OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
We spend a lot of time in the minutiae of what we do, slaving over word choice, trying to hit a word count goal, counting individual sales.
But sometimes it's important to step back and evaluate the bigger picture. In today's article, Shannon from Duolit helps us do exactly this.
Few things in the career of an indie author are certain.
But I guarantee, at some point in your journey (probably more than once), you will come to a major crossroads. With each foot angled in a different direction, you will have to make a decision before you take your next step.
How will you decide where to go?
In the business world, corporations of all sizes look to their company mission statement as a guidepost for important decisions. When things get muddy, a good mission statement gives clarity to the company’s purpose. It’s like a cliff’s notes guide and a compass wrapped in one convenient package.
So why don’t you have one?
Authors are entrepreneurs in their own right, which means we should use the same set of tools any other business would use to move toward the company’s goals.
Putting together a mission statement doesn’t take a long time. All you have to do is answer a couple of quick questions, then take your answers and work them into a short paragraph.
Question 1: What do you do?
Don’t just say “I write” or “I am an author.”
NO! What do you DO? What is the BIG picture of what happens when you sit down and write?
Do you give life to some incredible characters? Are you the architect of another universe? Do you give a voice to the unheard? Use those creative juices to really describe (in a few words) what it is you do.
Question 2: Who do you do it for?
It’s time to talk about your readers. Who are they?
Don’t use those canned marketing terms like “20 – 30 year olds who like science fiction.” Give dimension to your readers, give them personalities and faces.
Say something like, “People who want to escape this world and explore another.”
Question 3: Why are you different?
What is your most unique attribute?
It might be your perspective, your experience, your technique or your characters. Something about your writing is different from every other person who’s ever put pen to paper. That one little attribute is what will connect you with your readers, so it’s critical.
Dig deep, find that special streak, and put it in writing.
Question 4: Where are you going?
What are your goals as an author?
Do you want to create one long-running series? Or is your primary objective to create quality artistic pieces? Or maybe your goal is to put write short stories?
Whatever your destination is, it needs to go in the mission statement. That way, when you reach the crossroads, you can eliminate any option that doesn’t lead to your ultimate goal.
Question 5: How are you going to get there?
You’ve got a plan in mind, right?
It can be a little general, but you should have an idea of how you’re going to reach your ultimate goal. Whether it’s eventually getting to traditional publishing, or being a resourceful, social media-savvy indie, you need to ask yourself what path or vehicle is going to get you where you want to go.
If you’re not sure about the specifics yet, focus on the skills you have that can help you reach your objective. Perseverance, self-discipline and hard work are all valuable tools in any indie tool box.
Bringing it all together
Once you’ve answered each of the above questions in a short sentence, you should be able to put all five together into one cohesive paragraph – your new mission statement.
Next time you’re unsure about which path to take in your indie author career, you’ll be able to look at your mission statement and find the compass to guide your steps.
If you’ve got a minute, I’d love to hear your mission statement (Or if you’ve got less than a minute, just one of your answers to the questions above!). Please do leave a comment below and join the conversation.
Shannon (The Author) blogs, tweets, eats, and sleeps book promotion along with Toni (The Geek) at Duolit (The Self-Publishing Team).
Jumpstart your novel sales with a free copy of The Weekend Book Marketing Makeover – an introvert-friendly approach to finding your crazy-dedicated fanbase!
Top image: Flickr Creative Commons F Delventhal
Nice post. Worth reading. Enjoyed.
Thanks Joanna.
Hi Liton! Glad you enjoyed the post :- )
Very motivating. I had only thought of mission statements in terms of my other business but have just started work on my author mission as a result of reading your article; thank you.
Hi Eileen! Glad you’ve started work on your author mission statement, I think it’s definitely a valuable business tool for us authors to use! 🙂
Great post, sometimes you need to reflect on things and question yourself on where you’re going/what you’re doing before continuing.
Exactly, Gary! It’s a good way to hit the pause button and re-evaluate where we are and where we want to go. Refocusing will also give you more energy and a renewed passion to move forward with your project. Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Thanks for this; I found it really useful. I think I’ve got 1, 2, and 4…but 3 and 5 are going to take a lot more work.
Awesome Alex! Yes, definitely take some time to think about some of the questions. You want to find as much clarity as possible. Glad you found the mission statement a useful tool! 🙂
The most powerful thing I learned from a TED talk. Start with the words “I believe.” Find people who believe what you do and they will become clients.
Hi Derek! Wow, that’s a great approach — I like starting with “I believe” — I think it helps convey your vision and passion all in one. Awesome idea (gotta love those TED talks!) thanks for sharing. 🙂
Interesting post – had all the mission statement stuff in my college business courses, and DUH never once thought of applying it to myself. A lot to think about. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it Susan! There’s definitely a ton of business tools out there for us to use, the mission statement is just the tip of the iceberg. 🙂
As an escapee from the Exec Suite, I’ve been allergic to mission statements ever since Scott Adams (Dilbert) posed as a fake management consultant to get Logitech execs to stand on tables, sing songs, and produce a (stupid) mission statement that actually… sounded like everyone else’s (stupid) mission statement. But I found the questions posed in this post worth answering, if only for my personal use.
As I should have said long before this, your blog is a well of amazing, fantastic, incredibly helpful advice. I can’t thank you enough for sharing so generously!
