Best seller checklist: Does your fiction have what it takes?

[Tara Woods Turner]

Here is an interesting 21 point breakdown of what best selling works of fiction have in common.

http://www.writersdigest.com/qp7-migr...

Is this list on target or is your own formula better suited to your personal writing style?

[Mehreen]

Writers are often not the best judge of their books, critics and readers are. If reviews say, it is a good book, then it is good. One does not necessarily have to abide by rules laid out by others. Some of the best books didn't and Ulysses wouldn't be what it is today, if Joyce did. Moby Dick sold only 3 to 5000 copies worldwide. Does it mean it didn't have what it takes?

[Tara Woods Turner]

True. The list is more or less a guideline for those who want to be sure they aren't omitting any standard elements from their fiction. One's writing voice will always remain unique, hopefully.

[Tara Woods Turner]

PS - Congrats on the anthology! Just got an email from Amazon about it.

[Nik]

Cool and comprehensive list.
Some points are just generalization and absence of others doesn't necessarily means, we are not talking of best-seller. War and peace doesn't contain much humor and isn't fast paced for example, on the other hand - it might not be a best-seller. Is Potter fast paced? Hardly.

I'm not sure there is a formula for writing a best seller, but any profound study isn't to be neglected.

I believe there is also some kind of "magic", something that it's hard to put your finger on, that may be a distinguishing factor

[Mehreen]

Best seller doesn't always mean quality literature. I wouldn't read most of the best sellers.

[Graeme]

Thanks Tara,

Interesting thread.

Nik - I would think that having, say, 12 of the characteristics - executed really may well be sufficient to capture a best seller.

Just noting that "Marketing excellence" wasn't on the list.... because reviewers don't tend to spend a lot of time saying...

"Absolutely loved the cover, the blurb, the Author's website, the youtube trailer, and .... blah, blah, blah..."

The marketing element is invisible in the methodology used to define the list.

[Nik]

Graeme wrote: "The marketing element is invisible in the methodology used to define the list...."

I think you make a sound point. To extrapolate it even, marketing may sometimes be a decisive factor way beyond any other. Arguably - any author invited to Oprah Winfrey show, would probably become a bestseller irrespective what his/her book contains -:)

I know at least one story of a famous thriller writer who struggled to sell books until he was invited to a popular night show. After that all his titles retrospectively and any new one became bestsellers... After all when the book becomes vogue, the quality of content doesn't matter any more -:)
So it might be either 12 characteristics plus marketing or much less characteristics and a big marketing push

[Segilola]

marketing first before the others even come into play. people need to know about, then buy a book before the quality of the content comes into focus. plus there are people who see art in crap, so there . . .

[Matt]

A lot of things on that list are things that any book should have (2-5 for example) if an author wants to make it even vaguely readable. To be honest, and I may just be being thick here, I'm not sure what point 1 means. It seems like a strange inclusion for non fiction work. I mean, vampires have been hugely popular in bestsellers, but I'm not quite sure how you would use one in your everyday life. If point 1 is talking about things that people can relate to, surely that's covered in point 6.

A lot of those point seem a little vague, or cross over with each other (Imagery, Active memorable writing, and Creativity, for example. And when you combine those with Excitement, that would give a sense of Wow) This list could probably be condensed down.

Being a bestseller is a case of writing something that has mass appeal, so, yes, a lot of these points are valid, but surely you can't apply them to all genres. Not sure if Horror books have to have a sense of Comfort and Happiness. Quite the opposite in fact.

It's also interesting to note that 'Originality' isn't on the list.

[Graeme]

Hi Matt,

Did the method make a distinction b/w fiction and non-fiction? Point 1, might be about the latter.

[Graeme]

Lets check this out by application to my stories.

1. Utility - Very high, provided you're a vampire hunter.
2. Information - Vampires don't like silver or sunlight
3. Substance - See point 1 above.
4. Focus - Vampires are bad.
5. Logic - Vampires are consistently bad.
6. A sense of connection - On the off chance that vampires are real...
7. A compelling style - If you fear vampires you'll love my book.
8. A sense of humor - There is at least one joke in chapter 6.
9. Simplicity - Just about hunting vampires.
10. Entertainment - There are fracking vampires in there!
11. A fast pace - There are vampires and/or fights in every second scene.
12. Imagery - The vampires are really well drawn.
13. Creativity - The origin of the vampires is novel.
14. Excitement - Fight scenes are short, sharp and frequent.
15. Comfort - The vampires die.
16. Happiness - The vampires stay dead.
17. Truth - It could be true. No really, it could be true...
18. Writing that provokes - You will think long and hard about vampires while reading my book.
19. Active, memorable writing - Last sentence of the prologue, and again in the 4th scene of Chapter 7.
20. A sense of Wow! - Has reputedly happened at least once. (On good authority...)
21. Transcendence - last chapter of the last book of the series due for release in Q3 2023.

[Nik]

-:)
Cool analysis, Graeme, you have a vetted and foolproof bestseller on your hands, just collect the money!

[Matt]

Graeme wrote: "

15. Comfort - The vampires die.
16. Happiness - The vampires stay dead."

I stand corrected on Horror stories not needing the Comfort and Happiness factors. ;)

[Segilola]

ahahahahaha this group cracks me up every time

[Marie Silk]

haha Matt :)

Nice list, Tara. I don't suppose most of these are done consciously for many writers. My formula is writing the story until I think it should end, and hoping that readers find it entertaining.

I have to agree with Nick here about the magic!

[Daniel J.]

I'll agree with Matt and say that this list does seem a little vague. However, when I first clicked on the link I expected to find a list dictating how a story "should" be built. This list was not that, and I'm grateful.

Vagueness aside, it does offer ideas to consider. We writers can sometimes believe a story or scene contains a certain quality, because we intended it to be there, and neglect taking the time to make sure that quality really is there. This list might act as nice reminder of the hierarchy of qualities being striven for in a scene/story.

Also, I appreciate that this list has a very serious tone, except for the description of point 6. I suppose the author wanted a touch of humor before getting to point 8.

[Daniel J.]

Mehreen wrote: "Best seller doesn't always mean quality literature."

Agreed. This list should be titled differently.

[Matt]

Marie wrote: "Nice list, Tara. I don't suppose most of these are done consciously for many writers. My formula is writing the story until I think it should end, and hoping that readers find it entertaining."

That's certainly how I've been doing it up util now, but I admit there are things that can be worked on. It strikes me that there are a lot of points on that list, particularly those in the first half, such as focus and logic, that a writer can actively learn in order to improve their work. Then there are the things that cannot be taught, and are just a natural facet of the writer. A lot of them stem from the way that individual views and interprets the world; Creativity, A sense of humour, Writing that provokes, Transcendence ect.

I have actually figured out the magic formula for creating a Bestseller. It's easy. All you have to do either write something that latches onto current trends, and is better than anything else like it, or you create the current trend by predicting what people want to read before they know they want to read it.

See, I told you it was easy :)

Daniel wrote: "This list might act as nice reminder of the hierarchy of qualities being striven for in a scene/story."

Completely agree, though I still think the list could be reduced down significantly.

[Nik]

I'm not sure the creator/author him/herself can know what they have at their hands.
You hear often (and I discount an artificial modesty) from some mega-ultra-bestselling dudes: "Well, I just hoped a few people would want to read this or find it interesting...." and a little less-selling attributing their books 'the most-innovating, engaging, revolutionary and so on qualities' -:)
Apart from a different personal approach, it's really hard to discern a best-selling potential until it's realized