Defining Your Product

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Morguefile image: http://mrg.bz/e9rsNL

What are you selling? You might say you aren’t selling anything. You are a writer/editor, not a salesperson. Think again. You may be a crafter of great stories, but someone must sell the stories to a magazine or the books to an editor. You may be a crackerjack editor, but how will you get clients if you don’t sell your services?

Notice I used the word “selling” rather than “marketing.” Somehow, in our society, we have come to think of selling as manipulative or dishonorable. Marketing, however, is less offensive because it evokes images of a farmers market or flea market. Buyers cruise among the sellers and choose what they want without pressure, but the vendors who step out of their stalls and interact with prospective customers sell more product. Selling is the end result of marketing. In the words of business writer/speaker Harvey Mackay, “There are no jobs until someone sells something.”

If you’re a freelance writer, editor, or writing coach, someone must sell your product or service. That means you need a marketing plan. If you haven’t read my article on applying the Marketing Mix approach to your marketing plan, take a minute to read it now on the Marketing Mix page. Now, the first step in developing your plan is to define your product.

What Is Your Genre Specialty?

Writers and editors often specialize in one or two genres. It’s hard to achieve excellence in all of them. Within the fiction genre, there are a number of sub-categories. See a list here. The same goes for nonfiction, ranging from simple how-to books to “heavy” academic publications. Take a sheet of paper and mark off four columns, one each for product, promotion, place and price. In the product column, list the genres that you prefer. You might even want to list them in order of your preference. For example, I write and edit articles and devotionals, but my favorite genre is how-to. I would list that first.

Once you’ve identified your product specialty, the next step is to define the quality of the product you offer. The subject of the next post will be Product: Quality Control. If you aren’t already subscribed to this blog, do so now so that you won’t miss the follow-up.

Writing for the Soul

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Probably the most recognized name in Christian publishing is that of Jerry B. Jenkins, author of the Left Behind series and owner of Christian Writers Guild. Although Writing for the Soul was published in 2006, its popularity has not waned. It’s still recommended for beginning writers and published writers alike. Writer’s Digest offers an online course using Writing for the Soul as the textbook. Check it out here.

Because the book has been so popular, reviews are all over the Internet, with twenty on Amazon.com alone. I only add my humble opinion because I think this book is destined to become a classic and because Jenkins has used his fame to become a source of encouragement to other writers.

Jenkins shares his personal writing journey along with plenty of practical, how-to information. He includes anecdotes of his experiences working with famous people like Rev. Billy Graham and several Q & A sections using questions asked of him by others.

Jenkins wants all writers to know that writing is not easy, but it’s worth the effort. Success doesn’t happen overnight, but he encourages you to persist. And, perhaps the most important advice: “Big doors turn on small hinges.” Some of his greatest “breaks” came from small opportunities that came his way. He encourages you to be ready for such happenings in your writing journey.

FREE Software Solution for Writers

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Writers, especially beginning writers, often don’t have money to spend on software and equipment for their writing projects. Experienced writers may get tired of spending money of software upgrades to keep in step with the publishing industry. Microsoft Word has become the standard for the publishing industry, and keeping up with the upgrades is a challenge. The solution? Open Office 3.1.0.

It’s “open source,” which means it’s FREE. It’s a software suite that functions much like MS Office. Included are a word processor (files interchange with Word), spreadsheet (like Excel), presentation software (similar to Powerpoint), database (Access), and a draw program. Video on new features:http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/features/3.1/index.html

Although I have MS Office 2007, I wanted to test-drive Open Office, so I downloaded the suite. Warning: if you decide to download it, give yourself plenty of time. It took my system between 45 minutes and an hour to download everything. I can’t say that I’ve done a complete evaluation, but I wrote this post in OO Writer, and, so far, it seems to work like Word. You’ll need to get used to the toolbars and menus, but that’s a small price to pay for free software, in my opinion. I tested some of my old Excel files on the spreadsheet program, and I had no trouble opening or saving the files after editing them. I don’t use presentation, database, or draw programs much, so I can’t evaluate them. However, you don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s a review from the Computer World blog.http://blogs.computerworld.com/review_of_final_openoffice_3_why_buy_microsoft_office

I asked some of my writer friends for input on Open Office, and I got this from Tracy Crump.

