A MARKETING PLAN - PART 1

        Every successful business starts with a marketing plan, and your writing business needs one too. For years I have been teaching a plan that has worked to make countless writers successful. You can use the same principles to create a plan that works for you. The plan is not difficult, but it does take time and a commitment to follow it through to success. As long as you have a marketable product, the plan will successfully identify and connect you to your customers.

         If you are just beginning to write for publication, there will be a natural period of exploration where you try a number of different topics or types of writing to discover what you can do best, what sells, what you enjoy, etc. You might start with poetry, then try some short stories, devotionals, children’s material, or feature articles. During that process you will begin to recognize those areas that seem to work best for you, or the ones you feel most comfortable pursuing. This is a process we all go through, and one you won’t want to rush, so don’t feel frustrated if you are not ready yet to take the first step in the plan as presented in the next paragraph. The basic concepts will still work while you are finding your niche.

         For those who are past that beginner phase, it is time to make some decisions about what product you are going to offer. You certainly don’t have to limit it to one area, but it is best if you can focus on two or three specific topics or types of writing. The reason for focusing is so you will ultimately be recognized as an “expert” on certain topics or types of writing. Since the ultimate goal for most of us is to have editors come to us with assignments, we must begin establishing a reputation as a writer with specific skills. If you write on a wide variety of topics and in diverse areas, your name will never be connected to one or more specialties.