What Do You Have To
Sing About?
By Beth Ann Erickson,
FilbertPublishing.com
This
past month, I attended a Middle School Song Fest.
I don’t know what happens between fourth and fifth
grade, but I’m continually amazed when I watch the same kids
who at Elementary School almost blew me out of the gym with
their enthusiasm are now barely audible over the drone of the
crowd.
Hundreds of kids stood before their audience, all with
their mouths moving, with precious little volume escaping their
lips.
Everyone except one kid.
This kid dazzled. This kid
shined. He so completely enjoyed the music
that his head bobbed, his shoulders shimmied, and his toes
tapped.
Sometimes I swore I could see the veins in his neck as
he sang with all his might, eyes closed, seemingly in ecstasy
as his voice caressed each note.
What does this have to do with
writing?
A lot, actually.
There’s a marketing term called USP. It
stands for “Unique Selling Proposition.”
Your USP is what makes you different from your
competition.
Sure, there are lots of people who do the same thing
you do, but what makes you different from them?
What makes you special? What do you do
better than everybody else?
That kid singing with all his might made him
unique. It made him special. He
was having fun… and he wasn’t afraid to show it.
Do you love writing as much as he loved singing? Are
you free to throw caution to the wind and live in the moment,
thoroughly enjoying every minute of your writing
time?
Do you know what makes your writing special? Why will
your readers choose your work over another writer’s?
Are you like the kids who, in the beginning, sing with
all your might but then lose your enthusiasm when the writing
life gets uncomfortable… or worse yet, downright
difficult?
Or are you like the kid who sings with all his might,
rejoicing in the moment and thoroughly enjoying his task at
hand.
If I had to choose between working with that enthused
kid or one of his cohorts, I know who I’d choose.
I’d want the guy who loves what he does. I’d
want the guy with passion. I’d want the guy
who obviously wanted to do the best job he could.
Who would you choose to work with?
Today, take a close look at why you’re writing. What
message do you have to share with the world? Examine what makes
your writing special. Find out what makes you
unique… because you are very unique.
Focus on what makes you different from your
competition and then strive to do it even better.
Rejoice in your USP.
Now write down your USP and incorporate it in every
query, sales letter, and webpage you use to promote
yourself.
~~~
Beth Ann Erickson is Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing
and the only writing ezine that'll make your writing sparkle,
help you write killer queries, and get you on the road to
publication fast. Better yet, you'll receive the e-booklet
"Power Queries" when you sign up for your free subscription.
Subscribe today at http://FilbertPublishing.com
This article may be reprinted, distributed, and posted
freely as long as the entire byline is included.
© 2001-2006 Filbert Publishing. All Rights
Reserved.
|