Imagine a house during a flood. The basement and lower levels are completely submerged, while the upper floors remain untouched. For many aspiring authors, the book market feels like that flooded basement. They’re overwhelmed by competition, struggling to make their voices heard above the noise. But what if this perception is entirely wrong?
A sales colleague recently shared a powerful insight:
When there’s flooding, only the basement or lower levels of the house get flooded. The top floors are safe.
This simple statement perfectly illustrates the reality of book marketing. Many authors are indeed drowning in the misconception of a supposedly “saturated” market. They believe their chances of success are slim due to the volume of other books on the market, leading to feelings of discouragement and inaction.
But this perception is largely a myth. It also supposes that publishing is a zero-sum game where customers and readers won’t read one book if they bought another one.
I self-published my first book nearly 12 years ago, and when I did, I was hearing other indie authors who’d been around a bit already that Amazon and the self-publishing market was saturated.
I still hear about “how hard it has gotten” to self-publish or sell books to this day, and there may be truth to it, no matter how short the timeframe is for those who whine about the “good old days when selling books was easier”. It didn’t take as many sales of a book ten years ago to rank number one in a broad category like it does now on Amazon, so there is truth in the idea that more is required of an author in 2024 than there was in 2024.
The book market isn’t flooded—it’s just poorly understood
Many jump into self-publishing feet-first with unrealistic expectations. They lack the marketing skills to navigate a thriving industry. The “top floor” authors—those dry, safe, and successful—possess strategies that others miss.
I constantly encounter writers who have little desire, motivation, or confidence to learn even minimal effective marketing strategies to guarantee they won’t stay in the flooded basement where all the other lazy indie authors keep themselves who conclude after a short while that “the market is saturated” now compared to whenever they started their self-publishing journey. They believe their chances of success are getting slimmer, leading to feelings of discouragement and inaction.
But this perception is mostly a myth.
Cream rises to the top
The truth is, the book market isn’t flooded; it’s misunderstood. Just like a house during a flood, only the lower levels are submerged. The “top floors,” representing successful authors, remain dry and thriving.
Back in the early 2000s in my part of Ontario, there was a severe flooding from heavy rainfall in two different summers. On the second occasion, I remember hearing there was an investigation into fraudulent insurance claims by people trying to get reimbursed for their furniture and belongings they claimed were damaged in the flood when they lived on the 7th floor and above in high rises the flood would not have reached.
I remember the house I subletted a room in had the underground basement flood with at least a couple feet of water, and the owner came and we helped him throw away many of the storage items that were damaged.
Back to the topic at hand: why are some authors thriving while others are barely surviving? It boils down to strategy.
What the Top Authors Do
The authors in the “top floors” possess a deeper understanding of effective book marketing, and not to mention a WILLINGNESS to market and put themselves out there, but we’ll deal with that later. The “top floor” authors know how to:
- Target their ideal reader: They’re not trying to appeal to everyone; they focus on a specific niche and connect with those readers on a deeper level. If you know what the bullseye is on your dartboard, you can aim more effectively and hit your mark.
- Build a strong author platform: They’ve created a community around their work, engaging with readers on social media, via email lists and through other channels, and building strong fan engagement and loyalty.
- Master the art of book marketing: They understand how to leverage various tools like advertising, email marketing, and media relations to reach their perfect readers, and generating word of mouth leading up to a book’s launch, and not just waiting until they release the book to start marketing it.
- Understand the ongoing evolution of readers’ expectations: Not only of the book content but how the content is presented. How easy is it to buy? Does it have an eye-catching visual aesthetic? Is it clearly shown in the way it’s presented in searches?
Many “gurus” are teaching outdated or ineffective methods, making their money primarily from selling their writing courses and masterminds more so than they do from actual sales of their books. Their students end up drowning under the weight of impractical strategies. But a path to success does exist.
This isn’t about luck; it’s about strategy, and learning the strategies of those who are flourishing.
It’s about understanding the hidden structures of the market and mastering the skills necessary to navigate them.
The book market isn’t a saturated swamp; it’s a dynamic ecosystem. It’s a well-structured, multi-leveled structure. Will you stay trapped in the flooded basement, or will you chart a course to the top floors? The choice, and the journey, start with a clear strategy, a willingness to learn and a commitment to connecting genuinely with your readers.
Are you ready to climb to the top?
