On Letting Success be Smaller (but Still Real):
Choose your metrics wisely!
By Thio Isobel Moss
When Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit was finally released—after two delays—I had big dreams. I’d read about marketing strategies that made reaching #1 on any list sound not only realistic, but easy. And once you hit #1, that was it, right? At that point, I would have made it.
Because I was looking at the bottom line, it took me longer than I expected to realize that I had succeeded—just in subtler ways.
Staring out, I didn’t have much experience or knowledge, but I did have optimism and tenacity. And, in fairness, my original strategy worked. I reached #1 on Amazon’s Free Contemporary Fantasy list and #15 on the paid Contemporary Fantasy list. Yet I have, by no means, “made it.”
After the success of my recent Goodreads Giveaway, though, I felt depression sinking in. I was suddenly bereft of my dopamine delivery system—refreshing GR to watch the numbers climb. When that stopped, I felt flat and empty, even though things had gone far better than I’d expected. Blind Spot wasn’t flying off the shelves, but it was getting consistent, even enthusiastic attention. It’s now listed on online bookshelves across six continents. In my first month on Edelweiss, it had 52 downloads. Blind spot has proven that it does have legs!
Early on, I’d read that if a book makes $500 in its first year, that’s considered doing well. I’d also heard that most books never sell more than a few hundred copies in their lifetime. So far, it’s entirely possible that Blind Spot will make $500 or more this year—and between free days, giveaways, sales, and ARCs, nearly a thousand copies are now in circulation. That’s a whole lot of not-nothing.
What I needed was a reframe. I needed a consistent way to measure success—and more than that, I needed practical, actionable steps that would move Blind Spot toward my long-term goals.
Enter the Author Ascendancy.
I turned the process into a game. Level one is visibility. Points are awarded for exceeding set goals: blog and social media posts, clicks on Amazon and BookBub ads, books read and reviewed, sales, KU pages read, and so on. When I consistently earn four points a week for six weeks, I move on to level two—Conversion.
So far, I’ve tracked four weeks. Week one earned one point; week two, four; week three, five; week four, five. And let me tell you—it’s been a slow week. Apparently, post-giveaway slumps are a thing.
One unexpected benefit of tracking metrics more thoughtfully is learning what they actually mean. The number of Goodreads shelves Blind Spot was added to started going down, which initially made me sad—until I realized that the number of currently reading shelvings was simultaneously going up.
The Author Ascendancy isn’t without flaws, but it has helped me focus on what I can control and judge success by what I’m doing, not just what I’m earning. It’s also revealed some interesting external signals. If another author were to choose me as an author comp for Amazon Ads, the suggested bid for phrases including my name is $0.20, and $0.35 for my exact name. At this point, I’ve now created several dozen campaigns, and while those numbers are a long way from top-tier, they have meaning. The system recognizes me—and places me alongside a number of successful authors I read and admire.
Not only that, but BookBub initially estimated my readership at 23 readers. Just days later, that number rose to 49. I don’t know how they calculate it, but watching it grow so quickly tells me something is happening, even when I can’t see it.
So, if you’re undertaking an exciting new venture, look beyond sales or money earned. There are infinite ways to measure success—and just as many to demoralize you if you only look at the wrong numbers or only the return on investment. Chances are, you’re doing far better than you realize, even if success turns out to be subtler and slower than you thought it would be. Don’t settle for being on top for a minute; aim for being a recognized name years down the line.
