All writers are equal

But some are more equal...different.

There is a difference, frequently unstated, between the person who writes 'a book' and the person who is a professional writer of books.

I believe that there is a book in every person. I believe that most people should attempt to write this book. I know many will try and few will succeed. And I know some of these books will be the best books ever written.

But these writers, and writers they are, are not making a career of it. They make their living by some other means. They are doctors or entrepreneurs, teachers, gravediggers, academics or retired. Their writing an making money are not related.

Then there are the writers who want to, or are, making a living from writing. With every word they write they are conscious that it is adding up to a product they may hopefully sell. They do not have a sense of having one book in them, but a whole stream of books. They are thinking and working on the next book while barely begun on the current one.

Many people run for fun, few are professional athletes. Many people take first aid courses, few are doctors or nurses. Many people build or decorate a house, few are builders, designers or architects.

Both types of writers write books. Few aspires to be bookwriter pros.

As a pro you need to figure out not how to write a book, but how to write a book again, and again, and again. You do not look for the day you will be done with this book, but for the day you can start the next. You feel uncomfortable calling yourself an author even with five books under your belt.

You know a writing career is built by one thing and one thing only. Writing the next book.

Are you writing one book or the next book?

Gerhi Janse van Vuuren

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== Gerhi Janse van Vuuren is a writer. Read more of his articles at 2 Write a Book.com or visit his personal site at Gerhi.com ==

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