The Latest Publishing Industry Statistics – What are the latest publishing numbers according to our book agent blog? That depends. There are a lot of different figures I could share with you. For example, I could tell you how many books are published per year in the US (more than 300,000). I could reveal the median amount of money that the average writer makes each year ($55,420). Or, I could tell you that print books are still selling more than eBooks (surprising, but true).
The problems is that those arenât the numbers you need
to know about to become a bestselling author.
You simply need to know
about your numbers.
Before I tell you what your publishing numbers are, however, I need to explain
why numbers are the only way to measure your success as an author.
You see…
Numbers donât lie, we do.
Yes, you heard me.
Youâre a liar.
So am I.
Iâm not saying youâre a bad person, but there’s a very good chance you’ve been lying to yourself (at least on some level) about your progress as an author. And, youâll probably never become a bestselling author if I don’t tell you that and get you to fix it.
Thatâs why I wrote
this articleâŠ
To help you
get real.
You see, my #1 job as your Book Marketing Coach and mentor isnât to give you insider information and inspire you. My main job is to get you results. In other words, I measure my success by whether I get talented authors (like you) from âPoint Aâ (Aspiring Author) to âPoint Bâ (Bestselling Author).
Nothing else matters.
Itâs all fluff.
Unfortunately, to help you become a bestselling author, I canât just give you sunshine and lollipops. I also have to tell you difficult truths, hold you accountable, and challenge you. Thatâs the only way youâre going to be, do, and achieve more as an author.
Let me give you an example to help you understand what I mean. The way I see it, if I share one of my personal struggles with you (about getting real with myself), it might make it easier for you to get real with yourself.
* * *
My Story – Let Me Pump You Up
A little over a year ago I decided that I wanted to be healthier and look better (euphemism for âlose weight and get rippedâ). I was eating too much junk food at the time and I was completely inactive. I was also 30 pounds heavier than I should have beenâon the verge of needing to buy new pants (again).
Instead, I bought a gym membership
and drastically changed my diet.
I did really well for about ten months. I was strict with my diet, eating things that tasted great (but were healthy). I went to the gym six days a week. And I had a balanced workout routine, combining weight training with cardio. I lost 80% of the weight I was trying to lose. And I put on some muscle.
But then something happenedâŠ
I slowly but surely started slacking off. A little less cardio. Slightly bigger food portions. And extra snacks. At the same time, I started making excuses for why I hadnât yet reached my body weight and strength goals.
Iâm doing the best I can⊠I canât do more… Iâm too busy to put in the extra time⊠I donât have the right genes or body type⊠Itâs too late for me to create my dream physique⊠Iâm 43 years old⊠and I have a thyroid condition!
But thenâŠ
A few weeks ago
I was challenged.
My wife and business partner (Ingrid Elfver) posted several videos online in a free training she was doing called, No ExcusesâJust Results. I watched the videos and they gave me a huge mental boost, but they also forced me to âget realâ with myself about my workout numbers:
* The number of calories going into my body each day
*Â The number of calories I was burning each week doing cardio
*Â The number of notches I was using on my favorite belt
*Â And the numbers on my scale which Iâd stopped using
In shortâŠ
I got
embarrassed.
I got
angry.
And then,
I got going.
I recommitted myself to my workout goals and decided to live a âNo ExcusesâJust Resultsâ life when it comes to health and fitness. Since then Iâve been brutally honest with myself about what Iâm doing (and not doing).
And Iâm finally reaching
my ultimate goals.
What about you?
When it comes to your big goals like getting published, becoming a bestselling author and/or staying healthy long enough to see your books get published⊠are you really doing the right things.
Or…
Are you
making excuses?
Are you at 100%?
Or just 80%?
NowâŠ
Hereâs my
challenge for you.
These are the publishing numbers I told you I was going to share. Your publishing numbers. These are the only numbers that matter if youâre serious about becoming a published and/or bestselling author.
* * *
Your Publishing Numbers
*Â How many hours a week do you write and/or edit your work?
*Â How many books have you finished (not just started)?
*Â How many query letters have you sent out this year?
*Â How many literary agents asked to read more material based on your query?
*Â How many literary agents offered to represent you?
*Â How much money have you invested in yourself as an author to improve your craft and/or help you get published?
*Â How much money have you made in the last twelve months as an author?
*Â How many copies of your book(s) have you sold?
It really is
that simple.
No excuses,
just results.
Simply thinking about writing
(or even writing itself)
isnât enough.
To illustrate the point…
I see a lot of people at the gym every day. Most of them don’t look any different now than they did when I first saw them over a year ago. Why? They simply don’t realize that what they’re doing is good–but it isn’t good enough.
Unfortunately, no one
is there to tell them.
But, I’m
telling you…
The road to obscurity is littered
with aspiring authors
who only did
80%.
Donât be
one of them.
* * *
Action Steps to Become a Published and/or Bestselling Author
1. Click here to read another popular (and polarizing) article of mine about Making Money As An Author. It has 131 comments so far because authors who’ve read it either loved it or hated it.
2. Click here to jump-start your publishing goals by signing up for Ingridâs free No ExcusesâJust Results Video Training. Ingrid’s a master at motivating anyone (even A-list celebrities) to step up their game.
3. Click here to Post a Question for Me about how to write, publish and/or promote your book (also free).
4. Admit the limitations of FREE training and supportâand invest in yourself. Take your writing more seriously. Treat it like a business instead of a hobby by clicking here to sign up for an introductory coaching call with me so I can really dig into your pitch and project, and help you get published as your Book Marketing Coach (I think you know by now that I do everything 100%). Check out these Success Stories to see what other authors are saying about their experience.
And rememberâŠ
Getting published isnât luck,
itâs a decision.
– Mark
* * *
* * *
Hi Mark, I really like your coaching style, You tell it like it is and that is exactly what I needed. Yes, I really desire to be a New York times best seller, so let’s put the pedal to the metal and see the speedometer clock 100. thanks, Jesse
Hi Jesse, thank you for the kind words and I’m looking forward to our upcoming coaching session. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll let you know when your package arrives. And here’s to hitting the NY Times bestseller list. Mark
Hey Mark! Good day to you. Say, I’d still like to know more about the industry numbers. e.g., I’m trying to find out if the fiction (specifically, the Christian fiction) genre of book sales is growing, stagnate, or losing ground. Where can I find stats like that?
Hi Michael, always good hearing from you. Regarding your question, Christian fiction has shown an increase every year since 2008. I did a quick Google search. đ Mark
Mark, you replied with a link to an article that would help answer my question, but when clicked, it leads me her, to your mail file. Can you send the article again? Thanks.
Nevermind. I went on Google and found it.
Hi Michael, glad you found it. I’ll be posting more real numbers in the near future. I’m aware that the last article I wrote was something of a tease, although I do believe that the numbers I talked about there are the most important. đ Mark
enjoyed the ‘numbers’ article. I’ve settled in Jacksonville (beautiful place, who knew?) I’ve been combining six years of study and writing into eight books on Christian Themes. After working with you, I’m getting this ‘branding’ thing on board. I’m still looking for the easiest and best web template to upload everything I’ve got to a site. I may call it ‘Laymans study’ and go with the handle Tom Layman (kinda cute.) I still have 50 tracts to edit (each about 15 pages ea.) Will query soon.
Hi Tom, I love it… nothing better than implementation to make things happen. Sounds like things are clicking for you and I look forward to hearing some good news from you soon. Oh, and I’m glad you enjoyed the article! Mark