Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, bsc

You press publish. Your heart races. You refresh your dashboard, waiting for the fireworks… but instead you get silence.

Every indie author knows this moment. We imagine success as instant: sales pouring in, reviews stacking up, readers shouting our names from rooftops. But the reality is often far quieter. Sometimes painfully so.

And it’s in those quiet seasons that we begin to wonder: Is it even worth it?

The truth is, success in indie publishing is rarely instant. And that’s not a sign of failure, it’s part of the journey. Let’s talk about how to survive these stretches with your sanity, creativity, and hope intact.

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The Myth of the Overnight Success

Social media feeds us polished snapshots: authors hitting bestseller lists overnight, TikTok sensations selling thousands in a week, newsletters exploding with subscribers. What we don’t see is the years of writing, revising, marketing, and often struggling that came before that “overnight.”

Colleen Hoover, now a household name, spent years publishing quietly before the tidal wave of BookTok. Countless authors you admire went through multiple launches that barely moved the needle before finding traction.

The myth of the overnight success hurts because it makes us feel like we’re behind. But the truth? If your success feels slow, you’re in very good company.

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Redefining What Counts as Success

When your Amazon graph is flat, it’s easy to believe you’re failing. But sales aren’t the only measure of success.

• Did you finish a draft? That’s success.
• Did you send your first newsletter? That’s success.
• Did one reader message you saying your book mattered? That’s the kind of success you can’t buy.

Success is rarely one giant leap. It’s the stacking of dozens of small wins that eventually shift into momentum. By redefining what counts, you give yourself the ability to celebrate along the way instead of waiting for some far-off finish line.

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The Emotional Toll of Waiting

Silence isn’t just frustrating: it’s heavy. You pour months, sometimes years, into a book, and the world shrugs. It feels like shouting into the void. That void can whisper doubts: Maybe my writing isn’t good enough. Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe I should stop.

This is where mental health becomes even more important than marketing. You can’t keep creating if the weight of discouragement crushes you. And the truth is, every author you admire has been here — doubting, discouraged, even tempted to quit. The difference isn’t talent. It’s persistence.

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Coping Strategies That Actually Help

So how do you keep going when the dashboard is silent? A few practices can make the difference between burnout and resilience:

Track Progress, Not Just Sales

Create a simple journal where you log word counts, new subscribers, or even the chapters you revised. These are the invisible bricks of your author career, and seeing them stack up can remind you that growth is happening, even if it’s slow.

Keep a “Success Jar”

Write down every win, no matter how small, on slips of paper. A kind review, a newsletter reply, finishing a tough chapter. On discouraging days, open the jar and remind yourself of the truth: you are moving forward.

Reframe Failure as Data

A launch that flops isn’t a dead end. It’s information. Maybe the cover isn’t resonating. Maybe your blurb could be sharper. Maybe your category choice wasn’t right. None of that means your book isn’t good. It just means you’re learning.

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The Power of Community

Indie publishing can feel lonely. But isolation makes the quiet seasons louder. Seek out other authors, in Facebook groups, writing circles, or even one trusted buddy, who get it. Sharing your doubts doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human.

When another author says, “Me too,” the silence loses its sting. And when you encourage someone else through their slump, you’ll often find encouragement echoing back to you.

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Remember Why You Started

At the end of the day, your first reason for writing probably wasn’t sales. It was the story burning in you. The characters who wouldn’t be quiet. The message you wanted to send.

When success isn’t instant, go back to that first spark. Write not for charts or dashboards but for yourself — and for the one reader who might find hope, laughter, or courage in your words. Because that reader is out there. And they’re worth writing for.

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Here’s my challenge to you: This week, choose one small act that defines your success. Maybe it’s writing 500 words. Maybe it’s sending one newsletter. Maybe it’s rereading your favorite review. Let that be your win, and celebrate it.

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💌 Hug to end on: The silence isn’t proof that no one cares. It’s the space before the echo comes back. Hold on. Your words are worth it.