The Stealth Networker Blog

Got a Book in You? Networking with Editors, Agents, Publishers and Other Authors Before You Start Can Save You a Lot of Headaches and Wasted Time

I've been a little quiet on the blog and e-zine this summer as I put the writing phase of Smart Networking to bed and start to ramp up on the marketing and promotion.

Writing a book about networking has been an amazing networking experience in itself as I've been able to connect and reconnect with people all over the world for advice, story contributions, and promotional partnerships. Stay tuned for articles, podcasts and interviews highlighting these fantastic individuals. They have a lot of great info to share.

If you haven't already done so, join my mailing list to be the first to hear about news, events and special offers related to the book launch on November 7.

Many people feel they have a book inside of them, but before you even think about putting your ideas to paper, you ought to learn some of the ins and outs of the publishing process FIRST so you can approach it in the most productive way.

I'm happy to tell you that my friend, Rick Frishman, who is founder of public relations firm Planned Television Arts and who contributed the Foreword to my book, is holding another session of his famous Author 101 University on October 1st & 2nd in Atlanta.

 

Rick and his team have an action packed two-day program this time and I'm excited about what they have in store for you. Their last event in Los Angeles was a tremendous success, and they expect this event to sell out. (check out the testimonials from some of their thrilled attendees on the website...)

They've assembled a great panel of editors, agents and publishers who want to meet you - and share with you what it takes to be a successful author. Program presenters include:

• Mark Victor Hansen               
  
• Rick Frishman
  
• David Hancock 
  
• Robyn Freedman Spizman
  
• Brendon Burchard
  
• Jill Lublin
  
• Alex Carroll
• James Malinchak
  
• Stefanie Hartman
  

Their goal is to get you published, to show you how to sell and promote your book after its published and, to help you leverage it to make your business more profitable! Make sure you bring paper for notes... there'll be lots of great ideas and tactics that you'll want to hold on to and use. This two-day seminar will get you on your way.
 
The tuition for both days is only $399. So sign up today - and take advantage of their money-back guarantee. Seating is very limited... 

Get all the info here and start your book the RIGHT way

No Interest in Meeting New People? Some Tough Love for Networking Apathy

On occasion, someone sends in a question asking me to help them understand why they have no interest in meeting new people, even though they know they should.

 

Unfortunately, I don’t know of any way to "suddenly" develop an interest in people that isn't there. But a new book called "Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection," written by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick may scare you straight.

 

As the NY Post wrote in its review yesterday: Loneliness "leaves its sufferer unable to read micro-expressions or react properly to social cues - so the more desperate one is to connect, that desperation, coupled with a fear of rejection verging on paranoia, pushes others away."

 

In other words, the longer you put off connecting with others, the longer you feel you don’t need to, and the less prepared and able you are to act appropriately when the need does arise (and it will!). It becomes a vicious circle. 

 

Perhaps the first step towards overcoming an apathy for making new connections is to imagine the possibilities. As the Post writes, "One of Cacioppo's favorite metaphors is 'the idea of the solitary computer vs. the Internet.' The former seems adequate until you're exposed to the latter, so highly superior because of its ability to connect."

 

Next, try different ways of connecting. Facebook is a great place to meet new people with similar interests, without the time commitment of constantly traveling to networking events and working the room. By the way, if we're not already connected on Facebook, click here to add me. I’d love to network with you there.

 

Bottom line, we all need a support system we can turn to for help and advice. We can’t do it alone. And we don't want to end up as recluses with no one around but the 97 cats who live with us. Because when push comes to shove, you know they'll never lift a paw to help.

A Bit of Wishful Thinking in a Popular Chinese Novel

(Beijing, China): Perusing a magazine called “That’s Beijing” in my hotel room, I came across a list of the most popular novels in China for May 2008, as determined by joyo.com, an Internet bookseller. One of the five includes "The Story of La La's Promotion" by Li Ke:

 “Spanning eight years, this book tells the story of La La, a typical middle-class worker, (who) is promoted from an entry-level sales manager to an experienced HR manager through personal effort, without any background or connections.”

I haven’t read the book, but had to chuckle that not having to network to get ahead in life could be the premise of a popular novel. But it *is* fiction, I guess, so no less improbable than a professor searching for clues in Leonardo de Vinci paintings while a murderous albino monk runs rampant through France, or an Italian war bride’s affair with a National Geographic photographer passing through her small Iowa town to snap pictures of bridges. As Eddie Murphy said in the movie Trading Places, "This kind of thing happens to me every week."

I know many of my capitalist friends wish for a life like La La’s, where they can be recognized solely on the merits of how hard they work and what they know, rather than who they know, or more importantly, who knows them. A noble dream for sure, but one unlikely to come true any time soon. High competence and expertise in a subject area can get you to a certain point. But it’s your ability to build relationships that will help you break through.

Still, given how popular this novel is in China and the trend for fable-like business books in the U.S., maybe I should try my hand at a networking parable for my next book? Perhaps "Who Deleted My Facebook Page?" or "Adding Friends and Influencing No One."

What do you think?

Network and Work Less

How would you like to work a 4-hour week?  Author Tim Ferriss lays out a plan to help you do just that in his new book, The 4-Hour Workweek, through a combination of delegating, prioritizing and ignoring.  I liked the book, but on the Today Show, ad guru Donny Deutsch wasn't buyin' it.

Tim doesn’t mention networking as a time saver, but personally, I’ve found it to be a huge help.  It’s much faster to ask people for recommendations than to do all your own research from scratch.  And you can benefit greatly from using your contacts as a sounding board for an idea before you spend time and money to execute it. 

© 2007, Liz Lynch
Liz Lynch is founder and executive director of the Center for Networking Excellence which develops products and programs to help professionals learn how to build profitable relationships. If you're ready to start networking smarter, get your free networking tips now at www.NetworkingExcellence.com .