Well, it's 25 years later. I've completed to date 26 books, and I am releasing the first, with the other 25 target release by December 2015. A lot has changed since I started this journey. Writing use to be something one did in privacy and isolation, unless one participated in a writer's group. Self-Publishing was not a simple process, and it was expensive and prohibitive to most.
Now, self-publishing is readily accessible, it's a simple process, and available to any writer who wants to put their work out there and say: Read my story! Information about marketing, promoting, formatting for content delivery devices is only a search engine away.
Now there are forums everywhere for writers to exchange work, get input, share information. Unfortunately, many of these forums are like bully sessions and I really don't understand why. We all share a common dream, a common want, a common experience.
Supporting positively another author, does not diminish my work or its viability. Tweeting out for my peeps during 99 cent chick lit May, doesn't take away from me. Helping someone, improves me.
Being an Indie Author is hard work. For endeavoring to do it, each deserves support, politeness and respect. Simply put: be good to each other.
I'm glad I'm part of a new twitter group: The Pitch Slam Writers. It has been overall so much more positive than the other support forums I've found. None of us knows fully the journey each of us are on. I am reasonably sure that if we are all positive and supportive, the entire group benefits.