This is the fourth and final segment of SWOT  — threats. 

Threats can stem from anywhere.  Threats materialize from environmental conditions, competitors, friends and family, and self. If you can identify threats upfront, most times you will be able to develop strategies to mitigate the threat or turn it around to your advantage.  However, even being proactive, sometimes you cannot see the threat until it is upon you. 

In part I I identified my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and below is the content I considered threats to my writing efforts.

THREATS
Lack of focus. 
Energies too dispersed.
Self confidence 

Obviously, my threats are my own habits.  Did you wonder where I was the last three days?  As much as I hate to admit it, II suffered from a lack of focus.  My energies were too dispersed.  I did, however, start my short story, but stalled out  because of a minor self-confidence issue. 

I could itinerate my excuses. They haven’t changed in 20 years. I decided not to pontificate about my excuses because they are just plain boring.  You, no doubt, know what I am referring to…the millions of little interruptions that steal away our time and skew our attention from the work we know we should be doing.  So, I wrote what I did during the day and asked the question: How does this task get me one step closer to achieving my goal?  Sadly, very little that I accomplished that day got me any closer to my goal. 

Okay, bottom line is that I am a self saboteur.  I should know better.  I’m on auto pilot. I just did it without thinking. I have to work on changing these behaviors, if I am ever going to write. 

And I look at next week’s busy calendar.  I see one writing activity compared to 10 other must do tasks.  This is a beginning, but I know that I have to step up my game, if I am going to move forward.

 

In case you are just joining us, I’m in the midst of of a four part series in discovering who you are as a writer.  We are using SWOT to identify our strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, and threats.  While this exercise is ridiculously simple, it can be challenging because it forces you to look at yourself honestly.  After we compile all this information, it will help develp a game plan for any writing project.  Today we are discussing opportunities. I have been using my life to fill in the blanks, because I am transitioning into a writing career. 

I love opportunities…but one has to realize that most times opportunities don’t just come to you.  While it may seem like you are doing nothing to attract opportunities, you actually are.  However, when you want opportunities to show up in a particular area of your life — such as writing, you need to figure out how you are going to make it happen.

Most often, people can draw something from past experience, friends or skills to create writing opportunities.  A friend’s family runs a local magazine that features book and movie reviews.  While this isn’t directly in the ball park of novel writing, it may provide a stepping stone when the editor asks for clips.  You will also get a glimpse of the writing world.   Writing a couple of articles gives you credibility.  It looks good in the proposal.  It looks as if you are serious about writing…and of course, you are.

In my SWOT analysis, here’s what’s in the Opportunity box.

OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunity to meet many people where I work
Member of a Writing Group
Contacts at colleges where I attended
Understanding how to use the Internet and viral marketing as a tool

What I need to do is keep up with the email lists, stay active and make sure I connect with people that I may share things in common. I also need to work on other avenues to develop activities because this is not going to be enough to establish a good contact base for marketing endeavors (meaning the novels yet to be written).

My immediate action plan? I need to get folders set up for each of these areas of opportunity. When I have an idea to expand and broaden the area, I make notes to remind me what stage I am on the development. Always put down what you did and what you are going to do with a date. When your life becomes overwhelming and/or old age besets your memory, this will help you not squander time looking for stuff or redoing tasks already done.

One last note: If you stay at your computer and write without mingling and establishing relationships, you are closing your door to potential opportunities. It sounds regimented, but if you are the passionate type that prefers to stick your nose to the grindstone until the project is over, you will probably need more balance to keep your sanity. It will also keep the low and high peaks of any career at a minimum. To do that means to change your behaviors slightly. If you do a daily calendar, you can map out when you should write, do admin work, network, and relax. You need to nourish your whole self, not just the creative part.

My plan for tomorrow is to not blog my threats (last segment of the series) until I start my short story.

