Groups

An Expose-Lit Guide

Why join one?

On deviantART, groups are an amazing resource. As writers we are looking to share our work, get critique, look for inspiration, and even step out of our comfort zone by participating in workshops. Groups are one the best first steps on how to get involved in the Literature Community as they can provide one, or all of these.

Groups also offer something much more than sharing work. They offer you a network of people. People you can interact with, who can help, encourage, and even become your friend. Groups are more than about just showcasing your work or getting feedback, they're about the community.

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A Few Quick Tips

If a group has rules, read them.
Some groups have requirements for gallery submissions or joining processes.
Joining a group isn't permanent. You can always leave if you don't like it.
You can be a MEMBER of as many groups as you want.
Interact! Comment, read, make conversation, and friends!
Try to limit it to one or two groups per piece, even if you want exposure. Don't overdo it.
Help out! If you really love a group see if they need any help.

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Group Suggestions

Now that we know all about groups and their potentials, I'm sure you want to know if there are any groups you should be watching!




hq is the Official Home for the staff of deviantART.com. They provide updates and announcements regarding the entire site.



deviantART relies on Community Volunteers, this groups lists all the current CVs as well as any sponsored events



If you're going to be part of the literature community CRLiterature is one of the most important groups to watch. This is where our current Literature CVs will be posting and updating with gallery and other community news. If you really aren't keen on watching the Literature CVs, which you really should, at least keep an eye on this group.



Us! Expose-Lit is here to help you get on your way to finding your place among the dA lit community. We'll direct you to some fantastic resources to get you started and give you pointers on the ins-and outs of dA literature!



This group is host to a plethora of different activities such as prompts, contests, and workshops. Love dA Lit's homebase, the Community Portal can also be found here. LITplease has a little bit of everything and are worth checking out.



LitResources lives up to it's name, it has a great directory of resources in their gallery folders and even keeps an updated list of interesting 'Lit Links' on their front page.

'Exposure' Groups

The majority of 'exposure' groups will feature your work in their galleries which will be seen by every member of that group, but they may offer other things as well. These groups might have submission limits, be geared toward a particular type of literature or even have a bit of quality control. Make sure you read and follow their rules before submitting anything!

Critique Groups

If you're looking to improve your skills as a writer, critique groups are a gateway for other members of the group to view and comment insightfully on your work. These type of groups usually have a strict submission policy as critique or thoughtful comments take time so don't expect comments right away. Remember the best way to get feedback is to give feedback.

 

Prompts / Inspiration Groups

There are groups on deviantART dedicated solely to providing you with inspiration in the form of prompts! These prompts range from challenging that will test your skills as a writer to simple one word prompts.

Workshop / Project Groups

Workshop and project groups offer a way to really get out of your comfort zone by challenging you to try various literature styles or a consistent project. Workshops are usually run the same way writing workshops outside of dA are run: they aim to inspire, educate and critique. Projects also ask you to step outside of the norm, but are hosted regularly such as a specific time of year and have a common theme.

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Places to Find Groups

You've started watching some groups! That's fantastic, but now you're wondering where you can find even more groups? Look no further, below are some excellent places that list the different Literature groups on dA!

dA Groups Search: Literature, the search hub for dA groups, this shows ALL the Lit groups.

leoraigarath's Literature Groups List has quite a few groups listed and explains them a bit.

LadyLincoln's journals always has Lit groups listed there!

The Literature Fourm has a thread dedicated to Literature Groups.

HugQueen has a small list of groups as well and is updated fairly frequently.

Where do you want to go from here?

Competitions
Community Resources
Welcome to dA lit!
Critique



The Expose-Lit project aims to hook up dA writers who feel lost, overwhelmed or overlooked, with the literature community at large. Why not join us?