An Explanation, of Sorts

Do you want to hear a secret? Course you do. I can tell. Come over here, be seated, and Uncle Von'll let you in on a little mystery.

I'm feeling a bit burned out on roleplaying at the moment.

 

[Musings of a Game Store Owner] GGP: Networking

Last week a reader asked about networking, and it's a big enough component to the publication industry that I'm doing what I can to address it.

Let's start with a definition. 

Networking in a nutshell is developing and cultivating relationships in a way that grows your business.

Maybe that seems like "using" people (it sort of does to me). I don't make it about my business; I like to think of it as making friends.

For those of you that are shy or introverted, perhaps message boards, forums and blog communities are better for you since they don't involve face to face conversations. These avenues are also great for those that enjoy writing and meeting lots of people without using a lot of face to face conversations.

If you're more like me, and love talking to people- that's all it is. It's talking to people. I personally use a mix of in person, phone, email. Facebook, Twitter and blogs to talk to people; but it's talking to people.

It's important to know that networking is a careful balancing act- you can't just meet a person at a convention or event and then a week later drop your pitch. It should be a natural outflow of your relationship with the person, so they WANT to help you because you're friends or work in the same circles or whatever.

New Member Monday - International Relations

He folks, thanks for stopping by the HoP on this fine October Monday!  Here at the Illinois Central Servicing Office, the weather is nice and crisp, the trees are at the peak of displaying interesting colors and the pumpkin beer is flowing freely.

This stuff is like drinking an alcoholic pumpkin pie

In short, it's good damn time.  Especially after the horrendous summer that we suffered here.  Well, I didn't suffer it much.  I moved here at the end of it all.   I'm really just into fall for the beer.

Anyway, we've got a couple of genuinely amazing foreign blogs for you today.  One from Spain and one from Italy.  They are both fantastic.

New Member Monday

18º de Port Belisario 
Keywords: WH40K, Infinity, ATZ, BattleFleet Gothic, Imperial Guard, background, painting, scenery, campaign, Muy Caliente, Spainish

leadaddicted
Keywords: wargame, molto caldo, italian, amazazing stuff

The Politically Incorrect Gamer, Part 4- Special Guest Post

So SinSynn asked for people from the non-straight-white-guy category to speak up I figured I’d answer the call as I fit in a few of those.