This network was founded on the principle of reciprocity. Give before you take. Always strive to pay back what you receive from others. This very basic law of social psychology is an integral key to success in life and, for most people, finding true fulfillment. As members of Black Writers Collective, giving and sharing make up the glue that bonds us. It’s what made its predecessor, Black Writers Alliance, so amazingly magnetic. People don’t join Black Writers to simply take all of the information they can get and leave. We seek to share and help each other grow as a mutual exchange of resources, insight, and sharing of experiences from which we have grown. This is not a sprint nor should anyone ever approach development in this craft as a quick step along the path. That is a sure setup for failure. Give and take is how we ALL grow, collectively. And while takers may gain momentarily, they always lose over the long run and in the end. While we welcome anyone that has an interest in becoming a member of our organization, takers and users are discouraged from joining.

Our society is facing an epidemic of loneliness. Despite the ease with which anyone can make contact with just about anyone they wish these days, many feel more isolated than ever. Contact does not equal a connection. It doesn’t automatically translate to real or positive engagement, and that is where the void begins. Further, many are so envious of the antics of people they see on social media who seem to be living such exciting and awesome lives, whether real or contrived, that it can force them to withdraw further, often leading to depression.

As writers, we have the ability to communicate, connect, engage, and express ourselves quite creatively online through the written word, but it can still be hard to find your tribe–that special group of people who share your passion, encourage you, and make you feel like one of them. Black Writers Alliance was founded in 1998 when we were first getting online and simply excited to find each other. Now, it’s the opposite. We can find each other, but have trouble truly connecting–further evidence that this organization is needed more than ever.

Black Writers Collective is built based upon the belief that solutions to many of society’s dilemmas lie in building intimate communities where people can share values, experiences, and growth, connected by mutual interests and goals. 

By joining Black Writers Collective, you represent that your motives for joining are to grow as a writer, to nurture and support fellow writers just as they nurture and support you, and to actively contribute to the community at-large wherever opportunities present themselves. We welcome you to our community.