Monday night, The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) hosted its annual reception at Planet Hollywood in New York’s Times Square. In attendance were some the industry’s best and brightest; agents, authors, editors, publishers and even the odd artist. The venue was not as loud as one would think, or led to believe, so it was still relatively easy to carry on a conversation. It was a chance to reconnect with peers, who may have been separated by distance or years, and it was an opportunity to make new connections with other professionals.

The evening was not reserved just for SFWA members and their guest or for industry insiders. In fact, writers, journalists, artists, and others with an interest in working professionally within the genres of science fiction and fantasy were encouraged to attend, with guests! Between bites at the tasty buffet and drinks from the open bar, alliances were being made, proposals pitched, marketing strategies developed. In the end it was a pleasant evening with like-minded creatives. That is a priceless thing.

There were some stand-out individuals that truly made the evening a success. Among them were the lovely and talented SFWA vice-president, Mary Robinette Kowal, was more than happy to introduce a fledgling writer to established professionals, break the ice, and was a joy to speak with. The wonderful agent Cherry Weiner, whom went out of her way to encourage the newbie to “…go out there and make some contacts!”  And then there was John R. Douglas, Acquisitions Editor at e-reads, whom got off before his stop on the A-train (in the wee hours of the morning) with a young couple he’d just met and was a warm and engaging conversationalist. If you missed the party, you missed out. Better come next year!

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