IN THIS ISSUE
- From the Editor’s Desk: Wordling PLUS is live!
- On The Wordling: Break into your dream publication
- News & Views: How accurate are book sales statistics?
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
Hiya writer friends!
THIS IS IT! Wordling PLUS has officially launched and is open to new members. I’m incredibly excited about Wordling PLUS because it’s the culmination of everything I’ve created and launched in the last ten years.
And it came about, ironically, because I stopped creating.
See, I realized a couple of years ago that I had created 22 programs for writers and yet, it felt like I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what I was still learning and wanted to share. I want to talk more about creative entrepreneurship, growing a newsletter, increasing book sales, dealing with failure, managing money, and so much more. Yet, it seemed madness to sell 22 courses individually, let alone create and share new ones.
I needed a better model. I wanted something that allowed me to create all day, every day, sharing what I’ve learned about writing and publishing without worrying about whether it’s a broad enough topic to warrant a full launch. I wanted to bring in people to discuss subjects I have no experience in, such as poetry and screenwriting. And I wanted to offer an alternative for writers who tell me they want all my courses, not just one, and was there an easier and cheaper way to get them?
Wordling PLUS is my solution to all three of those issues. When you sign up for Wordling PLUS, you get:
- Self-paced writing and publishing courses: 20+ courses, bundles, and workshops. Basically, our entire library of content, for a single monthly (or annual) price. (And of course, I’ll be adding more.)
- Personalized guidance: Enjoy tailored support and guidance from me and other guest experts both in our community and through members-only events, webinars, and workshops, opening doors to exciting collaborations and ventures.
- Sprints and challenges: We don’t believe in hustling to the point of exhaustion in this community, because the only way creativity can flourish is if it’s sustainable. Our sprints and challenges (lasting between 5 and 10 days) give you the benefit of focused action without the burnout.
- Special discounts: Benefit from exclusive access and/or discounts to anything not included in the membership (such as books or live events). Your commitment to growth should also be rewarded financially. And I’m here for you in every way you need.
Wordling PLUS is your ticket to sustained growth, connection, and achievement.
Check out all Wordling PLUS has to offer and sign up here.
Hit reply on this email if you have questions.
Enjoy the issue!
Natasha Khullar Relph
Editor, The Wordling
ON THE WORDLING
How To Break Into Your Dream Publication This Year
That dream publication? You know, the magazine that arrives in your mail every month? The one whose pages you touch lightly, turning them carefully as you read every line, every paragraph, every advertisement?
You know that dream publication that makes your knees go weak every time you think of having your name in it?
You know that newspaper you want to write for? Not because it’s a big name or because it’s tough to break into or because it pays well. But because being published in it would mean you’d accomplished a personal goal, that your writing had hit a level you’d dreamed of.
You know that dream publication of yours?
Pitch it.
NEWS & VIEWS:
Most books sell fewer than 12 copies. Is that true?
Every now and again, publishing statistics that have been doing the rounds for years gain traction and start attracting attention again. I’m sure you’ve heard some of them. 98% of books sell fewer than 5,000 copies. Most books sell fewer than 99. And, the statistic that had everyone riled up last year and has been doing the rounds again this year: Out of 58,000 trade titles published last year, half sold fewer than 12 copies.
But is it true?
It’s not.
Author Lincoln Michel debunked this number last year, and has been trying to create awareness around the flawed premise again this year.
If you’ve been hearing this number and wondering if it’s true, here are a few things to consider.
1. What’s a book?
In publishing lingo, a book can mean anything. It can mean a hardback novel, an ebook, an audiobook, or even a different edition of the same book. Before statistics can be carefully analyzed, it’s important to consider the context: Are we talking total sales of a title or are we talking about a specific edition or format? Since each format and edition will have a different ISBN, technically, one title may be counted as several different books from a sales perspective.
2. Annual sales or lifetime sales?
When we talk about average book sales, are we comparing annual sales, lifetime sales, or sales for a specific period? Book sales may be higher in the first year after publication or after a Netflix series is announced, but lag in other years. Again, context is super important when comparing numbers, and most book statistics don’t provide that. As Michel points out, “Take the statistic that most published books only sell 99 copies. This seems shocking on its face. But if you dig into it, you’ll notice it was counting one year’s sales of all books that were in BookScan’s system. That’s quite different statistic than saying most books don’t sell 100 copies in total!”
3. Does it make sense?
The idea that books from major publishers are only selling 12 copies doesn’t actually make sense. While no one’s handing out prizes to publishers for running efficient businesses, they wouldn’t remain in business if this were true, since the acquisition costs alone of a book can run into the thousands of dollars. In addition to the author’s advance, there will be production costs, such as cover art, editing, and layout.
4. The Big 5 publishing model
This is not to say that some books won’t sell very few copies. This is partly due to the fact that big publishers follow the blockbuster model. “The one dozen sales per book perpetuates a myth but obscures the most important info: the reason why your average publisher can afford to have books that sell less (maybe not a dozen copies, but say low thousands) is because they have a backlist, they have 1 or 2 titles that are going to hit better this year, and they have an infrastructure set in place,” tweeted author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. “The reason why it’s generally much harder for an individual to go at it in publishing (and I’ve done it) is because they generally lack all those three elements.”
5. Should you skip the Big Five?
Listen, there are a number of reasons why you might consider foregoing a publishing deal with a large publisher and a number of reasons why you might choose to sign with them. Nowhere on that list, however, should be the irrational idea that you’ll sell fewer than 12 copies or that smaller presses sell more. “Small presses are better at certain things than the Big 5,” writes Michel. “But if we’re being honest they aren’t better at selling lots of copies of books. If they were, they’d be the big presses. (Indeed, what’s great about small presses is they’re often non-profits or otherwise funded in a way that allows them to publish unique works that don’t sell well but deserve to exist.)”
You can read Lincoln Michel’s thoughts on the subject here and here. And Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s excellent Twitter thread is here.
ALSO SEE
A federal judge has barred Texas from enforcing the controversial book rating law, which required book vendors to rate all materials based on depictions or references to sex before selling them to schools.
The Pulitzer Prizes, may be looking to expand books and arts prizes to noncitizens after calls to include undocumented writers and long-term residents in the US have been gaining momentum.
Also, a warning: Adelaide Books has been withholding royalty statements and payments from its authors despite several promises to do so. The Authors Guild is on the case.
GLOBAL REPORT
UKRAINE: “After the initial shock of the war, publishers and news consumers in Ukraine have adapted to wartime conditions for the long haul. As media analyst Otar Dovzhenko told The Fix in May, the overall situation in the Ukrainian media market is better than many had feared in early 2022. Few major news organisations closed in the past 15 months.”
ARGENTINA: “Sofía Terrile, an economics reporter for TN (Todo Noticias), one of Argentina’s leading news channels, is one journalist using broadcast channels to share her work, disseminate credible information, and pull back the curtain on her process.”
CANADA: “Amid the wildfire crisis in the Northwest Territories and the Aug. 16 order to evacuate its capital city, Yellowknife, the outcry over Meta’s Canadian news block has reached new heights. The issue has become even more pressing as evacuees face challenges getting essential updates.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
– Sylvia Plath
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