Stage 1: The Question (Awareness)
Sometimes people come up to me and say, “You are a successful author!”
At that point, I raise my left eyebrow like ‘The Rock,’ reflect for a few seconds, and ask myself, “Am I?”
The question is pretty straightforward: “What is your definition of success?” But the answer might not be as simple as it seems.
Let’s decipher the meaning of success. Simply put, it can be a goal you want to achieve. If you achieve the goal you have in mind, it is success; if not, you need to think about what more can be done to achieve it.
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Stage2: Learning Without Recognition
Many might not be aware, but around 2.5 decades ago, I began my writing journey by contributing to an engineering mathematics book (Applied Mathematics). I don’t remember how many sums I solved, but I did solve many math problems, which were incorporated into the book. My name was probably mentioned in the book somewhere in a thank-you note. Well, why am I telling you this? It’s not that I made a name from it, but this is the first step toward success: contributing to a book.
I built credibility towards solving problems, because of which I got another opportunity to support revamping the second edition of a book titled “Electromagnetic Fields and Waves.” But this time I was supposed to be “Co-Author!”
“Whoa!” I exclaimed, looking at the third page of the pamphlet, with my name etched in the right-hand corner, neatly printed as co-author.
I used to solve sums (on paper), write a few pages, give them to my professor (the primary author), who would review the content, and submit them to the publisher. The process was lengthy: the publisher would have the content typed and printed, and then hand it over to us. We would then review (redline) the text to ensure all formulas and other details are correct. After this, the redline version would be returned to the publisher, and the cycle would repeat for another 2-3 rounds, depending on the amount of redlining. But after all the hard work of more than a year, the second edition of the book never got published due to priorities.
The question for you is, “Do you believe this is success?”
At that point, I would say, “No, this isn’t success.” But, if you ask me this question today, I would say “Yes” and “No”.
The point I want to make is that I wasn’t successful in becoming a co-author because the book never came out. But did I not understand the entire publishing process? The grind, the review, the editing process, shouldn’t that be counted as success or a stepping stone towards it? So, yes, there was some success!
At this point, I let go of the idea of writing a book, but destiny had other plans: after about 7 years, a glimmer of hope emerged for reviving it. The publisher’s son, who was around my age, had returned from the US with renewed focus. My enthusiasm knew no bounds, and I removed the dusty printouts, hidden deep in the corner of a wooden cupboard. With a fresh mind, I re-examined the latest set of question papers and started solving problems. But before that, I revised the old concepts and even explored newer areas. The work had started slowly, but the key decision-maker still had doubts about revising the book.
Somehow, my mind wasn’t ready to give up. I had a new idea: I created a small piece of software to provide as an add-on to the book. Students could use the software to solve fundamental problems related to the subject. The publisher’s son’s eyes lit up when he saw the software; he was on board, but the decision-maker was still not convinced. I kept trying on my end, but after another year of effort, the process stalled, and the glimmer of hope faded into the darkness of time.
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Stage3: Achievement Without Scale
Ten years forward, in 2019, I remembered a message from the publisher’s son: “In the US, people use self-publishing platforms like Kindle to publish their books.”
When he mentioned it, I didn’t pay much attention, but after 16+ years in the IT industry, something reminded me of that message. I decided to write a book on Healthcare IT, as I had gained sufficient healthcare knowledge. But, after having experienced the lengthy process of publishing a book, I sure wasn’t in the mood to find another publisher. Hence, I considered self-publishing my book on Amazon Kindle. I spent late nights and weekends creating the first draft, primarily leveraging my Industry and Teaching experience. I made diagrams in PowerPoint and converted them into images. Finally, after three months of toil, I was ready with a version compatible with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
Post a bit of struggle understanding the online KDP process, I hit the submit button.
“Voila!!” I exclaimed as I became an indie author in less than 24 hours.
“Yipee!! My name would be found on Amazon,” I told myself enthusiastically as it took twenty years for that “to be co-author” to become an Author.
