Some of you may know that aside from writing and sewing, I do wig reviews on YouTube. Well, one of my wig baes invited me to Clubhouse for some hair and beauty discussions but once I got on there, I filled my profile with writing related information and started connecting with a number of writing groups.
What Clubhouse Does For Writers
The first thing I learned is that you never know when a famous author is going to open a ‘room’ and start chatting with whomever comes through the door. That was amazing to me. I went into a room where Harlan Coben was talking about his writing process. And I also found rooms where popular singers and actors were chatting.
But the best part was that there were a lot of agents and book editors on the app, and they would all get together in a room and start telling you insider information about the business. It was like having all access at an exclusive club. I was able to be a fly on the wall and hear things I would never have heard otherwise. That was both exciting and eye opening because some of the realities of the business that I had heard about were true, as well as disappointing.
On the flipside, you can connect with other authors who tell you about their writing journey, their agent experience and the publishing industry from their end.
Lastly, you can spend time writing with like minded people in what they call ‘sprints’ where we silently work on our WIPs for 20-45 minutes and then check in to note our progress.
What Clubhouse Does To Writers
There is a dark side to this app and that is getting comfortable with the wrong people, or getting caught up in conversations that turn aggressive and confrontational. Fortunately, I did not have that personal experience but heard of it from others.
Clubhouse can also suck with air out of the room when it comes to time consumption. If you are not careful, you could find yourself checking for interesting rooms all day long and going in to just listen. In two words, Clubhouse is a time waster. It can be very unproductive if you spend time in rooms where nothing of value is really shared. I for one am trying to avoid those rooms in favor of conversations where I can benefit and contribute.
Conclusion
If you are interested in checking out Clubhouse you will need a ‘sponsor’ to invite you. I say sponsor because whoever that person invites, he/she is responsible for them. So if someone screws up, not only are they out the door, but so are you. Just a word to the wise.
So go check it out and tell me what you think.
Leave a Reply