#072: Will You Run Out of Readers?

Studies show that 33% of Self-Published Authors Make Less Than $500 Per Year From Their Books (no matter if they write 1, 10, 50, or more).

And most self-published books sell less than 100 copies in their lifetime.

So, if you’ve sold more than 100 copies of a single book, you’re in the minority.

But is there a chance that you could run out of readers?

Potentially, yes, there's a slim chance you could run out of readers one day (in the very distant future).

But there are options.

How long it takes to “run out of readers” will depend on many variables, the biggest being the genre and subgenre.

Some genres have huge audiences, others have tiny audiences.

And if you hit the right market and the right genre at the right time, with a book that has longevity and appeals to readers no matter what genre they enjoy, your books could potentially sell for decades (think Harry Potter).

Suppose your books get turned into films/TV shows; this can bring a whole new lease of life to your books themselves (think The Witcher).

Writing new books is important, and can certainly help to keep your loyal readers engaged, and attract new readers into your world.

Although I’m not against rapid release, or launching a book every couple of months, what I am against is burning yourself out churning out books to appease an algorithm at the expense of your family, health and happiness.

I wholeheartedly believe there is a healthy balance between writing enough books and living a happy and fulfilling life.

How Do You Extend The Lifespan of Your Books?

Aside from having your books turned into films/TV shows, there are 5 main ways we have used with my wife's books that are open to all self-published authors:

- Advertising on new platforms
- Advertising in new marketplaces (countries, retailers and direct sales)
- Offering your book in multiple formats (e.g. Box Set, Audiobook, etc)
- Translating your books into other languages
- Running regular (strategic) promotions

Even with all of this in place, there may well come a time when your book will reach its peak, its cap of the number of copies it will ever sell.

But there’s no way of knowing when that will be.

My advice… keep pushing books until it really feels like you’re pushing a square peg into a round hole.

There will naturally be ups and downs in sales throughout the year but provided things are going in an upwards direction, or at worst, staying relatively consistent, you’re good.

If you notice a steady or steep decline over the course of a few months, it could be a sign that things are coming to an end for that book or series.

But sometimes, all you need is a little push with a Kindle Countdown Deal or BookBub Featured Deal to bring new life to your books and end the downward spiral.

This is why it’s crucial to plan out regular promotions for your books; to keep new readers coming into your world and moving them through your catalog.

In last week's newsletter, I wrote about a Kindle Countdown Deal we're currently running on my wife's books, and how we're using Facebook Ads to drive a lot of the sales.

You can read the full newsletter here.

Wrapping Up

Each and every book will have its own lifespan. Some will last weeks, some will last months, and others will last years.

But, as the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So, just tweaking the blurb of your book, updating the cover, or even tweaking the angle you're pitching the book at in your Facebook Ads, could rejuvenate a previously flatlining book or series.

Sometimes, that's all it takes.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

To Your Success
- Matt