If a book about failure doesn't sell, is it a success?

Answer 1

wow thats a very nice question
i think that it only matters what the author intended it for

if the author wrote the book with his major purpose to make it sell, then no, its not successful

but if i were to write something, as long as it touches one person in a special way
that's a sucess to me

it really depends on the author's intentions

Answer 2

The reverse has actually happened.

In the 1980s, there was a book called The Book of Heroic Failures. It was a sort of stocking-filler book containing various short anecdotes about people failing at things. Quite funny.

As a joke, the introduction had an advert for the Not Terribly Good Club of Great Britain. But the book was such a success that loads of people wrote in requesting to join the club. They did a second book, and included their society as one of the failures - because it had failed heroically at being a failure!

Answer 3

Well , in a way yes it is a success, cos the book is about failure, I know I wouldn't buy a book that had a title with Failure in it, so I think I have to say yes, its a success. Oh I dunno, Im starting to think silly thoughts now, too much to write down anyway. :-)

Answer 4

If a book sells it is business.
If a book doesn't sell it is art.

I think it depends on whether the author wanted it to become a success or not.

Answer 5

I love philosophical questions, and this is fun. I would say that just getting published (unless it's self published and cost the author BIG bucks) is success. So yes, even if it doesn't sell, it's successful. Heck, even finishing it! Thanks for giving us something to think about.

Answer 6

Thanks, you just cheered me up!!

I suppose if it doesn't sell then you can certainly say you know what you're talking about. So yes, I'd say it's a success.

Still, it would be nice to write a best-seller.

Answer 7

Of course it is!!! I hope to steal that idea and market it to Penguin Publishing. Cheers.

Answer 8

I hadn`t thought about that but yes i would agree

Answer 9

That's quite clever!

Answer 10

The two are unrelated.