by Marie E. Bast, @MarieBast1
Does anyone really know how to write a best seller? Not unless they have a crystal ball that will let them peer into the minds and hearts of the readers. I’m not talking about established bestselling authors who have large followings like Nora Roberts, John Grisham, or James Patterson. I’m talking about you and me when we’re just starting our career.
How do we find that special niche, that little pocket or style of writing which will appeal to the reader? Is it even possible to peer into the minds and hearts of the reader and capture that story they are craving to read, or maybe they don’t even know they are craving to read it yet? However, are we off base here? Aren’t writing and selling two different sides of the writer’s coin?
Yes, they are different sides of the writer’s craft, but they are both required. In today’s market place with millions of books and thousands of writers, marketing is just as important as writing. Here are four valuable steps that will speed you down the road to success.
Plan your strategy early for marketing
Before you even start to write, plan your marketing strategy. It’ll pay off when you are ready to publish. Start with building your social media. I can’t stress this enough. Followers, friends, and relatives will be anxious to share the news of your forth-coming book. In addition, don’t make your social media just about you. Socialize. What do your followers like? Maybe sharing recipes, vacation spots, adorable animals and the cute things they do, etc. Socializing helps you grow your followers.
Learn the craft of writing—well
Really learn the craft of writing. Let me repeat that. Learn the craft of writing. Study hard. Read the best sellers and dissect them. What propelled those books to stardom? Was it the writing, the amount of research the author included, maybe it was a unique style or a subject matter they presented in a different way; for instance, the heroine was locked in an attic or was held against their will in an insane asylum, or a man disguised as a woman trying to hire into a nanny’s position. Attend writer’s conferences, join writer’s organizations, take workshops, or classes. Study, study, study the craft. Here are my go-to resource books: Story Engineering by Larry Brooks; Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson; Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass; The Fire In Fiction by Donald Maass; from the inside…Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you by Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck; Deep and Wide by Susan May Warren.
You have the tools now write
Write every day. Submit to magazines, newspapers, blogs, to anthologies, even write short posts on social media. Join critiques groups and let them read your work and give you feedback. Enter contests that give back critiques and feedback, it is invaluable for honing your writing. Many contests have agents and editors that review the finalists’ writing. Even if you don’t win, they give great pointers and feedback.
It all comes down to this
Where do you go to from here? Your writing needs to be unique, and it needs conflict, tension, maybe deception or betrayal if it fits the plotting, and it needs discovery. What will the reader discover about themselves, about human nature, about the world around them or the storyworld you have plunged them into? What’s going to make your story an exciting, enjoyable book that the reader cannot put down? Lastly—without feeling, writing becomes two-dimensional. When they close the book, make that last page sing with some kind of emotion to make the reader remember it.
Whispering words of hope and healing through complex characters and twisting plots, Marie E. Bast enjoys writing contemporary and historical stories. Her first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker made the Publishers Weekly Best Seller List. She has contributed to four-book compilations to include Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her short stories and articles have appeared in newspaper, magazines, and devotionals. Married for twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, gardening or spending time with her family.