I just received my year-to-date online sales statement. I'm selling way more books in person than I'm selling online. I haven't as of yet been able to market my books well enough to gain more readers. Should I just shelf my writing for a while and go back to working full-time instead of part-time?
On Writing : Feeling deflated by Charity Pleasant
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You are doing fantastic. I truly mean that. I am a writer myself and I have yet to sell anything. Don't shelf it.
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Congratulations, Charity Pleasant! I agree with Vidal. And maybe try a different online marketing strategy to sell more books.
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You're selling books Charity Pleasant - I get how it can be deflating but if you're selling, you're doing better than you may think. One thing some authors do is setup a YouTube channel and provide information on something that is beneficial to the viewer. That's one way to build platform to sell more books.
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Own website (can build for free.) Blogs. Podcast. Substack, Patreon Etc are useful additional tools to build awareness. Some self publishers go Transmedia route & gain built in audience via poems or comic.
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This is such a hard industry - As of 2024, the world publishes around 2.2 to 2.4 million new books every year. That includes print books, eBooks, audiobooks, and everything in between. The number grows steadily - fueled by traditional publishers, indie presses, and millions of self-published authors.
I'm like you - I like electricity, fresh water and food on my table so deciding what to do based on what provides for my family is always on my mind. Books sales for me alone don't do this.
However, you can boost your profile by trying to get more of a name by submitting pieces to magazines, internet blogs, newspapers etc. Speaking gigs at festivals etc can pay as well. If you do well at these, you can apply for a speaker's agent. This would build your profile and help get your name and work seen by more people. Just a suggestion of course.
However, humans are meant to create. If writing and creating feeds your soul then keep at it. You should never quit. Keep playing in the sand pit - everyone will see what you build eventually. Just don't quit. Never quit.
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Only you can know your financial circumstances. I make a good living writing books. But I haven't given up my psychotherapy practice (just condensed it) or my corporate crisis and grief counseling work. Writing (and my other work) all has ebbs and flows. So it's good to have other income, even if you don't currently need more. You can always build up more of a cushion in savings and investments. And don't spend all your income in times of doing well!