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Writing: Ten Open Secrets of Joining The Bestseller List

Posted on September 1st, 2010 in Writing by Jimmy Shilaho
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You read a book by Dan Brown and wonder what the hype was all about. You pick any of the Harry Potter series of novels and can’t fail to get a little disappointed, yet these writers have always made it to the top of the bestseller lists. Readers keep buying their books and can’t wait for the next one. This article presents ten secrets that young writers can use to up their sales.

Let’s face it. Many people don’t read, while 90% of those who read are lazy. They do not want anything that is intellectually stimulating and will do anything to stay away from serious books. The 10 per cent of readers who go for serious books don’t buy much and that is where the bestseller list comes in.

Think of the following writers. Dan Brown, Stieg Larsson, Stephen King, John Grisham, Sidney Sheldon, Michael Crichton, J.K. Rowling, Dean Koontz, have something in common and the least that unites them is the ability to get onto and remain on the best seller lists for a significant length of time. What are the secrets of joining the bestseller list?

  1. Simple language use – Most best selling writers use very simple, easy to understand language. They do not grapple with high sounding words that will make them sound ridiculous or even stupid, all they want is to communicate and communicating they do.
  2. Short chapters, paragraphs and sentences – The shorter the chapters, paragraphs and sentences, the faster a book or an article moves and that is what readers want. If they like the first one, they will go for another.
  3. Controversy – Not all bestselling authors employ this but Dan Brown and Salman Rushdie have constantly employed this to get people talking. When you brush people the wrong way, they keep knocking on the door and won’t stop however much you irk them!
  4. Fantastic or magical realism – Those who don’t dwell on controversy will try to delve into some sort of fantasy world. Remember Tolkien, Rushdie, C.S. Lewis, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and J.K. Rowling. These writers have perfected what literary critics refer to as magical realism and it gives them the sales.
  5. Simple subject matter – Look around this site and you will realize what I am talking about. Simplicity is genius and the simpler the stuff you write the higher the number of readers. Bestselling authors know that readership is inversely proportional to subject complexity.
  6. Usefulness of the content – It’s not always about controversy, simplicity or magical realism. Writing does everything from entertainment, information, education and inspiration. Anything that readers find useful along these lines will easily make it to the top.
  7. Discipline and persistence – Most young writers do not have the discipline and persistence to rise to the top. Those best selling authors we marvel at, those writers that leave us asking for more are always willing to learn, they are always willing to give their all, and they never ever give up!
  8. Marketing – We can not rule out this aspect of writing. Bestselling authors do not write, publish and go to sleep. They lobby in the back rooms, they issue press releases, they attend book signing sessions and do everything to promote their work.
  9. Design and packaging – Let’s face it. The tenet that ‘do not judge a book by the cover’ does not hold water any more. We are visual organisms and have an eye for beauty, color and sleek designs. Publishers have everything to do with this but authors too can have a say in the artwork used and cover design as well.
  10. Publishing firms – There are publishing firms that support and promote their authors until they become the best in their fields of choice. They make sure their books remain in print for as long as it takes, they make sure their works are eternally accessible from all corners of the world!
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