Five Step Process to Assess and Plan Your Writing Career
April 19th, 2008You 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?
| 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.)