Are you addicted to space travel, alien languages, and post-apocalyptic landscapes? Do you frequently come up with short stories ideas with sci-fi themes and wonder how you could start building publishing connections?
The digital era has opened up new opportunities for sci-fi writers to make their mark. Here are a few ways to get started with building your publishing and writing network.
1. Attend conferences
Depending on your genre of choice, there are lots of sci-fi theme conventions you can attend. The Science Fiction Research Association meets several times a year to discuss a variety of themes, including sci-fi in academia, feminism, dystopia, and romanticism.
Events such as Dragon Con are devoted to multi-genre sci-fi and fantasy that spans several types of entertainment media, such as video games, books, comics, and audio. These events can be ideal arenas for you to network, pitch your stories, and get the word out about your work!
2. Join professional guilds
Working together with other sci-fi writers in professional guilds can help you hone your craft and hit new goals. Look into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to get started, then check out local groups through websites like Meetups.com.
Membership with these associations can help you take your sci-fi writing to new levels, and provide you with professional training, writing feedback, and mentorship opportunities.
3. Read more sci-fi
You can’t hone your craft if you don’t read more sci-fi. Cultivate a thirst for learning about the great and unsung influences in this genre. Create a Goodreads account and start keeping track of the books you enjoy the most.
Contribute reviews and share your opinions with other readers. Using online book platforms to record your experiences can transform the reading experience into an opportunity for dialogue and connection.
4. Connect on social media
Developing your social media profile as an up-and-coming author can be highly effective in your effort to build a future audience. You can actually attract readers through social media before you publish a book.
Locate individuals who tweet often about the genres you’re passionate about, and start talking about your favorite books and ideas. Add these prospective readers as followers and maintain contact with them.
Post regularly about the books you enjoy, and talk about the writing process. Your audience will start to anticipate your book. By preemptively building an audience, you’ll have readers waiting for you once your new book or short story appears.
Making it as a budding sci-fi writer can seem an insurmountable task. But you have a number of resources on your side, such as social media marketing, conventions, local meetups, and professional guilds.
Leverage these resources to learn more about your genre, hone your craft, and get your name out there!