“I began using Open Office when I joined my first online critique group. In my experience, the comments/track changes features, essential for online critiquing, work as well as MS Word although there are some differences. Open Office uses different terms, which may take some getting used to for those accustomed to Word. The comments (or “notes” as they’re called by Open Office) appear as tiny yellow boxes you mouse over to see instead of comment balloons in the margins. I actually like the box method better—the comments only appear as you need them, and it’s easier to tell which part of the sentence it applies to.

The only problem I’ve had with critiquing is that an occasional critiquer’s comments won’t show up as boxes. I get around that by printing out the comments with the “print-options-notes only” feature and compare them by line number. We’ve never determined why some critiquers’ comments don’t show up, but others who use Word have also complained of sporadic problems, especially when using laptops.”

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your software suite, don’t spend any money until you have tried Open Office. You can download it (free) here:http://download.cnet.com/OpenOffice-org/3000-18483_4-10263109.html

PS—-For writing and marketing tips and story call-outs, sign up for Tracy Crump’s FREE e-newsletter, The Write Life, at TracyCrump.com.

 

Update: Google Reader Tutorials Online

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Do you subscribe to blogs by e-mail subscription? If you have too much e-mail already, you might prefer to subscribe in a reader using RSS feed. There’s plenty of information about this on my Subscribing by RSS Feed page, but I just found another great resource I’d like to share with you.

Authortechtips.com has a post with some video tutorials on using Google Reader that are just excellent. Link to the post here.

I’ve recommended Google Reader to people wanting to use RSS feeds because so many people because it’s simple to use and tutorials are not hard to find. If you have a Gmail address, just log in to Gmail and look for the Reader link at the top. If you don’t have Gmail, go to www.reader.google.com to create an account.

Once you set up your Google Reader, come back to this blog and subscribe! Also, see the links to my other blogs in the sidebar to your left.

Marketing and the Greatest Commandment

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Image courtesy of tungphoto/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I have a number of new articles planned for this blog, but, when I ran across this article my Mary DeMuth, I wanted to share it with you.

The Prayer and Paradox Marketing Strategy

After reading Mary’s article, come back here and read (or re-read) my Golden Rule Marketing article. Make some notes on how you can reconcile promoting yourself and your writing with fulfilling the greatest commandment (from which the Golden Rule derives).

The Greatest Commandment: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV).

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Subscribe to this blog by e-mail subscription, and you will be entered in a drawing to receive a free copy of my e-book, A Business Approach to Marketing Your Work (for Freelance Writers and Editors). Deadline to subscribe is midnight, July 31, 2009, and you must subscribe by e-mail to qualify for the drawing.

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Free E-zines for Writers

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Freelance writer Dianne E. Butts regularly publishes an e-zine for writers entitled Dianne

E. Butts About Writing. She includes a variety of articles on writing, a list of conferences, and some marketing recommendations. It’s free, and you can sign up for it on her home page at http://www.dianneebutts.com/. See what others have said about her e-zine here.

Another free e-zine, The Write Life, is produced by Tracy Crump, writer, speaker, and workshop leader. Her newsletter/e-zine includes short marketing or writing tips along with current story callouts for Chicken Soup for the Soul, Cup of Comfort, and other anthologies. Link to back issues and subscribe to the e-zine on her home page.

Writers Conferences: Why-to, How-to

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Have you been to a writers’ conference lately? It’s been about a week since I got back from Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and I’m still working on ideas and leads obtained there.

Why Attend Conferences?

If you’re a writer seeking to get published, you must attend conferences to:

  • Improve your craft through sharing information with other writers and through the workshops offered,
  • Learn how to present your work to editors and agents,
  • Meet editors and agents individually if the conference offers private appointments,
  • Get out of your routine so that your creative juices can begin to flow,
  • Learn marketing techniques for selling your books and articles,
  • Be inspired and/or overwhelmed by the experience.

