Folks,

Let me start with a harrowing fact: the average author sells 250 copies of their book. Now, I think we both know, I'm not your average author, or at least, that's what I tell myself. Secretly, I think I'm a little bit better than that - I'll sell a few more copies of my book, I'm sure.

In reality, the median for self-published books is probably closer to 100-200 copies, with many selling fewer than 50. The average figure of 250 copies is inflated by authors such as Stephen King at the top end of the market.

The maths goes like this:

10 authors sell: 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 200, 250, 300, 400, and... 50,000 copies

The mean is 5,166 copies 

The median is 200 copies (half sold fewer, half sold more).

The game most authors play is Attention - Competition; do a better job than the competition, and before you know it, you might sell north of 1000 copies.

Sadly, the game is designed by the platforms (Amazon, traditional publishers, social media algorithms). They benefit from authors competing for visibility, buying ads, and obsessing over rankings. The house always wins.

There is, however, a choice; you don't need to play by the house rules.

A positive-sum, relationship-building game might look like this:

Success = relationship with the reader

Winning = becoming a trusted voice in coaching

Strategy  = create opportunities for connection, not sales.   

Although game theory is compelling, sometimes it pays to ask: What game am I playing, and what would happen if I focused not on winning but on staying in the game?

How can you apply this to you?

Let‘s take a look at the blog, Get your game on track.

A finite game might be: to choose how far, how fast, and how much; sets and reps.

An infinite game might be: to choose autoregulation, listen to what your body is telling you, and go on feeling. Nasal breathing while running is one such example.

The problem comes when you play infinite games with finite rules. Of course, if you don't play by other people's rules, you can't lose.

As Biggie once said: “Get your game on track, not your wig blown back… ”

Play nicely,

Simon