I love Dilbert!!! But the author mission statement is definitely a step above the generic corporate kind — you really have to personalize it and make it yours. Joanna’s blog is such a fantastic resource, I really appreciate her letting me stop by to share this tip! 🙂
Mission Statement For My Writing
Giving voice to the Unseen Helpers (angels, higher guides, inner intuition), readers are drawn to my body of work titled, “The Prayer Prescription Series,” as a way to slow down and find inner peace.
As a 30 year veteran of the Nursing Profession, I have a unique empathic approach to my patients and my readers. I wish to bring this bedside manner to the larger arena through the message of Prayer Prescriptions.
The first prescription is to uproot our cultural fear of death through a new series starting 9/11/2013 via the Google Hangout Webinar Format. My guest is Julia Assante, author of “The Last Frontier: Transforming The Fear Of Death.”
Other guests in the series:to be announced.
Wow! What a great mission statement, Kate! Your passion and vision come through great, plus you found a way to work your relevant experience in there which is always good for showing readers your credibility. I like the idea of Prayer Prescriptions, too. My family is going through a tough medical situation right now and we could definitely use a few of those! Thanks for sharing your statement — great job! 🙂
We must have been thinking the same thing.
Your Indie Author Mission Statement http://wp.me/p3hCwM-7h
That’s too funny Allen! They say great minds think alike, right? 🙂 I like your idea to print out your statement and tape it up in your writing space so you can always be reminded of what your purpose is — great advice! Glad we were both on the same page.
“Counting individual sales” (???), I am not there yet. It must be nice. I am still trying to increase my word count naturally as I develop and create a novel. I am comfortable with the 50K; it is the 90K plus, which I am trying to work on. I thank you for the information. Currently I am on the slow road to traditional publishing. “Question 5: How are you going to get there?” My Answer: Come up with a novel, which a traditional editor wants to read and read and read maybe even ten times. I will need the luck. (I posted this on my FACEBOOK timeline.)
Keep at it Daniel! You can always tailor your mission statement to where you are in the process and then come back and re-assess it once you’ve reached your goals and want to expand your vision. But I think your answer to Question 5 is a great goal, keep working on your story until you have that perfect piece no one can stop reading!
My (multiply revised) Mission Statement, after working through your very helpful Qs:
“Thoughtful young people struggling with life’s challenging questions will resonate with this lad growing up in an unfamiliar age and culture, as he faces similar issues and makes a great discovery: true life is a gift of the Creator God, who introduces himself to us in person.”
Any remarks?
I think that’s great Viktor! It hits who your readers are and how your story is going to connect with them. I love this exercise because I think mission statements can mean a lot of different things to different people, and where I might be more analytical with my process, others can be more abstract with it. As long as the statement gives you some clarity on what you have to offer and who you’re trying to reach with your work. Great job!
Love this. I actually have the first part down. You wrote: “Are you the architect of another universe?” Well my little description is “Creator of worlds, real and imaginary” as I am an Intern Architect by day, fiction writer by night. (And, I love both).
Now, I think I have a better grasp on my reader too, teenage readers learning to take a stand, though I know I need to develop it more.
On to the rest of it.
That’s perfect Heather! Haha, you are literally and figuratively speaking an architect of universes. 🙂 I’m glad the exercise helped you zero in on your readers. I think that’s one of the most difficult hurdles for authors, once you know who you’re trying to reach, you’ll be amazed at how the pieces start falling into place!
Great post, thank you for sharing. I never contemplated a mission statement for myself. I’ve literally just written it & it’s currently 2 pages long! I’m now in an editing phase, I will hone till it’s one paragraph! The question that threw me a little was 2 (Who do you do it for?). I had a demographic in mind, but you’re right Shannon, it’s so much more than that. I now know that my readers are those who dig Gothic romances, who revel in thought provo narrativea
What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing the Mission Statement idea. As a first-time writer, I truly appreciate it.
I have written down answers to these questions for my mission statement. Here is the first draft of writing the actual statement:
I create extraordinary people, places and creatures for people who want a bit of a vacation from real life by describing strange, new creatures on my blog, flash fiction on my Facebook page, short stories on my website, and published novels. I do this to entertain those who are too busy, or too poor, to take a vacation and want to escape for a little while.
I would love to hear what you think of it, as I feel it is a grammatical nightmare. 🙂
@Jen. How about rephrasing it something like this:
Strange creatures on my blog, flash fiction in Facebook, short stories on my website, and my published novels all aim to entertain people who are too busy or too poor to take a vacation, and wish to escape from real life for a little while.
Great post! I gave it a go using the “I believe” that Derek suggested:
I believe that young people have greater dignity and value than the world can fathom. With eyes and hearts open, some can see beauty and pain like no one else. I write for them: for those who question, explore, and dare to adventure. Through fiction series and nonfiction guides, my work invites young readers to witness the triumph of virtue in an uncertain world.
First Draft of my Mission Statement:
I am a creative writer with the belief that I can bring my imagination to life through Children’s Stories. My dream is for children and parents looking for fun or adventuresome getaways to discover my books. I have a quirky view of life and as a mother of six spunky, intelligent and energetic children, I have daily inspiration for stories.
My goal is to write short children’s stories and a couple of short series for children. With hard work, self-discipline and perseverance, I hope to have my stories published.
Very good information, thank you! I appreciate the information you shared regarding the Mission Statement and I look forward to exploring much more of the website which has a wealth of information. I appreciate your willingness to share, especially for those of us who are learning.