Split Sales
This was originally posted as a thread on twitter, but I figured I’d blow the cobwebs off the blog and collect it here, too.
Early in my career, I would get anxiously tied in knots when a bookseller broke embargo (shipped/shelved a book before its on sale date), fearing it was a harbinger of a career-ending cascade failure. These days I am just happy some lucky readers hit the lottery and get a book they’re excited about early.
It’s a perspective shift that took time and the maturity of experience, but I am healthier and happier for it.
To be clear, I don’t blame booksellers for breaking embargo. I know it’s not done out of malice. We’re all human. It’s easy to forget which book is on sale when. To typo the date in the system. To unpack boxes early to plan a zonk day after you get your Covid vaccine. To give in to customer puppy eyes. We’re cool, booksellers. I got your six. <3
Authors are taught to fear that breaking embargo will split our first week sales—which are the benchmark the publishing industry historically (and still mostly) uses to judge whether a book is a success or failure. And if your sales are split, then… something something something, you’re a failure, rocks fall, everybody dies.
I know from experience a major chain shipping preorders early can drastically affect an author’s placement on bestseller lists, or keep them from listing at all. NGL when you’re just starting out and trying to stay afloat amid a sea of competition, that can really sting.
Because with it comes a fear. A fear not listing could ruin your career, even if aggregate sales over time are the same. A fear the universe is capricious and unfair it could take away your ability to earn a living doing what you love.
It’s not rational, but fear seldom is. Most authors I know, even successful ones, still feel like they’re getting away with something—that it could all end in an instant if people realize they’re not as brilliant as everyone says.
But I’ve missed list because of split first week sales, and I’m still here. I’ve placed lower because of split sales, and my publishers didn’t drop me. Heck, one time split sales listed me two weeks running when otherwise I would have only been on for one.
After 13 years & 6 novels, I realize there’s no perfect launch. There are always hiccups, and that’s ok.
All that matters is if people like the book. And if getting one a little early adds a thrill to someone’s day, that makes me happy too.
The Desert Prince launches this week in worldwide English, all formats. I (not to mention editors Tricia Narwani, Natasha Bardon & Rebecca Brewer, artist Tommy Arnold, a killer audiobook team, and many others) worked really hard on this book, and I love it very much.
I hope you will, too.