The publishing industry has a success problem: it measures success the wrong way.

Ask a traditional publisher what success looks like, and they'll say: bestseller lists, five-figure advances, mainstream media coverage.

Ask an author what success looks like, and most won't say that. They'll say something quieter: steady sales, readers who connect with the work, a sustainable income, the ability to write another book.

The gap between these two definitions explains why so many authors feel like failures even when their books are performing well.

Here's what success actually looks like for most authors—and why the industry's definition is misleading.

The Industry Definition vs. Reality

What the Publishing Industry Calls "Success"

• Bestseller list placement (New York Times, USA Today, etc.)
• Five-figure+ advances (proof of publisher confidence)
• Major media coverage (Today Show, NPR, major newspapers)
• 6-figure+ first-year sales (proof of market validation)
• Film/TV deal (proof of cultural impact)

This definition applies to roughly 1-2% of published books.

For the other 98%, the industry frames them as "not successful," even if they're performing exactly as intended.

What Most Authors Actually Need

• Consistent sales over time (backlist is more valuable than launch spike)
• Engaged readership (quality over quantity)
• Positive reviews and reader feedback (validation of the work)
• Sustainable income from the book (not necessarily life-changing, but meaningful)
• Platform growth (ability to reach more people with second book)
• Speaking or consulting opportunities (books as tools for other income)

This definition applies to 50-70% of published books. These books are successful by any reasonable measure—they're just not "bestsellers."

The Numbers: What Success Actually Looks Like

To understand what success means, you need to know what "normal" looks like:

Print Books

Year 1:

• Average first-year print sales: 2,000-5,000 copies
• Strong first-year: 10,000-25,000 copies
• Very strong: 50,000+ copies
• Bestseller: 100,000+ copies

Ongoing:

• Most books decline after year 1
• Strong backlist books stay in print and sell steadily (50-500 copies/year)
• Some books have long tails (continue selling for 5-10+ years)

eBooks

Year 1:

• Average first-year eBook sales: 500-2,000 copies
• Strong: 5,000-10,000 copies
• Very strong: 25,000+ copies

Ongoing:

• eBook sales are flatter (less discovery through retail channels)
• More stable (don't decline as sharply as print)

Audiobooks

Year 1:

• Average first-year audiobook sales: 300-1,000 copies
• Strong: 2,000-5,000 copies
• Very strong: 10,000+ copies

Ongoing:

• Steady state (Audible subscriptions create ongoing sales)
• Slower decay than print

Combined

A successful book across all formats (print, eBook, audiobook) might look like:

• Year 1: 3,000 print + 800 eBook + 400 audiobook = 4,200 total
• Year 2: 500 print + 200 eBook + 200 audiobook = 900 total
• Years 3-5: 100-300 combined per year

This book "failed" by bestseller standards. By reality standards, it's doing fine.

Why Most Authors Never Hit Bestseller Status (And Why That's Okay)

Bestseller lists create a false narrative about what success looks like.

The Math of Bestseller Lists

To hit the New York Times bestseller list, a book typically needs:

• 2,000-5,000 copies sold in a single week (varies by category)
• Concentrated, coordinated sales (bulk orders, coordinated purchasing)
• Media coverage (which drives discovery and sales)
• Existing platform (fans who will buy immediately)

Most books never achieve this because:

1. They don't have concentrated launch week sales (they sell steadily over months)
2. They don't have major media push (requires publisher investment or self-funding)
3. They don't have platform (author unknown or modest following)
4. Marketing is insufficient (most books don't get significant promotion)

This doesn't mean the book isn't successful. It means the book didn't hit a specific, narrow metric.

The Bestseller Trap

Authors who chase bestseller lists often make poor decisions:

• Over-invest in launch week marketing (blowing budget before the book is even out)
• Focus on sales spike instead of sustainability (hitting a list, then falling off sharply)
• Ignore backlist potential (treating the book as a one-time event)
• Burn out chasing validation (constant media pitching, speaking, self-promotion)

Smart authors ignore bestseller lists and focus on building sustainable visibility and steady sales.

What Actually Sustainable Success Looks Like

Here's what a successful author career looks like in reality:

Year 1 (Book Launch)

• First book sales: 3,000-8,000 copies across formats
• Media appearances: 10-20 podcast interviews, 5-10 speaking engagements
• Revenue: $15,000-$40,000 from book sales (depends on pricing and format mix)
• Platform growth: Email list grows from 500 to 5,000; social following grows 20-50%

Outcome: Book doesn't hit bestseller list. Author considers it successful if sales are steady and platform grows.

