Stop Thinking Like a Writer (If You Want to Sell Your Book)
Adopt the mindset publishers use to get books in front of readers
Writing a book is a creative act. Publishing a book is a business decision. If you want your book to reach readers, it helps to start thinking like a publisher, not just a writer.
This shift in mindset is what separates books that sell from books that quietly disappear. It’s not about compromising your vision or becoming “salesy.” It’s about taking responsibility for the life of your book beyond the writing desk.
Here’s what that mindset looks like.
1. A Publisher Thinks About the Reader First
As writers, we often focus on what we want to say. As publishers, we have to ask: who is this for?
What kind of reader is looking for this story or message?
What problems are they trying to solve, or what kind of experience are they seeking?
What other books do they already love?
Publishers make creative choices that meet the reader where they are. That includes title, cover design, blurb, pricing and even the platform where the book is sold.
2. A Publisher Sees the Book as a Product
This might sound clinical, but it’s important. Your book is a product in a marketplace. That means it needs to:
Be packaged clearly (with a professional cover and strong description)
Be easy to find (through keywords, categories, and distribution)
Deliver on a promise (so readers get what they expect and more)
It doesn’t mean the book is less meaningful. It means you're giving it the best possible chance to be discovered and loved.
3. A Publisher Plans for Visibility
Books don’t sell themselves. Even the best ones.
A publisher asks, how will people hear about this book?
That could mean:
Building an email list
Running a launch campaign
Reaching out to reviewers or influencers
Running ads to the right audience
The key is to plan for visibility early, not after sales stall.
4. A Publisher Experiments, Measures and Adjusts
Publishing is a process of learning what works.
Is your blurb converting clicks into sales?
Are your ads performing at a sustainable cost?
Does your email list lead to actual readers?
If not, adjust. A writer may take it personally. A publisher tests and improves.
This is where having a system helps. You don’t need to guess. You just need to observe what’s working and lean into it.
5. A Publisher Thinks Beyond One Book
Most writers write one book and hope it takes off. Publishers build catalogues. They think in series, spin-offs, second editions and companion content. They know that one book can help sell the next, and the next can revive the first.
You don’t need a five-year plan, but it helps to ask:
Where does this book fit into the bigger picture of your writing career?
Final Thought
You can be both. You can be the writer at the desk, immersed in the story. And you can be the publisher who brings that story into the world with clarity and care.
Marketing doesn’t have to feel like selling out. Done well, it’s an extension of your craft. It’s how you honour the work by giving it a life beyond your hands.
So yes, write with heart. But publish with strategy.
That’s the mindset that gets books read.