I'm struggling with a cover letter for an agent because I have been advised to add my "unique selling points." The trouble is, I don't have any. I haven't published anything before now, nor won any competitions. I haven't done anything weird or wonderful or attention-grabbing. Yet I feel that without a "peg", the agent will toss my unread chapters back on the slush pile, making it seem that your work doesn't actually count for anything any more, only your potential to be a marketing vehicle.
Hello Susannah
I agree with Katie-Ellen. Coming to England to write may be only part of the story, but it takes a mountain of courage to make such a huge transformation to your life to achieve you goal. I take my hat off to you.
I would say that writing your blog (I haven't read it - sorry) is writing. The lady who wrote a blog because she felt she'd achieved nothing ended up writing one of the most successful blogs which was later made into the film, Julie and Julia, directed by the wonderful Nora Ephron. Stick with it and perhaps you could wilfully find out more about publishing and writing in the process of writing your blog.
I would say that you have bags of courage and determination so why not put that into your blog while editing your quintet?
Good luck to you - I wish you well.
You say you came to England to write, Susannah. You believed this was the place to come if you wanted to write? That to me, sounds like a story. That sounds like a peg.
USP for me would be about the book and not the Author. Unless the Author has a special background that would some how enhance the book.
If your book is about Vampires with no teeth and living off Italian Ice cream now that would be a USP
Or about the Titanic reaching New York with a cargo of Vampires with no teeth and living off Italian Ice cream that also would be a USP.
Sure if you are an ex SAS or Seal commando and the book is about your top secret missions then you would be part of the USP.
Other wise its all about the book.
So look in your book and pull out what would make someone want to buy your book.
That for me would be your ultimate USP
As always this is just my opinion.