Improving Your Networking

Before getting into some new feature adds and tips to improve your networking here on Stage 32, my heartfelt congratulations to screenwriter PJ McIlvaine and literary agent Babz Bitela. 

After connecting here on Stage 32, Babz signed Pj over the weekend off the strength of her script, Heaven Sent. 

You can read more about how the connection was made here.

I’ve known Babz for a couple of years now.  She’s a tireless worker, a lover of good writing, and simply one of the kindest, most generous people around. 

I first met PJ on another screenwriting forum.  I’ve always been impressed by her approach to networking, but also to her selfless nature.  She’s always offering advice and sharing her experiences in an effort to assist other writers. 

Terrific people and a great story.  I couldn’t be more thrilled for them.

We’ve made some changes to the top menu bar which we hope will help with your networking.

For starters, we’ve added a Help button.  Under Help, you will find the following sections: 

• GETTING STARTED
• FAQ
• TIP OF THE WEEK
• GET A STAGE 32 PROFILE BUTTON
• SENDING STAGE 32 INVITES

The GETTING STARTED and FAQ section will lend insight into all the resources and features Stage 32 has to offer.  TIP OF THE WEEK contains the current tip as well as access to the tip archives.  GET A STAGE 32 PROFILE BUTTON is where you can download a Stage 32 icon for your personal website so you can link directly to your Stage 32 profile page (highly recommended!).  SENDING STAGE 32 INVITES shows you how to pay it forward and invite your fellow creative peers to Stage 32.  

Although this is listed in the GETTING STARTED and FAQ sections, I’d like to address one area which seems to cause the most confusion here on the site:

WALL POSTS vs. LOUNGE POSTS

When you post on your wall, you are posting ONLY to those who are in your network.   So, if you have 10 people in your network, your potential audience for your wall post is 10 people. 

When you post on your wall and ADD A LOUNGE DISCUSSION, you are now posting to everyone SUBSCRIBED to that Lounge section, as well as anyone who visits that section.  In this case, your potential audience is – at the time of this post – nearly 150,000 people.

So, if you want your post to be semi-private and only shared by those within your network, do not add a Lounge discussion.  However, if you are looking to shout from the rafters (adhering by our spam policy, of course) to the largest audience possible, add the proper Lounge discussion to the post.

Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, I strongly encourage all to browse the HELP categories.  I have no doubt the time spent will greatly enhance your networking experience.

Finally, we have made one of the most popular sections on our site, PROJECTS, easier to reach.  You will now find a link to the PROJECTS section on the top menu bar.  From there, you can:

BROWSE PROJECTS - by area, profession, and whether the jobs are paid.

ADD A PROJECT – post your project, the talent you are searching for, and all other pertinent information.

Happy networking! 

RB