With the launch of I Hate Hockey a week or two ago, I've had book sales on my mind a fair bit lately. But now I'm wondering what the best long-term strategy is for becoming a respected literary translator, someone whose door publishers are going to come knock on. In short, is it best to jump straight to the top of the best-sellers list or to win a Governor General's Award?
I'm still not sure (and neither is going to happen any time soon) but one figure I read helped put sales figures into perspective: Moby-Dick sold only 3,715 copies over the first 40 years. Maybe there's hope for us all yet.