Networking and sharing amongst writers is a two-way street. Of course you're happy to help out the colleague who has been there so often with advice or quotes or contacts. And when you've been there to lend a hand to other writers, you're almost by surprised by how happy they are to help you out when you need the email address of an editor, or advice on how to pitch a magazine they've written for.

Sometimes people come along who like the 'take' more than the 'give.' While nobody says that you need to be best friends with all your contacts, they're the ones whose "how are you?" is entirely perfunctory. They have no idea how you are, and don't really care--the only reason they're asking is to make their poking around for assistance seem slightly more social. You've asked them to give you the benefit of their wisdom on a few occasions, but they're too busy to do so. Yet they find the time to ask you to help them out. A few of these emails and it becomes clear: they're networking leeches, under the impression that you're the library, just happily handing out information to all.

It's tempting to tell these people off, or stop contact with them altogether, but that's getting close to burning bridges, which is another networking no-no. On the other hand, you don't want to be a sucker. What do you do? This question was raised at WorldWit, and their resident expert gives some good advice. If you can teach your friends to fish, instead of giving them a fish, then maybe next time you talk to them they can actually help you out with fish of their own. OK, that metaphor is played. Sorry.