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Performance Anxiety

Blogger: Wendy Lawton

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

Part 3 of 3

Several of my client phone conversations this week centered around sales. I’ve never seen such anxiety over sales numbers. Some of the things I’ve heard lately went something like this:

  • [Author Name] told a group of us he’s sold [bookoo numbers] of his self-pubbed ebooks.
  • [Publishing professional’s name] said that everyone’s sales– across the board– are down 40%.
  • Where do I fit in on the scale of author sales? Am I an A-list author? A B-list author? How do I compare to, say, [author  name] or [author  name]?
  • I heard at a writing conference that the average sale for a book in the CBA market is under 4,000, so that means I’m doing good, right?
  • [A certain blogger] collects royalty, advance and sales data from dozens and dozens of authors and publishes it. She said the average made from self-pubbed ebook sales is [bookoo bucks].
  • A number of my writer friends were talking about their sales numbers and . . .

All I can say to all of the above is don’t believe everything you hear.

Fishermen have long been accused of spinning tall tales about the size and ferocity of the fish that got away. Their exaggeration pales in comparison with writers talking about sales numbers. The sad thing is that conscientious writers compare their own sales to claims that are at best inflated or taken out of context and at worst, downright lies. It leads to worry– to a severe case of writerly performance anxiety. Nothing steals creativity like hand-wringing. Our artistry and imagination shrivels in the face of worry.

Let’s take apart some of the statements above.

Author claims of sales and income— Take these with a grain of salt.

  • I’ve noticed that even honest people have a tendency to highlight the best statistic even if it was skewed for one reason or another. If one book sold 60,000 copies over the life of the book, does that author then use that figure as his “brag” even though his books normally sell about 20,000?
  • Or I’ve heard an author say “My last advance was $60,000.00.” The itty bitty detail they omit is that it was a three-book deal.
  • And some publishers work in all kinds of “bonuses” that don’t amount to real money yet all that play money will be claimed as part of the advance.
  • When authors talk sales numbers they sometimes forget to factor in returns. If a book went to one of the big box stores, those returns can be significant.
  • Or were those gigantic sales going to direct mail readers– a whole different animal?
  • How about e-book numbers? Were free downloads included? 99-cent books? There are all kinds of ways of positioning numbers even if an author is generally honest.

Comparisons— We long to know how we stack up next to everyone else. Usually this is innocent. We want to insure we are meeting the publisher’s expectations but it can lead us into trouble. The humorist Harold Coffin once said, “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” Here’s the problem with comparisons:

  • There is no quantitative scale for measuring an author’s success. What would be wildly successful at a smaller publisher would be a dismal failure at one of the bigger houses.
  • No chart exists for ranking authors. You don’t reach the A-list when you hit a magic number.
  • Sales numbers are proprietary numbers. Publishers do not share these with anyone except the author and agent. All we have to compare is anecdotal evidence. And you can’t believe everything you hear.

General pronouncements— What do we do with statements like “sales are down 40% across the board?”

  • What sales? Print books? The next question would have to be, what about audio books? ebooks?
  • Was that figure referring to one month? One royalty period? What if it’s due to extenuating circumstances, say, a paper shortage or a teamsters strike that impacted delivery?
  • A statement like that does not give enough information to do anything other than worry.

Statistic Collectors— So what about those industry watchers who collect statistics? Here’s the problem:

  • Some of the bloggers who collect data are simply taking the word of authors. To see how reliable this is, see Author Claims of Sales and Income above.
  • Too often we compare apples to oranges. When authors talk about book sales they often give the lifetime sales. When publishing professionals talk sales they usually refer to first year sales. Authors often cite “books in print” numbers. Professionals care about books sold.
  • Mark Twain said it best: “Figures often beguile me,” he wrote, “particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.'”

A word to the wise: Be circumspect about revealing information regarding specific contract terms and sales numbers. Aside from being in poor taste revealing this proprietary information may very well be prohibited by contract.

All that to say: Stop worrying about comparisons! You simply don’t have enough information to engage in this counterproductive activity. Take all that energy and invest it into your writing. Nothing will affect your sales figures and your standing like a stunning book.

Perhaps there is no advice as wise as this from the Bible: “Live creatively, friends. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” Galatians 6:1a, 4-5 (Message)

 

 

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  1. Thank you, Wendy, for this series of encouraging words. Though I am not yet published (but do have a ms with an editor), I can’t tell you how many times my ‘well meaning friends’ have said –“Why don’t you self-publish? That’s the way books are sold now, isn’t it?”

    I may be crazy, but there is something inside of me that wants to know that I have mastered the craft well enough to garner publication with a good publishing house no matter how long it takes. Yet, I’ve honestly been frightened and discouraged when reading/following various blogs and FB posts.

    I’m copying the portion of scripture from The Message and posting it all through my house. I SO need to get my eyes off the ‘what ifs’ and fix them once again on Jesus.

    Thank you.

