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    Amber Page Writes

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Love in an Elevator...errr Pitch.




As many of you know, I'm a copywriter. Which means, of course, I sell ideas. And those ideas? Are only good if you can clearly describe them in a sentence or two - fast enough to be sold during an elevator ride.

Oh, the elevator pitch. Many well-loved ideas have died a fast, though not painless, death because of my inability to describe them quickly enough. Over the years, I've gotten better at it. In fact, in my professional life, I try not to present any concept before I give it the elevator test.

But my blog?

My blog has never been subjected to that particular test. So when people ask me what I blog about, I hem and haw and give them a muddled answer. "Well, I blog about my baby and my family, but I'm not a true mommy blogger, because that's not all I talk about. I post videos and write comedy sketches, and write about work..." By this point, most folks get a glazed look in their eyes and I give up.

This lack of focus is probably why publishers and PR folks aren't exactly clamoring for my attention.

So today I spent some time thinking about it. I even took a ride in the elevator at work, looking for inspiration (which is especially dumb, considering I work on the second floor of a two story building).

I came up with a few ideas:

"A cranky copywriter turned mommy writes to keep her sanity."

"A blog all about life, love and the pursuit of advertising."

"The adventures of a clueless new mom struggling to navigate motherhood, wife-hood and person-hood."

I think it's a little bit of all those things.

There are days when I scream my frustrations out into the blogoverse.

And others when I think out loud about the kind of role model I want to be for my daughter.

There have been times when I've talked about my own struggles with depression.

And posts where I've just been plain silly.

I've forced you all to read along as I indulge my inner sketch comedy writer...

And begged you all for advice.

I've lived my life out loud, in public. I've gotten to know myself a little better and made friends with a lot of incredible women. My blog? It's me. The virtual incarnation of Amber Page the writer. Of Red the drama queen. Of Amber the mama, the wife, the daughter, the sister and the friend.

Amber Page Writes is about all the sides of me. And I? Am not that different from hundreds of thousands of other women out there. So, therefore, Amber Page Writes is about all of us ladies struggling to figure out what life's all about.

Who knows. Maybe together we'll get somewhere. You think?

This was written as part of Mama Kat's Writing Workshop. The assignment? Write an elevator pitch for your blog. Now head over to Mama Kat's and read all the other bloggy wonderfulness.

21 comments:

  1. If you have a blog that is about all sides of you, then it is so painful to categorize it for someone. I think you described what you do here very well.

    Although I love "mom" blogs, I feel like the ones I really love to read are so much more than what that title suggests. I am not lumped into this category just yet, but already I feel the urge to justify it or explain it further to an outsider looking in.

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  2. I wish I had read your blog post before I sat down to write mine. You have such a genuine way of communicating how you feel. I hope to find my comfort zone soon so I can REALLY start blogging.

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  3. Hi Amber? Tina Fey called and she wanted me to tell you she loves your blog.

    That is all.

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  4. I like your pitch(es)! I tried that prompt but couldn't even eek out one sentence. You have inspired me to try again.

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  5. Wow, copy writer, eh? I could never come up with two sentense to sell anything!

    Thanks for stopping by - I enjoyed your post. So clever:)

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  6. I totally agree. I think the nice thing about mommy blogs or whatever it is we're writing is that we don't necessarily need a "pitch" - its real life and we aren't forcing ourselves to be one thing for anybody.

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  7. Very well put. "my blog, it's me" Perfect. Thanks for coming by.

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  8. Just as long as you are being yourself and writing about what you know, then I think you are very focused!!

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  9. Thanks, everyone. I guess I feel like I should have some bigger mission...but I don't.

    That said, anyone have any suggestions for things they'd like me to write more or less of?

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  10. thanks for the follow!

    from what i've read your blog is great just as it is, just keep doing what your doing, that's my opnion!

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  11. I was just working on this through Problogger's 31 Days To Build a Better Blog workbook. The elevator pitch is day one. Two weeks later, I'm STILL on day one. BTW, I'm your newest follower from Friday Follow.

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  12. Ooooo a Copywriter!! What fun!! (well I would assume it's fun lol) I think the word limit in your "about me" section on blogger helped me narrow my answer to "what do you blog about?" down. Plus the catchy title helps (Living Out Loud) "I blog about my life, as crazy and loud as it is."
    I wear my heart on my sleeve, I blog about whatever flows my boat (or tries to sink it) on any given day.

    Followed you through your comment on my blog lol. Thanks for visiting my blog, good luck in C2 5K!! What day/week are you on? Following you purely because you're a fellow C2 K girl (have yet to read more of your blog to say I'm following you for the blog stuff lol, but if the rest of your posts are as fun as this one, I'm sure I'll enjoy reading them just as much!)

    Too wordy for her own good,
    ~Autumn

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  13. I'm a new follower! I'm also in advertising, I'm an account coordinator and I love my copywriters and my art directors! Excited to keep up with you!

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  14. I love your pitch! My blog tends to be a mish mash of stuff as well, but don't let it discourage you! I think you have some great writing talent and I hope you'll keep doing it.

    Thanks for following, and please check out my follower appreciation giveaway going on right now! You could win some of my favorite Bath and Body Works stuff!

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  15. Great blog!! And I happen to find your pitches very appealing. I like reading about real people, and real feelings. Real life! I like when people show their feelings, no matter if it is silly or depressed. I have trouble writing about my hard times on my blog because I feel like people who know me in "real" life will judge me, or tell others. What a pain. But good for you!!

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  16. Well this post got me intrigued to read more, so I'm thinking you must be a pretty darn good copywriter.

    Following you now. :-)

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  17. I think personal blogs are very difficult to define because really, they are about the person writing them ... and who wants to be summed up in a few words in an elevator pitch? I always cringe about the term "mommy blog" as I think that is so limiting. I don't think that is why my blog is ... but part of it about being a mother but that isn't all it is. I like your thoughts on this topic .... well done!

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  18. Thanks for dropping by. I am now a follower of you as well :)

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  19. My blog is like my mind you never know what I'm going to write about.

    Following you from Friday follow

    misadventuresofmomof3.me

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  20. Those are some brilliant pitches you got! Love it!

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  21. Hey, SITSta! Like I always say, it's your blog and you do what you want to!

    Thanks for linking up at Friday Follow! I am going down the list, so here I am...your newest blog follower.

    ~ Lynn
    http://www.middayescapades.com

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