What Is A Successful Published Book?

I don’t believe that you can say that the only successful book is one which has sold 1,000 copies, or even 100 copies.  I think that you need to create your own personal definition of what makes a successful book.   I’ve been debating, in my head for a while, what I call a success.

I’d love to sell a million books, and I would love to do that for a long time, but I believe I am also a realist — or perhaps I’m just not terribly optimistic. So, if I only sold 999,999 copies, would my book still be a success? I think it would.  But what about 100?  Would it still be a success?

My answer is:  It depends.

I think I would still call it successful, and I would still be happy.  It means 100 more people have seen my writing in a published book format and 100 books that would otherwise be left in bookcase or a box waiting to be sold.  It could mean that I sell more copies of the next book that I write.

There is a great feeling you get when you can even give away 100 books, or e-books or review books because then people will know you, a writer, a bit better.  I know, and I’ve done that!

The thing is that all the positive quotes about writing in the world won’t help you if you don’t write and aim to publish a book.  The key to everything is being published, and it doesn’t matter how you have your work published, as long as you give it your best effort.

What is a successfully published book?

It should be defined as a step along the path that gets you, as a writer, wanting to write more.  There is nothing worse than to publish a book and then simply want to stop writing.  This would make me feel even worse than not selling a single book! (At that point I would be saying the money has to come some day!)