Counting on Numbers for Your Writing Success

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt
Writing success seems to be driven by the numbers, doesn’t it?
Author life How many books have you written? How many awards have you won? Sales numbersHow many books have you sold? How much money have you earned?Social media numbers How many followers do you have? How many likes do you have? How many shares do you have? How many subscribers do you have?I’ve always had an aversion to numbers, going all the way back to elementary school math. As an adult, I realized there’s no dodging numbers in my daily author life.
Every author must market their books. (Add collective groan here.) I’m learning what I’m good at, while also pushing myself to improve my marketing skills. Social media is not optional, and to some degree, it’s a numbers game. I’m determined to manage the stress of social media as much as possible. 
How?
Here’s one simple step I’ve taken to help me enjoy—yes, enjoy—the numbers associated with my writing life:
When I see an uptick in my social media followers, no matter how small, I pause and say thank you.
I thank God for each new Instagram follower. Each new Facebook follower. Each new BookBub follower. Each new subscriber to my Words of Encouragement monthly letter. 
I also thank God for each book review—although I rarely read reviews. Skipping reviews is a mental health choice for me. I don’t want to set my ego on positive reviews, and I don’t want to allow negative reviews to shape my self-image, either. But still, reviews add up and make a difference. (Amazon algorithms, anyone?)
Becoming an author has taught me so many invaluable lessons. One of the best? Not to overlook the validity of slow growth. 
To frame that truth into a math equation for you:
1 + 1 + 1 = readership
Some of you may wonder what I do when my numbers dip because yes, that happens. People unfollow us. People unsubscribe. 
It used to feel personal—lower numbers made me feel less than. But then I decided to not let a lower number define me. It’s a number, not a judgement. I whisper, “Bless you” for the person who has moved on and leave it at that.
How do you feel about your writing success being driven by the numbers?
TWEETABLECounting on Numbers for Your Writing Succes - @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Having authored nine contemporary romance novels and novellas, The Best We’ve Been, the final book in Beth’s Thatcher Sisters Series with Tyndale House Publishers, releasers May 2020. Other books in the women’s fiction series include Things I Never Told You, which won the 2019 AWSA Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year, and Moments We Forget. Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. Visit Beth at bethvogt.com.