You’ve decided to write a book. Yay! Now … which of the 3 types of writers are you?

At the outset, writing and self-publishing a book sounds straightforward – just write it and upload it to Amazon or whatever online retailer you choose.

Easy-peasy, right? 😃

Weellll … behind every overarching topic (writing, editing, publishing, and marketing) are MANY tasks and corresponding sub-tasks.

Compounding the problem is that when writers begin to search for answers to their questions and challenges, they’re inundated with so much information, it’s often overwhelming. 😳

In fact, the realities of authorship cause many aspiring authors to become one of three types of writers.

Ready to learn what they are?

The 3 Types of Writers

#1 The Quitter

Quitters start off strong but once the work intensifies or challenges materialize, they decide author journey is too long, bumpy, and difficult and they walk away from their story.

#2 The Speedster

Speedsters don’t care about conventions and quality. They simply rush out of the gate, figure things out on the fly, and publish as fast as possible. Often, their finished books almost always containing lots of glaring errors.

#3 The Pacer

Being a pacer means that you have an end goal in mind and a plan in place so you have the energy reserved to achieve the end goal. It means that you’re willing to put in the work and course correct when necessary.

The benefits of being a Pacer

Back when I was in high school (a long, long time ago), I was a long-distance runner on the track team. I was trained to set a brisk pace at the start of the race to get into second or third position and then fall into a comfortable pace behind the lead runner. The purpose? To conserve my energy until the end.

During every race, my coach would be on the infield, stopwatch in hand, keeping track of my pace, lap after lap. If I was going too slow, he’d holler, “Pick it up, Dalene!”

If I was going too fast (which rarely happened), he’d yell, “Work on your stride! Slow it down!”

And when that final lap came, it was always the same command: “Go, now!”

Writing a book requires hard work

What does my running experience have to do with writing? A lot, actually.

• Writing a book requires the same intentionality, preparation, and effort as running a long-distance race.
• In order to stand out from the rest of the pack, we have to practice and learn to write well while also playing to our own unique strengths and personalities (develop our voice).
• To reach our readers (our finish line), we need to build our platforms and market effectively.
• Staying on track without burning out requires guidance, accountability, and encouragement.
• And to finish well, we need perseverance.

As Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) summarizes: We need to “throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.”

Who are you listening to?

As Christian writers, we need to listen for our Father’s voice over all the other voices vying for our attention.

The world is screaming at us from the sidelines to do things that go against everything we’ve been trained to do.

We need to tune the crowd out, listen to God’s instructions, and rely on Holy Spirit’s strength.

Whereas runners often get their second wind only in the final stretch. we have Holy Spirit fueling and guiding us throughout our entire writing journey. When we are weak, He is strong, and He can imbue us with His power that enables us to endure to the end.

Finish well

Returning to my running analogy, it’s also important to consider the following two facts:

1. My pace wasn’t the same as my teammates’ paces.
2. And my purpose wasn’t necessarily to come in first, but to finish well.

Sometimes, just shaving a second off my time was the crowning achievement of the race, even if I was the last person to cross the finish line. Other times, just placing third gave my team enough points to win the meet.

It was all about giving each race my all.

Likewise, the ultimate prize as a writer isn’t reaching the #1 spot on a bestseller list. The ultimate prize is finishing well by faithfully doing the work God has called you to do.

Don’t stop short of the finish line. Go the full distance to market your book to the people who need your message or story, whether that’s one person or many.

Friend, stop comparing yourself to other writers. Stop listening to the crowd. And know that your words matter.

So let me ask you: Which of the 3 types of writers are you?

I encourage you to be a Pacer. To God be the glory!

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