Last week, I asked you what was at the center of your writing career.
Some people were confused. They responded with their passion, mission, or purpose.
That’s not what I was asking for. What I was asking for is what is at the center of what you OFFER?
In other words the answer is not about you or how you feel about what you offer. The answer is about what OTHERS perceive you offering.
If you are not in business yet, or you are not successful in business yet, it’s going to be difficult to answer this question. Because the question pertains not to what you want to do or hope to do, but what you deliver.
For example, you walk into Starbucks and you perceive them offering espresso because there is a big ol’ espresso machine right there in the middle of the espresso bar. Right?
You hand them money. The barista hands you something with espresso in it. (We’re just going to stick with espresso for now, but we’ll come back to the Chai, Strawberries and Cream, etc. later.)
So whatever you are offering makes a big impression on others too, or at least you hope it does.
For example, I said creating and teaching were at the center of what I offer. I create pieces of writing. I offer them as articles, curriculum, books, blog posts, e-zines, etc. So my espresso, or what’s at the center of all of this, is the creating of pieces of writing, each with a unique purpose and intention. That’s before I even do anything with them. This is what happens first, constantly, and is the key to my humble success.
This is kind of like the way Starbucks creates espresso drinks. Will you look at what they can do?
They can give it to you hot or cold. They can give it to you with milk (or variations of milk). They can give it to you with chocolate or carmel. They can give it to you big or small. They can give it to you straight, with hot milk, steamed milk, or just foam. They can give it to you iced, iced with milk, or whipped with ice and milk-y stuff into a frappé.
Clearly, you can see, when it come to what they do with their espresso, Starbucks is not messing around.
They are going to give it to you exactly the way you want it and this concept is built into their business model. It’s the sheer variety of what Starbucks can do with a shot of espresso that makes them so brilliant as an enterprise.
So.
We come back to you.
Back to question number one: What is at the center of what you offer? (What is your espresso?)
And on to question number two: How many ways are you offering what you offer?
And while we are on the topic, which ways are the most successful for you?
Comments on this entry are closed.
Escape and romance. That's what I want to offer my readers, anyways…and it's at the heart of what I do (writing romance novels). I realize your main topic here is non-fiction writing…I was just intrigued by the question and your posts. Made me stop and think for a long moment. 🙂
As it relates to me, I offer escape and romance in serial novels on my blog & Scribd (soon), guest posts, essays, and recommendations for further reading. Soon I'll be offering my novels for sale as the “main product”. Too early to know which one is more successful…but so far, my blog is the most popular method. Hopefully that will change when I have novels for sale.
Thanks for the thought provoking questions…getting to the heart of things (no pun intended) helps to clarify opportunities for expansion…
Excellent questions. And, I love the coffee analogy–I mean who can't get that? 🙂
I love how you make us cut to the chase.
I offer: encouragement, inspiration, and help to people, with a focus on moms. My spin is being real and cutting through all the fancy, nicey-nicey stuff.
Currently, I offer this in the form of a blog and an e-zine, and I am in the process of writing a book for moms.
I'm a newbie. At this point my blog, Mom Stuff and Just Saying are my most successful projects.
Ha. I'm replying to myself.
My espresso- encouragement.
I think it's perfectly smart for any kind of writer to answer these questions, so good for you, Jamie. And best of luck with your “espresso.” 🙂
And I love how you take yourself through the process, Kathleen. 🙂
Historical fiction is my heart, so it must be my center. I write it. I read it. I love it. I suppose I've always loved stories that began “Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…”
I love the focus of this post. You help so much with the business side of writing, and as a creative person, it's an area I desperately need support. Thanks so much!
Hi Christina,
I love the way you use questions to get to the heart of it. It's like a writing shot-of-espresso in the arm. My writing group finally booted our BabyBlog into cyberspace and while I was hunting down Abigail Green, got lucky and stumbled on your archive with moving directions. I'm so looking forward to getting the newsletter. THX in advance for your free stuff…
What I offer in both my books of poetry, Thread Count (2006) and Telling Tales of Dusk (2009), is a feeling of connection. By sharing my mostly narrative, “story-telling” poetry, much of it influenced by many years of living in the Southern United States, I offer readers the opportunity to tap into their own emotions, stimulated by poetic stories that are universal in their themes–and to experience a sense of connection with those characters and stories. By reading or listening to poetry and other works, we feel less alone in a world that can sometimes feel chaotic and isolating. A good story-teller is more than an entertainer. He or she is a voice for feelings we may be unwilling or unable to express, through the stories they tell–which gives us a sense, as human beings, of community and connection to others. It is even better when I have a chance to actually meet people at poetry readings (which is my most successful way of offering my “expresso”), and other events! So many readers have told me how my poetry has impacted them in positive ways–taking them to places and times in their own lives that they had forgotten or been too busy to contemplate again. And because they feel connected to these poems and often to me, if I meet them, just as I feel connected to the works of other story tellers–it creates a sense of community and belonging that is invaluable to people, in my personal view. Anyway, I do believe that my poetry delivers on this promise of connection, as Telling Tales of Dusk was #8 in the country on Amazon in Feb., 2010. Other ways I offer this connection is through writing to blogs like this one, and writing articles about how poetry impacts lives and even health, which you can find online if you google Terri Kirby Erickson, or look them up on the News page of my website. Thank you for your thought-provoking questions! Joy and blessing, T.K.E.
Thanks for your comment, Erika. 🙂
You are very welcome, Toni. Thanks for swinging by.