Literary networking PENMAN By Butch Dalisay (The Philippine Star)

Novelist Tony Enriquez, playwright Steven Fernandez, and fictionist
Tim Montes enjoy a laugh at the inaugural Taboan in 2009.

“At the recent Taboan Philippine Writers Festival held in Dumaguete last month, I sat on a panel devoted to the topic of “Literary Networking,” which deals with how writers come into contact with one another and with other people in the profession publishers, editors, agents, and, of course, readers, teachers, and critics to improve and to promote their writing.

In my column two weeks ago, I noted how writing can be one of the loneliest if not most thankless endeavors anyone can undertake, especially in a country where writing is considered to be little more than a hobby. Networking helps reduce that sense of isolation and creates communities of writers and other literary professionals who are all looking for that same one thing: the next great read. So today I’m going to list down some of the most effective ways of literary networking, hoping that our writers, especially the young ones, can avail themselves of these venues to extend their reach.”

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