Tonight we are going to talk about weaknesses. This is part of the SWOT analysis explained in a posting dated 4/19/2008.  The W stands for itinerating your weaknesses.  I know that we all know what we are weak in, but if you write it down, the cumulative picture shifts a bit.  You will see yourself slightly differently and begin to connect these weaknesses with other events in your life.  Since I am sharing, I have listed my weaknesses in regard to my writing goals.  You may realize that these very same weaknesses may appear in other areas of your life as well. 

WEAKNESSES

Need more fiction writing time
Easily distracted by family and responsibilities
Too eager to help others
To-Do List is overwhelming

For a long time I’ve been trying to work this out.  Obviously, I am my own worst enemy.   I have no one to blame but myself.  I look at this weakness list with more clarity.  I don’t want it to be me, but it is me.  I have drifted through life, not paying enough attention.  I compounded these weaknesses with a cardinal error. I kept telling myself that in a couple of years, life will be more settled and I will have time to write. Don’t believe it. It doesn’t work that way. Action, even the smallest amount, consistently performed toward a goal is what yields achievement.

So, here’s what I learned from the list above:

1. I should have set aside time to write consistently. The same spot every day at the same time, even it is for a very short time.

2. I should have learned to say NO on occasion.

3. I should have learned to delegate tasks.

4. I needed to push my writing time to the top of the priority to-do list.

Here’s the hard part. I’m going to have to change my behavior to overcome these weaknesses. This is no small feat. But if I change one thing, maybe it will make a noticeable difference? The next thing I need to do is create an action plan to resolve these weaknesses.

1. I have to ask myself every time a task sits before me: To which of my goals will this task advance along? If it isn’t advancing my writing or the top 4 goals, then I have to ask myself “Can this be done at some other time? Or does it have to be done at all? And if it does need to be completed, can anyone else do it?”

2. I have to talk to my family and win there support verbally. This will make for less problems in the long run, if my new schedule should cause the family stress.

3. I am getting out a grid to schedule what my days are like. Write in colors. The visual cues of daily chore will help move your writing project toward completion. You assign a time to write. The empty space on the grid calls for you to claim writing time. Because this time will be sandwiched between two other engagements, you will make this time very productive.

4. I have many years of unconstructed behaviors. There will be the occasional lapses into being too nice…and you will notice it, because suddenly you have stopped writing.

I will post this now, but I’m thinking that I will also share with you my time schedule, so you will see how I needed to fit writing time in.  A visual calendar is a good way to keep you on track. 

Next we will see what opportunities awaits me. How can I use that to my advantage?

In my last post, I invited everyone to join me as I begin the journey of crafting my writing talent into a business.  I discussed the definition of SWOT in fleshing out my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.  We are going to take this information now and see how this information is useful.

STRENGTHS:  Strengths are always easy to work with because they are what we do best.  It is easy to be enthused, proud of your talents.  When you list your strengths in regard to your writing, you will see the talent you have that you have not tapped into yet.  Use those abilities to augment your chances of achievement.  For example: For years I have known that these were my strengths, but I never looked at them as a whole and think…hmmm…if I were counseling someone, what do all these strengths add up to?  What career am I going to be successful based on the list below?

In my case, I see it as a slam dunk.  These traits scream some kind of technical or business writer.  And what does my blog gravitate toward?  The business, more formal side of writing.  

Yet my goal is fiction —to write a novel.  180 degrees opposite of my skill set.  In further analyzing this information, it is obvious that the technical, more formal writing is my sweet spot.  Like the comedian who wants to be a dramatic actor, or the basketball player who wants to play football, human beings want to be what they are not naturally.  I think it is the thrill of the challenge and the adrenalin rush of achievement that drives us. 

And so, tomorrow I will examine my weaknesses and figure out how I can take action to be more efficient and take back some of those squandered hours and write.

Please feel free to share or comment.  Or jump in with a question.

