The author who writes a book “for everyone” really just penned a bunch of pages for no one. If you only remember a few words from this post, they should be, “Maintain your focus throughout the writing process.”

Seems obvious, right? Yes, but many writers wind up penning entire chapters that, while interesting on some level, don’t matter to the book’s intended audience. For this reason, it behooves authors to develop detailed reader personas long before even outlining the book, much less writing its first draft. If you aren’t sure about how to do this, find a book coach who will keep you on track.

The Ten-copy Rule

A good litmus test for whether your non-fiction book ultimately checks this critical box is to ask: Did at least one reader buy ten copies or more? If the answer is yes, then you’ve succeeded.

All Racket titles have passed this test—and the forthcoming one should, too. (More on this subject soon.)

For instance, a few weeks ago, I woke up crazy early to find that Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace had sold precisely ten copies on Amazon. It’s possible that some combination of folks bought them, but I’ll bet that a single customer made that purchase.

As for why, I can only speculate. I am sure of this much, though. The specificity of the book’s title, synopsis, and personas all cohere and reinforce each other. What’s more, these elements make it likely that someone buys ten copies for her team, employees, colleagues, or reading group.

Meet RacketHub

Did at least one reader buy ten or more copies of your book?

Note two cohorts I didn’t mention: friends and family members.

What You Need to Know

If they buy a bunch of copies, great. Still, counting on them to do the lion’s share of your marketing is a mistake. Rather, write a book that addresses a specific need. To borrow a pithy phrase from a friend, try to go from niches to riches.

Here’s a corollary to the ten-copy rule: Assuming you control the book’s price, did you land on a reasonable number? Your ideas and research may be über-valuable, but charging a king’s fortune to maximize per-unit sales limit its reach.