Becoming a successful author involves much more than just writing a book. In the competitive field of publishing, knowing how to navigate the industry can make or break your career.
I learned this the hard way.
After my first three books completely flopped, I realized my approach needed a complete overhaul. (Yes, you read that right) So I often get asked...what changed? In this blog post, I'm sharing exactly what I changed to go from frustrated newbie to best-selling author: my mindset.
What I Didn't Know
When I started writing children's books, I was fairly confident. I spent so many hours reading, listening, and learning about how KDP works, what freelancers to hire, how self-publishing actually works, etc. I thought I had it figured out, so I wrote my first book, self-published it and...
Crickets.
Well, I told myself that round one was just practice and now that I'd been through the process, book 2 would be more successful. So I wrote, produced, and published my second children's book and...
Crickets.
Surely, the problem was that I needed more books, right? I assumed writing more would solve all my problems so I wrote my third children's book and....
Crickets.
Sales were a trickle. Getting traffic felt impossible. I was thousands of dollars in the hole and completely frustrated and overwhelmed. I began to question if I was cut out for this, or if my writing was simply not up to par. It was uncomfortable. It forced me to confront the harsh reality: my knowledge of publishing was surface-level.
The real game-changer came when I recognized that my failure wasn't due to a lack of talent but a lack of industry knowledge and proper strategy. Admitting that I didn't "know it all" was the first step towards real growth.
Educating Myself
Determined, I sought out educational resources to fill the gaps in my understanding. I attended business courses, worked with business coaches, and immersed myself in learning specific to children's books, my area of focus. This phase was about connecting the dots, and transforming scattered information into a cohesive, practical strategy for publishing success. One that could be repeated time and time again.
I learned that:
It all starts with the story. "Good enough" isn't good enough.
Marketing needs to happen prior to publication.
You need to know who your audience is and create a strategy to reach them.
Authors are never done learning.
Through sheer grit (and a bit of stubbornness) I created a launch strategy for my fourth book. I put it to the test and...
...the results were better than I ever could have dreamed.
Becoming A Best-Selling Author
When my fourth book released, I had:
Nearly 1,000 people on my launch team
Hundreds of organic, honest reviews during the first week of publication
Thousands of preorders
Five figures of profit earned in the first month alone
My first book has sold less than 100 copies to this day. My fourth? 11,000 copies and counting!
But the best part is that I've been able to replicate that success with every book I've published since. And then, I started teaching others how to do the same.
The Bottom Line
Every best-selling author was once a beginner. Learning how to write and publish—no matter which publication route is best for you—is just a skill. And skills can be learned. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge what you don’t know, and take steps to expand your knowledge.
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