The best way to sell books is to already be famous or famous adjacent.
That’s my takeaway from a recent article* discussing the state of the publishing industry. And, to an extent, that’s not even true but already being famous is the best way to make money as a writer. The bigger your name and fame, the bigger your advance. This tiny portion of the writing community command 6- to 7-figure advances and 5-figure marketing budgets. The chances of a writer like me making that kind of money are about the same as winning the lottery. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Yet, despite the odds, I keep trying on both counts.
On a recent holiday with the extended family-in-law, my accountant nephew asked how many thousands of copies of ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ I’d sold. I laughed so hard, I almost cried. Then he complained about how expensive the book was and suggested that was why it wasn’t selling. I was confused because I deliberately kept the price low to maximise sales. When he said he’d looked at it on Mighty Ape, I was even more confused, as I don’t sell through them.
Of course, I looked myself up on MA, and sure enough both my books were listed, along with ‘Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa’, published by Clan Destine Press. Shockingly, ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ and ‘Rose Moon’ were listed at three times the price they sell for on all the usual platforms I list on.
So, just for fun, let’s imagine someone is stupid enough to buy ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ on MA. They pay $39, MA pays $10.99 probably to Amazon, and in turn Amazon pays $1.84 to me.
Even if I do manage to sell thousands of copies, I’m not the one making the money out of my writing.
Despite the odds, I live in hope. I also buy tickets in the lottery and look for ways to become famous – or, more likely in my case, infamous! So, if my name ever pops up in the headlines for the wrong reason...just know it's a publishing ploy.
* read the article on the state of the publishing industry HERE
That’s my takeaway from a recent article* discussing the state of the publishing industry. And, to an extent, that’s not even true but already being famous is the best way to make money as a writer. The bigger your name and fame, the bigger your advance. This tiny portion of the writing community command 6- to 7-figure advances and 5-figure marketing budgets. The chances of a writer like me making that kind of money are about the same as winning the lottery. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Yet, despite the odds, I keep trying on both counts.
On a recent holiday with the extended family-in-law, my accountant nephew asked how many thousands of copies of ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ I’d sold. I laughed so hard, I almost cried. Then he complained about how expensive the book was and suggested that was why it wasn’t selling. I was confused because I deliberately kept the price low to maximise sales. When he said he’d looked at it on Mighty Ape, I was even more confused, as I don’t sell through them.
Of course, I looked myself up on MA, and sure enough both my books were listed, along with ‘Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa’, published by Clan Destine Press. Shockingly, ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ and ‘Rose Moon’ were listed at three times the price they sell for on all the usual platforms I list on.
So, just for fun, let’s imagine someone is stupid enough to buy ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ on MA. They pay $39, MA pays $10.99 probably to Amazon, and in turn Amazon pays $1.84 to me.
Even if I do manage to sell thousands of copies, I’m not the one making the money out of my writing.
Despite the odds, I live in hope. I also buy tickets in the lottery and look for ways to become famous – or, more likely in my case, infamous! So, if my name ever pops up in the headlines for the wrong reason...just know it's a publishing ploy.
* read the article on the state of the publishing industry HERE
RSS Feed