Writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint

I saw the last mile of the New York Marathon today on 59th Street. I was very moved to see all those dedicated and hard-working people accomplish their goals. It was also great to see all the friends, families, and complete strangers cheering them on.

However, we spectators near the finish line witnessed just the final mile of the marathon, which itself was just the final 26 miles of a much longer journey. Before the final race, the marathoner runs countless miles and hours alone. While many friends and family members support the marathoner on race day, fewer do so during the months of training and many think the marathoner is crazy for participating.

Authoring a book is much the same. When the book debuts, the author receives much congratulations and, God willing, rave reviews as well. But before that, the author works tirelessly, often in obscurity and with little support, for months or years researching, writing, re-writing, editing, and publishing the book.

After the marathon is over, the runner must maintain his health and fitness or the marathon will just be a footnote in his life. Similarly, an author who stops working on his book once it is published will see no long-lasting results. Like the marathoner who wishes to maintain the physical and psychological gains from all the training, the author has to work just as hard after the book is published as before. The author must promote, market, and publicize his book. He needs to write more for his audience in blogs, newspapers, magazines, and more books. (How many successful or famous authors can you name who wrote just one book?)

If you think that writing and selling a book is a sprint, you will quickly tired and give up. The author must be prepared for a never-ending marathon or writing, promoting, and marketing.

– Michael E. Newton is the author of the highly acclaimed The Path to Tyranny: A History of Free Society’s Descent into Tyranny. His newest book, Angry Mobs and Founding Fathers: The Fight for Control of the American Revolution, was released by Eleftheria Publishing in July.