Who Is Your Specialist?

I love seeing writing groups bringing in specialists to discuss things they can do to improve their writing. I love the proactivity of these groups. They aren't going to just fumble around in the darkness, but they are out to really learn. AND THEN...

Every now and then I see authors bring in "specialists" and I cringe. They have brought in people to talk about things that not only do they not know, but they are discussing topics that they have not been able to do on their own. 

I recently saw a speaker talking about how they balance their life and their careers. Certainly, a great topic, unless you know "the other side of the story" that this person could not meet their own deadlines when writing for a publisher. 

I have seen other authors discussing how to become a published author and have never been able to publish a book on their own. And let me say that this person is not an editor, agent or developmental editor. This is just someone who had started to be a writer and moved on to teaching others their success.

I recently attended a workshop where the guest speaker was talking about how to be successful in the traditional publishing world, and yet this "author's" examples were pamphlets he created on his own through generic copying services (ie, Office Depot).

As someone who has always put education at the forefront of my agency, I want people to always take the time to REALLY know who they are bringing in to present. Along the same lines, if you are looking for a workshop to take, or a session to take at a conference, DO NOT get swayed by the "hype" that person has promoted. Always ask yourself: WHAT DO THEY KNOW? HAVE THEY PROVEN THEMSELVES IN THAT SKILL?