What is Your Writer Mission Statement?

Every year around this time, I take a moment to reflect on the progress I have made as a writer within the past twelve months. I reflect on whether or not I have reached my writerly goals for that year. I evaluate the areas that I could have improved and what I could have approached differently. Then, based on this, I establish new goals for the upcoming year.

But these goals are not chosen at random; instead, they are created in accordance with my author mission statement.

This mission statement captures and distills the vision of my writing career. It keeps me on track when I start to wander too far from my writerly purpose. And since I have reaped the rewards of crafting this statement, I now encourage writers—especially new writers—to craft their own statement as well.

Here are just a few reasons why you should consider crafting your own writerly mission statement for the New Year:

This mission statement may help you…

• Specify your author brand.
• Define your core audience.
• Brainstorm new content for your author newsletter and social media posts.
• Reinforce why you have chosen to take this journey, which will keep you motivated for the long haul.
• Make publishing decisions (for example: if you should write for the Christian market or the general market, whether you should pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing, etc.).
• Enable you to see the “big picture,” especially when the going gets tough.
• Navigate the maze of marketing.
• Stay focused on what matters in your journey.
• Avoid the trap of comparing yourself to other authors.

How can you craft this mission statement?

Here is the template that I have personally used to create mine, but feel free to modify this however you wish!

Your mission statement should answer the following questions…

• What kind of books do I hope to write (e.g. inspirational, adventurous, issue-driven, historical, etc.)?
• What is my purpose behind writing?
• Who is my audience? (Be specific here!)
• What do I hope to accomplish through the books that I write?
• Is there a specific message that I want to portray through my books?

Need an example of how this may be crafted? Below is the mission statement I have created for my personal writing career:

“In all that I write—both fiction and non-fiction—I hope to minister the healing power of God’s love, show readers that hope is always available, and leave them with an appetite to pursue a relationship with Christ. In the books that I write, it is my desire to show teen girls that they are not alone in whatever it is that they are walking through. I want to encourage them to make the most of their youth by embracing their unique potential to further God’s Kingdom.”

This mission statement distills my heart behind my writing career. It reflects how I want to impact my readers. It focuses on what I believe is the message I am called to share to my target audience.

So if you need a little extra motivation for your own writing career—if you have been struggling with comparison, finding your author brand, staying focused, etc.—I challenge you to create this mission statement. Return to the why and the how: why you have chosen to write and how you would like to impact your readers.

Then return to this post and leave your mission statement in the comments below! =)

Tessa Emily Hall is an award-winning author who wrote her debut novel when she was sixteen. She is now a multi-published author of both fiction and non-fiction inspirational yet authentic books for teens, including her upcoming release, LOVE YOUR SELFIE (October 2020, Ellie Claire). Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as a Literary Agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa is guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 128 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, teaching at writing conferences, coaching young writers, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is to connect with readers is on her mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: www.tessaemilyhall.com.