4 Ways to Rethink Your Network and Boost Support for Your Book

Photo by @seemurray at Unsplash

You’ve built a career by supporting the people around you. Years of being behind the scenes and everyone’s go-to person for inspiration and advice has made it easy to forget that a network is a two-way street. But now that you’re taking the leap and working on your own project (finally!), it can be hard to ask for support from other people.

But what’s the power of a network, of building genuine relationships with people, if you don’t use it? The people who you’ve helped along the way have big-hearts and like being the ones who know someone you should know. They’ll be just as excited for you as you were for them with their own dreams. 

So, before we talk about how your network can support your book writing and selling, let’s dig into what your network is and isn’t.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Your Network

Bring up networking and most people break out in hives. Networking of the past may have been just throwing your business card at someone, but now, we’re talking about authentic relationship building. 

Merriam-Webster defines a social network as: a network of individuals (such as friends, acquaintances, and coworkers) connected by interpersonal relationships

Now, some of these people may become close friends, but by and large, your network is going to be full of weak ties aka those folks you keep up with on LinkedIn and Instagram, but probably wouldn’t invite to your wedding.

These are people you see at a party or may grab coffee with every now and then, but you’re not talking to them all day every day. It may feel disingenuous to have a seemingly surface level connection with someone, but turns out, we need them.

In 1973, Mark S. Granovetter’s paper “The Strength of Weak Ties” showed how beneficial loose connections can be when people are growing their social networks. Granovetter measured the strength of ties by amount of time spent together, what the emotional intensity between the two people was, level of intimacy and how much each person confided in the other, and mutual services related to the tie. 

His findings were that your weak ties are the difference makers in growing your social network as they don’t share the same information as your strong ties. 

Think about: How often has a close friend or family member introduced you to someone you never met and they opened new possibilities for you? Not saying it can never happen, but likely, you know many of the same people your strong ties do.

It’s the weak ties who bring in the new ideas and who love to introduce people who wouldn’t have met otherwise. 

So, how do you stay connected with your weak ties and find organic ways to reach out to them? 

You can like and comment on their social media posts. Respond to their email newsletters and tell them how exciting it is to hear what they’ve been working on. Shoot them an email saying you met so and so who they used to work with, and it got you thinking about how much fun the two of you used to have working together.

Honestly, it’s easier to reach out and ask things relating to business from weak ties than it is from a strong tie. So, the method doesn’t matter as much, but the suggestions below are how you can rethink how you engage with your network.

So, now that we know what we’re talking about when we talk about your network, let’s look at the 4 ways your network can support your book writing…and selling.

1. Tell Them What You’re Working On

Don’t skip this one and be bold when you claim it. Share what you’re working on with your network, so the seed is planted. It’s the same when you’re looking for work or even a relationship. You don’t think to mention it to people because you don’t want to seem desperate, but it’s that one person you off-handedly mention it to that comes back with a great match or piece of advice.

When it comes time to promote your book or even selling it, your community will be invested in the process with you and may come up with some great ideas of who could make that happen for you.

It’ll seem unnatural to talk about your own work again, but the more you do it, the freer you’ll feel — your work deserves to be seen.

2. Ask If They Have Any Resources They Can Share With You

The people in your circle are shaking hands and kissing babies, so you know they have some resources that may be helpful. If you’re looking for an editor or a sample book proposal, put out the ask! People can offer as much or as little help as they want, and they’ll probably be more generous than you think. 

Remember what it was like when you first started creating your network? You’d be open to meeting or chatting with anyone who could help you. Take some of that “freshmen” energy with you into this next chapter, and it just might spark something you didn’t see coming.

Be open to email introductions, event invites or coffee dates. The connection or resource they introduce you to will unlock more opportunities to meet other people. When in doubt, always ask if someone has a recommendation of someone you should talk to about book writing and publishing. You never know who they know, so ask.

3. Reconnect with People Who’ve Asked You for Advice

As you’re realigning with your own personal project, it’s a stellar time to reach out to people “behind you”. Think of the intern at your first job or the connection on LinkedIn who sent you a message asking for career advice. Supporting people who are coming up in your professional network is a great way to not only get perspective on how much you’ve accomplished, but you also keep up with changes in trends.  

They could have new positions, connections or just their ear to the ground of people who may be helpful to your process. It’s also an advantage to have a network with multiple levels because you never know just how quickly people’s paths will change.

4. Be Open About the Struggle

Once you’ve reached a certain level with your work, it’s hard to be open about the struggle, especially with something new. You don’t want to seem like you’re complaining or not capable of doing the work. Screw. That. 

Be open with people who you genuinely respect and connect with, so they can show up for you. If anything, it’ll allow them to also share if they’re struggling with something in their own lives. We could all stand to be a bit more vulnerable about our creative work without the instinct to instantly try and come up with a solution for it.

This goes back to sharing what you’ve been working on. You may not share this information with everyone in your network, but if you feel the instinct that this person may be helpful, go for it. Even if they don’t have a suggestion now, they could come back a week or even a month later with a helpful idea. 

Your Network is There for a Reason

As you’re writing and selling your book, you’ll need some fresh insights and inspiration on how to do it and keep your sanity. Allow your network the opportunity to support you through the process. If you share what you’re working on, ask for additional resources, reach out to folks who are on their way up and openly share about your struggles, you’ll create more champions of your work and journey. 

People know they can count on your wisdom and guidance for their own projects, but now, it’s time for you to lean on other people. There’s no time like the present to dig into the book idea that’s been waking up in the middle of the night. 

Grab your spot on my coaching waitlist, so we can look at your big picture idea and take that next step in your book writing process.