STRENGTHS Writing ability Good foundation in research Computer literate Good imagination Marketing skills Small business management knowledge Analytical	WEAKNESSES Need more fiction writing time Easily distracted by family and responsibilities Too eager to help others To-Do List is overwhelming
OPPORTUNITIES Opportunity to meet many people where I work Member of a Writing Group Contacts at colleges where I attended Understanding how to use the Internet and viral marketing as a tool	THREATS Lack of focus.  Energies too dispersed. Self confidence

Figuring out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) posed may position you to achieve your goal sooner, better or easier.  This is because now you are able to clearly assess where you are and take a more clear cut action plan to get you your results. 

Okay, I know what you are thinking.  Why don’t you just write and see what comes of it?  You can do it that way, but I want to make this a career change.  In order to do that, it is best to have a plan.  If you plan to earn a living as a writer, you need to treat this as a business.  Some people are lucky.  They have contacts.  They are at the right place at the right time.  But if you are like me, I don’t have those contacts.  I live in an area that takes pride in the fact that it is a bio sciences community…(yeah, great backdrop to a novel, but I am not really part of the bio community). 

Above all, more than creating strategy, what will propel you forward is excellent writing with a unique viewpoint/plot.  If it is good, it will eventually find its way to the marketplace.  Good planning strategies can sell average quality novels.  Good planning may catapult excellent writing.  And if you are planning to make this your bread and butter, I’m sure you would much rather get paid now as opposed to having your estate receive your royalties.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I know what I should do, but have not taken the time to implement it in my own life.  So, as I discover who I am, so will you.  Before I create my SWOT for transitioning into a fiction writer, let’s be very clear about my goal.

Goal:  To become a fiction writer by end of the year 2009.

Is this specific?  Yes
Is this measurable?  Yes.  Measurable in the sense that the number of written pages will indicate progress.
Is this attainable?  Yes.  It requires discipline and focus.
Is this realistic:  Yes, because I have the education and have been writing for many years…just not fiction
Is there a time frame:  Yes.  (I need a deadline otherwise I get derailed too easily.  If you are working a full time job, this time frame becomes even more imperative, because your time is limited.)

SWOT

STRENGTHS Writing ability Good foundation in research Computer literate Good imagination Marketing skills Small business management knowledge Analytical	WEAKNESSES Need more fiction writing time Easily distracted by family and responsibilities Too eager to help others To-Do List is overwhelming
OPPORTUNITIES Opportunity to meet many people where I work Member of a Writing Group Contacts at colleges where I attended Understanding how to use the Internet and viral marketing as a tool	THREATS Lack of focus.  Energies too dispersed. Self confidence

In the next post I will create an action plan to make the most of my strengths and opportunities and strategies to turn my weaknesses and threats into an advantage.

You probably are wondering why I can’t get my act together and here I am giving advice.  Good question.

 

My career experience has been an integration of sales, marketing, writing, teaching, and observation.  For the past 15 years or so, I’ve listened to financial experts help launch small businesses; I’ve watched webinars on everything from self assessment and motivation to learning how to target the people you want as clients; and   I’ve read numerous books on management, record keeping, controls, tax help, etc.

 

Intellectually I know what has to be done to succeed.  Emotionally, I always put my family first and there’s the rub.  I’m like the carpenter whose home has lots of trim work left to do because the carpenter is too busy fixing other people’s houses.

 

Follow me, and we will work through the SWOT chart together.

 

Step #1:  Determine the weaknesses in your ability as a writer.

Step #2:  What part of the writing process do you like the best?  What are you particularly good at?

Step #3:  Check out the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) chart below.  This is not my invention.  Businesses have been using this for years. 

Step #4:  Copy this chart and fill in the boxes with your assessment.

Step #5:  Put an X  by those items that you do not like doing.  Okay, as a business person, a person who writes for compensation, your success lies in how much you know about yourself and what is your game plan in dealing with weaknesses and threats and exploiting your strengths and opportunities.  Are you planning to learn how to do the task?  Or is it worthwhile to pay a professional to manage that end for you? 

