NETWORKING
As a writer you know how
lonely it can be. Sitting at the computer facing the blank screen and wondering
‘what if’. In reality there is far more to a writing career than
just writing. Whether you are a beginning writer or a seasoned writer, networking
is another aspect you need to apply to becoming a well-rounded author.
Recently I asked romantic
suspense author Brenda Novak to speak to the Gold Country Writers club. Brenda
offered a selection of three topics that she speaks on. I jumped at the chance
to learn more about her take on networking. Networking is a subject no one seems
to cover and here was the opportunity to give our members something new and different.
Brenda Novak gave me permission
to use her www.romancingtheblog.com article. Here is Brenda’s blog on networking.
Does networking really benefit
a writer’s career? Or is it (and its sister-promotion) not worth the hassle
for either the published or unpublished? Should we just sit back and write the
best books we can write and let the publisher take it from there?
This has been a heavily debated
topic since I started my writing career ten years ago. At the beginning, there
were more people saying you couldn’t impact sales. These days that opinion
seems to be changing. In this competitive of a market place, where so many are
turning out quality fiction, it’s very difficult to set yourself apart, to get noticed.
But it’s still possible and one of the most effective methods is networking.
Why? It’s a mathematical certainty that the whole is always greater
than its individual parts. I can’t know everyone or everything, but when
I link up with others, who link up with other, etc, we create something bigger than ourselves.
In this industry, we rely
very heavily on word-of-mouth. Our careers depend on people. Editors buy our books. Sometimes other authors endorse them. The marketing force sells them. Booksellers
buy them and try to present them to the public in a pleasing way. Readers buy
them and recommend them if they’re good. The common denominator in every
step is people—not just the actual work. So you have to be more than a
good writer. You have to have business acumen—or at least an eye for opportunity
and what I call “credibility.”
Fortunately, opportunities
are in endless supply. It’s the willingness to follow up on opportunity
that can be difficult, because it requires sacrifice (time, effort, money, self-discipline).
We can teach ourselves to wisely choose certain opportunities over others, however, and sow seeds that bring a rewarding
harvest, if we’re credible. By this I mean you have to give others a reason
to believe in you.
Consider how you choose the
movies you watch and the other products you buy. There are certain indicators
we all use to insure we get good value for our money, isn’t there? For
instance, an editor wants the best possible chance at finding something worthy of being published—and she wants to find
that next gem of a manuscript with the least amount of time and effort. To do
that, she would use the same indicators as the rest of us.
§ Who created it?
§ Are they experienced? Reputable?
§ Does it sound intriguing?
§ Do I have reason to believe this person will be able to finish the book and/or
write another one?
§ What are others saying about this work or this writer?
Editors are human and would
react very similarly to the way you’d react in the same situation. So market
your product in such a way that those answers work in your favor, that all indicators are telling her, “Give this a
chance—it’s great!”
A lot of people talk about
schmoozing, but for me that term has a very negative connotation, a selfish one. “What’s
in it for me?” But networking isn’t about one-way relationships. It’s not about shaking hands and passing out bookmarks. It’s about symbiotic relationships. It’s about
giving something to others, who in turn give something to you. If that’s
between an author and reader—the author gives a great story, a good read, and the reader compensates by paying for that
story and recommending it to her friends. Both people win. That’s really the only way networking is successful, because networking functions on basic psychology
principles. People act out of self-interest far more often than they act out
of public virtue. Which means, in order to be a good networker, you need to realize
that you’re not the only one who deserves to succeed. There are other people
in the world who have the same right to fulfill their goals and desires, and networking is about helping them do that—and
having them, in turn help you.
Brenda Novak
Brenda’s latest novel
from MiraBooks is, Dead Silence, There’s a body buried behind a Mississippi farmhouse, now on sale and a darn good read! Visit Brenda’s website at www.brendanovak.com to download a coupon for $1.00 off the purchase of this book.
Thank you Brenda.
Karen Newcomb
