I previously wrote a post about tips for publishing a book where I encouraged writers to have their manuscripts edited and then proofread. In today's post, I want to encourage authors to join a relevant organization or group. When I ventured into the realm of children's book writing, I decided to join the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators. What a marvelous decision that was! Once I joined this organization, this gave me access to lists of editors and proofreaders, as well as publishing companies and agents looking for submissions. I also saw profiles of other authors and illustrators in my region. But wait, there's more! Monthly emails from my region were sent that share pertinent dates, publishing companies looking for submissions, and upcoming regional meetings!
On Facebook, there are a number of groups for publishing children's books, publishing Christian books, publishing manga books, etc. If you can think of it, there is probably a group for that. Joining these groups is a great resource content and references within your genre. When selecting the printing companies we used for Mama's Heart Full of Prayers, we saw several companies within the Facebook groups we were a part of which really helped!