working the network

A writer’s life is generally quite solitary – but if you want to market your work and sell your books, you can’t remain alone forever.


Find opportunities to network both in real=life and virtually. Attending conferences and seminars are terrific ways to meet likeminded folks, learn some tricks of the trade, maybe even meet someone who could help give you a boost in your own status. Networking online also provides you with plenty of opportunities to expand your contact base.


Popular online social network sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In give you an opportunity to communicate with other writers and folks in the publishing industry. You can share ideas, encourage each other, give a critique and find out about the latest changes in publishing. Sometimes the time you spend online on a networking site has been likened to the office water cooler. Interaction is good.


Communicating with other writers is invaluable for the support system and encouragement you can receive. Writing is made up of constant sets of highs and lows and yet it is a field those of us who do it consider vital. We tend to understand the way stories run though our every moment, both asleep and awake. We empathize when a writer has to deal with rejection and we cheer wholeheartedly when a writer makes a sale. We feel because we understand.


Networking, both online and in-person, can lead to contacts who might be able to help you – or introduce you to someone who can. Conferences and seminars are frequented by other writers (published and one-day-to-be published), editors and agents. Online sites are often frequented by the same types - some sites and forums are specific to one interest group. The sites are perfect backdrops to announcing achievements, advertising your works and promoting yourself as a writer.


When using online networking sites, be sure to practice good etiquette, it is not all about you; online social networking must be give and take, it is NOT all about you. Twitter aficionados lecture that no more than 30 to 40 percent of your “tweets” should be self-promotion, the rest should be good two-way conversation and responding to other people’s “tweets”. Even in person, every word shouldn’t begin with “I”. It’s all give and take.


Some of the more popular networking sites are generally generic in interest, but you will find sites within these sites that are interest specific. To find some of the other forums and sites, use your computer search engine. Enrollment on these sites is often spelled out step-by-step. Finding likeminded people to “buddy up” with by using the internal search feature or following links and friends of other writers you may know of or meet.


On a site, like Twitter, follow the directions to open up an account (free) – then search keywords, or trends (ie: writer, genre, novel, publishing, etc) . You will have a list if tweets of recent comments that address the keuword. Check out the sites of people who have made these comments and click “follow” for anyone who looks interesting.




Writing exercise: Set your timer for 30 minutes. Begin with the words “I remember…” and write ANYTHING for the 30minutes.


Writing prompt: List ten people that you know – write ONE descriptive sentence about each.