Your 250-Copy Book Could Be More Valuable Than a Bestseller
A friend on LinkedIn inspired this post. This friend put this question in my comment section, and I knew I had to write a full post about it, not just a reply to the comment. Yes, I replied to the comment, but then I wrote this post. The comment was:
“Why should I write a book when, statistically, the odds of an obscure writer getting published and selling more than a few hundred copies are vanishingly slim (especially for fiction)?”
It’s a fair question: why bother writing a book if you’re only going to sell about 250 copies?
That’s the number that’s bandied about on the web. “The average author only sells 250 copies of their book.”
It’s even more dismal than that. Wordsrated.com tells us:
The average self-published author (there’s that word again) makes $1000/yr from their books.
90% of self-published books sell less than 100 copies.
33% of self-published authors make less than $500/yr from their books.
You’re all starting to think traditional publishing is better, aren’t you? Before you think too much, here’s a stat from that world as shared by Wealthtender.com:
“Most authors earn far less than bestseller headlines suggest – the median annual income for all authors surveyed by the Authors Guild was just $5000, while established full-time writers averaged $23,329.”
So, it’s true. It’s a fact. The average author is not going to add much to their bank account from sales of their published book, whether indie or traditional.
My response is: don’t be average. More on that in a minute.
Stats Abound!
You can search online for stats on how much authors are paid in royalties, but let me help you out. Indie authors receive higher royalties – up to 70%, which applies to ebooks in the KDP pricing sweet spot – because they own the book. In the traditional world, the average author gets remarkably less; it starts at 7%, and if you’re a really big seller, you might get 10 – 12%.
It should be no surprise to learn that traditional publishers are looking for bestsellers. But the number of bestsellers compared to the number of books published is tiny, around 1% of all books published, indie or trad. Of the estimated three million books published yearly, roughly two million are indie-published, and one million are published by a traditional publishing house.
Most writers believe they will earn substantially more at trad house because they will sell more books. Let me disabuse you of that idea. If a trad house picks you up, they might create a bestseller for you, but it’s more likely they will offer you a small advance and print around 5000 books. It’s your job to sell enough books to cover that advance before you earn a penny in royalties. There are many books out there that only saw one print run because they didn’t sell out the author’s advance.
Ah, you say, but they do the marketing for me. I’m biting my tongue.
No, they do not. They want a proposal from the author describing exactly how the author plans to market the book once it’s published. Perhaps they will send out a press release and introduce you to one or two podcast shows. But the days of the whirlwind book tour are over. Few authors from traditional houses are granted book tours.
Now, you’re thinking, given all this information, why would a smart professional who is already busy running a business, serving clients, and raising a family take the time and energy to write a book?
Because books matter
Books build success.
It’s a matter of understanding the processes of both writing the book and publishing the book.
If your definition of success includes building thought leadership, earning respect, opening doors, attracting the right people, creating a paid community, paid speaking, or sharing a story that helps others learn and grow, then a book may be one of the smartest investments in your marketing budget. And you wouldn’t necessarily be worried about actual sales.
Many authors who write a book that supports their business use it as a giveaway and for sale at a great discount at the back of the room where they’re speaking. They’re not looking at royalties for success.
A book matters because it’s an invitation to get to know you better.
That “250 copies” number gets quoted a lot because it’s bleak and memorable. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. The reason it exists is that too many authors expect the book to stand on its own.
“I wrote a book. It’s on Amazon.” And that’s it. “My book doesn’t need marketing. It’s a great book. People will find it.”
Oh, really? Without support, it’s a tiny little title stuck in the back of a gigantic bookstore, gathering dust, invisible to the world.
Smart authors recognize from the very beginning that the success of the book is not measured in sales. These authors are aware that their book could become a doorstop. They’re working hard to prevent that by building a professional product and using it effectively.
My friend on LinkedIn used the words “obscure writer” to describe someone who isn’t a celebrity but wants to write a book. The phrases “obscure writer” and “vanishingly slim” stand out. Of course, they would. This friend is a talented writer, after all.
The idea that you are obscure and your chances of success are vanishingly slim is just not true. The comment, however, was a great way to point out that we are becoming slaves to that 250 number, as if it applies to everyone, everywhere.
Is the number of books sold the measure of success? The truth is this: average sales of 250 or 500 don’t mean squat.
They’re facts we can’t ignore, but like anything in life, if you allow that kind of thinking to hold you back, your story will be written by someone else. Which would be sad.
Numerous sources are credited with this quote, so I won’t name names, but it’s so true:
When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen.
Your story matters. You should be the one to tell it.
Why bother if only 250 people will read it?
Don’t go into the project worrying about that 250 number. Get rid of it. Take charge of the project and sell 10,000 books.
Selling more than 250 books does mean you’re in charge of sales and marketing, just as if your book were another small business.
Throw average out the door. Average authors make average decisions. They publish before the book is complete, ignoring editing, formatting, and design. They don’t have a team to help with editing, producing, and marketing. So they wait until the book is on the market to market it, losing valuable time they could have used to build a fan base.
Average authors think throwing the book at people is marketing. Not so. People get tired of the “look, I wrote a book, buy it here” shouting.
Sometimes, average authors don’t even know who the book is for. They assume readers will find the book because it’s just “so good.” When the readers don’t find it, when the book languishes in Amazon purgatory, they blame the book.
Don’t be average.
Average authors think writing the book is the hard part.
