Special Requests

A large publisher has
a special call out for submissions.
The call is so detailed
and so specific,
that any stories written for it
will not be usable anywhere else.

On the positive,
the number of stories submitted
will be low
BECAUSE of the exact requirements.

On the negative,
the story has one shot
at being sold.
If it doesn’t sell to this publisher,
it won’t be published.

In corporate,
we are faced with this dilemma
over and over again.
A prospective client wants a special product pitched,
with no guarantees they’ll take it.

What does a project manager/writer do?

We weigh the odds of the product
being accepted/bought.
Do we have an established relationship with the prospect?
How many other products will be pitched?
What does our company/brand name
bring to the product
that will increase/decrease our odds?
Can we pull this product off?
Have we done (written) something similar in the past?

Based on these factors,
we weigh the probability
and then decide if the risks
(time, money, morale, brand perception)
are worth it.