Ask HN: If you write a book bout failure,& it doesn't sell,is it called success?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25417271

by CarterOwenn • 6 years ago

11 6 6 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

1cvmask• 6 years ago

It’s a failure if it succeeds.

riidom• 6 years ago

I'd call it a success, when you distribute it only on your own website, it generates a lot of interest, but then your check-out process is broken:)

type0• 6 years ago

It's a failure only if you succeed at writing it

alexrustic• 6 years ago

Writing about failure is still subject to the same economic rules that govern the market.

But if you predicted the failure of the book in... the book, you prove (debatable) that you have mastered the subject of failure and therefore your book is a success.

docuru• 6 years ago

I'd say define what is success first. For example, to get lots of sells, or for the author to complete a book, ect.

Using common sense, a book that doesn't sell isn't a success book. Isn't it?

mattbgates• 6 years ago

Writing a book is a success in itself because you completed something. It is as successful as building a website: just because you built it doesn't mean they are going to come. Just because you wrote it doesn't mean anyone is going to read it. You may think its great and well, but convincing others it is is another story. You have to market your book and get it out there and convince people that if they read this book, it will better their lives.

I released my very first book in September 2020 in which I spent the very start of the quarantine lockdown which started in May 2020 to August 2020 seeing an opportunity in which all women were home, so I managed to track down a woman from every country in the entire world, sometimes several women -- 201 countries and many islands and territories with 530 women interviewed -- and I collected it for a project for my blog, called My Life As A Woman Project Initiative (https://mylifeasawomanproject.com). I even managed to find women from North Korea and other communist countries and they shared their stories. Realizing the significance of such a project, I turned the collection of stories and interviews into a book called My Life As A Woman: World Edition (https://amzn.to/3hsiHYZ).

In the first month, I sold 25 copies and in the second month, I sold another 25 copies, and in the third month, I sold another 25 copies, and now in the fourth month, the sales are down a bit. I think I did what I was supposed to do: I went on Fiverr and paid people to blast it -- while they showed me that "millions of people" had viewed it, the analytics didn't show anything that made me repurchase their gigs. I also released a few press releases on it and wrote up a few articles that weren't promoting the book directly, but rather, indirectly, so that I could plant a few SEO seeds for the future.

Last month, I contacted several women's prisons to see if they were interested, and I did get two replies back stating they were very interested. While it was strictly donation on my part, it will is somewhat of an indirect marketing opportunity. I have yet to contact schools since not many schools in the USA are open, and its mostly from home. But those are some of my next moves.

So looking at my accomplishments - and I had help from about 34 people who I hired or rehired to help me track down women -- we ended up contacting over 1500 women and I included 530 women in the book, who said yes. My margin of error was about 2-3 stories that I lost -- I just couldn't find them and about 5 stories I couldn't translate back to English very well or I just didn't understand what the woman was talking about. Do I consider it a success? Absolutely.

I'd love for it to become a best seller, but most best sellers are well known and have written many books before. This was my first book for women, by women, to the world. I had an amazing experience. I enjoyed talking to women from around the world in places like China, Sudan, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, Cuba, Russia, South America, Saudi Arabia, Egypt -- all of whom I had to convince this project needed to happen, and they were right on board with me and loved the idea. So from my personal experience, the project was a success. The book has been a success to me, even though sales are down.

My book can be found in book stores such as Barnes and Noble, ThriftBooks, Walmart, and a few online-only bookstore retailers. It even got picked up by a news website from MSNBC. So here's the secret: never stop talking about your book, no matter how annoying you think it is, because the majority of people... have never heard of your book and don't even know it exists. So if you have the opportunity to mention it... go for it. It's a success to you as long as you don't let it start collecting dust.

Ask HN: If you write a book bout failure,& it doesn't sell,is it called success?

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