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Do I Really Need to Go to Networking Events?
We know all the pros, but the cons can outweigh them
Professional connections are crucial to thriving in just about any career. In the world of book publishing, where name recognition directly translates to sales, there’s an extra layer of pressure to show up, shake hands, and schmooze with industry colleagues at readings and social events.
But as author Maggie Shipstead points out, you can break the “rules” and still be successful. In fact, she encourages it.
“I think it’s worthwhile for first-time authors to genuinely and purposefully consider what feels authentic for them and then protect that,” she says. “I don’t mean ‘authentic’ in an Instagrammy #authentic way, but more like, what feels natural? What feels comfortable, uncomfortable? What fills you with eagerness, dread?”
Shipstead is, by all measures, successful. Her books have garnered her placement on the New York Times bestseller list and won her the Dylan Thomas Prize for young writers. But she’s never been one to force herself to go to networking parties she doesn’t want to attend.
“If you want to go to parties, great!” she says. But if parties aren’t your thing, it’s okay to reconsider attending. “Your career probably won’t benefit much from your unhappily hiding behind a potted plant and texting,” she says. “Yes, you might miss out on making a few contacts, but I think that’s counterbalanced by the advantages of leading a more diversified life.”
And no matter your industry, there can be benefits to staying a little removed from the center. For example, “Sometimes getting in too deep with the literary world — i.e., paying too much attention to what’s happening to other people’s books and careers — breeds anxiety and erodes perspective and possibly even stifles creativity,” Shipstead says. “Writing can be a job, not a lifestyle. It doesn’t have to take over your social life and become the only thing you care about.”
Of course, there’s a balance — not allowing your industry to define you doesn’t mean you have to distance yourself from it entirely. Paul W. Morris — a literary advocate for the Authors Guild, PEN America, the National Book Foundation, and other cultural organizations — thinks there are…
