5 Areas To Help Authors Consider Their Personal "State Of The Union"
On Tuesday, those of us in the US listened to President Obama deliver his State Of The Union address to the people and the joint session of Congress. The US Constitution directs the president to deliver a State Of The Union to Congress "from time to time."
A state of the union is an important message designed to take stock of where we are, and as tradition has it, where we need to go. As authors, when was the last time you thought about your "State Of The Union," or your "State Of The Author?"
In this blog, we focus on giving tips to help you with your marketing message. But there are other things that you need to contemplate to get a clear picture of where you are in order to help you know where you need to go. Here are a few things I'd suggest you think about as you consider your "State Of The Author":
1. Where am I in my marketing plan?- Have you outlined a marketing plan? Are you achieving your goals? Do you see opportunities for changes with your plan? Are you treading water or making progress?
2. Where am I with my writing goals?- I mentioned in a recent post that the main thing that writers do is write. Are you getting too caught up with writing related activities that your writing is suffering? Do you need to work in more writing time for yourself or are you pleased with the time you have devoted to actually writing?
3. Where am I with my learning activities?- In my opinion, writers need to continue to learn their craft. Are you happy with the books you've read on the craft of writing? How about the classes you have taken to help you hone your writing skills? Do you feel like you have fed your need to learn well?
4. Am I as well-read as I need to be?- Part of the creative process is to read other authors. What have you read as a non-fiction writer to help you see what other experts in your field are saying? What novels have you read to help you add to your literary experience?
5. Am I making/maintaining networking relationships?- Writing can be a very lonely activity, so it's important we seek out relationships to help us walk that lonely road. Have you been active with a local writing group? Do you have online writing friends that you keep in touch with on a regular basis?
These are 5 areas that are great for us to take stock of "from time to time." By taking an honest look at where we are as authors, we will be in a better position to know where we need to go in the coming year.
And if you are looking to take immediate action on your learning activities or becoming a deeper well-read author, might I suggest my new Kindle versions of my novel, The Samson Effect, and my instructional book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests?
A state of the union is an important message designed to take stock of where we are, and as tradition has it, where we need to go. As authors, when was the last time you thought about your "State Of The Union," or your "State Of The Author?"
In this blog, we focus on giving tips to help you with your marketing message. But there are other things that you need to contemplate to get a clear picture of where you are in order to help you know where you need to go. Here are a few things I'd suggest you think about as you consider your "State Of The Author":
1. Where am I in my marketing plan?- Have you outlined a marketing plan? Are you achieving your goals? Do you see opportunities for changes with your plan? Are you treading water or making progress?
2. Where am I with my writing goals?- I mentioned in a recent post that the main thing that writers do is write. Are you getting too caught up with writing related activities that your writing is suffering? Do you need to work in more writing time for yourself or are you pleased with the time you have devoted to actually writing?
3. Where am I with my learning activities?- In my opinion, writers need to continue to learn their craft. Are you happy with the books you've read on the craft of writing? How about the classes you have taken to help you hone your writing skills? Do you feel like you have fed your need to learn well?
4. Am I as well-read as I need to be?- Part of the creative process is to read other authors. What have you read as a non-fiction writer to help you see what other experts in your field are saying? What novels have you read to help you add to your literary experience?
5. Am I making/maintaining networking relationships?- Writing can be a very lonely activity, so it's important we seek out relationships to help us walk that lonely road. Have you been active with a local writing group? Do you have online writing friends that you keep in touch with on a regular basis?
These are 5 areas that are great for us to take stock of "from time to time." By taking an honest look at where we are as authors, we will be in a better position to know where we need to go in the coming year.
And if you are looking to take immediate action on your learning activities or becoming a deeper well-read author, might I suggest my new Kindle versions of my novel, The Samson Effect, and my instructional book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests?
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