The online diary of a dreamer creating Contemporary Romantic Fiction - because Every Woman needs Love and Laughter in her Life.

Tuesday 6 November 2007

Where Do You Want to Go?


Career Week. Writing as a Business. Some questions.


QUESTION TWO. What is your Vision for your Business?

Yes, I know this sounds terribly American and ‘Business-speak’ but it does make sense to think through what you want in your life and your work.

In this context ‘Vision’ means asking hard questions about:

*Where do I want to be in two years from now? Five years? Ten years?
*How far do I want to go?
*How big do you want to be?

Let your imagination go wild.

For example:
* Do you want to write one single title book a year?
* Or three short category books a year? Or five?
* Or both? Or non-fiction and fiction?
* Or one blockbuster thriller every two years?

How far do you want to go? RITA winner? Paperbacks on supermarket shelves? Or not? It does not matter where you see yourself going – as long as you CAN see it.
Only you can decide that.

These flippant questions actually link to a far more fundamental one.

Why do you want to be published?

*Personal Validation? To feel significant as an individual?
*Validation as a creative person and writer?
*Validation of your talent and skill or knowledge to others?
*Because you want to hold a book you have written in your hot little hands and send copies to the people who said that you were bound to be a writer some day/ that you were a talentless fool who should stay quiet and keep serving fries?
*Because you want to tell tales and your stories to be read?


For me, the answer to that question will set the answers to the others. This is also the question some agents ask prospective clients in order to determine whether that author has a career plan and is someone they can work with in a win/win partnership.
It always makes me think hard. How about you?


What's playing on my YouTube right now? Nothing. Listening to CD of Andrea Bocelli.

4 comments:

Melissa Blue said...

Did you do this workshop at RWA conference?

Anyway, I did this right after I was offered a contract. I realized I hadn't thought past getting published. The questions became what did I want for my career.

So I'll be staying tuned to see what else I can think about.

Ray-Anne said...

Hi Mel and welcome.
Me? RWA Conference?
I am so not worthy - just another aspiring pre-published writer who is working through her angst in her blog.
I come from a business and tekkie background so all of this is familiar to me in many respects - but with a writer's slant on it.
I would be thrilled if you found it thought provoking.
Only good times ahead, LOL Ray-Anne

Nell Dixon said...

My agent asked me many of these questions and I was glad I'd given it some thought before we spoke.

Ray-Anne said...

Waves at Nell.
As always you are ahead of the game girl.
I heard this at a conference from Carole Blake [ Blake Friedman is a big London Agency] who wrote the excellent 'From Pitch to Publication' Book on how agents and the trade works.
The last thing she needs is a 'One Book Author' when she is going to invest her reputation and time and money on a writer.
So yes, I agree with you, worth spending time thinking about up front.