Hello Conspirators!

Let’s talk about success, and what it really means to “make it” as an author.  Most success advice, or subliminal group thought processes are cliché and designed to make you chase someone else’s mission. This creates the perfect breeding ground for our common author struggles with both imposter syndrome (because we are trying to be like someone else, and subconsciously we know that leads to us feeling fake) and comparison syndrome, so even if we aren’t trying to be like what we think we are supposed to be, we judge ourselves as being less than others who’s highlight reels would lead us to assume they are successful.

That’s why I thought it crucial to kick the Conspire Podcast off with this as our foundation, on which we will build everything else. Because everything that we will discuss in the future will be viewed through the lens of:

“How do you define success for YOUR author career?”

Today we are going to craft our own definitions of success, but first, let’s debunk some all-too-common false intel.

First off let’s start with “Bestseller”. So many authors are told or believe they have to chase this badge of honor. But let’s talk about this for real.

Firstly, I want to point out that the lists that actually matter as far as this title is concerned are the big ones, New York Times, or USA Today etc. These lists are difficult to get onto, you have to sell thousands of copies in the course of the sales week to make these lists. MOST AUTHORS never make it onto one of these lists, and they do just fine.

Secondly being generically a “bestseller” i.e. an Amazon bestseller has pretty much lost all its value, because all authors have to do is super niche down their sub categories until they only have three competitors and only needed to sell one book to be the bestseller in it. This tactic has gotten old, you aren’t actually “earning” anything by pulling this stunt, and readers aren’t impressed. So “bestseller” when not attached to those big name lists, isn’t really impressive anymore. And those big name lists are ridiculous to get on. Not impossible, but also, not really necessary to stress over either.

The other autopilot definition of being a successful author that comes to mind is being a multi-millionaire, household name, and having TV and movie adaptations of our work. Depending on your genre, you may be looking at Stephen King, Freida McFadden, Rebecca Yarros, Emily Henry, George R.R. Martin, or Brandon Sanderson as the standard to shoot for. And it’s not bad to have lofty aspirations. However I would caution you when it comes to expectations, that these authors are the exception, not the rule.

That being said, I’m not telling you to abandon all hope, and resign yourself to a life of obscurity. Don’t toss your dreams out the window, I know they are likely quite detailed, that’s what we do! What I am saying is when we define success for ourselves more realistically, we are more likely to achieve it without burning ourselves out- and we can scale up from there.

So answer this question for me:

Before you started taking writing “seriously”, what drew you to do it in the first place? Before you started thinking about sales ranks etc, what was your goal, and what was your reward?

As we head into crafting our definitions of success, I want to remind you to carry that with you. I’m also going to give you permission (because if you’re anything like me, it helps to have someone else give you permission) to want a sustainable and enjoyable career over a financially lucrative or fame-based definition of success.

And for those of you who need the tough love, shoot straight approach…

If you’re working a full time job, or multiple jobs, or raising small children, or homeschooling your kids or __(fill in the blank)___, your day to take schedule and what it will allow will not be at all comparable to Mr. Stephen King’s.

Lifestyle Design Recon

Okay let’s start off with some lifestyle design recon. If you have some pen and paper handy, or the notes ap on your phone, we are going to do a short exercise. Write out a stream of consciousness about how you would imagine (in as vivid detail as possible) your ideal day. Start when you wake up, and go all the way until you go to bed. Include everything that is for now, mandatory; family, day jobs, writing…

Okay keeping that image in your head, and those reasons and rewards for writing we established earlier, we are going to move on.

How much income do you actually need vs how much you want? If it helps keep some hope/optimism, maybe write down three numbers. The amount of money you actually need to survive, an amount that could be reasonably achieved, and an amount that might be challenging to strive for, but is still actually doable.

Now let’s talk readers, what would  “enough” readers look like for you? Be honest about how you’ve looked at this in the past vs how you might be trying to look at this now. Have you been more concerned with quantity over quality? Can you reframe your thoughts to make quality more important to you? Here’s why: quantity gotten quickly and easily (free books, .99 sales that weren’t targeting your ideal reader etc) can do more harm than good and lead to poor reviews. However, when we focus on quality, it can always eventually grow into quantity as well. But will be an established readership of dedicated fans.

Reader Intel Network

Speaking of readers, let’s talk about this network.

As an author, it doesn’t matter if you write non-fiction or fiction, your reader is your client. This is after all a business. What transformation are you offering your reader? What value beyond entertainment (for fiction), are you providing?

As I said before, quality can grow into quantity. This is a marathon, not a sprint. How are you building relationships with your readers for retention to grow your audience and keep them around? Don’t just chase quick sales.

Finish this sentence “Success, for me, means my readers….”

Personal Metrics Dashboard

Now lets talk actual numbers. Real measurable numbers are really helpful to gage how fast we are moving down this road toward success. And just like in a car, faster doesn’t always mean better, sometimes that is just sucking the gas out of your tank.

If the only numbers you’ve been looking at are sales ranks, and followers, then I caution you that those can be really misleading! Especially when comparing yourself to other authors you think “look” successful, because you don’t know the truth behind those numbers. But even with your own numbers, here is why those can sometimes be false reads of success:

1. Followers don’t equal sales (or even post views-)
2. Sales don’t qual readers (especially on a free or .99 book!!! Most readers stock up on these and few ever actually get around to reading them- so the % of actual readers makes this number significantly smaller).
3. Readers don’t mean they enjoyed the book enough to leave a positive review, or buy your next release. (Especially with comparison syndrome, wait and see- some authors who achieve perceived initial quick success are much better at marketing than writing. They may sell a lot of books upfront, but many times, the reviews eventually prove the book was no good, and those readers wont be sticking around).

Actual success Indicators to Prioritize

These don’t seem as sexy, but I’m telling you in this marathon road trip toward success, these are the things that matter!!!

1. Creative consistency. How many words are you actually writing, how many projects are you actually completing? Because your greatest marketing asset will always be your next book. And the best way to retain your audience and continue to grow it is to publish consistently, the highest quality books you can produce.
2. Reader Connection and Quality. Because word of mouth advertising is still and will always be the most effective form of advertising (its also free!). We need to steadily be growing our army of superfans, because they will multiply our efforts, and start to grow themselves.
3. Personal Sustainability. Energy levels, family satisfaction. Because in both your family and your author career you are irreplaceable. Burnout is the enemy to success here. So sustainable rhythms are crucial. This may be easiest to track in time spent. Sleep is also a huge part of this one!!
4. Financial Reality, actual income in and out. It isn’t all about money, but it is a resource we need to keep writing more books, and to take care of our families.

Always track your progress against YOUR goals, not someone else’s highlight reel.

Your Assignment Should You Choose to Accept it:

• Craft a 3 sentence definition of success just for you.
• Pick 2-3 metrics you need to start tracking and prioritizing over sales and followers
• Schedule monthly check ins with yourself to keep a close eye on your fuel levels in your tank and to see if your trajectory is taking you closer to that ideal day you wrote out earlier, or further away from it.

Remember: Your goals are there to serve you. You are not meant to be a slave to them.

See you all next Thursday to talk about everyone’s favorite topic (she said sarcastically): MARKETING!

Have a great weekend!

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