As authors, we have many ways to measure success beyond bestseller lists, awards, or sales figures. For some, it’s about creative freedom or building a sustainable business. For others, it’s about connecting with readers, leaving a legacy, or simply finishing the next chapter.
We asked our members how they define success in their writing lives. Their answers reflect a wide range of experiences and values, reminding us that success is personal—and that there’s no single path to achieving it.
Personal Fulfillment or Growth
DeWayne Mason
“Great question, and sometimes my answer changes over time, depending on several factors—is that normal? Writing is my retirement hobby and passion, but success still resides in whether or not I feel my sentences and paragraphs engage, entertain, and inform and inspire others. Of course, I will judge myself as more successful if I sell thousands of books and recoup at least something close to my investment of time and money, but I also feel the creative process brings joy and success by itself. … I realized that my ultimate ‘success’ … would be to leave a legacy or mark that my writing endures over time—that someone in the future reads it and likes it and is informed or inspired by it.”
Ray Bonnell
“When something I’ve written lingers with a reader or a writer I’ve worked with feels truly seen in their own words, that’s success to me. Quiet, steady, and a little bit sparkly.” — Kendra Vaughan
“One of my lodestars for defining success is distilled from the book of Ecclesiastes, which is found in both Jewish and Christian scriptures. The commonly-accepted signs of success (fame, money, power, legacy, etc.) are ephemeral and fleeting. Having many readers is nice, but readers come and go. Getting lots of money from sales is nice, but prosperity can be temporary. Whether I am leaving a meaningful legacy is not for me to decide. What happens to my books after I die is beyond my knowledge. Chance can have as much to do with commercial success as hard work. And chasing after the material signs of success can be, as the writer of Ecclesiastes would say, like ‘chasing after the wind.’ It is nice to have people like my books, and be able to make a little money, but from my point of view, personal fulfillment is more important than material success. If I am happy with what I write (both the process and the result), if I think that what I write is important, and if I do the best job that I am capable of, then I am satisfied. Is being satisfied the same as being successful?”
Kendra Vaughan
“For me, success feels like catching sight of everyday magic—unexpected, quiet, and full of meaning. As an author and editor, it’s not about big milestones or loud wins. It’s about finding flow in my days, shaping stories that matter, and helping others do the same. I love the freedom to write on my own schedule, to dive deeper into my craft, and to keep learning with every project. There’s magic in that—real magic—in the way stories connect us, heal us, and reveal pieces of ourselves we didn’t know were missing. When something I’ve written lingers with a reader or a writer I’ve worked with feels truly seen in their own words, that’s success to me. Quiet, steady, and a little bit sparkly.”
Success as Sustainability and Income
Kevin McLaughlin
“My idea of success is earning enough income to pay all my bills and set a little aside for the future. At the end of the day, writing is a job for me. It’s a job I really enjoy, mind. But it’s a job. If it wasn’t paying, then it would become a hobby I did as a sideline instead.
“I think ultimately, we’re going to find the answers to this are highly personal, and no answers are wrong. Some folks want to make a living from our writing. Some folks are content with writing being a hobby. Some people want to move a lot of copies; others are content simply getting the work out there in the world. There are no wrong answers here. If what you’re doing makes you happy, you’re probably doing it right!”
Helen Baggott
“I have two goals in my writing, and I want both. … The first is to sell copies and make some money. … Secondly … I want to feel I have contributed something to the world.” — James Richardson
“I treat my writing as a business—the research for my non-fiction series is used in books, articles and talks. I count it a success that I can earn from those three sources. Like Kevin, it’s a job and has to be treated seriously.”
James Richardson
“I have two goals in my writing, and I want both. Not in huge amounts, but I want a bit of each. The first is to sell copies and make some money. I don’t need to live off it, but I’d like to make enough to feel it was worth having. Secondly, I write my books the way I would like to learn about things myself. I want to feel I have contributed something to the world, and would have no interest in writing a get-rich-quick scam type book, even if it made me lots of money.”
SJ Banham
“My realistic idea of success is selling a book at any of the seemingly endless events I do. Obviously, I’d love to sell lots, but I know that money is always an issue to readers, and if there are several options available, chances are they can buy just one. If a few people did that, I’d sell more—but at events where there is more than one author, I’m being realistic. Some days, success is getting out of bed, while other days it’s winning a new client, completing another chapter, publishing another book, or having sufficient funds in my account from my business that I can take my partner for a posh dinner or a weekend away. Now that would scream success to me!”
Success as Connection and Impact
For many authors, success is measured not in numbers, but in the resonance their work has with readers—whether that’s offering comfort, sparking thought, or building early feedback from a trusted community.
Julie Day
“When I hear from a reader who got through a difficult time because of one of my books, or someone who stayed up all night reading, that is success for me.” — Lucy Monroe
“My idea of success is connecting with my niche audience who buys my books. I am also told by them that my books are needed.”
Lucy Monroe
“My primary reason for choosing writing as a career, rather than something else, is to connect to readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got through a difficult time because of one of my books, or someone who stayed up all night reading, that is success for me. I know I touched those hearts.”
Walter Boomsma
“‘I write to discover what I think’ is a quote that comes in several forms and is attributed to many. As a nonfiction writer, that discovery and sharing it with others is success, particularly if it makes readers think.”
Jay Rothstein
“Being new to the authoring world, I would like to hear that I have good stories to read. I’ve been sharing my novels with my patients to get a feel before publishing, and so far they like what I’ve written.”
Success in Process and Professional Growth
Not every author sees success as something external. For some, it’s measured in personal development, creative satisfaction, and professional relationships—small but meaningful victories that accumulate over time.
Berenice Howard-Smith
“I wonder, being a designer of books and websites, if a measure of success is also collaboration with services? It's a joy for me to see an author start with one book and come back to me with a second manuscript or wish to grow a website. I think there's a huge success in forging great relationships and trust.”
Helen Bartley
“Success for me is the feeling that I’ve covered my bases. Feeling prepared. I’m not visible, yet. Slowly but surely I’m no longer winging every newsletter/blog post/social post at the last minute. The social posting has been a struggle and continues to be—scheduling at least some posts takes the pressure off. It’s time away from actually writing to get organized, but it’s okay. This is what my business needs—visibility. Now when I write, gosh, it feels good. That’s success for me.”
Betsy Breitenbach
“Interesting timing, I just wrote about this in a blog post. I recently walked away from many traditional (non-author) definitions of success: big salary, big house, big office. Now, success is more about small things: a copy of my book sold, a blog post published, a message from someone who liked something I've written. I'm a lot happier than I was working a corporate 9-to-5 job, and that, too, is success.”
Yvonne Ho
“Success for me is a story well told.”
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
