Do you want to write a Best-seller? (Part 1)Written by Arthur Zulu
Continued from page 1
You will be at home here. And you are probably familiar with stories of that sort. Like man who married a woman and divorced her after having 7 male children for him. (He badly needed female children to pay off his debts from dowries on their wedding day.) His divorced wife remarried and got a baby girl while man married a second wife and had a male as well. They divorced again and remarried and had a ninth boy. And man sold all boys to pay his debts. Why don’t you give story a new angle? The world has had stories of Siamese twins. But have they had of birth of a seven-headed baby girl by a desperate parent who sought assistance of a witch? Don’t miss an opportunity to write a best-seller from great news events. Such stories present little research challenges. Do you remember British boy who wanted to be famous, climbed wall of Buckingham Palace and made his way into queen’s bedroom? When cops came to rescue they met him helping himself with a glass of wine and chatting with queen. And police, thinking of what offence he has committed, thought of charging him of stealing a bottle of wine. (Did boy say that queen was her lover?) There is a similar one of an American boy who shot former president Reagan. Best-sellers are made of such stuff. Master your subject You can’t do a good story if you do not know your topic. You will even find it difficult to communicate because you will be groping for words, qualifying every word, or reaching out for every figure of speech and idiom in book. Bad writing! A good reader will find out that you are not a master of your subject, and you are done in. You have every opportunity to research your story. You have libraries. And thank God, there is Web. Why not take advantage of it? This is very important if you are writing a factual story. But even then that word “factual” has changed meaning. But there has to be a measure of credibility in your work. Writers don’t just write. They educate. Would reader find something to learn from your story? Know your audience This is one of first things for you to consider before you begin writing your book. For example, are you writing for men / women; boys / girls; youths / adults; learned / general, reader? When J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Porter, she had youths in mind. Youths are, however, fast in spreading words about a book that they enjoyed reading. But Harry Porter happened to have a subject matter that interests adults as well. Now readers in two worlds read book. So ask yourself this question if you have not already done so: Who will read my book?(To be continued) Excerpted from How to Write a Best-seller by Arthur Zulu Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and author of Chasing Shadows!, How to Write a Best-seller, A Letter to Noah, and many other works. For his works and FREE help for writers, goto: http://controversialwriter.tripod.com Mailto: controversialwriter@yahoo.com Web search: Arthur Zulu
Arthur Zulu is an editor, author and book reviewer.
| | Do you want to write a Best-seller (Part 2)Written by Arthur Zulu
Continued from page 1
But do not just promote your book. HYPE IT! That is what they all do. Let them know that your book is greatest thing to happen in world in this millennium. Tell them that your work will make writers like Tom Clancy, John Grisham, Tom Wolfe, Salman Rushdie, and J.K. Rowling look like Lilliputians. You won't be docked for perjury. The fact is that people will believe anything as much as they hear it often. Ask advertisers. And then on date of your book's release, readers will queue up before book stores to behold Brobdingnagian of English literature. Time your book's release It is better to tie in your book's release to an event. The last quarter of year (Sept. ---Dec.) is best time to do so. The reason is that at this time, booksellers stock their stores for expected mass yuletide sales while friends use this period to buy books and give their friends. J.K. Rowling chose to release her Harry Potter and Order of Phoenix in midnight of June 21, 2004. There could have been no better time than that witching hour. And before children in an English spelling class could spell best-seller book has sold over 5 million copies making it fastest and biggest selling book in world! Even if Rowling topples her record in next series, why not publish your best-seller and overturn record. (To be continued) Excerpted from How to Write a Best-seller by Arthur Zulu Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and author of Chasing Shadows!, How to Write a Best-seller, A Letter to Noah, and many other works. For his works and FREE help for writers, goto: http://controversialwriter.tripod.com Mailto: controversialwriter@yahoo.com Web search: Arthur Zulu
Arthur Zulu is an editor, author, and book reviewer.
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