Something I’ve seen online and on social media are so-called experts—authors, publishers, and others—selling the “secret of success” in book publishing. This kind of pitch is nothing new. It reminds me of when people jumped on the “house flipping” bandwagon; people in real estate figured out they could make serious money, not from fixing up houses and selling them, but by selling programs teaching people how to fix up homes to sell.
Is there a magic formula or system that authors can use to make books become best-sellers? Does something like that exist? The short answer is, “No,” there isn’t. There is no one-size fits-all-formula for success that works for every author every time. The fact is, there are too many variables—too many things out of the author’s control—and out of the publisher’s control—for anyone to claim they know “the secret.”
Here’s a little story to illustrate my point. Remember Sully Sullenberger—the “hero on the Hudson,” who landed his plane in that river in 2009? Before those geese hit that plane, I don’t think anyone in the media had ever even heard of Sully Sullenberger. His real name is Chesley, by the way. In fact, at that time, his wife, Lorrie, worked with us at our ALIVE Magazine as our health and fitness columnist, and she was probably the best-known person in the Sullenberger household.
But because he successfully landed that plane, Sully’s story became the biggest news story on the planet. The result was a two-book deal with Random House, seats at Obama’s inauguration, and at the Oscars. I think he even did the coin toss at a Super Bowl and threw out a first pitch at a World Series. He was the Grand Marshall at the Rose Parade, and to top it off, the movie, Sully, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Clint Eastwood, was made about him.
Guess what. His first book was a best seller. Not many authors do so well. What was his “secret?” An incredibly fortunate, unfortunate event that thrust him into a world of media coverage that no single person can afford to buy.
So, is “luck” the only way to succeed in the book business? Well, good luck doesn’t hurt, but unless you are part of a gigantic news story like Sully’s, you need something else. And unfortunately, that something is more than just having written a good book.
It helps if you’re already well-known. Do you already have a ginormous following? If not, it’s going to take a lot of work, but even then, there’s no guarantee of massive book sales. The fact is, there is nothing—NOTHING—that will guarantee your book will be a best seller—and if it is, that it will retain that status long enough to translate into real dollars—actual profitability.
But there are things you CAN do to help you move in that direction—and in some of my other articles, I explore what those actionable steps are.
At this point, let me give you a clue about a first step that will help move you in the right direction. A very successful friend once told me, “Eric, everyone has the will to win. Very few people have the will to prepare to win.”
The first step is to think about that. What steps do you need to take to prepare for success?