Why wanting to be a “bestselling” author is bollocks (and what you should do instead)
So you want to be a bestselling author, do you? Well, before we dive in too deep into the how-to, I must warn you this is one of my favorite ranty topics.
Why, you ask? Because nine times out of ten, wanting to be a bestseller usually means they want that little orange Amazon bestseller band across their book. I get ranty because the truth is that’s just a vanity metric — it’s just a bunch of bollocks.
All that little tag means is that you did a great job of hacking the Amazon algorithm. Congratulations, what an accomplishment. (You can probably feel my eyes roll from there.)
Don’t get me wrong: being a bestselling book author isn’t a bad thing. It’s more about how you went about getting there.
In fact, if your book is actually a bestseller, it means you’ve written something that has the potential to make a huge impact — on your reader, but also on you.
So what’s a better gauge of knowing you’ve written the book your readers needed you to write?
You’ll want to pay attention to other metrics like...
Consistency in sales over time (not just to people you know!)
How many 5-star reviews your book has on Amazon
People telling others your book changed their life
How many delighted readers are becoming devoted clients
I mean, that’s the goal, isn’t it? To change lives and bring new clients to the front door of your business? You’re bloody right it is.
So how can you take steps to make sure you reach that goal? For starters, instead of asking how you can write a book that’s a bestseller, you’ve got to ask yourself a better question.
If you’re wondering what that question is, then it’s about time you give this episode a listen.
That single question will help you really drill down so you can identify the book you need to write. The result will be a book that continues to sell because it’s making a difference in people’s lives.
(And just maybe you can get that little orange banner to stick for more than 5 seconds.)
When you’re done, come find me on IG @jessicakillingley. Let me know WHY you want to become a bestselling book author — because I know it’s going to be good.
