Monday, April 22, 2013

Goldmine of Information: AQC


With so many new friends stopping by the blog to check out the Query Kombat contest, I want to give a plug to a wonderful writer’s site, AQC. I was surprised the other day when someone questioned me on twitter about AQC. I thought every writer knew of about this vast mine of writing information. Apparently I was wrong.

Agent Query Connect is a huge forum with all kinds of threads. You can find discussions there ranging from the newest agents, to genre questions, to blogging. There is always someone ready to read your fledgling query letter and give you feedback. If you get a request and aren’t sure what to do: post your questions. Even the dreaded bore of the writing world, the synopsis, has a forum. There is a whole section devoted to self-publishing help. An area close to my heart that lists the upcoming contests and conferences. (Hmm, you might see something there about Query Kombat.) And for those who have a success story, there’s the Good News “Boast” Bar. That is just a small part of what is available. It would take weeks to discover it all.

But best of all, if you look down toward the bottom, there is the Member Moderated Groups by Genre. Here is the place to relax with other writers that have the same interests as you. It’s a place where you fit in, and if you spend enough time there, they’ll become your writing family. Nobody understands the ups and downs of this crazy industry like your writing family. They commiserate when your full is rejected. They cheer you when you get an offer. I'd be lost without the Speculative Fiction group for fantasy and science fiction geeks like me.

I honestly admit that I would still be the stupid newbie if not for AQC. So if you drop by, don’t be afraid to create a profile and launch a post in the Guppie Pond. I’ve never met kinder or friendlier writers. I promise they won’t bite. Be sure to give me a shout and invite me to be your first friend. 


10 comments:

  1. Totally agree!! I knew NOTHING, absolutely nothing when I stumbled onto AQC a few years back. I've learned so much from the people there - they're so helpful and generous with their knowledge and experience! :) Every writer should check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes. YES YES YES. I can't say enough about this site. The people on it are AWESOME. YES YES YES!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Since I'm still the "stupid newbie", thanks for this post! Rob

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey, Hey Jemi and SC! Nice to meet you Robert. I hope you find AQC as helpful as I did.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can honestly say it was AQC that helped me get to this point. I have only met people willing to be cheerleaders, mentors, tutors, friends, and who don't find it strange when I say I spent a night conversing with my fictional characters. To cheer and be cheered. Different experiences and opinions.

    *Sigh* I love AQC....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Without the awesomeness of the AQC community, I highly doubt I'd have ever figured out how to query. And I certainly wouldn't have an agent or book deal. It's one of the most encouraging, yet straightforward, writing forums out there. And the people rock! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've been a member of AQC for three years now. I know I wouldn't be where I am today without my writing family. I didn't have a clue about the writing business when I first joined. I lurked for a long time, reading posts. When I finally mustered up the courage to ask questions, I found people who cared enough to share their experiences. I found people who understood the challenges of this business. I found friends and family.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, my beloved AQC-- how I love thee.

    There is so very much I learned from this site. I found it while looking up how to query an agent, and I ended up learning so much more. And I'm still learning.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Many thanks for posting this *hugs from a newbie writer* I need all the help I can get *smacks head for not knowing about this earlier*
    Cheers!
    Sam

    ReplyDelete