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    • Julane, I love your commitment to excellence. You used the words “mastering the craft.” Bravo! Don’t give up. Don’t listen to the naysayers.

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    • Me too. That’s why it’s one of my favorites. When we are filled with angst we can’t live creatively. A good verse to add is Philippians 4:6.

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  4. Wendy, Thanks for introducing a dose of common sense into a discussion of a subject that sometimes balloons out of proportion to reality. One of the most common battles for an author–and one of the hardest to win–is comparing themselves with others. I look at it like I do golf: do my best, and let everyone else play their own game.
    Appreciate your sharing.

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  6. Wendy, your posts have made me just want to hug your neck! So encouraging and uplifting! I really believe the Lord spoke through you this week. Thank you!

    Oh…and could I ask Bill to share his secret?

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  7. It’s wonderful to come here and leave encouraged. I’m very wary of get-rich-quick-schemes and easy money claims. I just don’t buy the hype. Maybe I am missing out on something, but I’m okay with that.

    At the end of the day (and throughout the day), I take those feelings of inferiority and anxiety and I hand them to the Lord. He has a plan for me. No one else. I trust Him.

    Have a wonderful weekend!!

    (Ha, ha, Cynthia and Bill! You two made me smile!)

    Reply

    • Jill- “He has a plan for me. No one else. I trust Him.”

      Such beautiful truth, and it echoes perfectly Wendy’s message of fulfilling our own missions, being good stewards of our own time and gifts in writing, without the hindrance of comparison. Thank you both!

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  9. Thanks so much for this post, Wendy. This definitely sheds some encouraging light on sales. I have to admit I am fairly gullible. Ask my husband. I believe just about anything. I’m trying to teach myself to step back and reflect first. Doing lots of praying for that.

    I’ve truly enjoyed this week’s posts. They are encouraging and enlightening, but most of all, they remind me that God is in control of how things work out for me. I need to put my trust in Him.

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  10. I try to remember who I’m supposed to compare myself to. Let’s see, his book has been a best-seller, well, since it was published. It sells about 100 million copies each year and has been printed in every major and many minor languages. Many people (especially Americans) own more than one copy.

    Of course, in spite of my best intentions, I still compare myself to other authors as well, but it’s a great way to check my perspective. Not only as an author, but as a human being.

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  11. Years ago there was a book titled “How the News Makes you Dumb.” Reading it made me a much more savvy consumer of all things media-related, because the author pointed out how word choice in headlines can be used to create a visceral response that may skew reality. Another chapter showed how statistics can be stacked to prove just about anything. We tend to think statistics are “proof,” but the truth is that numbers can be made to prove anything. Thanks, Wendy, for the reminder.

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  13. Another wonderful post. I try to compare myself with the person God wants me to be. And then I remind myself that God loves me just the way I am. And then I get back to work on the book He gave me to write and trust that He has a plan for it.

    That’s the plan. On the bad days, sometimes a little envy, fear, and worry seep in. But at the end of the day, He is still on the throne, and He’s not wringing his hands over this, so why should I?

    Reply

  15. Someone else commented on your stinging but simultaneously comforting words: Nothing steals creativity like hand-wringing. Our artistry and imagination shrivels in the face of worry.

    I’m going to refer to that quote many times.

    I think we unleash heaven’s power when we focus on obedience over numbers. Do numbers matter? Sure. Saul had his thousands. David had his tens of thousands. (I Samuel 18:7.)

    But at the end of an “older and wiser” King David’s life, his instructions to his son Solomon weren’t how to rack up battle scores in the tens of thousands. Instead he said, “Be strong and brave, and keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies…so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn” (I Kings 2:2-3).

    The true success in numbers. Well, I Kings.

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  16. Whenever — well, almost whenever — I wonder how I’m doing, I just ask God and then do my best to ignore my own internal voice and what others are saying.

    God’s opinion is the only one that really matters.

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  18. Another great post! Reminds me of Andy Stanley’s current message series on comparing outselves to others. As he keeps saying, “There’s NO WIN in comparison.” Not in feeling inferior to someone, and not in feeling (temporarily) superior to someone else. Wish I could put on horse blinders and just be oblivious to others’ (reported) success sometimes! 😎

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  20. I love the verses you posted! I had not read them in that translation before. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m going to post them by my computer as a daily reminder to focus on God’s plans for me, not His plans for anyone else.

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  21. Hi Wendy,

    Thanks for such a great post. I really feel that, who cares about the money, I’m serious. I love to write. I love to bring real life situations to a book to yearn peoples heart. I will always write for the joy and love of creating a story. The gift to be able to create something out of nothing is golden.
    Joseph P. Bovenzi
    An American Doper

    Reply

  22. Hi Wendy- Love this. Books sales have really stressed me out over the last year and just this week I came to my one year anniversary since my book launch. Honestly, I’m still not 100% sure if it was a good year, a bad year or an in-between year, but I do know that it’s nice to get some clarity about all of the things I hear.

    Reply