The Literary Landscape: Beyond the Bestsellers

When I think of the literary landscape, it is easy to focus on the titans of the industry—authors whose works are selling tens of millions of copies and whose books are on the shelf at every bookstore. These authors have the visibility and the cultural cache to reach a broad spectrum of readers and convert that interest into sales.

What is important to recognize, however, is that the book industry as a whole lies in stark contrast to this image.

The Numbers Tell a Different Story

Last post I mentioned these figures:

• Only 6.7% of new titles sold more than 10,000 copies in their first year.

• Just 12.3% surpassed 5,000 copies, and

• Only 33.9% managed to sell over 1,000 copies.

What this shows is that the writing landscape is a great deal more flat than we expect when seeing covers stating, “Over 1 million books sold.”

Why the Flat Structure Matters

I would like to posit that this flat structure is the greatest strength of authors and writers—if not for themselves financially, then for us as consumers of their work. In a world that increasingly moves towards hegemony and monopoly, a sea of millions of individual voices is a refreshing counterpoint. Writing brings a diversity of thought to bear in a way that other mediums struggle to capture.

Writers Come From Everywhere

The barriers to entry for a writer are significantly lower than that of other mediums. This means that writers come from all walks of life. A writer may be a full-time creator, they may be a frustrated office worker writing in their spare time, and they can come from your neighbourhood or across the world.

This diversity of source means that you can share an experience with a character from your city or travel on a train in some distant land. And unlike other media that can provide a similar breadth of experience (Instagram and TikTok are quite good at this and arguably have improved upon this formula), reading a book requires you as a reader to co-create.

The Reader’s Role in Co-Creation

To read a book is to constantly fill in blanks left by an author. I have had a long-standing policy of not watching movies or series adapted from my favourite books. This, for me, is an irreconcilable clash of ideas, and the weaving of my imagination does not stand up to the solid images of a film or series.

What I am left with is a narrative that is missing all of the flavour of my own experience—the mix of herbs and spices applied by my mind over the skeleton of story assembled by the writer. I recall upon watching Game of Thrones that I was devastated in hearing Jon Snow’s name. In my reading of the

books, I pronounced his name “Yawn” Snow. I do not know why this small detail irked me so, but I guess after 4,200 pages you are owed a little particularity.

Small Sales, Big Impact

Authors who write books that sell small amounts of copies are still selling books. Their stories, in aggregate, make up the vast majority of the landscape of reading—despite the mountains of copies of Fourth Wing that are peppering all of my friends’ shelves.

When an author's work is purchased and read, it is a validation that that work carries meaning with a reader. If the conversation between reader and writer is small in scope, then the impact can be even greater. Instead of a shared experience, the reader gets an intimate portrait unclouded by a collective interpretation of the masses.

Why Support Matters

Writers that sell smaller volumes are also the ones who benefit the most from additional financial support. If a writer sells 2,000 units, they are not making a full-time living from writing. Any additional financial support coming from their writing will be meaningful—not only from a financial standpoint but from a validation and dialogue standpoint.

It is this base of the literary world that will benefit the most from any additional support from the reading community. And hey, everyone needs to start somewhere.