Read on Twitter
I have some thoughts on networking and putting your hopes out into the internet world and I'm going to try to unscramble them for a publishing thread...
1) Who You Know Matters (but maybe not as much as you think)
Shouting into the internet that you want a job in a movie, or want to be in a writers room, or that you want to work with a certain publisher doesn't usually get much traction.
It's nice to wish, but you need to work.
Shouting into the internet that you want a job in a movie, or want to be in a writers room, or that you want to work with a certain publisher doesn't usually get much traction.
It's nice to wish, but you need to work.
Hard work in any field does two jobs (hopefully): it gets you paid, and it's makes you connections.
In every creative field knowing people matters. This is why you have literary agents, publishing friends, writing groups, and all of that.
In every creative field knowing people matters. This is why you have literary agents, publishing friends, writing groups, and all of that.
A literary agent introduces you to editors and to other authors.
Editors and authors introduce you to other agents, authors, and editors.
You build a network of people you have been professionally introduced to so that when you want to shoot your shot you have somewhere to aim.
Editors and authors introduce you to other agents, authors, and editors.
You build a network of people you have been professionally introduced to so that when you want to shoot your shot you have somewhere to aim.
This is really important for new authors to keep in mind. Your writing group of hoping-to-be-published authors will likely become your cohort of debut authors. This is your support group and your first safety net in publishing.
If you sign with an agent you will be introduced to your agency siblings. Agents like to cross-pollinate readers so it's not uncommon for your agent to call and say, "My other client has a book in your genre we just sold, do you think you can read it next month & blurb it?"
If you are an indie author you will be doing the exact same thing in genre-specific writing forums.
"Hey, Ghostie Romance Writers Club, I have a new book out next month, who wants to do a newsletter trade, review, or blurb? I'll repay the favor in kind."
"Hey, Ghostie Romance Writers Club, I have a new book out next month, who wants to do a newsletter trade, review, or blurb? I'll repay the favor in kind."
Your genre support group is your second layer of networking, and a safety net that warns you about bad players. They give you warnings before conferences, or about predatory publishers.
You don't need to be besties, but you need to talk.
You don't need to be besties, but you need to talk.
After you sign a book you meet your editor who will introduce you to new people at the editing house. Remember to be extra kind to the interns and your publicist because you will see a lot of them and they work super hard for you.
On the indie side you have your freelance editor, formatter, cover artists, and your self-built pub team. Again, you want to play nice. If there's an emergency and you need a favor a little good will will go a long way.
Or at least get you a good rec to someone who can help.
Or at least get you a good rec to someone who can help.
So let's say you have a big dream of writing for an IP. @DelilahSDawson has an excellent thread on what it takes to get IP work... https://twitter.com/DelilahSDawson/status/921008208524775425?s=19
How do I know about it? Because I follow Delilah on Twitter.
How would I get IP work?
My agent talks to someone who wants an author and sends out an email to her clients who she knows like that genre. And then, like Delilah says, it's tough deadlines and a scramble.
How would I get IP work?
My agent talks to someone who wants an author and sends out an email to her clients who she knows like that genre. And then, like Delilah says, it's tough deadlines and a scramble.
You want to become an editor at a house?
You start following editors on their social media. You subscribe to Publisher's Weekly. You start looking for work and you drop your name saying. "Hey, I'm looking to move into editing. Let me know if you hear about openings."
You start following editors on their social media. You subscribe to Publisher's Weekly. You start looking for work and you drop your name saying. "Hey, I'm looking to move into editing. Let me know if you hear about openings."
If you want to be a freelance editor it's easier. You put up a webpage with your rates and let a couple of freelance editor friends know you're willing to take work if they have too many clients one month.
It gets slightly more complicated on the business end, but there are a ton of groups to support freelance editors and a quick google search will lead you to most the information you need.
The point I'm trying to work toward is that none of this is done alone.
Every part of publishing from editing to marketing is done with the help of other people.
So be smart about picking your friends.
Every part of publishing from editing to marketing is done with the help of other people.
So be smart about picking your friends.
If you have someone who is constantly talking about how you'll never get published, never make it big, never amount to anything... that's not a friend. You need people who believe in you to help you through the days you don't believe in yourself.
If you're in a writing group where everyone spends their days bad-mouthing the big names in your genre and pulling apart the bestsellers because their work is *so* much better than these published hacks... leave.
Get a new group.
You need people who are working, not whining.
Get a new group.
You need people who are working, not whining.
