As a writer, do you ever think about how many people share your writing successes or disappointments?
Building healthy professional relationships for our writing is important. Let's remember the people and skills that help us most.
Let's Be Aware of
Our WritingTeams and What They Provide
Every successful writer builds on help from others.
They are writers' teams. Each member of the team usually
relates only to the writer the more wide-spread or technical the team's profile becomes.
Your writing-success teams are likely to begin with informal
arrangements of people. These are skilled people whom you respect, often known personally. They usually begin with supportive
family and friends.
Teams then expand to include more skilled writers and writing-related professionals.
Together, these informal and formal arrangements of people we know, or get to know, provide a basis for developing wider teams of influence and advice.
Writing success relates to how well we recognize, choose, and
relate to team members. We choose team people for special professional
skills as well as personal styles-people good to work with, reliable, and good
communicators.
Most teams work in person together or communicate
with each other often. Writers' teams are not like that. Your writing team is individually
focused, and you are the key person that your team members are aware of and
relate to.
Let's Know What Effective Writing Teams and
Relationships Look Like
Effective teams are made up of people that behave
in professional ways to provide (1) skills and technical help, advice, and
support and (2) emotional support, general encouragement, specific advice in
matters relating to professional decisions. Teams can also be called "contacts"
or "networks."
You hire or invite most team members for a short term,
by project. You plan your work to include outstanding skills and judgment, as
needed.
Team experts, including volunteers or friends, are usually
busy people. Keep in mind their needs for advance notice or inquiry. Using time-specific
requests helps the relationships and the writing process flow well.
Internet networks for your writing should share your essential, core standards and beliefs. You want quality people and quality input/output.
If you have family, friends, and associates that
encourage you as a writer, you are blessed. I am blessed to have those. In
addition, Carri, a friend, volunteered years ago to help me with book publishing and a newsletter for Christian writers. She has become an unexpected professional blessing in my writing and
publishing careers.
Some team skills may come to your awareness like
Carri's. Others' names and skills may require research or recommendations.
Think through the kinds of skills and people your
successful writing goals need. Think through project-specific needs. Keep in
mind your need to build successful professional relationships along with a
successful writing career.
Let's Consider the Scope of Skills-Rich People for Successful Writing Teams
--Mentors and/or writers' groups
--Editors and/or publishers
--Peer reviewers – experts from various professions
and writing genres, for manuscript reviews
--Internet-accessible
organizations/advisers/communities
--Conference/workshop leaders
--Sales/marketing specialists
--Book distributors; warehousing specialists; sellers
--Formatting, design, and/or printing specialists
--Librarians/researchers
Let's Stick to the Basics for Building Uniquely Effective Teamwork
The first step to building successful and
professional writing relationships is to be ready to apply professional
standards. None of us does this perfectly, but it is the aim, starting with
respect for writing colleagues, always.
Think through every part of what the relationship
will require of you and the team member, professionally, to build success for
your writing project.
Next, develop awareness of every project team's individual
capabilities and qualities. Aim to find people with proven professional, interpersonal
standards.
Let's Expect High Standards of Good Communication and
Planning for Successful Writing Team Relationships
Making expectations clear is important, yet many of
us assume others can read our minds. We do not do this on purpose, but it
happens.
I have mentioned Carri, the friend who volunteered
to help me with publishing years ago. We know each other's work habits well,
now. Yet, I still tend to forget to be specific.
Carri often asks, "What is it exactly that you'd
like me to do for this?"
Planning helps build good management of team
responsibilities. Take time to give everyone on your team the timeframes,
information, responses, and general professionalism needed.
Do not jump into selecting copy editors, editors, peer
reviewers, or other helpers. First, be sure you know the special abilities and characteristics
the specific work needs.
Let's Allow Other Writers to Use Us on Their Teams
Members of your teams may sometimes not measure up.
Communication problems may arise. Let those experiences teach you, and retain
your professionalism. No expert or
writer gets it right all the time.
However, realizing we have teams and serve on
others' teams helps us make the most of it for successful writing.
You may already be a successful writer. You may be a beginning writer, aiming for success. It will come and stay as you continue to work at
it. Develop more good professional relationships as you go.
Now or later, you
will realize you have much to share with other writers. Be ready to let others put you on their teams!
(c)2008 Jane Bullard
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