How Networking Worked for Me By Pat Hauldren

I am thrilled to introduce you to our guest writer today, Pat Hauldren. Pat is an experienced writer and leader in many writing organizations. In today's post, Pat shares her experience on how to work through the insecurities of being a new writer and how to use networking to give you that winning edge as a writer. Her post is a valuable guide for writers, containing links to many writing resources for them. It's my pleasure to bring you Pat's post today!


How Networking Worked for Me:
Make your path, mark your path, then walk your path.
By Pat Hauldren

When Tony invited me to guest blog on his website, I wanted to reply, "No".

Why? Because my first reaction was, "What do I know about marketing for writers?" and then I thought "And who am I to be telling others what to do, or how to market?"

You see, that wasn't the truth. I was lying to myself and I do that quite often.

That was my first reaction, my gut reaction, because as much as I've been writing, as many writing workshops, conferences, conventions, classes, I've taken, as many writing gigs, columns, short stories, newsletters, and poetry that I've published, as many Yahoogroups!, Googlegroups, and other writing lists I'm on and that I've created, I still felt insecure about my chosen profession. (And by "chosen profession" I don't mean that I chose the profession, I mean that it chose me.)

Yes, insecurity killed the cat and it can kill a writing career as easily as a cat in a microwave.

Stephen King says: "I'm convinced fear is at the root of most bad writing."

And it's so true. Look at yourself, deeply, look at yourself. Where is your writing career? Where do you want it to be? How do you get there?

Not easy is it?

When I took Bob Mayer's Warrior Writer class last summer in Dallas, I listened and learned. But it all didn't sink in right away. What the heck did playing army men and battle situations have to do with my writing? I have never served in the military, would never choose to do so (though I highly respect those who do). I don't go out to kill people, not real people (just evil villains in my stories). So what did this guy have to teach me? I went into the class quite prejudiced. I came out quite enlightened.

And when I began writing this post, I asked myself, "What do I know that might be useful to other writers out there?" There are hundreds if not thousands of sites on networking. What can I provide? All I have is myself, my experiences, and my results. That's about as unique as I can get and if you'll consider some of these tips and my related experiences, they might work for you.

Bob Mayer used his experiences as a Green Beret not only to write about in his novels, but he uses the tenets he learned in combat and as a trainer to get writers to see their own writing and career as a writer in a new way. I am borrowing his Who Dares Win guidelines to help you identify ways you can network and improve your writing career. Bob Mayer uses three Special Forces Green Beret training tenets to teach writers how to be better writers:

1. Wins: Specify what is to be achieved, why it needs to be done to increase morale and initiative, and how the environment helps and hinders you.

State your dream: My dream as a writer is to publish my speculative fiction novels. I write fantasy mostly, some with romantic elements, some urban fantasy with historical roots, all with vivid characters and exciting adventures. And to make them more attractive to editors and agents, set up my "platform" and "network".

What is your goal? For this blog post, let's keep it simple. You want to promote your writing, whether it be your novel, your articles, your poetry, your memoir, etc. But you don't just promote your writing, you promote yourself. And you do that by networking. Our goal here is to learn how to network.

After I took Bob Mayer's workshop, I asked myself, what can I do to help my novel writing? And promote and sell my novel before I have even written it?

Then the insecure part of me said, "Who would care about my stories with the likes of Twilight and X-Men and Harry Potter? How can I rise above the norm and get my name out there to be noticed?"

You've probably guessed by now. It's by networking your name and your writing. And while this might sound like the same old oatmeal you have every day, Pablum to your writing ears, bear with me a little longer.

2. Who: Know yourself, your blind spot, how to effect real and lasting change and how to build courage to succeed beyond the norm.

Realize your weakness(es). Are you shy? Do you spend too much time in email? A mega-procrastinator? Always the researcher, never the writer?

How do I do this? I delved into myself and discovered my weaknesses as a writer and worked on them, and realized that, if I couldn't change them (or didn't want to), at least acknowledge them, face them head on. By knowing them, I can use them to my benefit, or at the very least, work around them.

My weakness, well, one of my many weaknesses, one most writers have simply because it's part of what makes us writers—insecurity. And my insecurity was the root of all evil, to be cliché, because my whole writing career success or failure stemmed from that one little point hiding in my ego/soul/chi/gut/psyche.

What kept me from writing a book a year or more? What kept me from getting my name out there for others to identify with? Why weren't agents and editors clamoring for more me?

I must admit, and many of us do this as well, that my own ego is tied up in how much money I make. Still is. As an up and coming writer, I made (make) very little money. I made much more in my day job as a Quality Assurance Manager in electronics. Not rich by any means, but comfortable. Comfortable enough to enjoy season tickets to the Dallas Stars hockey games. Comfortable enough to afford two cars. Comfortable enough to fly to Europe for vacations.

I had to realize this ego-defeating trait, face it, accept it, and move past it. Now that I'm a writer, and as we all do, I started out as a poor writer, I had to learn now to make this writing gig work for me, to feed that little ego-insecurity lodged deep inside my psyche. I'm still not rich, but I'm not "as poor".

