9 Places to Meet Writers and Start Building Your Network

It's essential, as a writer, that you get out into your writing community and start networking with other writers even before you have a published book in your hands. But if you're just starting out, how do you do that? Where do you go to meet other writers? 

Here are eight places to meet writers and start building your network:

1. Book launches. Check your local bookstore's bulletin board, get on their newsletter list, and check your local newspaper and community message boards to find out when these are happening. Look specifically for books in your genre that are being launched. You'll have an opportunity to meet the author and, it's probable, that they have writer friends who will be there to support them. When you have a book signed, introduce yourself. However, keep it brief, remembering this is their big day. 
   
2. Book signings and readings. Depending on how busy the signing is, these can great opportunities to interact with writers. By showing your support for others, others will be more
   likely to show their support when it's your turn. Those first few signings you do as a new author can be pretty lonely.
   
3. Writers' groups. To find writers' groups, look at your local public library bulletin board, talk to the librarian, or contact a local writing organization. In writers' groups you'll make long-term contacts, receive, feedback on your work, and learn tons from the other writers. A writers' group becomes your writerly support system.
   
4. Conventions and shows. Whether it be a writers' convention or a convention like Comic Con, you'll be able to meet loads of writers. At Comic Con for example, find authors amongst other artists, stop by their table, and chat about their books. Again, always be mindful of their need to interact with readers. 
   
5. Local writers' organizations. Here in Winnipeg, we have a number of different organizations for writers' including the Manitoba Writers' Guild and the Writers' Collective. Get a membership, and you'll be in the know for what's going on in your local writing scene from launches, to seminars, to writing markets. Call and ask about opportunities to network with other writers or volunteer at one of their events.
   
6. Classes and seminars. You can find these through local community colleges or writers' organizations. You'll meet an industry professional who will be the instructor and a classroom full of other people like you who want to take their writing to the next level.
   
7. Writers' retreats. Spend a weekend writing and socializing with others who share your passion. Again, local writers' organizations and writers' group will be in the know about how to find these. 
8. Social Media. Follow and interact with local writers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media outlet you frequent. This can be a great ice breaker when you finally meet face to face.
9. Online forums. If you're in a remote area, it doesn't mean you can't make connections in the writing world. There are online forum, including online critique groups. Do a web search and you're bound to find plenty of them. A word of caution, though. If you're an introvert like me, online forums are going to sound more appealing than going to a book launch where you don't know anyone. You need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Will it feel awkward? Yes. Will it feel awkward forever? No. When I started, I knew no one. Now, I look around and see lots of familiar faces when I attend writing events. It takes time, but there is no replacement for meeting people face to face.

Now get out there, and meet some writer people! You won't be sorry.

Have you found a great place to meet other writers? Share it in the comments.

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Melinda Marshall Friesen writes speculative fiction for teens and adults, including the One Bright Future series and The High-Maintenance Ladies of the Zombie Apocalypse. She belongs to the Anita Factor writers' group. She's a hard-core introvert who has pushed herself to go out and interact with real people even when she doesn't feel like it.

Getting Ready for a Small Press Launch

My debut middle-grade novel, DEADWOOD, will be officially released December 1 by Pugalicious Press (and can be ordered now!), a new small press that is releasing five new titles in its first year of publication, and I'm getting more excited by the day. A small press book release is a bit different than a big one -- at least, my release is. It's a slow build rather than a huge initial push.

DEADWOOD by Kell Andrews - coming December 1!

I’m realistic about what being published with a small press means: my book will have an opportunity to be reach actual readers. I have a gorgeous cover and an editorial and marketing team behind me. I also know what it doesn’t mean: I probably won’t be in the major bookstore chains and big box stores. But you know what? A Big Six publisher is no guarantee of B&N placement either.

I have an additional challenge, since DEADWOOD is a middle-grade book, and middle-grade readers are hard to reach online. Because of that, I decided not to do a huge blog tour, which is the staple for YA books from presses large and small. There just aren't enough blogs for middle-grade kids, and there's evidence that users are tuning out blog tours anyway (interesting discussion at Creepy Query Girl here).

So what am I doing? Through Pugalicious, I spoke with Kirsten Cappy of Curious City, a children's book marketing consultants. We identified some avenues, and she reaffirmed that some of the things I'm doing (many of which I started on the advice of author friend Dee Garretson (WILDFIRE RUN, WOLF STORM), are the right direction. My goal is do school visits and Skype with classrooms, which are two of the most effective ways to reach middle-grade readers, but first I need to build those connections and credibility. That includes:

• Building an online presence that has subject-area information. In addition to writing about writing here at Operation Awesome, I'm blogging about trees and outdoor education at kellandrews.com and treeandtwig.tumblr.com in order to create resources for students, teachers, librarians and parents.
• Reaching out to teachers and librarians. Instead of doing a lot of blog giveways, I'm sending most of my author copies to teachers and librarians who I hope read the book, share it with students, or include it in their collections, and spread the word.
• Reaching out to related educational organizations. Although DEADWOOD is a fantasy, it has a major theme of appreciating connections with the natural world. I'm contacting outdoor educators who might enjoy and share the story. 

This is a lot of work, and I haven't gotten it all done yet. But I don't have to do it all now. Because I'm NOT in big chains, I don't need to sell a ton of books out of the gate or risk flooding the warehouse with thousands of unsold returns.

My goal is to do something everyday -- to write guest posts here and there, to reach out to educators, to spread the word over the course of the next year, not the next few weeks. We'll see what happens -- it's been fun so far, and I'm only getting started.

Here's where you can order DEADWOOD now! Thanks for all the support from the readers of Operation Awesome.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-million

IndieBound