What Kind of Writer Are You?

Dear Authors,

Do you know what kind of writer you are? In asking that question, I'm not referring to how good a writer you are, nor what you write about. I'm referring to where you're coming from as a writer. Are you:

A full-time minister who writes part-time?
A full-time writer who ministers full-time through their writing?
A Christian who works in a secular job and writes part-time as a ministry?
A full-time secular writer who is a Christian?

What's the difference? Actually a lot! The place where you're coming from as a writer can have a profound effect on what you write, how often you write, what you expect of your writing, and how you promote your writing.

Ministers Who Write

Ministers who write make their living by preaching the Gospel, pastoring, or some other full-time ministry. Speaking is clearly their gift. Their writing supports their speaking ministry but is not the focal point of it. They write primarily for the Christian market as another expression of ministry. The focus of their writing often reflects the focus of their speaking ministry, namely teaching. Examples of this type of writer are Joyce Meyer and T.D. Jakes. Let's call this group M1.

Writers Who Minister

Writers who minister make their living as full-time writers. They love to both write and minister. Writing is their primary form of ministry, although they may also minister in front of groups. They are gifted writers who often write numerous books on a variety of Christian topics. Examples of this type of writer are Max Lucado and Jerry Jenkins. Let's call this group M2.

Christians Who are Writers

Christians who write make their living in a secular job. Writing is an avocation or hobby—not intended to support them. The majority of them write only one book to share a life-changing experience or a revelation the Lord has given them. An example of this type of writer is Christian businessman John Beckett. He wrote Loving Monday to share how the Lord restored their company after a devasting fire. We'll call this group C1.

Writers Who are Christians

Writers who are Christians make their living primarily by writing. They may write on a variety of topics of interest to the general public. They may also occasionally write for the Christian market. When they write for the general public, they approach their subject from a biblical worldview, even though they may never mention God or the Scriptures. An example of this type of writer is best-selling author, John Grisham. We'll call this group C2.

The M2 and C2 groups are professional writers. They usually prepare for their writing careers by taking specialized courses in writing, although a few gifted writers have migrated from other careers. A good example of this is Michael Crichton, who earned an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and then turned to professional writing. Most professional writers earn their living working in a job as a writer or editor. A small minority of professional writers make their living exclusively from the proceeds of the sale of their books.

The M1 and C1 groups are part-time writers. They are involved in full-time ministry or a secular job (sometimes it's homemaking or, they may be retired). Their books and articles provide supplemental income—not enough to support them full-time.

All of the above may be somewhat obvious, and you have, I'm sure, found yourself in one of these four groups. (Don't worry if you seem to be in "another" category. God will use your writing too!) Now here is where it gets interesting. An examination of the characteristics of each group can reveal why they write and what they expect from their writing.

C1 writers have a message they need to share with others. Sometimes it is a message that has been incubating for years. Perhaps it has even taken years to write. Their book is their "baby." It is their hope that many people will be edified by reading their book, whether it's hundreds or thousands. Their primary motivation is to be faithful stewards of the message they have been given. Although they hope their book will produce some income, that is not their primary motivation.

M1 writers are used to receiving many different messages from the Lord on a regular basis. Some of these messages stand out to them as being the most significant. Such messages are often the subject of their book or books. Their desire is to reach beyond the limits of their speaking platforms to a wider reading audience. They also hope that the publication of their message will broaden their speaking opportunities as well. They may rely on the supplemental income that their book sales provide to support their ministry.

C2 writers work in the world of writing and publishing, whether it's newspapers, magazines, books, technical writing, ad copywriting, or some other form of writing. Most have loved books and writing all of their lives and they often dreamed of becoming a professional writer when they grew up. They usually prepare for a writing career by majoring in journalism, English, or a related area. They would take almost any job to break into writing, such is their love for their craft. They, of course, expect to make a decent living by writing, but it is their desire to communicate that primarily keeps them going.

M2 writers are professionals who specialize in writing for the Christian market. They often work for Christian publications or book publishers. Their gifting provides them with a steady flow of ministry messages and the skill and temperament to produce well-written material all day long. This group, perhaps more than any of the others, expects their writing to touch thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of lives. Their gifts often support such lofty goals. If one of their books takes off, they may be able to quit their day job and give themselves full-time to writing books.

It is possible that at some point in time you may be in transition from one of these groups into another. At that point, some or all of the characteristics of both groups will apply to you.

Since the primary purpose of this blog is to talk about how to buzz or promote your book, we shouldn't conclude this discussion without considering the impact of the type of writer you are on how you go about promoting your book(s). Actually, I have shared the foregoing to lay the groundwork to talk about how each group can promote their book.

C1 writers are usually very busy with their day jobs, unless they are retired. They normally have to restrict their book promotion activities to evenings and weekends. Here is how they relate to the main forms of book promotion:

• SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Finding time to do Sunday speaking engagements is not a problem for this group. Their main drawback to speaking is getting bookings, since they have less visibility as a speaker. This group may also be less interested in speaking because they haven't done much of it. Nevertheless, the go-getters in this group can effectively promote their book(s) and build a speaking ministry if they devote some consistent effort to it. (See Book Buzz #2 & #8.)

• RADIO INTERVIEWS: Many radio talk shows are done live during weekdays, so this may pose a problem for day-job workers. (See Book Buzz #3 & #16.)

• TV INTERVIEWS: These are done live, but many are taped. Travel to a TV studio outside of your area may not be an option.

