Bill Ferris explains how networking really works in a wise-guy's guide to making the most of a writers' meeting. For example, here's Ferris on pitching: "Say you meet a well-known editor, who you know would love your new book on artisanal paper airplanes. Give her a copy of your manuscript. Does she want it? Of course not! Who would? But here on the conference floor or the bar or the restroom, the social contract prevents her from saying no without looking like a jerk."
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