Beginning writers often fail to understand that the most important information that they gain at conferences is how to market their work. Of course, the other things are important, but marketing is the tool that helps you get your work published. Take a look at the Marketing Mix page for insight.

How Do I Choose a Conference?

Here’s the process I use for deciding which conferences to attend:

  • Search the Web for “Christian writers conference” in my area, or browse the conference list on ChristianManuscriptSubmission.com,
  • Look for conferences being held near where I live,
  • Check the dates and eliminate the ones for which I have conflicts,
  • Examine the faculty list and workshop offerings for people I need to meet and subject matter you need help with,
  • Add up the total cost, including tuition, meals, housing, and travel expenses,
  • Decide which ones I’d like to attend and start working on the arrangements,
  • Pray about my choices and let God guide me as I plan.

I welcome comments on any conferences that my readers may have attended. In the past year, I have attended Indianapolis Christian Writers Conference, the ACW Conference in Memphis, and the one in KY. I’ll post an evaluation of the each conference soon.

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Subscribe to this blog by e-mail subscription, and you will be entered in a drawing to receive a free copy of my e-book, A Business Approach to Marketing Your Work (for Freelance Writers and Editors). Deadline to subscribe is midnight, July 31, 2009, and you must subscribe by e-mail to qualify for the drawing.

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Writers on Writing

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Full title - Writers on Writing: Top Christian Authors Share Their Secrets for Getting Published. Editor, James N. (Jim) Watkins.

If you total up the number of years’ experience represented by the list of contributors to this book, how many do you think it would be? I’m just guessing that, between Dennis Hensley, Cecil Murphey, Sally Stuart, Jerry Jenkins, and editor Jim Watkins, you’d have at least a couple hundred years. It says a lot for these successful writers that they would take time to contribute to a book specifically aimed at helping beginning writers. For me, the preface by Watkins is worth the price of the book.

The book covers every aspect of writing from inspiration to working with an agent and developing a platform. It’s organized in three parts: The Writer, The Craft, and The Business. If you’re a writer who has had no luck getting published, this book is for you. You’ll find plenty of ideas, and you’ll want to read it again periodically as you grow in your craft.

The book is available from Wesleyan Publishing House. Click here.

Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams by Terry Whalin

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When you want to learn how to do something, you want to learn from someone with experience and expertise in the field, right? Well, if you want to know how to get your writing published, I can think of no one more knowledgeable and experienced than Terry Whalin, author of Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams: Insider Secrets to SKYROCKET Your Success.

Terry is a professional writer/journalist who has also been an acquisitions editor and a literary agent. He has written over 60 books, and his articles have appeared in more than 50 magazines. He has recently joined Intermedia Publishing as Vice President and Publisher.

Jumpstart is a writers’ conference in one volume. Whalin provides a complete overview of how the publishing industry works these days. Because so many beginning writers don’t understand the business from the publisher’s point of view, he gives details on book sales to help writers understand why publishers are hesitant to take a chance on a “newbie.”

New writers, if you want a shortcut to getting your work published, you need to read this book carefully and understand that this man knows what he’s talking about.

Published writers, things have changed in the publishing industry in recent years. Maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at how your work fits into today’s publishing scene. Terry’s book can help you do that.

It will be the best money you’ve spent lately. Get more details and/or buy the book here.

Communicate to Change Lives by James Watkins

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Full title is Communicate to Change Lives in Person and in Print by James N. (Jim Watkins). I recommend this book to Christian writers, beginners and published writers alike. It’s like a writer’s workshop and a motivational speech in one volume. Watkins covers all the basics of good communication whether written or spoken. He educates, but he also entertains with his own special brand of humor. I highly recommend it to all who would communicate more effectively. In fact, if you are a Christian writer and if you only buy one book this year, buy this one.

The book is available through Wesleyan Publishing House.

Watkins is a popular speaker at writers conferences. He’s also an editor, a writer, and an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church. Oh, I forgot he’s also a threat to society, according to his Web site.