The Hawk's Nest Literary Group Forum The vision within The Nest

Hello everyone!

I created this writer's group with the self-published (or possible) writer in mind. I myself am a writer and I know first-hand how hard it can be to find a publishing house or literary group to represent your work. And I know that oftentimes the process of getting rejected isn't always a reflection of your abilities (or lack of) to produce wonderfully polished and marketable prose, but rather a reflection on the direction the literary market and the underlying rule of any business: to make money!

We have to consider that publishing houses are in the business of making money and they do this by producing the absolute BEST writer's available to them. Sometimes, this means they have to bypass an exceptional writer, in lieu of the bottom line. Literary agencies find themselves in the same dilemma, having spent years establishing a rapport with a particular (genre based) publishing house, only to have to turn away proficient writer�s who don�t fit their particular niche. Again, this isn�t always a negative reflection upon your work but rather a good business decision (for anyone who knows business).

Now, I created this group to offer as much valuable information as I could to the would-be self-published writers who aren�t sure they fully understand the self-publishing world. There is a negative stigma associated to self-publication and I happen to have many positive considerations to bring to the table.

I want this site to be used as a place to promote one another�s work�as we are our own marketing team�which is essentially the same as the larger publishing conglomerates. I want this site to be used to critique, inspire and encourage one another to produce the best possible work you can�within your means and limitations. We as writers are supposed to write�daily. And we as writers have a gift and a power associated with giving back to others, whether we understand that or not.

I want you to post your work here on this site. Let us know where we can find it (your website, your distributor, etc) and ask us for honest, constructive feedback to help you work through those moments you can no longer see the forest for the trees. Let us know what the stories are about, some blurbs from others and how we might share or trade author-links to our respective home websites, to keep the flow of self-promotion and marketing moving freely and powerfully.

I am excited about this group. I am excited to hear your ideas.

As I said previously, I am a self-published author, about to release my first novel, �Proud Souls� and in doing so, I have gained a large amount of information�some good and some bad�that will help you weigh your options and make the best possible decisions for your artwork. Remember, the reason we write is because it�s a gift. If we hide that gift from the world, we are doing a great injustice to ourselves and those around us who believe in our abilities. If your goal as a writer is to make the New York Times Best-sellers list, then please, by all means, continue onward with your nose to the grindstone and I KNOW without a doubt one day a publishing house may call your name. But if you write for love and passion and necessity to harness a gift, then you should consider this option. It would be a shame to hide something so wonderful from the world, because �literary experts� say it�s not �real� unless it�s stamped as worthy or approved by a company who doesn�t share your passion and love for writing but rather would instead prefer to (sometimes) promote the next tabloid or T.V. scandal and stamp their mishaps as good reading material.

Sincerely,

Bobby Ozuna
www.BobbyOzunaOnline.com