Shelf Life; How Many Readers ?
Since 1991, Nobody Nowhere was translated into over 20 languages worldwide and progressively some of my 8 further books have also been translated into other languages too. I’ve directly sold around 1 million new copies of what has ultimately become my 9 published books. But my books have been read far more broadly than that.
Whilst authors don’t earn anything from the sale of second hand copies of their books, around half as many people who have bought them new have bought second hand copies. This brings the estimated total of readers to around 1.5 million people.
Most people who’ve bought one or more of my books (new or second hand) report they have loaned them to between 2-10 people.
This would bring the number of readers to around 3-15 million readers PER BOOK.
Around a quarter of my readers have read more than one of my books and many have several, some have all 9.
With 9 published books, a conservative estimate of the number of people who have read my books would be around 4-20 million people.
Around 10-20 times the number of people who have bought a new or second hand copy or loaned a copy from a friend, have borrowed one or more from a library.
Based on those who only borrowed 1 of my 9 published books (some libraries have a copy of 1, 2, 4, sometimes the whole 9 and I have heard waiting lists in some libraries up to 8 months long to borrow a library copy of Nobody Nowhere or Somebody Somewhere) this would bring the conservative estimated number of people who have read at least one of my books to around 40-200 million readers.
The nine titles are all published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers and include
- Nobody Nowhere
- Somebody Somewhere
- Like Colour To The Blind (UK spelling of ‘colour’)
- Everyday Heaven
- Not Just Anything
- Autism; An Inside Out Approach
- Autism and Sensing; The Unlost Instinct
- Exposure Anxiety; The Invisible Cage
- The Jumbled Jigsaw
Donna Williams *)
author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter
ever the arty autie
Wow! And congratulations!
I have all of your books, and do lend them out to other parents (which reminds me there are 2 i havent had back yet!!)
Nobody Nowhere, was the first autistic book i ever read so is dear to my heart as it opened my eyes.
Thank you.
yes, as an author 1 million book sales over 20 years at royalties of around 50-90 cents per book sale (the rest goes to the retailer, the publisher) isn’t a fortune (it’s a wage but not a fortune). I ain’t Stephen King 😉 But in terms of being well read, to have 40-200 million people have read of at least one of your books, that’s a lot of contact. And even though many people lend each of my books to 2-10 people (and the libraries lend them to millions!) those books often don’t come back to the owner. I met several people who have bought at least one of my books several times over because it went missing whilst on loan, so it’s funny how loaning a book ironically can lead to an extra sale! An old high school friend, who was ‘Robyn’ in Nobody Nowhere, found me after about 15 years after holidaying in a cottage which had NN on the shelf. She took it with her, needless to say. So perhaps she ironically caused the cottage owner to buy another one! The journeys of objects are fascinating whether they are the pathways taken by books, art, clothing, these strange silent journeys.
You should be so proud that you’ve been able to reach so many people- Nobody Nowhere was also the first book written by an autistic person that I’d ever read, and I always have a few copies around the house. I’ve probably bought 4 or 5 copies new, and countless at used bookstores (some of which were my “new” copies that I’d loaned out to people…arggh!). I find it very helpful to give to families who have a newly diagnosed child, as it gives such a different perspective. Thanks!
Donna,
It’s so wonderful that you have reached so many people through your writing. I have only read Nobody Nowhere, but intend to read more. Nobody Nowhere has opened a door to me that has been closed for 33 years. I have a 7 year old daughter that is high functioning, but had never really looked at myself. Through my daughter, I have discovered so much about myself. And through your book, I have seen so much of myself reflected back at me. Only now at the age of 33 are my characters finally receding into the background and myself emerging. It is terrifying, emotionally crippling, and exhilirating at the same time. My daughter is very different from myself (she is not hypersensitive to touch and emotion, whereas the only person that can safely touch me *is* my daughter), but being able to see myself more clearly has helped both of us immensely. Thank you for sharing with us all.