Going to book events and festivals is a great way to meet people and get inspired. Since I’ve mostly lived near two coastal cities, most of the events and places (which include some pretty cool bookstores) I’ve found are either in New York or San Francisco. Still, a good start! Feel free to add more suggestions in the comments.
New York
- NY Literary Events Calendar
- Slice Literary Writers Conference
- Blue Stockings
- Greenlight Bookstore
- Book Thug Nation
- The Powerhouse Arena
- McNally Jackson Books
- Strand
- Fantastic Fiction at KGB
- Nuyorican Poets Cafe
San Francisco
- San Francisco Book Festival
- San Francisco Writers Conference
- Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair
- Litquake
- San Francisco Books (a list of indie bookstores in the Bay Area)
Another great place to find people to connect with is Meetup, which has thousands of groups who get together for writing.