Where to find co-authors
Some years ago I was looking for an author (not co-author) to write a webcomic I wanted to draw. I'm in Germany, so I posted on some German forums and websites, but I also published my "ad" in the Comic Books and Graphic Novels subforum of the
I quickly deleted the ad in the Absolute Write Water Cooler again, because I had found a German author through a German forum, but in the day or two that it was online, I got a promising response by a young Canadian studying some kind of writing at some college or university (I forget the details). The samples he sent me were well-written, and his approach and mindset were professional, so I would have tried to work with him and only chose a German author because she lived close by and I preferred the idea of being able to meet in person.
This was maybe ten years ago, so I cannot vouch for the users of Absolute Write today, but from a few visits I still get the idea that it is one of the main places in the English speaking web where young, amateur, and semi-professional authors meet, so there is a rich reservoir of people who have not yet made it and wait for their opportunity.
I can only offer one link, but maybe it will help you find more if I describe what I did to find the German forums and websites where I posted my ad. What I did was very simple:
- The first thing I did was look for forums for authors. I posted an ad in relevant subforums in all forums that had either a lot of members or focussed on my genre (fantasy and comics). That is I posted in the largest writing forums and in all comic and fantasy forums. There aren't so many of these in German, but in English you might want to be more selective.
- I then searched for ads looking for authors. What I found where some of the forums I had already found, but also some literary magazines with ad sections and simple ad websites (like Craig's List). I then posted an ad on these sites.
I got a lot of feedback and found a very talented writer with whom I was extremely happy.
How to co-author
I would love to work with a co-author. But he would have to do the rewriting. I'm what some call a "discovery writer", and once the first draft is done I can barely bring myself to look at it again. I would be soooo happy, if someone else took my draft and turned it into a plublishable text. And I wouldn't even care how much he changed it, as long as I didn't have to deal with my word vomit again.
What this should tell you is that you need to look at how you write, and how you work in general, and what kind of person and process could complement this.
Maybe you like to dream up your story ideas alone. But maybe you like to have someone to play idea ping pong with you. Maybe you like to draft, like I do, and would love someone do the rewriting. Or maybe you love to rewrite and would love for someone to give you a draft to chew on. Maybe you like to "converse", and would love to write a novel from two viewpoints, with each writer writing one. Maybe you are a team worker and would want to send the manuscript back and forth every day so each author can continually work on everything.
Of course you will have to try what works best for you, but maybe you already have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses, of your likes and dislikes, and can condense this into an idea of what kind of co-author you are dreaming about. You might want to put this in your ad, it will help attract the right applicants.
Should you co-author?
Why not? Great authors have written novels together. One recent team that comes to mind are John Green and David Levithan, both successful YA authors in their own right. I don't see how co-authoring could be bad for your career or brand in any way.
Also, I generally believe that you profit from living experimentally. Try different things, or doing things differently. At worst, it will be an experience to learn from. And maybe you will discover new aspects of yourself or life, that will make you more happy or successful. Try singing, try dancing, and try co-authoring.
Just, like in any marriage, take your time to find the right partner. You might need to date a few guys or girls, before you commit to one. If dating involves just talking or a one night stand (write a short story) is, of course, up to you :-)