Dear Reader Column 08-21-07

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Dear Reader,

The "elevator pitch." It's a common practice in the business world. You should be able to explain what you do for a living in a mere 100 to 150 words. Yes, the savvy business person has their "elevator pitch" prepared, rehearsed and ready to deliver at a moment's notice, in other words, the time it takes for an elevator ride. Each word is carefully chosen and delivered with such excitement and conviction, that by the time those elevator doors open, they've made the sale.

But not me. If the guy standing next to me in the elevator asks what I do for a living, well I better hope that we both entered the elevator on the ground floor and we're traveling 33 floors up to the penthouse, and that several other people are getting on and off in between. Because ever since I became a writer, most of my elevator pitch is spent stammering, searching for the right words, which is kind of ironic, since stringing sentences together is what I do every day.

Rattling off a couple of "what-I-do" sentences never used to be a problem: "I own a restaurant and we serve breakfast and lunch. I own a business magazine. I run a non-profit meal program." Telling someone what I did for a living was a no-brainer, as it is for most people. But the problem now is, when I tell someone I'm a writer, they always ask that dreaded follow-up question, "What do you write about?" and that's when I'm speechless and my elevator pitch falls apart.

Like a little kid, one foot then the other, shifting from side to side; I smile, hoping they'll remember my warm friendly face, instead of the idiotic response that I'm sure to deliver.

"Well, sometimes I write about something funny, sometimes I write about something sad, sometimes I write about how I bought a shirt and it only looks good on me as long as I don't wear anything on the bottom half of me. It really kind of depends." At this point I feel like a dope, they think I'm dope and who could blame them?

So what it comes down to, and it's more than a little embarrassing considering I write for a living, is that when someone wants to know what I write about in my column, I don't know what to tell them. I love writing the column every day, but for the life of me, I can't seem to explain what it's about.

Can you help this struggling writer with her elevator pitch? What's the "Dear Reader" column about? Any ideas?

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

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Comments

[Sharon]

A daily web log featuring personal anecdotes with universal appeal.

See? Not that wasn't so tricky. :)

[Audrey]

Here is an "elevator pitch" that I think will work for you. I am an artist writer. I write about things that make people step back and look at life from someone else point of view. I invoke feelings of happiness, sadness, and excitement. I am a writer that intrigues, inform and entertain. Look me up at http://www.dearreader.com/, and tell me what you think.

[barb]

I'd say your elevator pitch should be something like:

I have the most autonomous, individualistic writing assignment available! I write about my individual life - from my own perspective, of course. That assignment includes things like musings, memories, experiences, emotions, etc. - all the things that tie together and make up a single life. And the kicker of the whole thing is that these personal thoughts strike actual chords in various persons at different times; everyone can identify with something I write and that's what makes it both a personal and, at the same time, a public experience. That means that I benefit personally - and hopefully, others benefit, too. 'Bye now!

[Linda Donahoo]

I think you do really good. I wish I could do as well. I'd like to write a book but as my brother said once as I told him I'd write him when I got home he told me to go ahead and he would correct it and send it back. He never got a letter. I had a very active and wonderful teen life. Wish I could put it on paper..Keep on doing what you do. and thanks for the letters. lol Linda

[Teresa]

You tell them your write your own "Dear Reader" column for the book clubs you run and that you write about sharing life. The good, the bad, the ugly, the funny, hilarious, the sad, and the "duh" side of your own experiences and sometimes others. That you share what happens when something personal,not to personal, happens to you or someone you know or that touches you personally and means alot to you. If they don't get "the elevator pitch" after your explantion, then they will never get it. It's all about life and how it touches people. You will probably never understand just how much you touch others lives and what it means to read something everyday that doesn't always bring you down. Instead you lift people up. Keep up the great work!