In my last post, I mentioned that during the UW Writers’ Institute this year, Nina Amir closed the weekend with a talk called “Create Your Successful Author Career Plan.” She went through ten (assuming I wrote all of them down fast enough) questions to answer as an author when planning your career. I’ll list them out here, and then I’ll answer them myself.
- What do you want to achieve?
- What are you passionate about?
- What do you feel compelled to do in the world?
- What are your values?
- What topics do you want to write about?
- What theme connects all your books?
- What products and services could you offer?
- How do you want to be known as an author (branding)?
- Do you have a website?
- Do you have a platform?
What do you want to achieve?
My goal is to someday be a profitable author with income enough to cover my extracurricular activities. As a stretch goal, it would match my current income.
What are you passionate about?
Music, writing/the English language, fashion, shopping, friends, and family, trying new things, junk food
What do you feel compelled to do in the world?
Bring people together, whether it’s matchmaking or bringing different groups of friends together. Maybe counterintuitive as a shy person, but it’s what I like to do.
What are your values?
Leisure time, friendship, loyalty, tradition, religion
What topics do you want to write about?
Relationships, matchmaking, concerts, fantasy, Oregon Trail, Titanic, nerds, parenting
What theme connects all your books?
I thought awhile about this, and I came up with “passionate women trying to find balance when all they want to do is shop…or go to concerts.”
What products and services could you offer?
Editing services, formatting services, beta reading, fashion or outfit advice (What? It’s a skill.), possibly branching into girly, concert-related merch.
How do you want to be known as an author (branding)?
I want to produce the Shopaholic books for concertgoers basically. Fun, girly, laid-back, but also flawed and just trying to keep it together and make it work.
Do you have a website?
You’re on it, bucko.
Do you have a platform?
I have a small following that I’m very grateful for on Twitter and Facebook. I should probably be more active on Snapchat.