An open letter of encouragement to those authors that do not sell a lot, but are told they have a good book.

Hi there you,

Having a rough day? I hear you. You rolled out of bed and grabbed your phone, like you always do. You looked up KDP, Amazon, Good Reads etc., like you always do. And there staring back at you from that uncaring screen are the results. You have sold little or nothing. You have no new reviews, no new to be reads and your book is languishing in the dark corners of the internet. Why? How could this happen? Especially after all the feedback you got from others telling you how good your book is.

You tried promoting on Facebook, Goodreads, and all sorts of other websites. You feel like you are shouting into the maelstrom for all the good your efforts have accomplished. Bloggers were sent ARC’s, a decent amount of reviews were posted, and you followed all the advice out there. Still your sales are laxidasical and you are feeling down. As a writer part of your self-worth is tied to your ranking on Amazon, the amount of reviews (good or bad) that you get and of course how many people pay to read your work.

That is part of the hardest part of being a writer. In the past, there were a lucky handful of published authors in comparison to the oceans of writers who labored at other jobs while still writing. Now, everyone can publish and many do. This leaves instead of an ocean of unpublished writers an even vaster ocean of books available to read. While this is not a bad thing it does make it that much harder for those writers who deserve recognition and success to achieve it. The constant struggle to write, promote the book or books you have and balance it with your day job and everyday life can start to grind you down.

So, what is a discouraged and downtrodden author to do? For me, I try to remember why I write. Don’t get me wrong, I would love commercial success, I just never expected it. I wanted to write stories that I would like to read. I wanted to use my imagination, like I have all my life, to entertain those around me. Someday I wanted my son to pick up one of my books and say “Wow dad that was a really great story.” Now, if you write only to make money and have success than nothing that I or anyone else says will help you feel better. Only the rush of success will salve your wounds. Instead, my encouragement is for those that write because they need to share the story. Those that desire to entertain and engross the reader. It may be a cliché to say it but “run your race” and don’t worry about anyone else.

Write for the readers that you have now, not for the readers that you hope to get. As a storyteller the people that are already listening to your story are worth ten potential readers of the future. They already love what you have done; they want more and are waiting for you to put it on the page. For those people, and yourself, keep writing. Eventually, if you are good at what you do, if people truly like your work, than it will be appreciated. Just remember that it may be years after you pass from this world, but don’t let that discourage you either. Instead, be happy that you are someone who was born with the ability to leave part of yourself behind for others to enjoy on the page.