And that can be scary. As a writer, you might start to wonder about yourself and your writing. Why didn't my book sell? Is it normal? Does this mean I'm not good? Is my agent going to drop me?
Books don't sell for all kinds of reasons. I've talked about this before. The current market, your genre, recent sales and comparison titles all factor into book sales. And none of those factors have anything to do with the quality of your work.
Now, what happens next is a conversation that takes place between you and your agent. Every situation will be different so there's no point in trying to compare yourself to another writer. But there is one thing that should be constant.
Regardless of if the realization that your book isn't going to sell means a parting of ways or forward into the fray, you can't find your next success unless you've kept writing. The only variable in this whole mess of a world we call publishing that you control is your work.
So try not to worry about what selling or not selling your book "means". Instead, focus your energy on writing the next book, and the one after that. That way, no matter what direction your path takes, you're ready.
You're turn. For those of you who've been through the submission process, what advice would you give to other writers who are on submission or facing the possibility that their book isn't going to sell?
I'd suggest constant self-reminders that you're writing because you love it, that you have many more shiny new ideas, and that validation for your writing can come from places other than publication. Also, as much as it can hurt, maybe NOT publishing this particular book is what is ultimately best for your career.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts, Beth. Sometimes it's a good thing that a book doesn't sell. :) Though, that can be hard to hear in the moment.
DeleteI know people with agents whose first, second, and third novels didn't sell. I don't know anyone who's been fired for not selling though. There's another step at the end of the above. If the ms does sell, it's possible that after it's published, it won't sell/earn out. That's something else the "rainbows and sunshine" people don't realize. It's just one big long struggle...
ReplyDeleteYep, it happens much more often than people think. Publishers use the big best sellers to offset the books that just never make it out of the gate. There really isn't ever a point when it's all just a walk in the park. That's why you really have to love it if you're going to make it in publishing. :)
DeleteI think this is why I write so much. lol I know I might not sell every book I write, so I keep writing. It also keeps me sane during the submission process. I get lost in my work during drafting. The rest of the world kind of stops existing—at least while I'm typing, so it's a great distraction. Otherwise, I'd stress out over what the editors are thinking as they read my book, and that would drive me crazy.
ReplyDelete