What Are The Odds Of Success For An Author?

  

The odds of success for authors are anywhere from poor to great. It depends on how how you define success.   

The word “odds” is misleading. The odds of something happening based on past results is not the same as the statistical odds of something involving definitive terms and circumstances.   

For instance, the odds of any particular person out of a group of ten competing tennis players, winning their league’s championship is 10 percent. 1 out of 10. But once you know more of a player’s abilities and past performance, we may discover that one or two players have a far better chance at winning it all. The odds changed.  

If you look at the odds of any one particular bad thing happening to you, one should take comfort in knowing many lousy things are highly unlikely to occur to you — or anyone. 

If you consult an oddball book, You Bet Your Life: Your Guide To Deafly Risk by Sheila and Joe Buff, you will see what I mean. It says that;

* You are ten times more likely to die by dog than shark. Only 34 Americans — out of 337 million — die by dog annually.

* There have been no accidental deaths in recent years on commercial airlines in the US.

*Skateboarding accidents kill as many people as skiing and snowboarding annually — which is a tiny amount.

* Hypothermia, though twice as likely to kill you than heat-related causes, only kills 1300 annually in the US. 

Okay, sorry, I digressed. So, the odds of an author being successful depend on what you use to measure success. Is it book sales? Being on a best-seller list?  Movie deals? Book awards? Clicks on a website? Changing a reader’s life? Influencing public opinion?  

Some two million books will be published this year. Many authors will say they are successful just because they got a book published. Far fewer will be satisfied with book sales or other hardcore metrics like positive professional reviews, book awards, or foreign rights deals. But many will feel successful because their creativity, experiences, beliefs, ideas, and work are available and on display. They are shaping their legacy with each book.  

Whatever your goals, figure out how to move the odds in your favor. What might help with that?  

*Hiring pros to help you

*Focusing only on your strengths

*Competing where fewer authors go

*Working longer/smarter

*Asking others for favors  

For example, compete for awards and contests where fewer people participate. Buy book reviews — they are a sure thing. Look to sell books where other books are not sold. Find an extra 30-60 minutes a day to promote, where other authors can’t or won’t dedicate such time. Lean on people that you know for favors — and keep growing your network without boundaries or self-imposed limitations.  

Manipulate the odds – and you control your fate!  

 

Please Contact Me For Book PR Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.