Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber:

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CV, who was my editor when I wrote The Copywriter's Handbook in 1985, told me back then the problem with the book publishing industry was "there are too many books published."

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At the time, there were 50,000 books published a year—about 1,000 a week.

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Fast forward to today, when Publisher's Weekly Daily (3/17/2026) reports that the number of books published in 2025 hit an all-time high at four million—80X more than when I started writing books 4 decades ago.

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In addition to the 4 million new titles each year, your book also competes with used books on Amazon and Abe, many of which are cheap to buy.

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The laws of supply and demand dictates that in such a glutted marketplace, with "too many books published," it's more difficult than ever to sell lots of books or even get published.

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Which has translated into more modest sales and earnings for those of us who write books; the average self-published book sells only 250 copies.

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According to the Authors Guild, the median author income for full-time authors from their books-- including advances, royalties, and fees from licensing and subsidiary rights--was $10,000 in 2022.

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Here are 3 ways to break through with your book:

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1—Use the book to maximize conversion in your sales funnels.

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2—Use the book to promote your business, professional services, consulting practice, or speaking.

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3—Make a mega-effort to market your book to sell more copies—with fingers crossed.

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Regards,

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