The life of a writer can be lonely, with long days, weeks, months and even years spent working on your manuscript. If you’re the only person you know who writes — let alone reads! — you may feel isolated. And when you come out the other side of the writing process with a published book, you may find it challenging to navigate the publicity process and genuinely connect with your audience.

When you’re part of a community of writers, however, you have opportunities to workshop ideas, peer review your works-in-progress, cheer each other on and commiserate with one another when the going gets tough. When you are published, you have a group to rally around and support you — writers who will come to your events, buy your books, tell their friends and family, even recommend you to their own following.

But how can you find your way into such a community, and what can you do to develop these relationships?

Find out in this panel discussion featuring writers, editors, booksellers, and publishing professionals who are all deeply embedded in their communities and enormously passionate about their roles within them. The panel will discuss: