Career Author Lab: Creating A Set of "Me Metrics"

Measuring Progress Without the Rabbit Hole of Comparison

Let’s face it, if you want to be a career author, you have to be prepared for the long haul.

That means not freaking out when books aren’t selling fast enough or when your social media growth is more like a slow burn.

It means accepting that you may not see results from your actions right away, while also knowing those same actions will compound over time, if you let them.

It means understanding that you’re not chasing virality, but playing the long game.

You don’t want to be a one-hit wonder. You want people reading your books decades from now.

For this reason, you can’t measure your success by the same standards or statistics that other writers do, or you’ll drive yourself crazy, convince yourself you should quit, or who knows what else.

Using stats like new followers, free/paid subscribers, or even the number of books sold can cause you to spiral fast. At least in the early days (and “early days” is relative and depends on how long you’ve been an author and how long you plan to be; in my opinion, I’m still in my “early days” as an author, and I’ve been at this for almost 15 years).

Once you’ve got some real traction, paying attention to stats like that can be fun and motivating.

But for now, set those stats aside—even temporarily—and instead create some “Me Metrics” that you can use to measure your success and stay on your path.

In this Career Author Lab post, I’m:

• Defining “Me Metrics”

• Sharing my personal Me Metrics

• Explaining how to create your own Me Metrics so that you feel satisfied with your progress, even in slow-growth seasons