 Sample SWOT Analysis 

STRENGTHS Dramatic storytelling Bigger than life characters Good determination Great ideas and vision	WEAKNESSES No marketing plan Networking Writing dialogue No filing system No writing support group Need better computer and office space
OPPORTUNITIES Great researcher A people person Know people in publishing industry Website	THREATS Lack of self-esteem Lack of time Unable to say NO to family requests Lack of organization

 

Your next step is putting this information together.  This will help you get a handle on areas of needed improvement and the foundation for your marketing plan. 

 

The chart above is a sample.  In the next week, I will develop my SWOT analysis  See how this is eventually incorporated into a marketing plan. (This is the groundwork for your proposals to literary agents and publishing houses.)

I am procrastinating again. My goal is to write a short story by May 1…well, finish the rough draft at least. Not a tall order when you consider that the outline is sketched out and the characters are already moving around in my head. However, I have yet to get beyond “Let me put in a load of wash first,” “I just have to take the dog out and then I’ll be good.”

Oh and my utmost favorite distraction: “I’ll make lunch first so I won’t have to get up to eat in the middle of a thought.” And you know that I probably will get up anyway. I certainly don’t need to eat if I’m not hungry. No one can accuse me of starving myself.

So, on my way to my other self sabotaging behavior —reading and responding to emails, I paused and read a couple of Randy Ingermanson’s archived ezines. (www.advancedfictionwriting.com) Randy is an ex-physicist turned novelist and writing pundit. One article that particularly interested me was Organizing: Habits, Interruptions, and Achievements. This echoed similar sentiments in my last post. So, if you are having trouble, as I am, getting to down to the business of writing, read this:

    In a recent comment on my Advanced Fiction Writing

Blog, one of my loyal blog readers asked about the time

management system that I’ve been using, the Simpleology

system, which you can learn more about here:

http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com/links/s101.php

    This system encourages you to dream big — to define

what your ideal life would be like. You can make a list

of as many things as you want, and they can be anything

you want. Paying off the mortgage. Climbing Mount

Everest. Running a marathon. And, oh yeah, writing a

novel and getting it published.

    HOWEVER, this time management system only allows you to

choose ONE “long-term target,” ONE “medium-term

target,” and ONE “short-term target” at a time.

    Isn’t that rather limiting? Don’t I get frustrated with

that restriction? Wouldn’t it be better if I could

focus on as many targets as I felt like?

    My answers are yes, yes, and no.

    Yes, it’s a limitation on myself to have only one

“target” at a time. Yes, that’s frustrating. No, it

wouldn’t be better to focus on multiple targets at

once.

    That’s not focus. Focus is when you have only one

“target” at a time. Anything else is being out of

focus.

    Those limitations are directly due to a very real

limitation on all of us — time. Each of us gets only

24 hours per day. And worse, most of that is already

spoken for. So the actual time we have in any given day

for reaching for our dreams may be very small. It might

be an hour or two some days (if we’re lucky). It might

be no time at all other days.

    What’s a big-dreaming writer to do?

    That brings me to the title of this article. I’d like

to define three different ways we can spend our time:

on habits, on interruptions, and on achievements. Let’s

talk about each of those in turn.

    Habits are things we do routinely that we’ve mastered.

They may be easy to learn or they may be hard to learn,

but we’re good at them and we execute them routinely

without a lot of intellectual energy.

    Flossing is a habit. Driving to work is a habit.

Answering email is a habit. For many writers, producing

X words per day is a habit.

    Notice that these aren’t everybody’s habits. For some

people, these are major achievements. But many people

have mastered each of these and they do them routinely

without thinking much about them.

    Interruptions are things that pop up every day that

MUST be dealt with NOW. They’re not things that happen

routinely, and so they may take a bit more effort to

deal with.

