Do I Encourage People to Write a Book?
My friends were all surprised to learn I had published a fictional book. This makes sense because I’m not a highly creative person. So, we get to talking, and they often comment, “Hey, I have an idea. Do you think I should write a book?” My answer falls into two categories.
If the person does not want to make money on their project, I tell them to have a blast. Writing is entertaining, engaging, therapeutic, skill-building, confidence-building, and a great outlet; it is also easy to self-publish. The result? People have written an endless number of outstanding books, but they have never made a dime. That is fine because they went into the project without any expectations. The important thing is they had fun and created something that will last a lifetime.
If the person wants to make money, my answer is vastly different. I tell them the road to success will be extremely difficult. In fact, I have coined a phrase, “Being an author is 99% self-promotion and 1% other.” This was a harsh lesson.
What is going on? I have read stunning books that got no attention and trashy junk loaded with typos that sold over a million copies. The difference? It boils down to the amount of effort the author puts into promoting their book.
Yet, that is not the entire story (a book pun). A few key ingredients are required to make a profit. Besides having a bubbly online personality, they need to have existing online followers. Secondly, they need to have a concept that is new or radically different from existing works. For example, there are thousands of romance authors and even more titles. Breaking into that competitive field with a traditional story will be challenging.
Next, funds are necessary to hire a good editor, a cover designer, and a formatter. Note: Locating talented people in these areas will be difficult. Yes, this was and still is a difficult and expensive lesson.
Assuming all the necessary ingredients are present, the author has written a good book, the money has been paid to polish/present it, and the author has the personality to promote it, then we are good. Right? No, I do not recommend publishing for profit because, even with a flawless book, the chances of success are too low.
This is not the fault of the author. What has happened is that society has undergone significant changes. Why would a kid read Harry Potter when they can watch the movie? The book market has been shrinking for many years, but the number of new books is increasing. This is a heartless numbers game that stops new authors dead in their tracks, punishes existing authors, and somehow rewards deceased authors. That last part is utterly baffling.
Is this bad? A good book deserves a chance. It is a tragedy that so many fantastic books lack even a single review. So yes, my negative opinion is awful, and I should be encouraging new authors all day long.
Am I being harsh or bitter about my marketing failure? Obviously, many successful authors have figured something out. So yes, I am bitter. I have invested a significant amount of effort in marketing, and this article is a testament to that. I try and try, but success evades me.
Am I being delusional? Perhaps I wrote awful books, and the public hates me. This is certainly a possibility, but I have read numerous articles by authors, publishers, retailers, marketing experts, and insiders that conclude the chances of success for a new author are slim, and the future is bleak.
Still, I have enjoyed the experience, but I now write for fun. (Yes, I still pay editors, proofreaders, and formatters, but that is another painful topic.) My publishing endeavors have allowed me to meet fellow authors, learn new skills, and overall, it has been a positive experience. However, this positive experience does not change my opinion. Publishing is not for the meek. Profit is a microscopic worm hiding under a rock in a vast forest full of starving bears and haters with ten lifetimes of too much time on their hands who only have the goal of writing bad reviews for books they have never read.
You’re the best -Bill
May 28, 2025
If the person does not want to make money on their project, I tell them to have a blast. Writing is entertaining, engaging, therapeutic, skill-building, confidence-building, and a great outlet; it is also easy to self-publish. The result? People have written an endless number of outstanding books, but they have never made a dime. That is fine because they went into the project without any expectations. The important thing is they had fun and created something that will last a lifetime.
If the person wants to make money, my answer is vastly different. I tell them the road to success will be extremely difficult. In fact, I have coined a phrase, “Being an author is 99% self-promotion and 1% other.” This was a harsh lesson.
What is going on? I have read stunning books that got no attention and trashy junk loaded with typos that sold over a million copies. The difference? It boils down to the amount of effort the author puts into promoting their book.
Yet, that is not the entire story (a book pun). A few key ingredients are required to make a profit. Besides having a bubbly online personality, they need to have existing online followers. Secondly, they need to have a concept that is new or radically different from existing works. For example, there are thousands of romance authors and even more titles. Breaking into that competitive field with a traditional story will be challenging.
Next, funds are necessary to hire a good editor, a cover designer, and a formatter. Note: Locating talented people in these areas will be difficult. Yes, this was and still is a difficult and expensive lesson.
Assuming all the necessary ingredients are present, the author has written a good book, the money has been paid to polish/present it, and the author has the personality to promote it, then we are good. Right? No, I do not recommend publishing for profit because, even with a flawless book, the chances of success are too low.
This is not the fault of the author. What has happened is that society has undergone significant changes. Why would a kid read Harry Potter when they can watch the movie? The book market has been shrinking for many years, but the number of new books is increasing. This is a heartless numbers game that stops new authors dead in their tracks, punishes existing authors, and somehow rewards deceased authors. That last part is utterly baffling.
Is this bad? A good book deserves a chance. It is a tragedy that so many fantastic books lack even a single review. So yes, my negative opinion is awful, and I should be encouraging new authors all day long.
Am I being harsh or bitter about my marketing failure? Obviously, many successful authors have figured something out. So yes, I am bitter. I have invested a significant amount of effort in marketing, and this article is a testament to that. I try and try, but success evades me.
Am I being delusional? Perhaps I wrote awful books, and the public hates me. This is certainly a possibility, but I have read numerous articles by authors, publishers, retailers, marketing experts, and insiders that conclude the chances of success for a new author are slim, and the future is bleak.
Still, I have enjoyed the experience, but I now write for fun. (Yes, I still pay editors, proofreaders, and formatters, but that is another painful topic.) My publishing endeavors have allowed me to meet fellow authors, learn new skills, and overall, it has been a positive experience. However, this positive experience does not change my opinion. Publishing is not for the meek. Profit is a microscopic worm hiding under a rock in a vast forest full of starving bears and haters with ten lifetimes of too much time on their hands who only have the goal of writing bad reviews for books they have never read.
You’re the best -Bill
May 28, 2025
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