It might be asked, "What does a successful indie author look like?" That is to say, what should our expectations be for what constitutes success as an author in this digital age?
Different authors might, of course, have different expectations for what their personal definition of "success" should look like. There are of course those who will claim they are purists and that they "really don't care" whether anyone reads their writing or not. While there may certainly be a few who truly subscribe to this belief, they are part of an exceedingly fringe minority. If a writer truly didn't care if anyone read their work or not - then why publish at all? At a minimum, we publish because, as artists, we would like to see our work appreciated by as wide of an audience as possible. And while we're at it, it wouldn't hurt if we were somehow indemnified for our effort.
On the other extreme are those authors who dream of writing an international best-seller: a book that sells millions of copies and eventually is made into a movie or television series. Certainly, a lofty goal to aspire to. But this is not a realistic expectation for most of us. Very few athletes become professionals at the national level. Very few aspiring actors become Hollywood stars. And very few writers write a single book that generates millions in sales.
So what does a "successful" indie author look like? Whether we are writing as a hobby, or hoping to find an additional source of income, or even if we hope to make a living from writing novels, there are a few things that every indie author should know and understand.
The "average" printed book on the market today, by all accounts, will sell fewer than 250 copies over the lifetime of that book.[1][2] Many print-on-demand books sell far less.[3] Examples of "failure" therefore litter the marketplace. This does not mean that indie authors should lose hope. There are indie authors who actually make a living as writers, and their example should inform our expectations for what "success" in today's market should look like.
The first reality is that even the successful indie authors - those who actually make a living or substantial portion of their livelihood from writing - do not rely on a single book from which to earn their income. It is unrealistic to expect to be the next Harper Lee. For most of us, one novel will not be enough. Those authors who stay in the business rely on having a portfolio of multiple titles.
Those indie authors who have "gone pro" (and expect to make a living at writing), will typically have a roster of fifteen to thirty titles, which collectively generate sales and income. This is why a book series becomes so essential to the success of today's indie authors. By itself, each "successful" title might generate hundreds of sales per month. Collectively, however, they can generate thousands, even tens of thousands.
For the new indie author, this becomes a vital reality. Much like the writing process, success as an author is a marathon effort - not a sprint.
Even for those of us who have no expectation of ever giving up our day job, we need to be thinking about the long term. About connecting with our readers. And generating a following. We need to be writing multiple books or a series of books which attract readers who will come back for more. Expecting to be "discovered" after publishing one title just isn't realistic.
Success as an indie author does happen. Understanding that it does not come from having published a single book is part of the road to that success.
References:
[1] Gallagher, BJ. “The Ten Awful Truths -- and the Ten Wonderful Truths -- About Book Publishing.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/book-publishing_b_1394159.
[2] Strauss, Victoria. “Self-Publishing.” SFWA, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, 8 Apr. 2019, https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/.
[3] “Print-on-Demand Self-Publishing Statistics.” SFWA, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, http://www.sfwa.org/print-on-demand/.
No comments:
Post a Comment