According to a 2016 article in the New York Times, only 40 authors had sold more than 1 million books on the Kindle store in the previous 5 years.
Another survey by Digital Book World found that the vast majority of self-published authors made $1 to $999 per year—with most authors on the lower end of that range.
These numbers are a stark reminder of how grateful I should be to have achieved the level of success that I have as a self-published author. Specifically, I’ve sold about 1.3 million books in the last 6 years, and last year was my best yet, with over 300,000 books sold.
This is why I get a lot of questions from aspiring writers about publishing, writing, and the business of selling books.
Sometimes people are looking for help writing a book of their own and other times they’re just curious about how the sausage is made.
I haven’t spoken much about the ins and outs of publishing here on my podcast, so I thought it might be worth sharing an interview I did on another podcast called The Food for Fitness Podcast.
In this discussion, the host Scott and I get under the hood of my publishing company, the publishing space, and the fitness industry in general and discuss the good, bad, and ugly.
We talk about the genesis, growth, and goals of my publishing efforts, some of the key factors that have made my books so successful, some of the common mistakes, shenanigans, and skullduggery used to sell books, and more.
5:21 - Who are you, what do you do, and how did it all start?
14:37 - Why did you decide to write books and create businesses?
21:34 - Why do you think fitness gurus overcomplicate weight loss and muscle building?
36:36 - What type of diet will be big in the future?
44:52 - What’s the one thing you know now that you wished you knew when started?
47: 02 - Where can people find you and your work?
Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!
Click here: www.muscleforlife.com/signup/