Images courtesy of Mark Simon.

The world is changing. Cocooning is a term that was coined years ago as people stopped leaving their homes and many virtually ceased interpersonal communications. No longer are the masses taking to the streets to show their joy or vent their frustration.

Now, people text and e-mail each other. They post their most inner secrets on MySpace and blogs and share their home movies on YouTube. Remember when asking a friend to sit and watch your home movies usually meant the end of that friendship?

The problem many creatives are running into is that business is still a face-to-face enterprise. Texting, blogging and e-mail alone will not land jobs and make you successful.

At the 2007 Comic-Con convention in San Diego, face-to-face contact between artists, writers, fans, retailers and publishers was abundant and successful.

Sending a blind, unsolicited e-mail will never have the same effect as meeting someone in person. Many connections and deals are made on the floor at conventions. I picked up two new retailers for my books while walking the convention floor.

Deal-making happens elsewhere too. The success of face-to-face meetings was clear at the Hyatt Hotel bar, next door to the convention center. Thousands of people connected at the bar each night after the conference closed. Artists, like Mark Sparacio, bought drinks for publishers they were both working with and those they wanted to work for. Other publishers bought them drinks. Deals were made over drinks and conversation.

You may not like the idea of shmoozing, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. People hire their friends and people they know and trust. Trust and friendship don’t build over blind e-mails and resumes sent to Human Resources. Friendships build by having an old-fashioned thing called a “conversation.”

Talking to your friends and asking for introductions works well too.

Years ago I found out that Steven Spielberg was bringing his SeaQuest DSV series to Universal Studios in Orlando. This was a project I really wanted to work on. Science fiction. Spielberg. High-profile NBC series. What’s not to like?

The problem was I didn’t know anyone on the production. Luckily I was already working on the Universal backlot at Nickelodeon. When I heard that the SeaQuest production had moved onto the lot, I called a friend of mine, Patty, who was officed in the same building as the production. I knew that Patty talked to everyone and was likely to have met someone from the production.

Sure enough, Patty had lunch with the construction coordinator of the series, Mike, just the day before. That was perfect, as I had started in the industry doing the same thing and I would have a connection with Mike. I asked Patty if she would introduce me to Mike. Before she could say “No” I ran over to her office.