Networking Tips for Writers

Introvert, Ambivert, or Extrovert -- Anyone Can Widen Their Network

Dear Writer,

I used to teach a class at The Loft Literary Center called Networking for the Introverted Writer. The class took place in person, and every time I taught it, I arrived early to a room half-full of students (is there a connection between introversion and punctuality?). I walked in to utter silence and announced, “Now I know I’m in the right place!”

Jokes aside and full disclosure: I am an extrovert who was raised by introverts. I understand that they find small talk to be tedious, that meeting new people is anxiety-provoking, and that parties can seem like torture. The very word “networking” implies these types of interactions, but let me assure you that networking can be done in ways that are not tedious, anxiety-provoking, or torturous. Ideally, networking results in new friendships and connections with people you want to know better, and who want to know you better.

Before I start with the tips, let’s identify the value of networking as a writer. It’s not to hit a certain number of social media followers, as some would have you believe. Knowing a large network of fellow writers will bring you more opportunities and information, including opportunities to read or lead workshops, information on festivals, grants, contests, and publication opportunities, and more. Now, more than ever, personal connections are what people are looking for.

A good first step in networking is to think about what makes you feel supported and appreciated as a writer and member of the literary community. Can you remember a time that someone you didn’t know well approached you to tell you how much they enjoyed your reading or your work? How about a time when your work was accepted for publication in a magazine, or a time you placed in or won a writing contest? What these all have in common is that someone reached out to you in a positive way in relation to your art — and it made you feel good both about yourself and the person who reached out.

This is all it takes to network as a writer: sincere appreciation expressed to a fellow writer. Maybe it’s someone you know, maybe it’s someone you’ve never met. You can do this in person, after a reading or event, by just approaching the writer and telling them something specific that you appreciated — a line, a phrase, or a fresh way of approaching the topic. Just saying “I loved it” is better than nothing, but it’s much more striking and memorable for a writer to hear another writer praise something specific about their work, showing that they were listening and paying attention.

One notable example I remember vividly from my own experience happened many years ago at AWP. I had just started publishing poetry in literary magazines after the birth of my twins, and one poem had made it into one of my favorite literary magazines at the time, Pank. Roxanne Gay was working the bookfair table, and I stopped by to pick up an extra copy of the magazine. I told her my work was in that issue, and she asked my name. I told her, and as my mouth hung open, she recited my poem to me. Very meaningful.

If you don’t get to many in person events, another option is to email writers whose work you’ve read in literary magazines. When my kids were small and I couldn’t get out to many readings, I read certain literary magazines every month (both well-known and small ones) and chose two or three favorite poems from each. I then looked for those poets’ webpages or social media, and contacted them with specific comments about the things I appreciated about their poetry. They almost always wrote back, and some started conversations with me that went on for awhile. When my book finally came out a few years later, two of these online friends wrote reviews of it, and I also wrote some reviews of online contacts’ books. It was work I appreciated and wanted others to read.

When I’ve coached people through this before, the most common barrier they mention is confidence. They aren’t confident that people will care what they think. My answer to that is that every single person on earth has the desire to be seen. When we let them know that we see them, especially that we see the interesting and beautiful work they are doing, people are touched. They feel less alone. And that’s what networking is all about. It’s about genuine connection with another artist who practices the same craft you practice. Someone you have learned something from and someone whose work has moved you.

In terms of in-person experiences that radically expanded my network as a writer, I have to say that the larger workshop conferences like Bread Loaf, Sewanee, Tin House, Community of Writers, and others can make a huge difference. At these conferences you get an impression of the larger literary community, and will meet all sorts of writers just like yourself, from different parts of the world and at different stages of their careers. I attended Bread Loaf three times and Sewanee once, and I still maintain contact with a significant number of the writers I met — and I’ve watched many of them rise to great success. I would also recommend smaller regional conferences, and the annual AWP Conference. Though AWP can seem overwhelming, if you attend smaller group meetings like caucuses and workshops, you can meet writers with similar backgrounds and interests. I am still close to many writers I met at the two-year college caucus of AWP more than twenty years ago, because, like me, they were balancing writing with teaching, and we found community with one another.

In the end, remember that networking isn’t about who has the largest number of contacts or friends; it’s about the quality of the connections, and the sincerity behind those connections — it’s about really seeing and appreciating one another.

With gratitude,

Kris