Paying It Forward Starts With You by Anthony StClair
Judging by the buzz around us at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon, apparently the introverts were finding a way. They had set forth from their own internal worlds for the socially buzzing world of the conference. From over-coffee breakfast chat to midday discussions to refine book pitches, the writers indeed were talking.
Over 3 days at the conference, I lost track of the number of people I talked with. (I also lost track of the number of conversations I eavesdropped on.) As I thought about these conversations, and as I reflected on the things I was discussing with other writers, I realized something important.
All of us were doing far more than mere nattering. We were helping each other get the most out of one of the country's largest writing conferences. And even more than helping each other, we were paying forward some serious good will and professionalism.
Talking to strangers
It's not always easy to strike up a conversation with strangers. But at a conference, I've learned, there's no easier way to talk with people you don't know.
The key is understanding something simple: everyone at a conference has something in common. In the case of the Willamette Writers Conference, everyone there had some interest in at least one of the following things:
- Publishing their book
- Improving their writing craft and technique
- Meeting other authors
When you realize that, you realize that it's easy to talk to anyone. You can ask if they are pitching—and if they are, then you can ask how it's been going. And vice versa, you can share your own experiences about your pitches, or talk over the jitters you have because your first session pitching to an agent is coming up later in the day.
When you start talking based on something you have in common, you also quickly come to something else: how you can help each other.
5 for 5
On Sunday, the last day, I wound up meeting a woman who had done a lot of tweeting about the conference. We naturally got to talking about our respective book pitches. She had done 4 pitches and gotten 4 requests for more material. In short, she was rocking it.
But she had one more pitch coming up that afternoon, with a large publisher, and she wasn't entirely as certain.
We talked over her pitch. I shared some ideas and suggestions that she might consider for a different angle on talking with the editor in question—someone who would be thinking primarily of how they would market the book to a sales force, not to end readers.
Later in the day, she told me she'd used some of the things we discussed, and came away from the pitch with a fifth "yes, please send me more." She'd gone 5 for 5, and I was thrilled not only for her success, but also to have contributed in some small way to her making her way in publishing her book.
Givers gain
The networking group BNI has a great philosophy: "Givers Gain®". The idea is simple: when you help others succeed, more often than not they too will help you succeed.
When it comes to writers succeeding in their writing and publishing efforts, I believe the same "what goes around, comes around" philosophy applies. When you spend time talking with another writer about their pitch, or talk over a difficult plot point with an author, or take time to give comfort when something doesn't go the way the author hoped, you are not only aiding in their success, you are aiding in yours.
As I work towards my own writing and publishing goals, I know too that there will be times where I need to talk with my fellow writers. Maybe they can help me with a tough spot with a character. Maybe they'll be willing to review my book on Amazon. Maybe they'll talk up my book with other potential readers. I don't know, and I expect nothing.
But I know that every time I've talked with a writer, every time I've helped someone else on their way, it's like I've paid forward towards success and good will for myself and my colleagues. That same success and good will works for you too, because paying it forward starts with you. Help another writer, and help yourself. Take the time—and it will come back to you.
