Leveraging Patience: Embracing the Slow and Steady Path to Author Success
When I decided to start publishing my stories a couple of years back, I knew there were a few things I was unwilling to do to sell them: I wouldn’t pour thousands of dollars into the publishing process, invest endless hours in social media, or pester anyone — friends, family, or strangers — to buy my books.
How did I expect to sell anything, you ask?
I wasn’t completely clueless that I’d have to implement some level of marketing to get my books noticed. I once heard that you can sell a bad product with great marketing, but you can’t sell a great product if you don’t market it…or something like that. My challenge was figuring out how to do it without hating the process.
I know several authors who invest a good portion of their income in buying custom covers, creating audio versions of their books, hiring top-tier editors to refine their work, dedicating hours crafting TikToks and social media posts, and pouring significant money into ads that yield little return. The proof of their inefficiency lies in their meager ratings, poor rankings, and lack of engagement despite some of them having large follower counts.
When you approach writing intending to profit, treating your books like any other product is essential. You’re not just a writer; you’re…