3. Dares: Take command, communicate effectively, break rules, and achieve unity.

Decide to network and learn how. What do we mean by networking? Isn't that boring? And time consuming?

Well, it can be, if you choose the wrong way to do it. Whether you believe in God, or the Great Muse, or the Goddess, doesn't matter, whatever it is that you think provides you with your talent, your innate gift and need to share yourself and your writing with the world, channel that power, that ethereal bliss, that creativity in your own direction.

I made my own version of Bob's Who Dares Win motto: Make your path, mark your path, then walk your path.

What do I mean by "channeling in your direction" and "path"?

All those books we've read on how to be a writer, how helpful were they? Be the Tao of your own creativity. Like a river that flows, go with it. Like the wind that blows, fly and revel in the process. Like the sun that shines, bask in your ability to communicate your imagination to others. (Yes, I read a lot of Eastern philosophy.)

Make your path.

First, ask yourself what you enjoy doing and then find a venue to write in it. Your name needs to be out there. Find markets and methods to accomplish this goal.

What do you love doing? What are you passionate about? Passionate enough to write about it several times a week? Passionate enough to write passionately?

Make a list. Here's my list:

1. Writing: I love writing. I attend four local live writing groups, many online writing groups, attend many local and national writing conferences, and share information about writing jobs, contests, groups, workshops, etc. So what did I do? I searched for ways to capitalize on my ability to share local information about writing. I applied to several places to write articles on local writing events. The one I found that best suited me was a gig at the Fort Worth Examiner (Examiner.com). There, I'm the Fort Worth Writing Examiner.
   
   
2. Speculative Fiction: I love science fiction and have since childhood when I bought pulps for a nickel at First Monday Trade Days in Canton. I grew up with science fiction and fantasy. As the genres matured, so did I. I write science fiction and fantasy, so why not write about it? Again, I applied at several places, and am now the Dallas Speculative Fiction Examiner where I write about speculative fiction, interview authors, and just anything that tickles my fancy.
   
   
3. Hockey: I love hockey. Hubby got me hooked when he took me to a hockey game, a Dallas Stars hockey game to be exact. The fast pace, the friendliness of the players during the autographs, and the lack of prima donas and drug fiascos got me hooked. (the fighting didn't hurt either.) I learned hockey over the past few years and for someone who can't ice skate, I have to say, I know quite a bit about the game and the players. I applied for and got a gig as the Fort Worth Hockey Examiner.
   

Mark your path. Find it inside you, bring it out and then, find a home for it. Where to look?

1. Make a website: even if it's as simple as a canned blog, have a website to consolidate all your links and social media contacts.
   
   
   1. Online blog sites: You can use easy blog sites like Livejournal, Blogger, Windows Live, MySpace, Facebook, etc. However, I want you to consider buying your own domain name and making your own website. Consider how you will do this before you use other blogging sites. I like Livejournal because I can embed the blog inside my own website. Usually, the site requires you to be a paid subscriber, but they aren't very expensive. The benefit of this is that I get two for one—I get to make millions of contacts via the LiveJournal site by "friending" people, and them me, and I get to use my own domain name, my name, to embed the blog and promote my name and books. Not everyone chooses to go this route, but I prefer it because then, my readers don't have to go outside of my own website/domain name to read my blog. It all stays smooth and seamless.
      
      
   2. Canned blog programs: My best advice, if you're not into writing your own HTML, look at programs like Wordpress (my fave), Typepad, etc. They are free and relatively easy to use.
      
2. Get a job:
   
   • Craig's List: Some writing gigs might seem on the fringe. Feel free to apply even to ones that you don't think you're qualified for. How else will you know? It's like we say in writing. Don't reject yourself. Send your writing in and let the editor or agent decide if it's right for them. Writers often shoot themselves in the foot by judging themselves too harshly or prematurely. That's not our job. Ours is to spread our wings and fly as writers.
     
     
   • Mediabistro.com: Look in their jobs sections. They have both local and "anywhere" writing gigs.
     
     
   • Yahoo! Groups, Google groups, etc.: search for writing groups there and find ones that specialize in jobs, contests, conventions, and workshops for writers.
     
     
   • for jobs: NYCWriters, TXWritersClassifieds, PayingWriterJobs, Article Announce, Freelance Writing Jobs, Technical Writers & Editors, just to get you started.
     
     
   • For networking: Some of the same above, and any other groups that are in your area of interest, neighboring area, or of authors, editors, and agents you admire, try: Writing & Publishing, Mike's Writing Workshop, Write_Workshop.
     
     
   • Newspapers: Check your local and not-so-local newspapers for writing gigs. Even blogging spots that don't pay, if they have a large following, and if they don't take up all of your time, can be big pluses to getting your name out there. To search outside your immediate area, try OnlineNewspapers.com, News & Newspapers Online. Try the virtual news media who are finding niches in local and national news: Examiner.com, NowPublic.com, DigitalSpy.com (who is coming to the US). You won't get rich quick, but you will get your name out there and provide an audience for your books.
     
