The Dangerous Myth About Book Sales That’s Holding You Back

If your book sales have you questioning everything, the problem might not be your book—it might be the benchmark you’re using.In this episode, we’re dismantling one of the biggest misconceptions in publishing: what “normal” book sales actually look like. Because once you understand how few copies most books sell—even from traditional publishers—it completely reframes the narrative around success, failure, and what’s realistically achievable.We also take a hard look at the numbers authors throw around online. Big sales claims rarely come with context, and without understanding the costs behind them—ads, discounts, royalties, and margins—you can end up chasing results that look impressive but don’t actually translate into profit. Visibility is not the same as viability, and we break down why that distinction matters.From there, we get into what’s really happening behind the scenes. Book sales data is often incomplete, especially when it comes to ebooks and indie platforms, which means many authors are comparing themselves against numbers that don’t tell the full story. That comparison spiral? It’s built on shaky data.We also tackle one of the most persistent (and damaging) myths in publishing: the idea that a publisher will handle your marketing. In reality, most authors—traditional or indie—are responsible for building their own visibility. The authors who gain traction are the ones who treat their book like a business: they think long-term, build a reader funnel, invest in their backlist, and focus on creating consistent, compounding momentum.This episode is a reset. Not a discouraging one—a clarifying one.Because when you understand how this industry actually works, you stop chasing unrealistic outcomes and start building a strategy that has a real chance of working.If you’ve ever felt behind, discouraged, or unsure what “good” even looks like anymore, this is the perspective shift you need.Send us your feedback!Help shape our 2026 content by taking our 30-second listener poll!📱Text Penny & Amy: send us your show feedback, burning marketing questions and new topic ideas! Text the word PODCAST to (888) 402-8940 to sign up to send us messages and receive new episode announcements. And don't forget to save our number!Check out our Book Marketing Jumpstart options if you're ready to take your brand, platform and SEO up a few notches.Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Be sure you're following the show: by clicking the + Follow button on the top right of our show page. If you're already following you'll see a ↓ downward arrow.Locate Ratings & Reviews: Scroll down on our podcast page until you find the "Ratings & Reviews" section.Rate the podcast: Click on the stars to give the podcast a rating.Write your review: Under the star rating there will be the most recent review and just below that click "Write a Review" and compose your review in the text box that appears.Save: Once you've written your review, click "Save" to submit it. Can't use Apple Podcasts? Email us your review and we'll put it on our website: info@amarketingexpert....