Strategies for Success
Everything about writing, selling, and promoting a book is hard. And sometimes, no matter the diligence and creativity you bring to the project, success eludes you. If this describes your experience, you’re not alone. Alexandra Alter and Elizabeth A. Harris reported in The New York Times that “Of the 3.2 million titles that NPD BookScan tracked in 2021, fewer than one percent of them sold more than 5,000 copies.” So, what’s an author to do? Focus on those factors that are in your control. Success isn’t like winning the lottery; it’s more like climbing a tall, rugged mountain—reaching the summit requires a carefully crafted plan and plenty of grit.
Over the years, I’ve made my share of mistakes, and I’ve learned from them. I’ve distilled my findings into four key lessons every author needs to know, but most only discover the hard way—through trial and error. Integrating these principles into your plan will help guide you up that mountain. The four lessons are: building meaningful relationships, understanding the complexities of the publishing business, selecting appropriate promotional strategies, and developing more sophisticated craft techniques.
Before I jump in, I want to mention two important caveats. First, what I’m going to talk about reflects my experience; in other words, it’s anecdotal and. What worked for me (or didn’t) may not work for you (or might). I present this information as ideas for you to consider, not hard and fast rules. Second, while I’ve structured this article into four categories, you’ll note there’s overlap. While there’s no one approach that’s right for everyone or for all books, this article will help you sort through your options and develop a plan that’s right for you.
