Author Networking Made Easy

PHX Oasis Press and ASU’s Author-preneurship division produce a quarterly networking event for authors of all genres. Low-pressure, high-value, and snacks!

Written by Tracy Skochil

There’s a seat waiting for you, author, at our casual, in-person get together that’s all about writers helping writers move toward their goals. It’s an event filled with dozens of Arizona writers who are also trying to navigate the crazy path that authorship can be. So yes, this is a networking event. For authors. But ‘networking’ can sometimes have an icky feel. And there’s no ick to this event. No hard sells. No long presentation beforehand. No locked-in schedule that you have to follow.

Just a safe space to talk, welcoming table hosts, and all kinds of information.

Where, When, and Snacks

Where: Hosted in partnership with ASU’s Author-preneurship division, the event is held at the ASU E&I 850 PBC building in Downtown Phoenix (850 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004). An open, inviting space, the room is set up with small tables themed by topic. There’s also a dedicated area for 1:1 chatting if you want to take a conversation outside of the group (don’t forget to bring your business cards!).

When: The event happens three times a year, on a Friday. Check-in opens at 10am and the event ends at noon. Parking is validated. You can sign up for the Friday, April 17, 2026 event here. If that event has already past, visit the PHX Oasis Press meetup to sign up for the Friday August 14, 2026 event.

Snacks: Once you check in, you’ll fill out your name tag including the genre you write in, then grab free coffee and a pastry supplied by the ASU team. Fueled up, you’re all ready to pick a small table to start off your morning with.

Themed Small Tables: Topics To Expect

The core of the event is a series of small tables, each one themed around a different topic relevant to authors across genres. You’ll have time to visit more than one table, and if you find a table isn’t serving your needs you can swap anytime. Our event emcee also lets the room know when 15 mins has passed so attendees can move to a different table if they want to. The table topics change a little, event to event, but here are some we’ve had in the past:

• Finding Focus

  • Sometimes, sitting down and starting to write can feel like the hardest thing on the planet. Join this table to talk about everything from battling “imposter’s syndrome”, to finding people to write with, to appreciating the joy writing brings to your life.

• Publishing

  • Finding the right agent to pitch, preparing a query letter, and navigating contracts. These things can feel like uphill climbs. Join this table to talk about all things “agent-life.”

• Marketing

  • Analytics, marketing channels, engagement versus sales. Marketing can feel like a different language. Should you focus on social? Do you really need a website? Join this table to talk about author branding, creating a website that converts, and more.

• Writing Craft

  • At this table they’ll be talking about the techniques and skills authors use to create stories, poems, and essays that readers connect with. Everything from plot and POV to conflict, setting, and pacing is up for discussion here.

• Getting Feedback

  • Alpha readers, beta readers, and feedback that moves  you forward. Join this table to talk about different types of critique groups, how to find one that suits your style, and how to ask for feedback that truly moves your work forward.

• Submitting to Lit Mags

  • Getting accepted to a lit mag can help boost your brand, but why does it feel so hard to get a yes? Join this table to talk about hidden barriers to o pen submissions, different types of goals lit mags have, and why a creative idea often trumps mediocre writing.

• Traditional Vs. Self Publishing

  • There are pros and cons to each path, so how do you choose the one that best serves your goals? Learn about the time, money, and effort each might require and steps along the way.

• Working with a Bookstore

  • How can you encourage local bookstores to stock your books? What’s a discount rate that makes sense? What can you do to make the bookshop’s world easier? Learn about it, here.

• Working with a Library

  • Seems like it should be easy to get your book into the local library, right? Well, it depends. Libraries are bound by budgets, driven by demand, and more. Join this table to learn about the inner workings of library selection, and their awesome writer-in-residence programs.

About Our Table Hosts

A volunteer host helps guide conversation at each table. Hosts make sure one voice isn't dominating the conversation, that no one is hard-selling anyone on an answer/direction/company, and they work to bring everyone into the discussion. Our goal is to give people options and avenues to explore, not to make decisions for them. Table hosts have deep experience in their table’s topic and actively gives back to the literary world in Arizona. Our hosts have included:

• Eric Boyd (Craft) - A horror writer and key member of the PHX Oasis Press team.

• Susan Pohlman (Publishing) - A memoir writer, editor, and founder of Phoenix Writers Network.

• Leah Byrd (Finding Focus) - A children’s book author and curiosity advocate.

• Kolby Granville (Lit Mags) - EIC for After Dinner Conversations.

• Robin Wayland (Feedback) - Host of a popular critique group for Red Sands Writers Circle.

• Tranise Robinson (Bookstore) - CEO of Onyx Oasis Bookstore.

The Power of This Event Is You

This isn’t a series of lectures. You aren’t going to sit down and listen to a table host talk for 15 minutes and then move to the next table and listen to someone else talk for 15 minutes. You’ll sit down, and the host will likely ask ‘what do we want to talk about?’ That’s the table guests’ chance to drive the discussion. When you pull up a chair, you get to learn from everyone else at the table — and they get to learn from you.

We Hope You’ll Join Us

Tons of local authors, a low-pressure environment, a high-value for your time. Join us at an upcoming networking event and meet new people. We’d love to meet you!

ABOUT TRACY SKOCHIL

TRACY SKOCHIL’S FICTION EXPLORES THE COMPLICATIONS, CRUELTIES, AND POSSIBILITIES AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY. SHE IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF POP, A MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON GUEST JUDGE, AND HOSTED ONLINE CRITIQUE SESSIONS THROUGH RED SANDS WRITERS CIRCLE. A CANADIAN TRANSPLANT, TRACY LIVES IN GILBERT, AZ WITH HER HUSBAND, PACK OF AUSTRALIAN PUPS, AND TWO WIPS. FIND HER @TRACY.SKOCHIL.AUTHOR.