What do authors want? I would imagine most authors want an audience who appreciates their work, is willing to buy their stories one book right after the other as soon as they become available and follow that with writing sterling reviews on Amazon and other places. With that will come some commendations - possibly earning the notation of "Bestseller" in their genre. And the pleasure of earning considerable wages for their creative endeavors.
The flip side of not having that kind of success for an author might provide answers that vary significantly. It depends upon how far along in the publishing game they might be, what they expect to do with their novels as in finding a publisher or going "indie". They study marketing suggestions and hear multitudes of voices giving them advice. They wonder if real "success" is attainable for them.
Although those of us who write under the Christian Fiction or Inspirational umbrella, might have to add a tweak or two to the overall response - because, let's face it, the authors and audience for general market fiction vary significantly from those who choose to write and read Christian novels - the goals probably don't differ much. And there are millions of Christian Fiction readers out there, even some who claim to be Christians but don't like their Christian novels to be too heavy on "the Gospel".
There might be the dutiful declaration of, "I want what the Lord wants for me." While probably true, I'd be willing to state that we all want to sell a lot of books because we want to share our stories. We didn't spend however long it took to write the book(s) just so we can see two reviews show up on Amazon even if they are 5-star reviews. We want the affirmation that sales produce, the interest those sales generate, and, frankly, the frills and thrills of acquiring a lot of readers.
So, my author friends: feel free to chime in here on "What do authors want?"
Lord God, only you know what you intend to do with my novels. You gave the inspiration for each one. I have no words without you. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.