

Copyright © 2013, April Aragam, All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

There are some writers who don't make the best writing friends. While we should all have each other's backs and help each other, not all writing friends are going to be that way. The following are 5 types of writing friends you'd be better off avoiding.

 

1. The "we're only friends when I need more sales" writer friend

This is the friend who will email you from time to time, but it's never a personal email. Her emails always come in the form of marketing. You just know that everyone else on her contact list received the same email. She needs you to visit her website, like her author page, help promote her or buy her book. This kind of friend who will probably not respond to your friendly emails and act as though she has no time to do anything but promote and sell her work.

 

2. The bitter and jealous writer friend

There are some writer friends you know you can't share your good news with. This is the friend who hears that you broke into a publication and whines about how she hasn't been able to do the same. The conversation of your sales never lasts long and quickly shifts over to her skills as a writer. She throws herself a pity party in order to get attention and compliments on her writing. She simply doesn't like to hear about your successes and will do anything to turn the attention back to herself. She may even resort to insulting a publication that you've broken into and she has not in order to make herself feel better.

 

3. The lazy writer friend

This is the writer who will ask your thoughts on her writing and what publications you think it would best suit. If you give her the name of a publication, she will then ask you the contact info instead of looking it up herself. She has probably gotten used to you being helpful, but if you continue to do it, she'll always expect it. The next time she asks you for info that she can look up herself, tell her you wish you had time to look it up but if she does a Google search she'll surely find it.

 

4. The greedy writer friend

The greedy writer is one who refuses to share any of her market knowledge with you, even though you know she has it. She will happily take any information that you give her, but she doesn't show the same kindness toward you. Some writers feel that if they share market info they are creating more competition for themselves. If you have a writer friend like this, stop sending her market info just to be kind. It can be hard to stop because sometimes you find something you think she would love and you can't hold back. Writers must help each other, instead of being selfish. If you still want to send her markets, go right ahead, but don't expect her to change.

 

5. The "can you edit my article?" writer friend

Once in a while this is perfectly fine. Writer friends help each other. But if your friend is constantly asking you to edit her work it might be time to cut back. Editing takes time and time is money. If you are editing your friends work for free, you are not spending your time writing. There are freelance editors your friend can hire to edit her articles if they need editing of that caliber.

 

Sometimes a writer friend isn't all that she can be. Just like when you pick your regular friends, you need to be discerning when picking writer friends. If you don't like how one goes about things, take a step back.