It’s not.
A better question than “How many books will I sell?” is: “What is my book supposed to do for me, my reader, and my business?”
From conversations I have had with writers, the number one reason a business professional writes a book is to establish thought leadership.
Furthermore, they see their book as a credibility tool, a trust-builder, a conversation starter, a lead generator, a workshop seed, a mastermind magnet, and a way to put their unique story and insights into the hands of the exact people they want to help.
Doesn’t that change everything?
Therefore, the answer to my friend’s question is this: write the book, become a thought leader, use the book to enhance your existing or new business, and all of the other things listed above.
If you do that, you have a bestseller on your hands. You have a community. You have a fan club. You have a mastermind group. All things that will enhance the book’s purpose. And yes, I believe you will sell far more than 250 books.
By the way, being a bestseller is a fleeting accolade. Read my post on “Best Selling Books that No One Reads. “
Let’s get real now. Let’s talk about how to throw that 250 number right out the window.
Sales Depend on the Author’s Participation
I wish more authors would take a course on how to be a good salesperson before they write their book.
I applaud writers for taking courses on how to write a book. I am happy for writers who took steps to learn their publishing options.
But who did they think would handle sales and marketing? What about positioning? Reader outreach? Community building? Partnership strategy? Very few first-time authors even know these responsibilities exist.
And that matters because books do not sell themselves.
If you wait until your book is published to start marketing it, you are already late. It means building visibility around the topic, the problem, the promise, and the story well before your book launch.
That can look like:
📖Talking about the ideas behind the book on LinkedIn.
📖Sharing stories that reveal why this topic is important to your audience.
📖Testing content to see what resonates with readers.
📖Growing an email list.
📖Building relationships with colleagues, podcast hosts, and communities allied with your message.
📖Inviting people into the journey before the book is available.
Give your book a fighting chance! Learn how to sell and market it before you publish it!
Marketing and promotion are not sleezy. If your book can help someone, it is your job to make sure they know it exists.
The Book Must Be Strong Enough to Attract the Right Audience
Another reason average sales are low is that too many books are written for “everyone.” A book written for everyone rarely feels important to anyone.
One of the first questions we ask at Master Book Builders is simple: Who is this book for? Specifically. What kind of person will see themselves in these pages? What are they struggling with? What do they want? What change are they hoping for?
A strong book attracts the right audience because it is clear about three things:
❓Why are you writing it?
❓Who is going to benefit from reading it?
❓What kind of difference will it make in your core audience’s life?
That’s the difference between a book people politely buy and a book people recommend.
The best news is this: If there are a dozen other books out there similar to yours, that’s great. That means there is a market for what you’re selling. Remember, people often buy several different voices to solve their problems. Yours should be one of them. Why not?
Whether you’re writing about grief, leadership, menopause, divorce recovery, burnout, autism parenting, trauma healing, entrepreneurship, or any other topic, there are probably dozens or hundreds of books on that topic already.
But there is only one you. There is only one combination of your story, your voice, your scars, your examples, and your insight.
Uniqueness is not a side note. It is the reason the book exists.
And for first-time authors who are also business owners or professionals, that uniqueness is often the bridge between “I wrote a book” and “I built a community.”
Book Sales Alone Are the Wrong Way to Judge a Book’s Success
This may be the most important point of all.
A book can sell modestly and still do extraordinary work.
A book can lead to:
✔️client trust,
✔️bulk orders,
✔️masterminds,
✔️memberships,
✔️collaborations,
✔️media interviews,
✔️speaking invitations,
✔️affiliate relationships,
✔️workshop enrollments,
✔️consulting opportunities,
✔️and a stronger reputation over time.
A book can also serve as the foundation for building a community.
Sometimes the smartest use of a book is not to maximize retail sales. Sometimes it is to get the book into the right hands.
That may mean:
➡️giving it away at events,
➡️ sending it to prospects,
➡️ using it as the entry point to a paid group,
➡️ gifting it to mastermind members,
➡️including it in a client onboarding package,
➡️ or using it as a leave-behind after talks and workshops.
A free or low-cost book that leads someone into a meaningful paid relationship can be far more valuable than a full-price book sale that goes nowhere.
So, when someone says, “But the average author only sells 250 copies,” the right response is not panic. The right response is: “Why did they write the book? Who was the audience? How well did they market it?”
So, Should You Write the Book?
Yes—if you are willing to write it with purpose.
Yes—if you understand that publishing is not the end of the process.
Yes—if you are prepared to participate in the life of your book.
Yes—if you want to use your story and expertise to help others learn, heal, think differently, or take action.
And yes—if you are ready to stop measuring success only by bookstore logic and start measuring it by the real work the book can do in the world.
That is why I tell authors not to worry so much about that “average 250 books” number.
Choose to be extraordinary – and forget about average!
One Last Truth
* Some books are meant to make money directly.
* Some are meant to build authority.
* Some are meant to gather a movement.
* Some are meant to leave a legacy.
* And some do all four.
Your job is to decide what your book is supposed to do and stop listening to folks who say, “You’ll only sell about 250 books.”
Listen to your gut and write the book you want to write, always keeping in mind that it’s not about sales, it’s about keeping the promise you make when you write the book.
If this message resonates, connect with me on LinkedIn. That’s where I hang out talking about books, words, life. The usual things.
As always, leave a comment. Is the 250 number holding you back from writing your book?
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