Year 2 (Backlist Building)

• Book sales: 1,000-3,000 copies (slower, but steady)
• Speaking income: 6-10 speaking gigs at $500-$2,000 each = $5,000-$20,000
• Media appearances: Fewer (no longer "new book" to promote, but still getting traction)
• Total income: $20,000-$60,000 from book + speaking
• Platform: Email list 8,000+; social following continues to grow

Outcome: Book is in backlist rotation. Speaking and consulting begin generating income. Second book is on roadmap.

Year 3+ (Author Platform)

• Book sales: Steady 200-1,000/year (backlist evergreen)
• Speaking income: 8-15 gigs/year at $1,000-$5,000 each = $10,000-$75,000
• Consulting/coaching: $20,000-$100,000+ (leveraging author credibility)
• Second book: Underway or published (with bigger platform, better sales trajectory)
• Total income: $50,000-$200,000+ from all sources

Outcome: Author has built a sustainable career where books are one part of a larger income stream.

The Categories of Success

Not all success is the same. Here are different types:

1. Commercial Success

• What it is: High sales volume, revenue-generating
• Numbers: 50,000+ copies in year 1
• Reality: Only 1-2% of books achieve this
• Requirements: Strong marketing, existing platform, luck

2. Critical Success

• What it is: Respected by peers and critics, awards, reviews
• Numbers: Don't matter as much; quality matters
• Reality: Available to any author writing quality work
• Requirements: Good writing, unique voice, finding the right audience

3. Platform Success

• What it is: Books build author platform (speaking, consulting, coaching)
• Numbers: 5,000-20,000 copies; sustained speaking opportunities
• Reality: Very achievable for authors with expertise
• Requirements: Positioned authority, speaking ability, consistent visibility

4. Community Success

• What it is: Deep connection with niche audience
• Numbers: 2,000-10,000 copies; highly engaged readers
• Reality: Achievable in underserved niches
• Requirements: Authentic voice, consistent engagement with community

5. Evergreen Success

• What it is: Steady, consistent sales over years
• Numbers: 100-500 copies/year indefinitely
• Reality: Common for niche and reference books
• Requirements: Durable content, ongoing visibility, word-of-mouth

Most successful authors have elements of multiple categories. They might have platform success + community success + evergreen sales.

The Comparison Trap

Here's where authors go wrong: they compare themselves to the 1% they hear about.

You see:

• A book on the bestseller list
• A six-figure book deal
• A film adaptation
• A major media tour

You don't see:

• The 99% of books that didn't hit bestseller lists
• The mid-career authors making $50,000-$150,000 sustainably
• The authors with deep niche audiences who are thriving
• The books that took 3 years to gain traction

Comparison is the thief of satisfaction. Judge your book's success against your goals, not against publishing's mythology.

Redefining Success: Questions to Ask Yourself

Before your book launches, define what success actually means for you:

1. Financial goal: How much revenue do you need from the book? ($5,000? $50,000? $500,000?)
2. Platform goal: Do you want to grow an audience? Build a speaking business? Launch a consulting practice?
3. Impact goal: Who is your ideal reader? What change do you want to create in their life?
4. Career goal: Is this a one-time project or the first of many books?
5. Time horizon: Are you measuring success at 6 months, 1 year, 5 years?

Your answers to these questions define what success looks like. Bestseller status might not be on that list—and that's okay.

The Publishing Industry's Dirty Secret

Here's what publishers won't say directly: they lose money on most books.

But they make money on the winners. So they focus their energy on the tiny percentage of books they think could be bestsellers.

Everyone else gets:

• Modest advance
• Standard distribution
• Minimal marketing support
• Hope for organic discovery

This isn't evil. It's just math. But it means most authors can't rely on publisher support for success. They have to build it themselves.

Authors who understand this and focus on sustainable, long-term visibility outperform authors who chase publisher validation.

What Success Actually Requires

If you want your book to be successful (by any reasonable definition), you need:

1. Quality work (the book has to be good)
2. Clear positioning (readers know who this book is for)
3. Consistent visibility (media, speaking, social media over time)
4. Community engagement (responding to readers, building relationships)
5. Patience (success compounds over years, not weeks)
6. A publisher or partner aligned with your goals (not all publishers are)

Most of these are in your control. Success is achievable—just not the way the industry defines it.

The Bottom Line: Success Is Quieter Than You Think

The most successful authors aren't the ones with bestseller lists or six-figure deals.

They're the ones who:

• Write books people care about
• Build steady, engaged audiences
• Create sustainable income streams
• Write books people actually read and talk about
• Create impact in their communities

This is success. It's quieter than the bestseller narrative. It's less glamorous. But it's real, achievable, and sustainable.

If you can build this kind of success, the bestseller list is a nice bonus—not a requirement.

The Agency at Brown Books helps authors define what success actually means for them, then build sustainable strategies to achieve it. We're not chasing bestseller lists. We're building author careers.