Finished work is often blamed for the wrong failure
When something does not sell, the default assumption is that the work itself is flawed.
That assumption is usually wrong.
More often, the work is simply in the wrong place, framed for the wrong context, or offered to people who were never looking for it.
Distribution is not neutral
Every distribution channel carries assumptions.
- Some reward momentum.
- Some reward theatre.
- Some reward frequency.
- Others reward clarity.
When finished work is placed inside a system that expects ongoing narrative, the work appears inert.
That does not mean it lacks value. It means the channel cannot perceive it.
The danger of overreaction
When distribution fails, the temptation is to intervene aggressively.
- Rewrite the work.
- Reprice it.
- Rebrand it.
- Add urgency.
- Add bonuses.
Each of these actions increases noise while reducing signal.
The work becomes harder to see, not easier.
A quieter alternative
There is another option.
Leave the work alone.
Change only where it is available.
Make it accessible in places where people already buy similar things without explanation or ceremony.
This is not optimisation. It is alignment.
Respecting the shape of the work
Finished work has a shape.
- It does not want to be launched repeatedly.
- It does not want to be bundled endlessly.
- It does not want to be kept artificially alive.
It wants to be available.
Quietly. Consistently. Without narrative inflation.
Revenue without corrosion
Needing revenue does not require abandoning judgement.
The mistake is not wanting money. The mistake is letting urgency dictate structure.
Calm, limited, reversible decisions preserve both the work and the person making them.
A rule worth keeping
When something does not sell, ask first:
Is this a value problem, or a distribution problem?
Only change the work if you are certain it is the former.
Most of the time, it is not.
Closing
Finished work deserves a chance to exist in the right places.
Not everywhere.
Just somewhere appropriate.
