I also mentioned that I know I need a 7-second snippet for those quick little pitches to prospects.

Knowing and actually doing are two very different things.

I’m a wordy gal. I like words. So I have a tendency to use too many. Especially when I talk.

I edit my own work fairly well. I can go through my writing and rip it to shreds and bring it to its beautiful naked core. But when I talk, sometimes I just blather on.

A post on elevator pitches was simple and just plain ol’ common sense. Just the kind of swift kick in the pants I needed to remind me that I need to get off my duff and come up with a clear, concise elevator pitch.

No rambling on forever. Just a sentence or two summing up what I do and why I freakin’ rock at it.

Among my various marketing efforts, I do belong to a couple subscription freelance sites. It’s a way to find new clientele and fill in time between other projects. So, among these freelance sites, I am on Elance and Guru.

I don’t bid alot. I wait until I see a project posted that 1) I know I can do a superb job on, 2) is typically in my niche (the real estate, mortgage and credit industries) in order to build that section of clientele and 3) isn’t a nickel and dime job. My rates aren’t cheap. I’m negotiable…but I’m not cheap.

Several posted projects have me scratching my head lately. In one, the poster wanted an experienced ghostwriter (I’m talking NY Times bestseller ghostwriter) and wanted the writer’s resume. Details about titles, etc. Uh, hello?? Most ghostwriters sign NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) and can’t divulge that information. My clients want to be seen as the author of the material. Some clients give me copious notes, outlines, research and more. Some clients give me the minimum…an idea, a sketchy outline, some direction for research. But in either case, the clients are the author of note. Not me. 

Ask me what I’ve written. Go ahead. Ask me. 

I’ll tell you what topics I’ve written on. And I’ll tell you that I’m seriously proud of many of the projects and how they’ve gone on to sell. It’s pretty cool to go to the Amazon page of a book I’ve ghostwritten and see the comments mentioning the great writing. That’s how I get my proverbial pat on the back.

But I will not tell you the titles I wrote, either for ebook or print. And I won’t tell you who I wrote for. In fact, If you look at my testimonials, you will see I use initials only. Not names.

Why the soapbox monologue? I lost a bid on a project today. A credit ebook. I could have written it with one hand tied behind my back and my puppy walking all over my laptop. I could have hit that one out of the park! But the guy declined my bid due to lack of examples. Sorry, buddy, but I’m not giving up the goods on my work or clients. Come look at my testimonials. Ask me to whip up a page to see what I can do for you…I won’t mind. Really. But don’t expect me to cough up work that is covered under a NDA…especially when your own project demands an NDA. 

I’ve been thinking about this very subject a lot lately. Over the years, I’ve written on a variety of subjects and worn numerous writing hats. Editor. Copywriter. Marketing Consultant. Ghostwriter. In the fields of childhood education, retail (from tanning salons to baby shoes, wholesale (ask me anything you want about how to manufacture and sell a tombstone – I’m your girl!), real estate, finance, credit…you name it.

And honestly, I love it all. I’ve learned a lot of things. Honed a lot of skills.

But there’s something to be said about specialization. When it comes to certain industries, I know my shit. I mean, I seriously know my shit.

And I’m not trying to be crass. And I’m not trying to be cocky. It’s just the God’s honest truth.

And in the industries I don’t know? Well, typically I find something that gets me going, tickles my fancy (insert witty metaphor here).

When it comes down to it, I love writing and I love business. Especially the marketing aspect.

Who woulda thunk it?

Not me, the girl who dreamed of writing fiction books and selling said books worldwide.

Not that that can’t happen. But the business side of me has taken over. I know the reality of fiction. And how hard it is to get your break, and then to keep creative control. Blah blah blah. I can still write whatever I want. But writing non-fiction articles and books for professionals who lack the time, I get a kick out of that. And helping businesses position themselves for great things to come? Exciting stuff in my mind!!!

So back to the niche thing. I find myself working a lot of what I know. Real Estate, Mortgages, Credit…because it’s what I know and people recognize that. But I write the other stuff because I get excited. I get almost as passionate as the business owners about their products and services. And it shows in my work. So I don’t think I’m a generalist or a specialist, at least not straight down the Mason-Dixon line. I’m a bit of both and I like it that way

I’m wondering how much the Back to Basics program really helped people. Over at HUD there are so many resources for those who want to achieve homeownership and for those homeowners who desperately need help…but how many people were helped? At the HUD website, they state over 220,000 homeowners have refinanced since last September. Great, but there are so many more homeowners out there…and for how many is that refi a “quick fix?”

It’s not pretty here in Phoenix. There are plenty of stories of people who literally walk away from their homes. I myself have had former real estate clients contact me to talk about their options. I get calls from friends asking about their relatives who are in a tough spot. And it typically boils down to the fact that the homeowner needs to either decrease their expenditures or increase their income. Or perhaps a little of both.

There are definitely some circumstances where a foreclosure or a short sale is the only option. But, it’s not necessary in a lot of situations and it’s sad that some people would rather foreclose than research every alternative. Sorry, I’m just a proponent of tough love.

Is it a sign?

I like writing on all sorts of subjects. I find a myriad of topics interesting. But it seems that the writing may be on the wall. I’m slowly but surely being pointed in the direction of a specific niche, and that’s okay.

I LOVE real estate and money and mortgages and credit and debt (writing about it, not being IN it). So why not market myself as the expert that I already am? No need to fake expertise. No need to feign interest. Just write about what I know and keep building on that knowledge and present myself as an expert ghostwriter for real estate agents, loan officers, credit consultants, etc.

Clue duly noted.