Meg Tilley says in her blog (September 9, 2010) that of 1.5 million books published in a year, only 1.68% will sell 5000 copies in a year. I’m not sure if she talking worldwide, English speaking world, US, Canada or what. 1.68% seems like an impossibly miniscule number. My math is always suspect (i.e. please correct me if you are good at this!) but by my calculations that 1.68% of 1.5 million equals about twenty-five thousand books. That sounds much more do-able. I can be one of those lucky twenty-five thousand books that hit over five thousand in sales, right? Let’s do it together, okay?
In Canada a best seller is 3000 copies a week. Can we do it?
Shawn L. Bird 
oh yes we can!!!!!!! or rather, You can….and we will help 🙂
Thanks Keren!
I`ve never took the plunge into writing an actual book, but I can tell you that based on what I`ve read on your blog, you`ve got the talent. My best advise to you is just let the words flow and when you`re done forget about where they`ll end up, because books end up where they will and the lives that they touch is the best result that you can hope to acheive.
Aside from that, the stats are what drive careers in writing and allow your message to reach a wider audience, so of course, good luck.
Thank you for your kind words. Happily, Grace Awakening has been accepted for publication and is scheduled for release in September 2011 by Gumboot Books of Vancouver, BC . It will be available worldwide through Amazon.