Darlene Dziomba Writes About “What Holds Up an Author”
I’ve had the pleasure of “speed-dating” to pitch our books at Malice Domestic with mystery author Darlene Dziomba whose Lily Dreyfus series is every bit as delightful as she is! It’s a pleasure to welcome Darlene back to my blog as she writes about the importance of community as authors.
What Holds Up an Author
by
Darlene Dziomba
In my first career, I had a robust network of other financial professionals. This was particularly important because some of the systems we had to work with were ancient. Most often, I learned how to perform an odd task by asking someone who’d worked with the system longer than I had.
I wasn’t certain how I would use a network when I became a writer. After all, writing is a fairly solitary exercise. However, I knew the importance of having a go-to group of individuals and knew I would need them.
I began building my network in the way a lot of crime fiction authors do. I joined Sisters in Crime and the Guppies. For those who are new to the term, the Guppies is a group that was started as an online forum within Sisters in Crime decades ago and stood for Great Un-Published.
These online resources were crucial. I trolled forums for years until I worked up the courage to tentatively ask a question. After my first timid step, I became more active and built familiarity with frequent posters.
As I prepared to self-publish Clues From The Canines, I was completely lost on how to create publicity. I had taken courses from Marketing experts. I tried the tips and tools that were suggested. But I was flailing and going under.
The Guppy network threw me a life preserver. Many members invited authors to write guest blog posts. Other members, like Lynn, offered interview questions. I doggie-paddled my way through the publicity for that first release.
I kept building my network. I joined several chapters of Sisters in Crime that held meetings online. Post-pandemic, when in-person conferences resumed, I started meeting the wonderful people whom I had either only emailed or seen as a Brady Bunch square on a Zoom presentation.
The more that I wrote, the more complex and personal some of my questions became. I needed trusted resources who understood both my writing and communication style to advise me in a way that I would understand. Recently, my most trusted alpha reader made a suggestion that left me flummoxed. We went through a few email exchanges with follow-up questions, but I was left more confused.
I sent a text to one of the members of my network to ask for their opinion. They responded with their interpretation of the exchange, including a paragraph of the most beautiful prose. I have to admit that I wish that prose fit my story, because I would have worked it in. Thankfully, I now understand what my alpha reader was attempting to advise and can move forward with further edits to that draft.
Throughout life, friends, allies, and networks are the lifelines that pull us through the tough times.
They are the people with whom we share our successes. Friends and family will offer congratulations when a book is published. It feels really good to receive their praise.
However, when another published author says, “That a girl, you did it.” I know they truly understand the amount of work I have completed.
In a few weeks, I will be at an in-person conference. I can’t wait to see the smiling faces of my author friends. Hopefully, I will make some new contacts to add to the all-important author network.
About Darlene’s Latest, Tail of Deception: 
Lily Dreyfus and her pack are on the case after a runner collapses during the annual Forever Friends Fundraiser. With numerous suspects to investigate, Lily will dig up secrets as she sniffs around people’s lives to seek answers. Long held grudges will be revealed as the clues are leashed together.
Bio
Darlene Dziomba combined her passion for the written word and animals into the Lily Dreyfus series. The books are written based on her experience as a volunteer at the Animal Welfare Association, a no-kill animal shelter in Voorhees, New Jersey. Darlene had a thirty-five-year career in Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, which aids her in crafting quirky characters. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Manuscript Swap Coordinator for the Guppies, and served as a mentor in the Sisters in Crime Mentorship pilot program. She lives in New Jersey with her four-legged best friend, Billie.
Social Media:
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Darlene, I really enjoy reading about you as an author, especially as an author of dog involved books. This is a great interview- and I learned something new! I had always thought the SinC group was called Guppies because we were tiny, but beautiful fish swimming in the enormous sea. Only I guess it would have to be a Great Lake since guppies are freshwater fish.
I am so looking forward to being able to meet with you in person at Malice. Hope you are coming to the meetup Friday evening 😊
Kathy, I like your interpretation of why we’re called the Guppies. See you at Malice.
Darlene