According to CliftonStrengths, my #1 strength is Strategy, so it’s no surprise that 1) I’m writing this series on author strategy, and 2) I love the Enneagram.

If you want to know how to work with a person, you need to know what motivates them at that core level. What are they running toward, and what are they running away from, essentially? And the Enneagram is all about motivation.

So let’s talk about what motivates an Enneagram Type Six and how to build a comprehensive and compatible author strategy around it.

Although I’m a Type One, the Reformer, I’m married to a Type Six, the Loyalist, so I’ve read quite a bit about and from Sixes to figure out what the hell is going on inside that head of his. I remember the day when I asked him, “When you need to make a big decision, does it feel like you have to run it past the House of Parliament first?” (This was something I’d read about.) He said, “Of course. Why?” And I had to tell him that not everyone made decisions that way.

Now, you Sixes are a tricky type to pin down, because your subtypes (self-preservation, intimate, or social) can look so very different. And Sixes have two modes of relating to the world: phobic and counter-phobic. One mode avoids perceived threats, and the other runs headlong toward them.

But before we get into the thick of it, let’s revisit what a Type Six looks like.

Type Six: The Loyalist

The instability and unpredictable ups and downs of indie publishing can be tough for Sixes who require a deep sense of security before they can even get out of bed in the mornings. Their core fear is a lack of support or security — that can be financial, social, or whatever else — and their core desire is to feel like they’re supported and safe. As you might guess, this requires an entirely different strategy from someone with less risk aversion.

Some things Sixes will care about:

Staying on top of cash flow
Minimizing fluctuations in revenue
Building a robust email list of dedicated readers
Creating tight support networks with other indie authors

Indie publishing is rife with people preaching the viability of taking major risks. But here’s something you Sixes already know: big risks almost never work out. The thrill of uncertainty might be fun for other types, but for Sixes, it can wreck you, destroying your ability to focus on anything else.

You have the gift of risk assessment, Loyalists, so why not use it? This is a volatile industry, and if you want to be in it for the long-haul, patience and caution could be the key to keep you afloat when the inevitable black swan event hits.

This is your comfort spot, having a stable foundation and a reliable income, so please stop berating yourself for not taking enough risks. Or if you’re more the counterphobic type, please stop forcing yourself to take ill-advised risks just so you can say you aren’t risk averse.

Now that we know what you care about, let’s check out the common reasons Sixes might want to become indie authors in the first place:

“I want to be in control of my finances rather than trusting a publisher to be honest and pay on time.”
“I want to write stories about characters who are loyal to each other to the end.”
“I want to be in control of my platform and have direct contact with my readers.”

There will be other reasons, but since most indies I know have more than one reason why they’re in the business, I’m sure at least one of these will resonate with you Sixes.

As the Loyalist, loyalty is important to you. Mostly, loyalty creates a sense of security and support, and any disloyalty can shake your world. This sentiment can lead to a mistrust for large organizations (government, corporations, organized religion), or it can lead to a need to be a part of a large organization (military, police, sorority/fraternity). These are the two sides of the Six coin.

So, let’s talk money. More money leads to financial security, and sometimes Sixes will stop here with the logic. Go where the money is! But hold up. Because there will also be a part of you, the smart risk-assessment part, that can spot a gold rush when you see it. And booms lead to busts. So while, say, going exclusive with Kindle Unlimited might be a great place to get a lot of money and financial security for now, building a fanbase across multiple retailers sure will come in handy when the unsustainable model of KU inevitably fails. It may not be this year or in the next five years, but everyone knows it can’t last. And when that day comes, my guess is there will be a lot of Loyalists with big grins saying, “I told you so” and keeping the lights on with the profits from their sales on other retailers.

Deep down, Sixes know that going wide is like planting a tree: the best time to do it was years ago, and the second best time to do it is today.

Of course, you don’t have to take that tack if you don’t want. But it’s crucial for your sense of security to evaluate which makes you feel happier and more content: a lot of money now with the possibility of a bust at any point in time, or a slow build of your royalties spread over a much more stable and diverse base of retailers? That’s the indie author money question for your type.

So, let’s return to strategy. What do you want to accomplish with your books? What’s your goal?

Here are a few likely possibilities:

Creating financial stability through multiple streams of income.
Amassing a loyal fanbase I can rely on for sales and support.
Making connections with top players in the industry.
Creating story worlds that inspire people to choose loyalty and honor over everything else.

The first goal, or something like it, could be necessary for accomplishing anything else. It’s hard to worry about story when you’re preoccupied with money. You Sixes pride yourselves on being reliable and will often position yourself as the breadwinner of the family as a way of securing those relationships that mean the most to you. But that means you can’t afford a slip up. You need to know that the money won’t all run out at once and that each month will bring in roughly the same or more as the previous one.

The second goal is also a must-have for the Loyalist. Your readers are what give you stability in this industry, so you’ll want to make sure you take care of them so they only grow in numbers and keep buying your work.

The third goal listed is so, so common among sixes. Networking for a Three looks a lot different from networking for a Six. For a Six, it’s all about creating social stability within the industry. It’s no secret that sometimes things get hairy for innocent parties, and indies bust out the pitchforks and pile on. That’s the most devastating scenario imaginable for a Six, and you’ll do anything in your power not to end up there. Networking and engendering yourself to your contemporaries who might (or might not) come to your defense is a must for you to be able to keep on keeping on.

And the final goal is one that I love to see. It’s the classic case of writing the world you want to see rather than the ethical tire fire we live in. ’Tis a noble and worthy pursuit, Loyalist! And it should come as no surprise that J.R.R. Tolkien was a Six.

Now that you have considered the things in this business that will matter to you, why you got into it in the first place, and what your goal might be, you’re inches away from putting together a great strategy.

Example:

I got into this business because: I want to write stories that matter to me and I don’t trust a big publisher to look out for my interests.

Things I care about: Predictable income, building a reliable author platform, stories that inspire honor in others.

Goal: Create a reliable and steady stream of income that will provide what my family needs and allow me to continue writing stories that inspire and comfort.

Money is a big deal here, but not in endless amounts. Like I mentioned before, Sixes will likely prefer modest but predictable streams over a windfall all at once with no promise of what tomorrow will bring. So money is mentioned in the goal, but it’s just a means to the end of security and stability.

So, this might be the strategy that goes with the above information:

Remain in my nine-to-five while focusing on building my readership across multiple platforms and increasing my backlist. Once I make twice my current income for six months in a row and have a year’s worth of expenses saved, I’ll transition to writing full time. Then, I’ll invest one third of my income back into my writing business each month and spend one third of my weekly work hours focusing on growing and retaining readers on my email list.

This strategy is more specific than some of my examples for other types, but the reason is simple: you need to know exactly what your plan is ahead of time so you don’t keep doubting it and deliberating over it in the moment. Make the decision before it’s time to make the decision, or else you’ll waste all your energy vacillating over it later on. Any sound strategy, if you stick with it and don’t mishmash it with others, will work out over time. You might even add something at the end of your strategy that says, And reevaluate this strategy in one year’s time. That way, you know exactly when you’re going to question it so you don’t have to worry about adjustments in the meantime. You can just put your head down and get things done.

So if you want to build your strategy for your Enneagram Type, be sure to start small, with the things you care about (stability, security, noble characters) and don’t let the industry’s risk junkies shame you for your risk aversion. Who wouldn’t love to make high five-figures their third month after publishing? But if you don’t know that the next month will be close, you’re not going to be able to focus on the important things a writer must do; namely, write. So accept that, embrace it, and plan accordingly.