🐻Thoughts from the Den #8: How to Tell What's Actually Working

It’s easy to get stuck in the grind — posting, writing, tweaking blurbs — without knowing what’s moving the needle.

It’s easy to get stuck in the grind — posting, writing, tweaking blurbs — without knowing what’s moving the needle.

The truth is: you don’t need to track everything.

You just need to track what actually matters — and trust your gut where the numbers haven’t spoken yet.

Today, I’m giving you my simplified, (trauma-informed) Author Mojo Metric Map™ — so you can stop guessing and start growing.

Authors are told to “track their numbers”…
But no one tells you which numbers, why they matter, or how to not drown in spreadsheets. 🫠

So let’s simplify this with the Mojo Way:
Three Metrics, Three Filters, One Gut Check.

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🔍 The 3 Core Metrics That Matter

1. Visibility (Reach)
   Are people seeing you?

   • Email open rate

   • Ad impressions

   • Website/blog/social traffic

2. Engagement (Trust)
   Are people connecting with you?

   • Email click rate

   • Social comments/saves/shares

   • Reader replies or DMs

3. Conversion (Action)
   Are people buying or committing?

   • Book sales

   • Course signups

   • Affiliate clicks (👋 Publisher Rocket!)

   • Newsletter opt-ins (hello, Reader Magnet!)

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🧭 The 3 Mojo Filters

1. ROI – Time / Energy / Money
   Did the task give me returns that matched (or exceeded) what I put in?

2. Joy & Alignment
   Did this feel energizing or soul-sucking?

3. Repeatability
   Can I do it again without burning out?

If a task hits at least two of those? It stays.
If it hits none? It's either a delegation or deletion candidate.

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✨ The Gut Check:

Your nervous system is data, too.

If the thought of checking metrics fills you with dread — that’s feedback.

Start small. Track what feels empowering. The rest can wait.

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📚 Sneak Peek Bonus:

Want to learn how to build deep reader relationships and track which magnet leads to the most loyal superfans?

Grab my choose-your-price Reader Magnet Mojo Map on Gumroad — it’s a teaser from my upcoming course:

Superfans: Email Magic for Authors Who Want a Career, Not Just a List.

📌 Snag your Choose-Your-Price copy here

(It includes the fully updated for 2025 book, the workbook, + swipe-copy sample automation ideas!)

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Pick just one metric today and look at it with fresh eyes.

Let it inform your next move — not define your worth.

✍️ This post was originally published over on the Author’s Mojo site as part of this week’s Mojo Musings series.

Want more writing wisdom, practical author magic, and a real-time look at what it means to rebuild an author career from the ground up?

🐾 Come join me inside The Den—where cozy meets clarity, and the path to sustainable authorship begins.

🔗 Learn more + explore the Bear Circle here 👇