    Getting the brakes fixed is an interruption. So is the

annual income tax grind. Answering the telephone is an

interruption.

    Interruptions can be good, of course. That phone call

might your agent calling to let you know that you sold

your novel. That’s great, but it’s still an

interruption and it still extracts mental energy from

you.

    Achievements are things we want to do that are worth

doing but require serious commitment for an extended

period of time. You often have to learn a new skill or

expend enormous amounts of intellectual energy.

    Paying off the mortgage is an achievement. So is

scaling Everest for the first time. Or running your

first marathon. Or publishing your first novel.

    Notice that while doing something the first time is

often a major achievement, doing it a second time may

be merely a habit.

    That’s a very important point, and it cuts to the heart

of the matter. Part of success in life means focusing

on one achievement until you reach it the first time.

After that, doing it again may be much, much easier –

so easy that it can correctly be called a habit.

    That is the answer to the problem of “I have so many

things I want to achieve, so why can’t I focus on

several of them at once?”

    You can do whatever you want in life. But if you have a

major achievement, then you are most likely to reach it

by focusing all your available energy on it (for a

time) until you reach that goal. Then, having mastered

that skill, doing it the second time will become far

easier.

    There remains the question of balance. There are things

you pretty much have to do every day. These are

generally either habits or interruptions. Since you

have to do them, my (excellent) advice is that you

should do them.

    On a bad day, that will leave no time to spend on

trying to reach your dream. Tough beans. Some days are

like that. There are one or two days every week when I

end up expending every minute on the routine stuff or

on putting out fires (or both). Life happens.

    On a good day, you’ll have time left over to spend on

those pesky achievements. You can split that time, or

you can focus it. I think you should focus it.

    Focus means applying your time, energy, and money on

ONE achievement to the exclusion of all others. Focus

is risky, because you might fail. But focus is smart

because it gives you the highest chance of success.

    Diamonds are forever, but focus isn’t. When you focus

on one achievement, you are promising yourself that

you’ll actually reach your goal in a finite amount of

time.

    When you achieve something, you may very well be able

to turn that into a routine habit, which doesn’t take

much mental energy. (It may still take time, but the

important thing is that you’ll be able to do it far

easier the second time than the first.)

    Then you can focus on some new achievement. That’s how

successful people operate.

    Finally, let’s ask which are most important — habits,

interruptions, or achievements? My answer is that they

are all roughly equally important. If you allocate time

for all three of them, you’ll thrive.

    What achievements do you have on tap for this year?

That depends on who you are and where you are in your

writing career. Here are some possible achievements you

might want to focus your energy on:

* Learning to write a good scene

* Learning to create a memorable character

* Learning to structure a novel

* Mastering dialogue

* Developing a strong proposal

* Going to your first writing conference

* Finding an agent

* Selling your first novel

* Marketing your novel successfully

Each of these is a major achievement the FIRST time you

do it. After that, it’s just a good habit.

Which ONE of these will you focus on next?

I have to admit that I’m a veteran when it comes to putting my family, my job, my responsibilities before writing.  I am the type of person who needs at least two hours to write.  I need to get my thoughts organized, remember who is doing what with whom and why in my stories.  As you can tell, I’m not the off-the-cuff writer.  I wish I was.  However, I have learned much from my detours. 

1.  Learn to say NO. When the kids call, the spouse or partner wants you to join them, when the telephone rings, you need to say NO.  It is especially hard when you have always been accessible.  It gets easier though.  You have to train your family that whatever hour or two per day or per week you claim to be writing time, you stick to it as best you can.  If you cave, so will your chances of ever getting some quiet time will fade.  Your family will still love you if you say go away.

2. Have a plan.  Plan your writing periods like you would a meeting or an appointment with the dentist.  If you have to cancel, reschedule immediately.  Waiting later and you will miss your writing session altogether.  Prioritize so that you don’t meander off course.  If you have never harnessed your energies with a game plan, once you have one, you will notice how much more efficient you have become.

