Writers, Don’t Kill Your Career Before it Even Begins
Last year, the publishing industry released three hundred and twenty thousand books.
Only seven sold more than one million copies.
Forty-seven sold more than one hundred thousand.
A little fewer than three thousand sold over ten thousand copies.
Over three hundred thousand published writers did not reach their sales goal.
Why? Was it their message? Not at all. They all had something to say. Their message was important enough that they committed to writing an entire novel.
So, why didn’t anyone else read their message?
Because it was not written well. It is just as simple as that.
Most self-published writers do not break even. They spend more on the self-publishing process than they ever make in sales.
People say it doesn’t matter how many people read the message if the book is out there.
That’s what self-publishing is all about. This kind of writing is a chance for someone to go through the therapeutic and empowering process of presenting their ideas to the world—well, to a few dozen people, anyway.
However, if you are serious about having your message read by many, please consider this.
Have your book professionally edited. I do not mean use an AI like Grammarly or ask the help of a friend who “Is great at English.” I mean, have it done by someone who knows the craft and understands the industry.
The handful of novels that sold well were all edited by a professional. Over 56,000,000 read them.
The other three hundred thousand had a combined readership of less than two million.
Professionals edited only 21% of those.
Editing does not guarantee success. However, a lack of editing can certainly contribute to failure.
Those who took their craft seriously were read 23 times more than those writers who just shared their message with a handful of people.
You have a message. Share it with as many as possible.
Don’t be one of the three hundred thousand. You have something to say. Say it well.
Eric Myers
Send a sample of your work for a free editing and critique. Submit One Thousand words to:
submissions@warpspeedediting.com
Responses are usually within twenty-four hours.
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