Too many authors view others as competition, especially when it comes to self-publishing books. I see a lot of folks gatekeeping their “secrets” of selling and engaging an audience for whatever reason, and it’s very disheartening.
I think a lot of it has to do with how social media and creator platforms work. You’re incentivized to keep people on your content for as long as humanly possible. Otherwise, the algorithms will wind up burying your blog, YouTube channel, or social posts.
In other words, creating binge-worthy content is what drives a lot of these platforms.
When it comes to books, however, the same ideology doesn’t necessarily apply. People can still be fans of your work and read books from other authors. In fact, it’s awfully arrogant to believe that your books are the only ones someone will ever read.
Too Many Authors Put Each Other Down
Social media is often a dumpster fire. It doesn’t matter what topic you bring up or what comment you make, there will always be someone who thrives on putting you down to make them feel superior.
I see it happen a lot in various writing communities. Some people just wake up feeling overly self-important and go out of their way to put others down.
In some instances, it’s like those trolling authors view everyone as potential competition and try to sabotage the efforts of others.
Instead, I focus on trying to lift others up. In fact, I often try to lift those whom I have no intention of reading. Just because they write books that don’t interest me doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate their effort to put themselves out there.
It’s especially important to support each other today as more and more books get banned across the country. What’s funny is the one book they hold most dear is comparatively as bad as some of the ones they ban.
But they would only know that if they read it. It’s easy to pick and choose what to follow. However, that’s a conversation for another day.
Gatekeeping Success
I have seen a few authors hold their cards pretty close to their chests when it comes to success. It’s almost like they are afraid that someone might steal some thunder if they divulged how they used something like social media to make more than $4,000 in sales over the month.
Or, a lot of “experts” will tout being able to help you generate sales if you buy their guides, which often turn out to be nothing more than the basic information you can get from a Google search.
I suppose I just have a problem with all gatekeepers for successful publishing. It’s one of the reasons why I have no intention of querying agents or publishers. I’m going to write the story I want to write, not what someone else thinks they can sell.
Don’t get me wrong, you should be able to get paid if you come up with a tried-and-true method or service that can ultimately benefit authors. I’m mostly focused on the ones who simply jump on the bandwagon with low-quality, low-effort services or products to make a buck.
You know, the ones who simply regurgitate what AI says or what Google shows in a search for certain keywords.
Worse yet, I’ve seen authors ignore peers while looking down their noses at them. Then, they often come off as some kind of upper-echelon author as so many wind up struggling at their feet.
This is one of the reasons why my blog and YouTube channel exist. I share everything I experience, whether it works or not. The idea is to help someone make a decision for themselves on what to try or what to avoid.
None of you are my competition, and I feel a great sense of pride when authors succeed because of something I helped them discover.
Not Every Book Is for the Same Audience
Not everyone who writes in the same niche is going to collect the same fans. For instance, I am a big fan of Stephen King, but I personally know a lot of people who hate him despite loving Dean Koontz.
When someone reads your book, they appreciate your style of telling and showing a story. Yes, the plot and character developments are vastly important, but most people read specific authors because of that style.
That idea alone is why other authors are not your competition. We all have unique audiences while providing unique experiences.
Just because you don’t like an author or a particular book, doesn’t mean everyone feels the same way. Stories, characters, styles, and more hit differently for every reader.
Think about your favorite book, for a moment. Mine is “The Stand,” by Stephen King. Does that mean I should scoff at your favorite book? Nope. That’s because I understand everyone has unique wants and needs, and your favorite book obviously fills those for you.
You won’t be everyone’s favorite author, but you will be someone’s.
Don’t Be Envious of the Success of Others
Comparison is the thief of joy. This means that comparing yourself to the success of others reduces how you view your own. Instead of being proud of what you accomplish, you run the risk of being disappointed because it didn’t reach the same level as someone else.
Do you know what I see when someone posts that they made a lot of sales during the month as a self-published author? That people are still reading books.
