On the first day of the course, a common theme emerged when talking about what we – the students – were most nervous about tackling when starting our publishing journey – the terrors of networking.

I was one of the many who flagged this up as a fear. While it was reassuring to know I was not alone, it didn’t erase the dread that I would one day have to tackle this head on. I enjoy working within a team, but the first step in meeting others was always the trickiest for me. I saw it as a necessary evil for an introverted person in a very social industry.

So now, halfway through this course, what do I think about networking? Well…it’s complicated, but I have a much more positive outlook than I did at the start.

I have seen the benefits of networking first-hand thanks to my time at Main Point Books. Meeting Jennie Renton at a literary event, she was kind enough to offer me an internship, working closely with her over a variety of projects in the cosiness of her bookshop. Not only was the placement itself incredibly beneficial, but I also witnessed the usefulness of connections – several times when a problem arose, Jennie would know just who to call. The working days would also be populated with friendly faces coming in and out for business.

It drove home to me an important lesson I had only scratched the surface of in my studies – publishing is a collaborative process, with many different people who keep it running. I grew to really appreciate the community aspect brought on through networking thanks to my internship.

Attending London Book Fair (LBF), in contrast, was certainly a challenge; whilst plenty of people were less than enthusiastic to talk to a student, I met several others willing to give me advice and talk about their experiences. I learnt the variety of ways people entered the industry, with some originally having no intention of working within publishing.

This was especially reassuring to hear after the concerns I had about the reliance publishing seems to have on networking at the start of my course. Old surveys and articles have highlighted the problems with nepotism within the industry, and recent reflections haven’t indicated much improvement.

While I can celebrate the benefits of networking and connections, I am also very aware of how it can hinder the industry. Those with disabilities cannot take full advantage of the networking events when they are inaccessible, such as LBF was to some extent despite their efforts (a consistent broken elevator and streams with no subtitles). Neurodiverse people who struggle with social interactions will also be at a disadvantage, as well as anyone with mental health concerns.

There are steps being taken to counteract this dependence and promote inclusivity – many opportunities are being offered that aren’t reliant on prior connections. Networking is still a vital component, but it’s not your only option. This was a lesson that made networking far less intimidating to me, on top of the overall friendliness I’ve witnessed.

I still have some learning to do myself when it comes to networking – and I still believe more steps need to be taken to promote inclusivity beyond immediate connections, something that networking can provide under the right conditions – but my placement and attending events have made me develop more of an appreciation for it and the community it can create.

Bibliography

The Bookseller. 2022. Bookseller’s working-class survey, three years on. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/spotlight/booksellers-working-class-survey-three-years-on [Accessed: 2 April 2024].

The Bookseller. 2022. Inconvenient truths. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/inconvenient-truths [Accessed: 2 April 2024].

The Bookseller. 2023. On cripwashing. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/on-cripwashing [Accessed: 2 April 2024].

The Bookseller. 2019. Survey reveals extent to which working class feel excluded from book trade. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/survey-reveals-extent-which-working-class-feel-excluded-book-trade-960066

Image from: https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-reading-book-dGxOgeXAXm8 [Accessed: 4 April 2024]