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May 2, 2011
Most of us–if you’re like me–are too busy trying to juggle our writing, day jobs and families to think much about a career planning strategy. We’re focused on trying to either break in or keep up with contract deadlines.
If that’s your thinking, you’ll get a jolt by reading a lengthy (and excellent) older post by agent Chip MacGregor about the importance of having a career plan–and reviewing it often.
Insider Information
If you’re fortunate enough to have Chip for an agent, he goes through these career planning steps with you. He was kind enough to outline his method, though, for anyone who wants to see it. Even before seeking an agent, I’d suggest tackling these questions and strategies on your own.
In Chip’s own words: My contention is that some agents pay lip service to “helping authors with career planning,” but many don’t really have a method for doing that. (From the look of it, “career planning” to many agents is defined as “having a book contract.”) I have a background in organizational development — the study of how organizations grow and change over time. And during my doctoral program at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!), I served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the Career Planning and Placement Office. That experience allowed me the opportunity to apply the principles of organizational theory to the real-world setting of those in the arts who are trying to make a living.”
Critical Questions
Chip talks with his clients to discover answers to the following points–and many others:
- Who is the author–what’s her message, her platform, and her experience with the media?
- What are the author’s significant life events and accomplishments, strengths, gifts, and burdens?
- What’s important to the author? How does he define success?
- What does she need to change? What do they want t0 accomplish?
Chip talks with his clients about personal organization. Every author needs a TIME to write, a PLACE to write, and a GOAL that he or she is writing toward.
- Do they have a plan in place?
- Do they have a writing calendar, so they know what and when they are working on each project?
He encourages authors to create a budgeting calendar. (See his blog for the steps on how to create one.) Then Chip and his client make an actual writing plan for the next two years and the next five years that matches up with their life purpose.
- Does it maximize their strengths?
- Is their spouse in agreement with it all?
Career Maps for Authors
What’s the point of all this discussion with a client? According to Chip: “These things all work together to create a career map for an author. Various documents are derived from this information — a writing calendar, a budget, a wish list, maybe a statement of purpose. But my goal isn’t to get an author to write some grand purpose statement — my goal is to help an author create a workable plan he or she can use to move forward in the career. I aim to keep writers results-focused.”
The second half of Chip’s blog talked about making a writing budget–the nuts and bolts of figuring out how much income you need, where it’s going to come from (all possible sources,) and what to do to get it. You’ll want to study this too.
Retreat, Re-Think, Re-Plan
Even though I’ve gone through a branding course and have written goals many times over the years, I want to go through Chip’s questions in writing again and see where I am. We can take career detours without meaning to–and at such a pace that we barely notice.
Answering the career planning questions can help you get back on track if you’ve veered off. I was accustomed to my budget needing constant revision, but I hadn’t realized my career plan probably needed updating too. Given the changes in the publishing industry these last couple of years, it’s probably overdue!
Does your plan need revision too (meaning anything from tweaking it up a notch to a major overhaul in time and attitude)? What parts do you find most challenging in creating such a plan? Are you able to follow through on your plans? That’s where the rubber meets the road!
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I think he offers great advice for writers. Thanks for sharing it here. I’ve been having a problem getting my plan in order as I drift from writing projects to personal projects and then repeat.
Comment by Stacy S. Jensen — May 23, 2011 @ 11:51 am