• TELESEMINARS: These are usually conducted in the evenings on a weeknight so that folks can call in. This new book promotion tool can definitely work for you. (See Book Buzz #21.)

• BOOKSIGNINGS & READINGS: The best day of the week to do booksignings is Saturday, so this method can fit your busy schedule.

• ARTICLES, COLUMNS, AND PR: Any of the author types can take advantage of these methods of promoting their book(s) since they can be written whenever it's convenient. (See Book Buzz #5.)

• INTERNET ACTIVITIES (WEB & E-MAIL): More 24/7 book promotion activities that any author can take advantage of. (See Book Buzz #6, #14, #15, #17, & #24.)

M1 writers can be busier with their ministry responsibilities during evenings and weekends than other writers. They may have more flexibility in promoting their books during the day on weekdays. Here is how they relate to the main forms of book promotion:

• SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Doing speaking engagements is a natural for this group. They may have an advantage over other author types since they are accustomed to speaking on a regular basis and may have more opportunity and visibility as a speaker. Authors in this group can effectively promote their book(s) and build a larger speaking ministry if they work at getting bookings outside their local area. (See Book Buzz #2 & #8.)

• RADIO INTERVIEWS: Many radio talk shows are done live during weekdays, so this group may have an advantage with a flexible day schedule. (See Book Buzz #3 & #16.)

• TV INTERVIEWS: These are done live, but many are taped. Interviews in TV studios outside of your area are possible if you travel as part of your ministry.

• TELESEMINARS: These are usually conducted in the evenings on a weeknight so that folks can call in. Your busy evenings may keep you from using this tool on a regular basis.

• BOOKSIGNINGS & READINGS: The best day of the week to do booksignings is Saturday, so this method may conflict with your ministry schedule.

• ARTICLES, COLUMNS, AND PR: Any of our author types can take advantage of these methods of promoting their book(s) since they can be written whenever it's convenient. (See Book Buzz #5.)

• INTERNET ACTIVITIES (WEB & E-MAIL): More 24/7 book promotion activities that any author can take advantage of. (See Book Buzz #6, #14, #15, #17, & #24.)

C2 writers are usually very busy with their day jobs. They normally have to restrict their book promotion activities to evenings and weekends. Here is how they relate to the main forms of book promotion:

• SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Finding time to do Sunday speaking engagements is not a problem for this group. Their main drawback to speaking is getting bookings, since they have less visibility as a speaker. This group may also be less interested in speaking because they haven't done much of it. Nevertheless, the go-getters in this group can effectively promote their book(s) and build a speaking ministry if they devote some consistent effort to it. (See Book Buzz #2 & #8.)

• RADIO INTERVIEWS: Many radio talk shows are done live during weekdays, so this may pose a problem for day-job workers. (See Book Buzz #3 & #16.)

• TV INTERVIEWS: These are done live, but many are taped. Travel to a TV studio outside of your area may not be an option unless it is for taped interviews.

• TELESEMINARS: These are usually conducted in the evenings on a weeknight so that folks can call in. This new book promotion tool can definitely work for you. (See Book Buzz #21.)

• BOOKSIGNINGS & READINGS: The best day of the week to do booksignings is Saturday, so this method can fit your busy schedule.

• ARTICLES, COLUMNS, AND PR: Any of our author types can take advantage of these methods of promoting their book(s) since they can be written whenever it's convenient. (See Book Buzz #5.)

• INTERNET ACTIVITIES (WEB & E-MAIL): More 24/7 book promotion activities that any author can take advantage of. (See Book Buzz #6, #14, #15, #17, & #24.)

M2 writers may have more flexibility in their schedules than the other groups. But M2s are definitely in the minority of writers. This group represents the smallest of the four I have identified. Here is how they relate to the main forms of book promotion:

• SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Finding time to do Sunday speaking engagements is usually not a problem for this group. They have little difficulty getting booked to speak due to their increased visibility. However, this group may be less interested in speaking because it's not their forte. Nevertheless, go-getters can effectively promote their book(s) and build a speaking ministry if they devote some consistent effort to it. (See Book Buzz #2 & #8.)

• RADIO INTERVIEWS: Many radio talk shows are done live during weekdays, so this group may be able to do them on a consistent basis. (See Book Buzz #3 & #16.)

• TV INTERVIEWS: These are done live, but many are taped. Interviews in TV studios outside of your area are possible if you travel as part of your ministry.

• TELESEMINARS: These are usually conducted in the evenings on a weeknight so that folks can call in. This new book promotion tool can definitely work for you. (See Book Buzz #21.)

• BOOKSIGNINGS & READINGS: The best day of the week to do booksignings is Saturday, so this method can fit your busy schedule.

• ARTICLES, COLUMNS, AND PR: Any of our author types can take advantage of these methods of promoting their book(s) since they can be written whenever it's convenient. (See Book Buzz #5.)

• INTERNET ACTIVITIES (WEB & E-MAIL): More 24/7 book promotion activities that any author can take advantage of. (See Book Buzz #6, #14, #15, #17, & #24.)

Of course there are exceptions to the generalities stated above, and individual interests and giftings may override your vocational status. Hopefully, by identifying which author group you are a part of, you'll be able to do a more effective job of promoting your book(s). (The Book Buzz articles mentioned above can be found in the "recent posts" and "archives" sections of this blog.)

If you'd like to get a copy of my brand-new "Writer's Matrix" send me an email. This one-page pdf file will help you to identify your most productive book promotion activities based on the "kind of writer" you are!

Warmest Regards,
Brian Banashak, Publisher
©2005 Brian Banashak