Now, I do have a bit of fun once in a while when I compare myself to Stephen King. According to King, he only writes about 2,000 words per day. In my career, I can do that before lunch. I often write nearly three times that amount before I call it a day. So, it’s kind of funny to compare those aspects.
Do I really compare myself to King? Absolutely not.
For one thing, our styles are quite a bit different. Although King has been influencing and inspiring me since I was 12, I know that we will have varying audiences because of how and what I write.
The point here is that you shouldn’t be envious of someone else’s success. There are too many variables at play to really pick apart how someone can generate so much interest while you might struggle for a single book to be sold. Just be glad that people are still buying and enjoying books.
My 25-year-old son was once jealous of my success. But then I told him how I’ve been sitting at a keyboard longer than he’s been alive. Then, I spent 10 years building up a career as a freelance writer before publishing my first book. I didn’t just wake up a success…I had to work a lifetime to get here.
You never know what someone had to do to get to where they are today. So, it’s not fair to either one of you to compare successes and failures.
What About Writing Contests?
Writing contests are a bit different. I mean, the contest itself is based on competition between authors. But if you think about it some, it’s a competition that is often focused on how a select few make the decisions. So, it’s still not an accurate portrayal of your skills as a storyteller.
It just means that those judges weren’t impressed with your work, even if you have a lot of fans on social media.
Think of how the Oscars work in Hollywood. How often did a movie or actor win the award despite you believing there were far better options out there? I know I do on a regular basis. And judging by how much money movies bring in, I’m not the only one.
After all, money talks…unless you’re a judge for the Oscars.
My point is that those select judges are focused on very specific elements of what they deem is a good movie. A lot of judges for these writing contests feel a similar way.
So, even though there is competition among authors during these writing contests, it’s not a direct one-to-one comparison. It’s all based on the feelings and beliefs of someone who may not appreciate your style.
What Are You Doing Wrong?
A common theme that I see on social media is how so many authors dwell on what they’re doing wrong. They see how some authors can just get everything to click perfectly while they ultimately struggle.
It’s sad, really. I’ve seen people throw in the towel almost immediately because they weren’t selling as many copies of their books as they wanted. Yes, most of us would love to generate enough revenue to simply write books without worrying about bills. But very, very few authors will get to that point.
According to some industry estimates, only about 1 to 5% of self-published authors earn a full-time income selling their books. Unfortunately, I can’t cite the direct source for that number, but it seems quite accurate.
Seeing the very select few authors succeed when you fail often feeds into the mindset of competition. Why do they make so much when you make so little? What are their secrets or tricks that you’re not utilizing?
The truth is that you don’t know what those individuals had to do to make so much in sales. For example, have you tried running Facebook ads for your book? Andy Maslen swears by it. He is able to hit his target audience exceptionally well on Facebook, but that doesn’t mean everyone will.
The bottom line is that there are simply too many variables to consider. Someone could sell more books simply because they had a much larger social following. Others may have hit their stride with pay-per-click advertising campaigns.
It could be that another author simply had more time available during the day to market the book.
All of this doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means you haven’t found what works best for you yet. There are a vast number of ways you can market your book, especially when it comes to online platforms. Have you researched all of them and how to optimize your experience?
How often do you attend author events in your home state? When was the last time you did a book signing?
Technically, you can’t say that you’re in competition with other authors if you’re not trying the same things they are to sell books, anyway. So, focus on your own successes rather than those of others.
Compete with Yourself, Not Someone Else
When all is said and done, you’re only ever in competition with yourself. This is true whether you’re writing books, playing football, or signing a multi-million dollar contract as an NBA player. Surpassing your own skill level is how you get to those pivotal moments of success.
Some of us will just advance faster than others. Again, there are too many variables to denote who will succeed and who will not.
I’m constantly in competition with myself. I don’t really care how many books someone else sold. What drives me is to try something new or improve my prowess as a storyteller. It’s all about becoming the best version of myself possible.
Even when I enter writing competitions, I’m working on delivering the highest quality I can muster. Sure, it would be nice to win one of those competitions, but I’m more proud of the fact that every story gets better and better.
You’re not in competition with other authors. You’re in competition with yourself.
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