Okay, for those of you who are currently dodging hurricanes (and for those of you who aren't), you might want to spend a little time pressing the flesh.  That's right – it's time to network.

Networking?  Isn't that crap for people who work or want to sell you widgets at a meeting with other people who work or want to sell you widgets alongside people who work or want to sell you widgets while having just talked to people who work or want to sell you widgets but avoided the people who work or want to sell you widgets? 

Um, no – it doesn't work like that.  At least, I don't think so.  I've always been a "rising tide lifts all boats" sort of person, and let's be honest: we all want to make a living off our endeavors.  So it helps to network – to share information and receive in return – and to help one another out.  Yes, I'm not going to be a Pollyanna on it: there will be people who won't want to share, who will take and take and take and never give, who will hoard every little bit of information and assistance because they don't want the world, they just want your half.  Well, those people rarely – and I do mean rarely – get ahead.  They might sell 100 more books than you initially, but your kindness won't go unnoticed; and eventualy, you'll be selling dozens more than the person who considers you a foe, while said person will eventually do enough to piss others off.  Good guys get burned instantly, but bad guys poison themselves in the long run.

Don't think so?  A voice actor friend of mine tells me he's always networked with other voice actors, because it's beneficial for all of them.  "You never know when you see that role that's not good for you but great for someone else and vice versa," he adds.  "I've landed plenty of roles thanks to the 3F."  (for those of you who aren't familiar, 3F means family, friends and followers/fans.)  I can attest to this myself.  I'm part of a networking group of comic artists, who share twitter info and website banners in order to get everyone's info out.  If one succeeds where others don't, it increases the chances that they might find the key down the road that makes you succeed.

So we've established that.  But the thing that you have to remember is in order to make a fan, you have to be a fan as well.

Essentially, be prepared to work with people to gain your goal.  Doesn't matter if you're shy or not a great speaker; what counts more, working towards your dream or sitting in the back room while opportunity passes you by?  I've known shy people who can't put two words together to save their lives normally become gung-ho, push-it-till-it-breaks supertypes when it comes to networking.  And you know what?  Sometimes that helps you get out of your shell more often…might even gain you something else outside of your networking (see: my marriage.  ^_^)

Deviant Art, Gaia, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, MySpace, Friendster, Linked In – all of them have some kind of networking group that you can tap into, share your wealth of knowledge and experience and gain from theirs.  (Hell, isn't that what this website is all about?)  

Now go out there and network and find success!

In the meanwhile, I'll be here, doing last-minute tweaks to the site before it's all too late. 

TOMORROW: Day 2, Oh Shi—: Tweaking