Why Trashing Popular Books Hurts Your Author Career (and What Successful Authors Do Instead)

When Rebecca Hamilton first entered the publishing world, she noticed a pattern that has repeated itself every time a massively successful series appears. Whether it was Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, or any other title that broke through the noise, authors were often the first to publicly criticize the very books millions of readers adored. The complaints usually sounded something like:

• “The writing is bland.”

• “The characters aren’t complex enough.”

• “This relationship is unhealthy.”

• “My book is objectively better, so why isn’t mine selling?”

But here’s the uncomfortable truth many authors overlook:

Readers, not authors, decide what becomes a bestseller.

And when millions of readers embrace a book, dismissing it doesn’t just keep authors from understanding why it succeeded, it also distances them from the very audience they want to reach.

This is a mistake we repeatedly inside the Six Figure Author Coach community, and it’s one of the biggest reasons talented writers struggle to grow.

Readers Don’t Buy “Perfect Writing.” They Buy What Resonates.

It’s easy to assume that well-written books automatically perform better. But if that were true, MFA programs would consistently produce bestselling authors. They don’t.

The reality Rebecca teaches, and data continually confirms, is that readers connect with books that:

• hit emotional beats clearly

• deliver familiar tropes in satisfying ways

• provide momentum and entertainment

• give the reader an experience they want to return to

Strong writing helps, yes. But strong writing alone doesn’t sell books. What sells books is writing that understands readers.

This is why books with structural weaknesses or prose imperfections can still go viral, because they light up something in the reader’s brain that says: Yes, this is exactly what I wanted.

Many struggling authors miss this entirely. They write for their own taste but expect to attract thousands of readers with different desires.

Author coach Rebecca Hamilton's curriculum, especially inside 3xP and Seven Figure Author Career is built around bridging that gap.

Why Criticizing Popular Books Damages Your Author Brand

When authors publicly attack well-loved books, they rarely realize the unintended consequence: You’re criticizing the taste of the readers who loved that book.

Readers feel deeply bonded to the stories that speak to them. When you tell them their favorite book is terrible, they hear:

“You have bad taste, and my books are better than what you enjoy.”

That’s not a marketing strategy. That’s a repellent.

We have worked with thousands of authors and watched firsthand how small mindset shifts dramatically change a career trajectory. When authors stop fighting what readers love and start learning from it, everything becomes easier; marketing, sales, alignment, tropes, descriptions, and even ads.

Successful Authors Study What Works, Then Do It Better

This concept is the backbone of marketability and deeply tied to our teachings in the Top 5 Questions to Answer to Ensure Marketability. Instead of assuming a book “shouldn’t” have succeeded, high-earning authors ask questions like:

• What emotional promise did this book fulfill for readers?

• What tropes were used intentionally and repeatedly?

• What patterns in pacing or character dynamic kept readers turning pages?

• What marketing angles positioned it so effectively?

This isn’t copying. It’s reverse-engineering desire, a core pillar of our famous 3xP program. Authors who master this stop competing with readers’ preferences and start aligning with them. As Rebecca often says:

“A hobby writer creates for themselves. An author creates for readers.”

You can love your craft, your characters, and your stories, but if you want to build a career, the reader must be part of the equation.

Hobby Writing vs. Authorship: Why the Difference Matters

There is absolutely nothing wrong with writing purely for yourself. But selling fiction requires a different mindset entirely. Imagine going to a doctor for a toe surgery and waking up missing a finger, or taking your car to a mechanic for an engine repair and getting new seats instead.

If that happened, you’d think: "This isn’t what I asked for.”

That’s exactly how readers feel when authors write for themselves but expect readers to embrace the story anyway. Not because it’s wrong, but because it’s misaligned.

Rebecca’s programs focus heavily on helping authors take what they love and reshape it into something readers will also love, without sacrificing voice, passion, or creativity. This alignment is what turns books into careers.

Don’t Waste Energy Hating What Works. Invest That Energy Into Learning Why It Works.

You don’t have to adore every bestselling book. You don’t have to write like anyone else. You don’t have to agree with every trend.

But if you want to become a six-figure author, you must be willing to ask:

“What did this book deliver so effectively that millions of people wanted to read it?”

You may dislike certain elements, but the success data speaks for itself. The authors who grow consistently, are the ones who turn curiosity into strategy.

Our free author facebook community and coaching programs are filled with writers who made this shift and transformed their careers accordingly. You can check out some of the success stories here.

Related Articles to Continue Your Growth

To deepen the concepts from this post, you may also find these helpful:
📌 [Stop Following Bad Book Marketing Advice, What Actually Works in 2025]
📌 [The #1 Blind Spot Holding Back Your Author Career in 2025]
📌 [Facebook Ads for Authors: How Often Do They Need to Be Refreshed?]
📌 [Show vs Tell in Writing: Deep POV Examples & Tips for Authors]