101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing -- 006: Don't Let Failure Define You

In December of 2012, a project I had been working on for over two years finally came to completion. I published my science fiction novel Chrysopteron. Spanning hundreds of years and several generations, it was a story that touched on space colonization, the future of our planet, religion, human nature, self determination. It was epic, and I was damn proud of it.
I published it shortly before Christmas, hoping to draw the attention of those who had been newly gifted with eReaders.
The response? Crickets.
Sure, copies sold to those few who were die-hard fans. But after the initial rush, sales tricked in, if they tricked at all. Even when I reduced the price to 99 cents, it still didn't move. I finally caved and put it in Amazon's Kindle Select program so I could offer it for free. Even free, there just wasn't much interest.
Now, I'm still proud of Chrysopteron, and reviews have indicated that those who have read it do like it, but either the title or the cover or the description just doesn't draw people. I must admit that I became a bit depressed after Chrysopteron's lousy showing, especially since Sullivan's War, my previous novel, had been so well received and continued to sell steadily.
When the sequel to Sullivan's War, Sullivan's Wrath, came out, I had another disappointment. Where were all the people who had bought Sullivan's War? Where was the enthusiasm that had been shown my earlier work?
I felt like a failure. My first year as a self-published author had gone extremely well, but beginning with the release of Chrysopteron, things had come to a near standstill. I was depressed. I abandoned my 12 Novels in 12 Months project. I stopped writing almost entirely.
I had let failure define me.
I wasted several months feeling sorry for myself, months that could have been very productive, that could have produced another novel by now. I don't tell you this to make you feel sorry for me but to warn you against doing the same thing.
There are exactly two things we can control as writers: the writing and the marketing. We can't control how the writing will be received, nor can we control the results of marketing.
If sales are poor, if you get a bad review, if, no matter what you do, no one seems to care about your book, let it go. You can try different marketing strategies, but don't stop writing. The best thing you can do to promote yourself as a writer is to release a new book. Keep writing. Keep producing. If your last book doesn't sell, let it go, and focus on the next.
As I said, I'm still proud of Chrysopteron. I'll continue to market it because I want people to read it. But I know it will probably never be a hit. If I ever become "known," it's not what I'll be known for. But that's okay. I'll keep writing. As long as I do that, I have not failed.
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Best,Michael K. Rose