What motivates you to write? For some, it’s the idea that you’ll finally see your ideas made tangible and be able to share them with readers. For others, it’s the understanding that an author career, if managed well, can be lucrative. No reason for writing is better than another, nor is your author personality set in stone from the start. But as guest author Megan Haskell explores in part 3 of her series, understanding what drives you forward can help you make better, more informed decisions about what to strive for in order to create a fulfilling career.
The Five Author Personalities
Artist
The strength of the artist is in their craft. They hesitate—sometimes refuse—to adjust their artistic vision, even if it means they might make more sales. Their primary goal is to put beautiful prose on the page and to be recognized for their unique voice and creativity. These authors often dislike the business side of publishing and may struggle with marketing, but they can learn these skills with time. For the artist, an ideal future might be to win a literary award, build a dedicated fandom around their niche work, or have a day job that allows them to focus on their craft without worrying as much about sales.
Bucket-Lister
The bucket-lister has a single book idea they’ve always wanted to write. Whether it’s their personal memoir or unique how-to for a niche market, they want to get that manuscript into the world before they die. Bucket-listers may not have a strong desire to be a career writer. It’s the message of the one book that motivates them. However, many bucket-listers discover a love of writing, and shift into one of the other personality types as they learn more about the industry. The successful bucket-lister will be proud to show their work to family and friends or share their knowledge with a specific community.
Calling-Card Writer
The calling-card writer’s primary motive for writing a book is the business behind the book. Whether the goal is to speak, teach, or sell their services, a book can lend credibility to their career. Calling-card writers tend to be business-minded individuals, but they’re less interested in becoming full-time writers. Instead, they hope to establish themselves as an expert in their field. The ideal future of this calling-card writer is to build a thriving business around their knowledge.
Dabbler
The dabbler has a lot of ideas. Knowing which ones to pursue and how to pursue them is their quandary. Dabblers often jump between different book series or genres, or even between different artistic mediums. They might write screenplays as well as fiction, or they might illustrate their own books. Many successful authors begin as dabblers, but as they develop their writing skills and interests, they tend to narrow in on the most marketable or personally fulfilling ideas. A successful future for the dabbler might be to finish multiple projects and create a broad portfolio of work across different genres or artistic mediums.
Entrepreneur
The entrepreneur’s primary goal is to have a financially lucrative writing career. That’s not to say the other personality types aren’t interested in making money, but the entrepreneur is more willing to follow trends and pursue the hustle of a fast-paced publishing business. Marketing and advertising may come more easily to these authors, as they understand what their readers want, and they give it to them. The successful author entrepreneur is focused on becoming a full-time fiction writer with enough income from their books to support themselves and their families.
Putting It into Practice
Now that you know the five author personalities, ask yourself: Which personality fits you best right now? Which lifestyle do you envision for your future?
There’s no right answer, but yours can help you decide how to build a fulfilling writing career. For example, if you lean toward the artist's personality, focusing on craft rather than researching keywords or genre trends may feel more satisfying. Meanwhile, a calling-card writer might want to spend more time writing articles for relevant publications to build their name recognition rather than slog through drafting another book.
If your vision of the future doesn’t match your personality in the present, consider what you might have to change about your current focus to reach those goals. For example, an artist who’s struggling with weak sales might consider whether they can bring themselves to write to market. An entrepreneur tiring of their genre may want to dabble with a screenplay to refill their creative well. Sometimes, this might involve acquiring new skills to supplement or complement your existing personality. However, transitioning into a new author personality may require a mindset shift, which may involve a deeper exploration of your motivations for writing.
The author personality framework isn’t meant to be the final verdict on your business’s trajectory; rather it’s a starting point for developing a writing and publishing strategy that will lead to a fulfilling writing career. Every path to success looks different. If you craft your strategy with your purpose and personality in mind, you’ll find your own personal version of success.