Having posted content on Tapas for two years now, frustration is normal. Been there, done that, on a daily basis. Everyone wants to succeed, rack up the views, subs and likes and have their content recognized. That's just normal. After all, who does anything with a desire to fail?
Unfortunately how we measure success on Tapas is all about metrics, which is massively self-defeating. Comparing yourself to the person next to you is an untenable situation because there will always be someone better. Instead try focusing on the value of the intangibles. The satisfaction of finishing your first novel? Having your work read? Getting feedback? Those are important things too that all too often we forget about in the race to the top.
Some numbers to keep in mind. 75% of the US population indicates they would like to write a book. Out of every 100 who start writing, only three actually finish. When you finish your novel you should celebrate! You're now in a select group.
Try focusing on things you can control to give you a feeling of satisfaction and success rather than things outside your control like metrics. Did your second novel get more views than the first? Was it faster/easier to write? Better? More enjoyable? Did you learn something in the process to become a better writer?
Take it from us, if you just focus on the metrics, you will become frustrated, angry, and ultimately give up creating, resulting in even more frustration and anger and a negative feedback spiral that will destroy your dreams and passion.
Aim to make yourself 100% happy with your work whether 1 or 1,000,000 people read it.
Finally, if you are thinking about the money, keep in mind that 80% of all printed books are financial failures, the majority sell less than 5,000 copies, and the average self published book sells about 200. Also only 5% of books become best sellers.
The math looks something like this. 100 writers start. 3 finish. 20% get a traditional publisher. 5% become a best seller.
100 / . 03 / . 2 / .05 = 1 in 333,333
If you read author interviews a common thing they say is, "I won the lottery". If you look at the odds, they did.
Ignore the metrics. Love yourself. Love your work. Set reasonable expectations. Enjoy the ride.