Writing Groups and Self-Publishing

I'm a great fan of my writing group. I've been facilitating the group for nearly four years(!) now. It meets at our local Barnes & Noble: a convenient, well lit place which is very accomodating, if lacking nuance. Ironically, I contribute nearly the least amount of writing. I don't know why the group puts up with me! :) Nonetheless, I love it. Even if I don't share a huge amount of work, having the monthly discussion with fellow writers is invigorating.

We have a mailing list of over 50 people, but for the most part, we are a pretty steady group of a seven regulars with occasional visitors. I think it is a good size for a group. We meet once a month, start off with a writing exercise, share our results, and then critique as many pieces as we can get to in an hour and a half.

I have been a part of one other writing group (a local chapter of the Romance Writers of America) which was quite large -- there were up 12 or so people at every meeting, and occasionally more.) I have also taken workshop classes, notably the Summer Writers Institute at Washington University in St. Louis. This was such a focused, nurturing environment! How I wish I could do that every day! (Sigh. Moment of silence for my place in Columbia College's Fiction Writing Program. I had to drop out -- and I did so enthusiastically -- when I discovered I was pregnant. Still...)

But I'm wondering about other writing groups. What is their flavor? What successes do they have? What do they do? Why do people enjoy them? At least one of the regulars of my group has another group she attends as well. That group meets weekly (I think) and is a tight-knit group of about four women. I know that most of the people who have seen this page are members of my group (Hi Mel!) but I'm curious: what are other people's experiences with their writing groups? What do they like about them? Dislike?

I'm also looking for recommendations of pod-casts about writing. Anyone got any?
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Another enduring question of mine is the role of self-publishing in the writing industry. Miss Snark has a wonderful, very blunt (naturally) answer for anyone wondering if publishing online or with self-publishers "counts" as being published in the eyes of industry professionals. The answer is (mostly) No.

When I was the Community Relations Manager at the local Barnes & Noble, I often fielded complaints from perplexed authors who had used self-publishing services (including, ahem, iUniverse, the one owned by Barnes & Noble, Inc.) When the local B&N won't carry them on the shelves, and won't host individual book-signings for them, the authors want to know why. Their publishers told them their books would "be available through Barnes & Noble." What those publishers should have made clear is that the books would be available to order online and through the store for customers willing to pay in advance for a Print-On-Demand title.

Personally, I understand the desire to do whatever it takes to put a book out into the world, but in terms of quality, a self-published book rarely carries the weight of a professionally produced book. From the editing to the binding to the cover art, self-published books rarely stand up to industry standards. That doesn't mean I think the industry standards are necessarily fair, but there are qualitative reasons to hold out for a known publishing house. There are exceptions, of course. Ellora's Cave has managed to wedge itself into the canon of respected publishers. Borders even carries Ellora's Cave books on its shelves. iUniverse has answered this criticism with special programs like the Star Program, which will give authors willing to pay for a premium package a chance to be carried in B&N stores. Self-publishing is an unfair industry, I think, one which takes advantage of writers unfamiliar with the process of publishing and too impatient to market their work to publishers.