What cannot be taxed, cannot be appraised, and yet has unparalleled value?
Networking.
It doesn’t take a lot to network. All you have to do is introduce yourself to people you don’t know, talking to them about things you have in common, be polite, and (if you have them), exchange business cards. Andy Warren speaks a lot about this in PASS and SQL Saturday events – #sqlpass on Twitter. But even non-tech types need, and can use, networking.
From an author’s perspective, here’s what networking has done for me. And I wasn’t even trying that hard.
In 2005, I volunteered for a SFWA committee and met an editor / published author. She introduced me to the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW). A few months later, she invited me to submit to a couple of her anthologies. That’s how I got my second and third short stories published
My participation in the IAMTW resulted in a chapter contributed to the Tied In book (see my pic) published this summer. It also resulted in me meeting a wonderful group of writers on the West Coast and getting another offer for a place in an upcoming anthology (sometime this fall). Plus, I recently received, from my original contact, an invitation to contribute yet again to one of her anthologies. If accepted, this will be my sixth short story in order of acceptance and my fifth in order of publishing date. My fifth accepted story doesn’t get published until 2011.
The IAMTW was crucial in helping me become a freelance writer for Catalyst Game Labs, and other friends in the IAMTW network turned into two other writing opportunities. Presenting classes at SQL Saturdays has put me into contact with a SQL Server books author. His publisher may be looking for new authors, so I might be able to get in there. And in addition to that, I’ve been interviewed twice-once for the IAMTW newsletter and another for the SFWA Bulletin-, and wrote an article for SFUniverse.com about Doctor Who. At the Nebula Awards I met and renewed acquaintance with a number of people, including the Lee Martindale, editor of the 2011 anthology "The Ladies of Trade Town." Viable Paradise has given me another wealth of contacts and fellow writers / editors.
There have been a few opportunities that I’ve had to let slip by. With my day job as a DBA and my volunteer work for Family Foundations as a report writer, my actual authoring time is limited. But I continue to introduce myself to new people as I can, find common ground to have a conversation, and keep in touch just because I can (when I can).
What I have received from networking cannot be measured. It has no dollar value, no physical weight, no perceptible boundaries or shape. It just is. But if you never talk to people, if you don’t participate, if you don’t make an effort to try new things, you may find yourself losing out on opportunities you never knew existed. The next time you go to a convention, a training session, or an open event, try introducing yourself to a few people. I don’t recommend giving them your passwords, bank account or the keys to your home, but striking up a conversation about the event could be to your benefit. Just remember, getting the benefits of a network takes time. Be patient, be polite, be helpful, and be aware that opportunities can sneak right by you if you’re not paying attention.