3. Join social groups:
   
   • Meetup.com: Joining groups here will allow you another venue to get your name out there. Post about your trials and tribulations, attend local meetings, welcome new members, even start your own group if you wish.
     
     
   • Social media networks: Keep those social media networks going too. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Xanga, LiveJournal, Blogger, and many more. Learn to use programs that allow you to post to several (or all) venues at once, like Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, via email which requires a bit of setup, etc.
     
     
   • Share your writing: Link up with Digg, Sphinn, and others (these also go on your website so others can link up). Digg is where you submit your articles to share. Sphinn is a social site for search and interactive marketers. It's designed to allow you to share and discover news stories, read and take part in discussions, discover events of interest and network. All usually have widgets to put on your website.
     
     
   • Join & attend local writing groups and conventions: Search your area for local writing groups you can physically attend and get to know other writers in your area. Writers live enough in a vacuum. Writing can be a lonely job, but it doesn't have to be. While we have to live inside our heads to write, we need an outlet as well, and getting to know other writers is a great way to accomplish several things—network, make friends, get off your duff and out of the house. I attend four local writing groups, each with its own particular atmosphere and focus:
     
     • The DFW Writers' Workshop which meets every Wednesday night for all writers (they also have a yearly writers conference, bringing in agents and editors for members to pitch to),
       
       
     • The North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop, which meets once a month focusing on my chosen genre, speculative fiction. We attend many local writing conventions as a group, as well as enjoy movies, writing meet ups, and other fun stuff. A few of us even made it to San Jose for the World Fantasy Convention.
       
       
     • The North Texas Romance Writers, a local chapter of the Romance Writers of America®. If you don't write romance, don't dismiss RWA® offhand. They have wonderful speakers each month and a comprehensive yearly conference as well as a yearly conference by my local chapter. Published writers, agents, and editors share their wisdom through this venue and it behooves us as writers to make use of this great resource.
       
       
     • The Writers' Guild of Texas, a local writers group that meets monthly with speakers from all types of writing.
       
   
   

Walk your path.
This sounds like a lot, and it is, but take it one step at a time. You don't have to keep any writing gig or website you don't like. Try new things. Experiment. That's what networking is all about, getting your name out there, making contacts, which sounds so business-like and boring, but it can really be fun if you let it. Don't force yourself into a square whole if you're a round peg. (Remember the Tao, stay with your passions.)

How did this work for me and others? Last year, I was asked to speak at a local writers' group, and I turned them down. Again, that insecurity beast reared its ugly head. That was before I took Bob's class. This year, I won't turn them down, and not only will I not turn them down, I'm developing my own writing classes and one of my new goals is to feed my love of travel by touring the world sharing what I have learned.

A writer friend of mine, Bill Ledbetter, uses his passion for science by attending his local National Space Society meetings and attends their conferences around the nation to learn more about science for his science fiction stores and even gets some gigs writing about science. One local author friend of mine, Carolyn Williamson, follows her passion for travel by teaching writing on cruise ships. How fun is that? She has met several agents and editors at the RWA National Convention® and has a manuscript under review with an agent. NTSFW member Gerald Warfield learned what Writers' of the Future Contest required from another writer who attends NTSFW and Gerald just won Honorable Mention on his first submission!

From attending live and online writing groups, I got a lot of great contacts. I got a gig as a part-time copyeditor at a local small press, several gigs as editor for individual authors, a gig as a newsletter editor, several gigs as a book reviewer, my first ever article published by an editor/member that got me started on the benefit of articles, my first ever agent pitch (and manuscript request!), my second ever agent pitch and manuscript request for my second book, a speaking gig, three regular columns in a national news media, guest blogging gigs, and more.

The opportunities are endless! But you have to get yourself out there. Start slow and small. Dip your toe in the water by attending one group, making just one regular web home, finding just one writing gig, write just one blog for someone else, make just one Twitter account. Just one. And before you know it, you'll be the one invited to guest blog, teach a class, attend workshops as a panelist, take a cruise, or fly overseas and teach U.S. expats about writing.

Better yet, when the editor or agent asks you, "What is your platform?" and "How will you help market your book?" you'll already have the answer because you are already there. And when that agent or editor has to make a choice between your book and some other author who doesn't network, who isn't known, who doesn't already have a jump start on an audience, who do you think that agent or editor will choose?

Remember, keep writing. All the social media networking in the world won't replace that book that didn't get written. Enjoy your path to networking by networking smart and using your passion as your guide. Happy writing & networking!

Pat Hauldren

~ Pat Hauldren writes 3 columns for the Examiner: Dallas Speculative Fiction Examiner, Fort Worth Hockey Examiner, Fort Worth Writing Examiner. She is a former board member and newsletter editor of the North Texas Romance Writers and the DFW Writers' Workshop. She is co-founder of the North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop. She is a copyeditor at Cyberwizard Productions and a freelance editor and writer at EditAlley.com. You can find out more about Pat Hauldren at her website: PatHauldren.com or find her on Twitter as "alleypat" and "PatHauldren", Yahoo as "alleypat", Skype as "alleypat", Facebook as "alleypat", and MySpace as "alleypat".


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 --------  Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests.