Ben Eavey yesterday commented on my last post about the soaring numbers of POD titles. He speculated that most of them probably have single-digit sales. He’s probably right.
As it happens, I’ve actually been thinking during the past few weeks about the importance of sales and readership. This brief post has been brewing for awhile.
I’m beginning to see a major shift in the way I look at it. I too have been focussed on numbers: the more readers the better. I obsess about that as I track several times a day the readership of this blog. I also spend lots of time worrying about building a platform for my book-in-progress to assure high sales.
But now I wonder if this is not just another example of our society’s over-emphasis on materialism and success. I’m prompted into that thought after reflecting about the current economic situation, which I see as a natural consequence of the greed that seems so pervasive.
I now wonder if it’s not better to write for an audience of one. Why not visualize a single person as my audience? And think about that person passionately, the solitary reader that matters the most. And if I write successfully — and passionately — then maybe I will reach that one reader. And then, maybe another one. And then yet another. An audience that builds, one by one.
And what if I sell only 99 copies? …if I never get beyond double-digit sales?
Maybe that doesn’t really matter. Instead, maybe what does matter is the impact of my writing on the single person who devotes time to reading it.
If this evolving point of view has any substance, then POD publishing may in fact become truly significant. I, as a writer, can actually publish my work just for that single reader. That knowledge can feed my motivation, can push me forward. The effort, knowing about that single reader out there, does become worth it.
Then, maybe I won’t check my blog’s subscription and visitor numbers 10 times a day. And, maybe instead, I’ll write a few more posts, even short ones like this, knowing that there must be one reader out there who will take a look.
Think about it. I am.
Sorry, comments are closed.
Comment by
Tracy Urban
31 May 2008
I think you’re on to something, Tom. I ghostwrite memoirs for my clients and they’re completely delighted to have a tiny audience for their book. (On average, we print 10 copies of their book.) The act of telling their stories and seeing them in print is what holds meaning for them. Sales and publicity just aren’t relevant.
From my perspective, I think POD has helped bring more creativity into people’s lives and that’s a lot more important than sale.
Comment by
Tom Colvin
1 Jun 2008
Well, there you go, Tracy: you’ve proved my point! There was ONE PERSON out there to read my post. [By the way, your comment makes my day.]
I’ve bisited your website and am intrigued to see just how you are approaching writing. I’ve never run into that strategy before. Most interesting.
Comment by
Richard Smith
1 Jun 2008
Tom,
How does DragonNaturallySpeaking work when you tape record an assortment of different people? Can the software turn that into copy pretty well, or is it really set up just to work with your own voice. I’m a news reporter; I tape a lot of interviews; and I’d love to be able to download them and have them turned into copy. — Rick Smith