Is Social Networking Inevitable?

Yesterday I was invited to join a new Google Group for freelance writers (and possibly editors--that's in debate). From what I can tell so far, there are a number of incredibly successful, driven and interesting people as members, all of whom have a lot to offer. It got me to thinking, though. Is social networking an inevitable necessity?


Inadequacy versus Inexperience

I'm always fraught with anxiety when I join a new social networking group or add a new contact to my LinkedIn account, because all of these people are so successful. I start wondering "Where do I fit in to this?" "Why am I worthy of being a part of this group of well-placed people?"

But I've come to realize I'm mistaking inexperience with inadequacy. It's not that I'm not worthy, it's that I'm in different point in my career. Just starting out and building a publication base doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer in a social networking situation, it means you have a different perspective. You may learn more than you offer at first. That's okay. To use a well-worn cliche, everyone had to start out somewhere.


Fake It Till You Make It

But--and this is a big one--if you believe you're inadequate, other people will believe it, too. So you don't have an agent or a publisher. So you've only written in your basement or your living room and are just getting up the courage to make some submissions. So your work is mostly published online. It doesn't matter. Even if you don't feel on equal footing, pretend that you are. That feeling of belonging will sneak up on you and, before you know it, you'll actually be the person whose role you have assumed.


Social Networking is Necessary

The bottom line is you need to meet other people who do what you do. Especially if you're a freelance writer working from home. I work with oodles of other writers and editors via the Internet and wouldn't recognize them in person if my life depended on it. Of course, if they corrected and re-wrote the ransom note, I'd know them by style...

Working by yourself can be both alienating and frustrating. Knowing there are other people doing what you do, struggling as you struggle and looking for just the right character trait for Madame X is a relief. Don't worry about the rest. Join the group, create a profile, ask lots of questions and make no excuses for yourself. If it's inevitable you may as well get the most out of it!