3.  Simpleology.com.  Use the program to help you stay focused and on target if necessary. www.simpleology.com

4.  Find a mentor.  Actually I was looking for a person to keep me to my deadlines.  A mentor can give you feedback and can help you spin plotlines or just cheer you on.  I wouldn’t recommend a family member though.  It can be emotionally hard if you ask them to critique your work. 

5.  Find a writing group.  This could keep you inspired and motivated …or it can make you puke.  Yes, well run writing groups are great.  Poorly run ones are trying.  Remember busy people don’t have time to waste on chatting on topics other than writing.

6. Read authors in your genre.  Reading published novels can help your writing in so many ways. It can inspire, help bring out your creativity, teach you how to accomplish certain effects such as transitioning, pacing and diction, and can be relaxing.

7. Read writing related blogs and technique books.   I write this with some reservation.  Reading how to books can be addicting.  You might read and never actually do any writing.  Blogging and reading other writing related websites can  help you, but remember, it is a distraction too.  It isn’t actually working on your project directly.  So this suggestion requires you use some discernment and discipline.

8.   Try to keep your writing area relatively uncluttered.  Messy people say that when their space is disorganized, or in controlled chaos, it shows that they are creating.  This is a myth.  You work better when only the project before you is on your desk or table.  Clutter is distracting.  I think it mirrors how you approach life.  If your space is cluttered, so is your efficiency.  You are so scattered that you probably have trouble finishing any one task.

9.  Don’t always attack the small tasks and save the larger tasks for later.  I’ve noticed that when you always delay working on the larger tasks, they somehow get moved onto the next day’s agenda, and then the next. And well, sometimes they never get done.  Also, use time lines for your goals.  It helps organize when you are going to do what.  It will also help you prioritize.

10.  And if you aren’t doing well with your goals, remember to keep the goals realistic.  Instead of punishing yourself for not making your deadlines, institute a reward system for yourself.  For example, if I finish the rough draft of chapter one, then I will go to the movies.  I’d say buy yourself something, but heaven knows that some of us have more than enough stuff in our homes. 

I’m struggling with meeting my goals.  So, if you have a goal, send it to me.  Make yourself accountable.  According to Julia Cameron, a tv writer and author of the books The Artist’s Way and Vein of Gold, if you write it down…you are commiting to yourself and to the Universe that this is what you want to happen.  I think she said that if you write a list of things you want to accomplish and attach it to a timeline, you can look back and see that you accomplished most of the items on the list.  The trick is that you cannot stay on idle.  You need to put your skills into gear.  

We all have goals whether we a conscious of them or not.  Every time you write a list of things you have to do, you are goal setting.  When you verbally share your dreams or plans with someone, you are establishing goals. 

However, setting goals for a larger project takes more forethought.  I have no idea who came up with this material, because I learned it many years ago in school. 

Good goals are structured. They are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.   We set goals for ourselves all the time and never breakdown the mechanics to see if that goal is going to be successful.  Okay, say you are out of milk.  Your goal is to pick up milk some time during the day.  

Specific:  Pick up what?  Milk.
Measurable:  How much?  Whatever suits your needs.  Say one gallon.
Attainable:  Yes, as long as you can remember to do it.
Realistic:  Yeah, you do it several times a month.
Timely: Okay, you need to do it today if you want to make a cake for junior’s birthday.

The goal is simple, so therefore, you don’t have to break it down like this.  However, on bigger goals, breaking down and analyzing the goal identifies what has to be done by when. You then become more focused on achieving the goal.

Let’s review what each of these components are:

Specific:  You have a greater chance in accomplishing your goal if you can identify the goal using the six W questions journalist use in the top couple paragraphs of their stories.  Who are we talking about?  What is it that you hope to accomplish?  Where is it going to take place?  When exactly will it take place or when will the goal be completed?  You might need to establish a time line.  Which identifies restraints or requirements needed to execute the actions toward completing the goal.  Why motivates you to take action.  Here you give reasons and benefits of your goal.

