I read an article on the Metro.co.uk website that a “massive rocket exploded just four minutes after take-off,” which the CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, called “a success.” To most people, a rocket that exploded before it could enter space would most likely call it a failure. But Elon Musk considered the event a success because the rocket did not blow up the launch pad and it was successful in taking off. In fact, the explosion was intentional, not accidental.
To Elon Musk, success came from what he learned from the rocket launch which will help his team to build a better rocket in preparation for the next test launch.
We all can learn from the way the CEO of SpaceX defined success. He perceived the test launch of the SpaceX rocket as a positive experience in which he could learn from the data collected to help his team to make improvements and to prepare for the next test launch.
What I learned from the event is that success can be defined as a learning opportunity to identify and correct mistakes so that a more improved system can be developed.
We can use the above example in the way we write and publish our books. The first book launch may not go the way you planned but you can use it as a learning experience. Identify what went wrong and what you can do to improve so that the next book launch is more of a success.
Read the reviews, if your book has any, and learn from them to improve your writing and publishing skills. For example, were there a lot of spelling and grammatical mistakes? Did your book cover look like it was done by an amateur? Was your book formatted incorrectly?
Did you reveal too much of the book’s content in your description? Maybe your book launch did not result in thousands of dollars worth of sales revenue, but you can still view it as a success because you learned what to do and what not to do when writing, publishing, and promoting a book. What you have learned from the publishing and marketing of your first book can be used to prepare for the publishing of your next book.
So don’t think that because your book launch did not generate a lot of sales it means it was a failure. You can look at it positively and think of it as a learning opportunity to identify what needs to be improved so that you don’t repeat the same mistakes. Therefore, success may not always be defined as an outstanding achievement, but as a learning experience to improve your writing, publishing, and marketing skills.
RECOMMENDED READING
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napoleon Hill
READ MORE
Five Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure in Self-Publishing
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links above and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Click here to read the full disclaimer.
