While I was stewing about my slow networking pace, I stumbled (literally because the History Magazine was on the step) upon an interview with Niall Ferguson, author of The Square and the Tower: Networks, Hierarchies and the Struggle for Global Power. His opening remark caught my eye. “Social networks weren’t invented my Mark Zuckerberg.”

So what has this to do with the writers’ world? Glad you asked.

For one, networking is a powerful tool for us. It impacts how our books enter the world and how they’re received by the public. That’s not surprising if we look at how social networks have significantly impacted world events. Look what happened in the 15th century–what Ferguson cites as the “first age of networking.”  With the invention of the printing press, ideas spread more widely and more rapidly. The social networks that developed around these ideas took on a force for change. Enter the Protestant Reformation. From then on there was no stopping these powerhouse networks, and they resulted in major shifts like The American Revolution and the French Revolution.

In the interview, Ferguson comments on how influential Henry Kissinger was during the Nixon era. But why was he more powerful than any other person in during that time? That’s what Ferguson questioned. He came up with the fact that Kissinger was “the best connected person in the Nixon administration.” Using network science, he graphed Kissinger’s connections, and they far outstripped any other politician in the White House at that time. Ferguson did the same kind of graph for Paul Revere, and discovered that because of his “trusted” network among the revolutionaries, his warning of the approaching Redcoats, was believed and spread without question.

Well, this made me think about my own social network and here are the questions I asked myself:

• Who am I connected with?
• Are these people I trust and admire?
• Am I a trustworthy person inside this network?
• Will my network support me when I need it?
• Will it provide me with the visibility I need to succeed in marketing my books?
• How can I be a better/more effective person inside my network?

Any thoughts about your own network?

Join Us Today

As everyone knows this is the first Wednesday of September, and we are once again here to do a bit of networking–the best kind–the supportive kind. Thanks again, Alex for this brilliant networking idea.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Remember, the question is optional! 

If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

The awesome co-hosts for the September 4 posting of the IWSG are Gwen Gardner, Doreen McGettigan, Tyrean Martinson, Chemist Ken, and Cathrina Constantiner!  Be sure to visit their sites and thank them for co-hosting!

I had to give this some thought. Finally, I came up with a lot of places around the world, and all of them would inspire me to write. Istanbul would probably make me churn out an exotic mystery set in the bazaar or in the shadows of St. Sophia Mosque. In London I’d definitely create a spy story with lots of fog and Big Ben looming in the background. And then there’s Dublin, and I start thinking romance and fern groves. No, let’s go to the island of Sifnos in the Aegean and have some kind of  historical fiction story. On second thought, I’d like to write something mystical, so I’ll head to New Zealand and go out onto Doubtful Sound for that inspiration. If it’s going to a humorous and lighthearted tale, I have to buy a ticket to Cancun. But if I’m going for a ghostly tale I’ll drive up to Auburn in Northern CA. Well, there are too many wonderful writing locations to choose from and too many exciting genres to jump into. So, in the end, I’ll probably write where I often do–in my garden, by the pond. And I’ll probably write a contemporary/realistic young adult or an adventure/fantasy middle grade book. After all, there’s no place like home, and there’s nothing like writing what you love to write.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has taken an ARC for NOT GUILTY. If anyone else would like to give me hand with this launch, please email me at info@cleemckenziebooks.com I have a mobi, pdf, and ePub file. Here’s the blurb.

A blood-smeared knife. One young man’s word against another. A lifetime dream crushed. 

The evidence points to Devon Carlyle. He was there when it happened. Everyone knows he had it in for Renzo Costa. And Costa says Devon was the one. In the judge’s rap of a gavel Devon’s found guilty of assault. The star of the Oceanside High’s basketball team loses his shot at the one thing he’s worked so hard for—the championship game where college scouts could see how good he is.

Now he makes his great shots in Juvenile Hall with kids far different from those that have always been in his life. 

Angry? Hell, yes. 

He’s bent on finding who did the crime. He’s bent on making them pay because he’s Not Guilty. But can he prove it?

Now speaking of writing…did  you come up with a Flash Fiction piece or poetry or something that would grab the reader’s attention for the August WEP? I hope so because it’s a great way to meet new writers and stay connected with those you already know. Remember networking is key, and the WEP people are giving you a great opportunity to do just that. I’ve read the entries this month, and there are some real winners. Be sure to stop by the sites and let the writers know what you think. HERE’S the link to the sign up list.

Quote of the Month: “Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.”
― Michele Jennae, Author