Measurable:  You need to establish concrete criteria for measuring your progress and the steps toward completing the goal.  Tracking target dates is a good example.  It can keep you moving forward and motivated.

Attainable:  When you identify goals, you start putting together an action plan.  You begin to understand the resources necessary to achieve goals and either learn new skill sets, if necessary, or find others to help you.  Is this goal attainable?  Can you achieve this goal by yourself or will you need to solicit help from others?

Realistic:  Is your goal realistic?  If you have never published, is it realistic that you will land a writing assignment from Cosmopolitan or Smithsonian magazines?  Highly unlikely, but not impossible.  This example is more realistic for someone who has published in similar publications or has relevant knowledge and writing experience on a particular subject.  If you had a goal to write for major magazines, you would have to do some ground work first.  You might analyze back issues to see what kinds of articles are published.  Who are the target audiences?  What is the magazine’s tone?  What would they be looking for?  Then, you would have to try to get published in more local, lesser known publications to beef up that credential that you should be writing for so and so magazine.

Timely:  Goals should have a time frame.  This is important because without deadlines, goals, especially larger ones, can get derailed.  Time frames force your brain to focus on the tasks at hand.  The pressure to achieve within a set duration keeps the project moving forward. 

My short term goal is to write a short story within the next 30 days.  My long term goal is to begin my novel.  My plan is to complete the first draft of my novel by this time next year.

What are your writing goals for 2008?   They say that writing your goals down is one step closer in accomplishing them.  So, if you feel like sharing, leave a comment.

                                    

You are the reader.  You are in a book store with a $20 bill.  Of course, whatever book you select, you want it to be compelling.  You want the best novel, let’s say, in the horror genre.  You want the writer to carry you into his/her world and make chills go up your spine.  You don’t want to settle because the one thing you love is page turning stories. 

How does the position writer himself to the reader to communicate that his novel is the best, worthy of the reader’s $20 and time?

One way for the writer to make the connection is to create a unique value position or UVP.  Very simply, UVP is communicating what you do best —- communicating your value.

If you have ever watched a someone sell a product to a stranger, he will give the 30 second elevator pitch.  This is one sentence that tells who you are, what you are selling or what you are about.  The pithy sentence should hook the stranger into asking for more details, thus making a connection and the start of a relationship.  If a salesperson can’t say it in 30-seconds, he may lose the stranger’s interest.

Writing a good elevator pitch is similar to writing a UVP; both are harder than you think.  Before a writer starts writing his novel, he needs to think about the following elements and wrap it into a tight sentence or two. 

1. Identification your target market.
2.What the reader will get out of your novel
3. A brief description of your novel (s).
4.  Why your book is unique in the marketplace or what is the perceived value.

Here are a couple of examples:

Stephen King: Master writer whose dreams keep us up all night.

Amy Tan: Asian novelist swept up in the  generational differences in the Asian culture.

Benefits of writing a UVP

1.  It identifies your unique position as a writer and how you may be different from other writers.
2.  This helps readers understand what you are about and thereby establishing a fan base.
3.   It helps you craft a series of novels in a particular genre…
4.   It establishes your goal, your focal point, so whatever UVP you write, you must have  passion to sustain you.
5.  If you want to make writing your career, one that pays, all your writing efforts should be centered around your UVP.  This will jumpstart your career direction and you will be surprised that identifying who you are and what you intend to write will bring you amazing success much sooner than had you not finished a UVP.  This is creating your own brand (we’ll discuss this later).

If you are a professional, your readers will expect you to deliver the same genre and writing quality in every book you publish.  Writing a good UVP will make it happen.

Write a unique value position and send it here or email them to me.  With your permission we can review them.