I Joined a Publishing Social Group and You Should Too

Because networking in your 20s doesn’t have to be weird.

When I moved to NYC in the fall, it was to start my very first full-time job as a PR assistant in publishing. All I had to go off of was Andy in The Devil Wears Prada mixed with Liza from Younger. Turns out, my life is full of way less dry cleaning errands and company drama. Instead, I spent a lot of days alone in my apartment, eating takeout, and wondering how the hell you’re supposed to make friends in a city where everyone seems too busy for eye contact.

Photo by Tony Tran on Unsplash

Don’t worry, I’ve found a group of friends since then. But a professional network? That’s harder to come by. I always assumed networking groups were for people with actual experience. You know, people who had impressive resumes and business cards and knew how to make “grabbing coffee” sound like a legitimate meeting. I figured I’d have to stumble my way through my first few years in publishing before I could even think about building my network.

But here’s the pickle: I knew I’d be doing my future self a huge favor if I started my efforts now. But how on Earth do you do that when you are:
a) new to the city,
b) work in a mostly remote industry, and
c) brand new at your job and still occasionally Google publishing lingo in private?

Turns out, there are groups specifically for people like me (i.e. young professionals trying to figure it all out). And honestly? Finding one has already made future-me sigh in relief.

Enter: The Young Publishers Association

A few weeks ago, I joined the Young Publishers Association (YPA), which is an NYC-based group that also hosts virtual events for people who aren’t local. They put on panels where you can talk to people who have actually been in publishing long enough to know things (imagine!), plus more casual meetups where you can grab a drink and commiserate with other people who are also trying to figure out how publishing salaries work. (And, bonus: it’s free!)

I went to a YPA meetup in Midtown recently, and it was everything I could have wished for: a casual group of publishing people at different stages in their careers, all just trying to make it work. There were college students looking for advice on landing their first job, assistants debating lateral moves within their publishing house, and associates actively looking to leave their current jobs, and everyone was swapping intel on new opportunities.

As someone who didn’t do a fancy summer publishing program (you know, the ones at NYU or Columbia that come with built-in networking but also cost, like, ten grand), it was honestly such a relief. And way cheaper.

And the vibe? Completely friendly, no weird transactional energy. It wasn’t weird to ask for LinkedIns or Instagrams, and I walked away feeling so much more grounded—like my experience wasn’t some weird isolated thing but part of this larger, collective journey of people just trying to make their way in this industry.

But What If You’re Not in NYC?

Don’t worry, you’ve got options. There are plenty of ways to find your people, even if you’re not living in the publishing capital of the universe.

LinkedIn Groups – I recently joined Publishers Unite on LinkedIn, which posts job listings and information on the industry for those who don’t know their way around yet. I literally just started sending LinkedIn requests to people in the group who had similar jobs in my city, and now I have a coffee meetup this weekend with someone my age so we can swap stories and help each other out. New friend + networking opp + reason to get out of the house on a Sunday = triple win.

Facebook & Instagram Groups – Search for publishing groups in your city. Especially in big cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and Boston, you’re likely to have a few options.

Book Clubs – Let’s be real: publishing people flock to book clubs. Join one, and chances are you’ll accidentally meet at least three freelance editors and someone in marketing.

Alumni Networks – Even if you didn’t major in publishing, your college probably has a group of grads living in your city. They don’t have to be in publishing to be great connections.

The Moral of the Story

Networking in your 20s doesn’t have to be weird. It’s really just about making friends and building a support system so that down the line, when you need job advice or a career pivot, you already have people to turn to. Everyone I’ve met in publishing so far has been so nice and willing to help because someone helped them when they were starting out. Fingers crossed—someday you might have the chance to return the favor.

Interested in Substack networking? Drop a comment below.