great thread ! i would like to add:
don't be shy, and ask the group leader to get a LM , they are awesome and most people doesn't realize how helpful they are for minstrels and the entire group. Get a captain too, if a group is too lazy to get these two, just leave or ask for a good reason.
Captains are our friends, nice buffers, and they can revive if we are busy healing or we die (i almost never rez people, always ask the captain so i can keep helping with heals and buffs without dropping battle state,which takes time we don't have) .
Never waste your power healing a bad hunter who gets too much agro (and ask them to use endurance stance, coz if they get aggro we can get in trouble too sometimes).If u have to choose between squishies (other than tank, of course LOL ) keep the lore-master alive since he/she can save the group by using the transfer-power skill on you if u need to heal and power is low.
Use -% agro cords, please! at least vendor cords, since even 5% less agro is useful.
If you die because the group doesn't take care of you, ask them to do what you need them to do, and if they don't listen just leave. Dying is normal, but not a lot of times.
Keep em buffed,and use anthems. Anthems are awesome, buffs make things easier. We have nice mini buffs, most people doesn't realize when we throw em but the thing is that everything is better if we use everything we have. If the group kills faster and take less dmg, that makes our job easier. I know its hard in the first lvls, at least for me since i panic and forget to tier up but they are great. Anthem of the free peoples, and the cute -40% agro one, are awesome. Im just lvl 24, but i have been healer in other games and sometimes its frustrating grouping here, since most of the people i group with "just kill" (with exceptions, of course) , today some guy told me "i dont even know what aggro is"... and he was the TANK! LOL.
If you have doubts about how some skill works, practice with friends , or small fellowships . It's a good way to try your new skills and get used to the skill rotations you want to try in a real situation. If you change your keyboard settings, do the same thing, you don't want to be in a emergency confused about your new configuration.
Don't waste your time unless you see people is trying to make things right.
These are just general tips, since im new here in lotro, but not with healers. Its a hard role, you will always have things to do. If you feel bored, its just that you're not doing enough for the group :P spam nice buffs, and never over-heal.