Anatomy of the Modern Bestseller
Today sees the launch of Anatomy of the Modern Bestseller
It's a step by step course for creating and writing a fiction bestseller, based on studying five of the bestselling novels of our time.
You're going to want to get this!
Rob Parnell
Anatomy of the Modern Bestseller
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I don’t know about you but during my life, I have spent a lot of time wishing I could create a bestselling novel.
You know what it’s like.
You see a book selling bucket loads. You eventually read it to find out what all the fuss is about. You quite like it but a small part of you is thinking, “I could have done that.”
You don’t mean it in an arrogant way. Just that, it’s got words you know, strung together in a way that’s not dissimilar to what you might do, and there are a whole bunch of characters and a story line that doesn’t stretch much beyond what you could have imagined.
Pretty soon, you see the author’s name everywhere. Next, they’re making a movie and you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, my book’s just as good! Why isn’t my name up there? Why isn’t my book a bestseller too?”
Yep, it's every writer's dream.
To write something that sells millions and pretty much guarantees the author a place in history. Now that's sweet - the idea of it anyway.
I read a US publisher's blog recently that said that it was RARE for ANY author to sell more than TWO HUNDRED of their own books - and only then if they were lucky! This figure is apparently true for Amazon and iTunes authors, as well as traditionally published authors with bona fide book deals.
Yes, even mainstream publishers with worldwide distribution often have trouble selling the first print run (usually less than one thousand copies) of what they call their 'B List' authors - a category which pretty much covers the majority of us!
That's the reality.
Bestsellers have a habit of surprising everyone: their authors, the media, Amazon and publishing companies too.
It's been said often that even publishers are pretty bad at spotting potential bestsellers. If anyone has an inkling of what a bestselling book looks like, it must surely be writers like you and me. After all, it's our job to write them!
It should, therefore be in our own interest to know what a potential bestseller looks like.
In the movie business, there's a whole industry built around teaching writers how to write effective blockbuster movies - to a kind of formula.
(Okay, if you don't like the word formula, think in terms of a set of conventions that are necessary to make a movie work for a large audience.)
The sheer size of the film industry and the lure of the millions to be made have effectively necessitated the need to teach writers how to do it 'properly'.
Why, I wonder, is there no similar resource for novel writers?
(There is now, of course, because I’ve created one for you!)
I mean, it's not as if you need to be a great literary talent to write bestsellers. As the bestselling author, Ken Follett, says, “It's enough to be literate - that is, to be able to string a few sentences together.”
Bestseller writers are routinely criticized for their lack of literary finesse - but surely that's to miss the point.
It's the story that makes a bestseller. The story, the characters, the setting - and the big idea.
Isn't it about time somebody instructed ambitious writers on the fundamentals of writing potential bestsellers?
Yes. I definitely think so.
That's why I put together my latest writing course, Anatomy of The Modern Bestseller.
To teach novelists the basic conventions contained within all bestsellers. And if you think there's no rhyme or reason to these things, then you'd be wrong.
There are glaring similarities between all bestselling novels but as writers, we often can't see the forest for the trees. We get so involved in the writing process, we fail to see the big picture.
The reality is you really can plan, create and manufacture a potential bestseller. (Assuming you are literate, of course!)
There are conventions that always work. There are indeed templates - just like you'd use to write a screenplay - that a writer can use to hang their own novel on - and make their story look and feel and read like a bestseller.
Click below to find out more about my latest writing course: Anatomy of The Modern Bestseller:
I think you’ll find it’s information you need to know!
Keep Writing!
Rob Parnell
Your Success Is My Concern
The Writing Academy |
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