“So, is this what we call success?”
In that moment, “Yes, absolutely,” but if you ask me now, I would say, “Hmm, kind of!” Because publishing is just the first step in the journey of writing. The biggest challenge was how to get people to read the book, especially in India, where Kindle market penetration is limited. I did publish a print version of the book, but the print-on-demand option was not available in India. When I ordered the book from Amazon USA, it would take 5 weeks, and the cost was exorbitant. So, to answer the question, yes, I was successful in publishing a book, but not in selling it.
I read somewhere that to be successful in self-publishing, you need to keep writing and focus on getting more reviews on Amazon. So, I continued my journey as a writer and published my second book during the pandemic. Additionally, I hosted a book launch and set up a Zoom call for multiple senior executives to discuss my book. With the help of my PR Team, I got a press release published, and, thanks to their diligence, I was on the first page of the Indian Express supplement in Hyderabad.
Post that, I focused on finding people who would read my book and write a review, hoping to boost my book sales. I actively connected with people on LinkedIn and Instagram and requested people to review my book. I did get some genuine reviews, but no sales from those reviews. The only outcome from this process was getting likes on the post (especially on Instagram). Additionally, more Instagrammers reached out to me and requested to read my book, but at a price. Basically, I had to pay people to read my book, which, to a large extent, doesn’t make sense, especially without any sales.
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Stage 4: Defining Success on Your Own Terms
Moving on, I continued writing books; I wrote another non-fiction book, and after that, I took a couple of courses in creative writing and delved into writing a corporate fiction series. In between, I discovered an India Print-on-Demand option and was able to list the paperback version of my books on Amazon India. Over the years, I have written across different genres, Including Non-Fiction covering Healthcare, Marketing, and Data Science. I then explored Fiction writing, expanding on corporate fiction and romance within that setting, ranging from 50K to 100K words. Finally, I decided to delve into an Indian Classic of the Sunderkand.
In all the first six books, I was successful in publishing a book, but the selling part was where I was still struggling. But how can you define a goal for success in terms of sales, especially for an indie author?
Let’s break it down a bit. For my books to sell, I need them to be cost-effective. The price primarily depends on the number of pages to be printed and the number of copies to be pre-printed. If I use only the Print-On-Demand option, the price for the buyer will be high. I did two things: compared to my previous books, I kept the length small, approximately 21K words, and I decided to pre-print 200 copies of the book, which reduces the cost further. In this case, if someone orders a paperback book from Amazon India, they should receive it in 2-3 days.
My goal in this case is simple: if I can sell 200 copies of my book, “A Leap of Faith – Part 1,” I would consider myself successful. To achieve this, I have a few things on my side.
- First, the topic resonates with people of all ages; people aged 12-60+ have read my book. The early response has been truly heartwarming, with readers finding the book easy to read, deeply reflective, and uplifting. The book highlights themes of self-belief, inner strength, & perseverance.
- Second, the paperback version of the book is cost-effective: on Amazon, it costs INR 275, but if people buy it directly from me, they get it for INR 180 + courier charges.
- Third, I focused on direct sales and using word of mouth. If a person bought a book, I request them to post the book’s image on their WhatsApp status. By doing so, it creates buzz among a small group and raises the hope of generating a secondary sale.
- Fourth, people have ordered multiple copies of the book to gift it to students, colleagues, and relatives.
So, where do I currently stand? I currently have 60 copies of “A Leap of Faith – Part 1” in stock, though I did give some complimentary copies. But regardless, if I reach the elusive 200, I would have achieved the level of success I set for myself. I will leave you with a profound learning from the Sunderkand: “Perseverance – the route to success!”
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If success is self-defined, then this is mine, and you’re welcome to be part of it.
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Order a author signed copy here: https://forms.gle/rg68z7pYSWtqC6XJ9
Grab a copy of the Kindle/Print version via Amazon. The print version in India can also be ordered from the Pothi (the print on demand vendor).
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