#104: The Author's Edge? Not Knowing Any Better

Read Time: 2.5 Minutes

When it comes to building an author business, your inexperience might be your greatest asset; not your greatest weakness.

As is often the way, when you "know what you're doing", you can feel completely paralyzed.

Let me explain...

There are authors out there who are obsessed with following "expert strategies" and overthink their marketing yet only sell a handful of books each month.

And there are other authors who are not "marketing-savvy", simply write what they love, build a loyal audience and sell truckloads of books each month.

In a world obsessed with traditional wisdom and complexity, a fresh perspective can be a secret weapon.

The Paralysis of Following the "Right" Path

I've seen this countless times.

Blog posts, emails, podcasts, videos, all the "essential" needed to succeed as an author, and outlining everything that could go wrong if you don't follow this advice:

"BookTok is the only way to sell books in 2025."

"You need at least 10,000 newsletter subscribers before launching."

"AI-written books are going to destroy the market."

Until finally, the newbie author speaks up, who doesn't know anything about these "best practices"...

"What if I just write my books, build a loyal audience and keep showing up for them?" — offering a solution so simple it makes everyone uncomfortable.

Until they implement this approach and sell more books than the "experts."

The Freedom of Writing Your Own Rules

When you don't know the "proper marketing channels," you experiment with different approaches others are too scared to try.

When you don't know what's "realistic," you dare to write in genres that "shouldn't" sell.

And sometimes, you succeed precisely because you didn't know you were supposed to fail.

Consider my wife's journey.

Her books are a mish-mash of 3 or 4 different genres — about as far from "written to market" as it's possible to be.

They "shouldn't" sell according to every publishing expert.

But she's sold over 300,000 copies and generated more than $650,000 in royalties.

Why?

Because her first series was simply the one she wanted to write.

She didn't even know that "writing to market" was a thing.

She just wrote from the heart, and her words found their audience.

She didn't follow a playbook because she didn't know any better.

She wrote her own.

How to Leverage Your Fresh Perspective

So how do you turn your outsider status into an advantage?

First, question what you believe to be certain.

When you catch yourself thinking "that's how author businesses work," add the words "for some people" or "right now."

Second, break the rules on purpose.

Pick the publishing "truth" you're most certain about, and do the opposite in your next launch.

At worst, you'll learn something valuable.

At best, you'll discover an opportunity everyone else is missing.

Third, remember that the greatest advantage of inexperience is simplicity.

When you don't know about the complex solution, you probably arrive at a simple one.

And in the publishing world, simple almost always wins.

The Sweet Spot

Industry knowledge isn't your enemy.

Certainty is.

The most successful authors live in a state of "educated experimentation" — knowing enough industry basics to avoid true disasters, but remaining curious enough to question conventional wisdom, especially during constant industry shifts.

They've mastered the art of understanding publishing knowledge without being held hostage by it.

The Bottom Line

Your fresh perspective isn't something to hide — it's something to leverage.

Most author breakthroughs start with someone who didn't know enough to realize their approach was "impossible" or "would never sell."

So the next time you feel disadvantaged by all the publishing tactics you haven't mastered, remember: that open space is where your unique author path emerges.

That confusion is where your creative business model can flourish.

Don't rush to fill your opportunity with someone else's certainties.

Remember, there isn't one fixed, cookie-cutter playbook for author success.

The publishing landscape changes constantly, and what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow.

So write your own playbook – one that aligns with your unique stories, your personal strengths, and the specific readers you want to serve.

That's all for today.

See you next Saturday.

To Your Success
– Matt