One of the biggest mistakes writers make is spending all of their time in their little bubble. As a writer, I love it when there is nothing of the outside world to distract me from writing a great story. I put on my headphones, sip my cup of coffee, sign out from my email/social media accounts, and just dive right into my world of writing. It's a joyous escape that serves as the outlet for my creativity. But as a writer, if I spent all of my time in that bubble, I'd never get anywhere. You see, the downside of being a writer is that you're trying to sell yourself, your books, and your stories, and you can't do that from within a bubble. Being anti-social may help you to write a great story, but it will not help you to get others interested in that story. So, as a writer, it's in your best interest to be a little bit less anti-social. Oh, there should still be times when you block the outside world out, and that's when you're writing. However, don't retreat so far into your bubble that you fail to communicate and network. I've been sending out requests for help with my upcoming book launch, reaching out to people who have helped me in the past. This is the answer I received from someone I wrote to: Unfortunately, I am unable to help anyone at the moment with book launches, beta reads, and the like. I am in the middle of revisions on 4 books. Also, I can’t help but add that I find it extremely rude when someone, who rarely speaks to me and has never offered to help promote my work, hounds me to death when he/she needs a favor for their books. I wish you luck with your launch, and congratulations. The truth is that I have never thought of helping any other authors launch their books, do reviews, be a beta reader, etc. I've been so focused in my own little world that I've failed to be more social and help those who are helping me. This is why I've decided to start offering book reviews (see the link at the top of the page) to any and all authors. Anyone who is helping me with my upcoming book launch will be given priority, but anyone who is interested in a book review is more than welcome to submit their book/work. As a writer, it's in your best interest to be more social. Spend more time talking to others, helping them, answering questions, and making friends. Be a good friend by giving back to the people who are helping you, and you're guaranteed to be far more successful as an author!