There are tons of ways to categorize fiction authors, of course... but after coaching hundreds of them, I can usually place the people I work with into one of these 3 groups.

1. The "What do I do?" Author

They need the strategy, the plan, the checklists. Usually they haven't been business owners before — the writing part is running fine, but everything else (marketing, launches, pricing, ads, backlist) feels like guesswork. They're putting in effort, but not seeing results or an upward trajectory, and they can't tell why. What they're missing isn't work ethic. It's a map.

If this is you: the fastest fix isn't working harder — it's getting outside eyes on your business so someone can show you which 20% of activities are actually driving 80% of your growth.

2. The "I Know, I Just Don't Do It" Author

This group already knows what needs to happen each day, week, and month. The plan isn't the problem — follow-through is. They keep commitments to everyone except themselves, and left alone, tasks quietly slide from "today" to "this week" to "eventually."

If this is you: strategy sessions won't help much. What actually moves the needle is external deadlines and consistent check-ins — a person, a call, a commitment that exists outside your own head.

3. The Combination

These authors need both the strategy piece and the accountability piece. They thrive on clear goals, clear deadlines, and clear deliverables — but want help developing and executing them. This is usually the group that grows fastest once support is in place, because both gaps get closed at the same time.

And then there's Group 4: the authors who already know exactly what to do and have no trouble doing it. I envy these people and wish them nothing but continued success. (If you're one of them — teach a class, please.)

Here's the thing: knowing which group you're in changes everything about what kind of help actually moves you forward. An author in Group 1 hiring a strict accountability coach will feel supported but still directionless. An author in Group 2 buying another strategy course will just have one more unused plan sitting in their Drive.

So — which type of author are you? And once you know, what's the one thing you'd change about how you're currently getting support?