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10 Tips For Writing A Bestseller Book
by M.P. Hummingbird

What are the ways that a person can become wealthy?
1. They can be born into a wealthy family.
2. They can inherit wealth.
3. They can start a successful business.
4. They can win the lottery.

Another way for a person to become wealthy is to "write a bestseller book".

I spent five years researching bestseller books of all kinds to find out "what makes a book a bestseller".  I wanted to discover if there were secrets that a writer could use to write their own bestseller book.

I found many common features that all bestseller books seem to have.  I compiled these ideas into a how-to ebook and called it "How To Write An Amazing Bestseller".

The following are some tips I learned for writing a bestseller book.


TIP 1 - Select a Popular Genre

If you pay attention to bestsellers that are already published you will notice that some genres are especially appealing to the public.  Most books written in these genres are wildly popular and sell millions and millions of copies.

Examples of popular genres are: political intrigue, technology thrillers, children's magic books, unique how-to books, novels with an astronomy or space theme, and archeology adventures.

It is possible to study the interest of the public and discover a new genre that they might become attracted to.  By starting a new genre you can capture a greater audience.

TIP 2 - Consider a Series

Many bestsellers are actually from a series of books.

Examples: James Bond 007 series by Ian Fleming.  Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

You might say (like many people), "I can't write a James Bond book!".  Well, neither could Ian Fleming, until he put his imagination to work.  He was just a journalist when he started out.

Selling a "series" to a publisher will increase your chances of becoming published.  The reason is ... a publisher can make more money by selling several books that use a similar format.

Practice writing concepts for different series of books or TV shows.  Go wild with your ideas.  Get a feel for what a popular series would be before you decide on one in particular.

TIP 3 - Choose A Catchy Title

All bestsellers have great titles.  This is an absolute must for a book to become popular.

Choose a title that you can imagine someone saying to a friend, "Have you read the book ... (title) ...?"

I choose the title "D I M" for my second novel, which is a hi-tech thriller, because it was easy to remember, and because it is the name of the computer the book centers around.

TIP 4 - (non-fiction) Include Fabulous Inserts

Non-fiction books are read first by their inserts, and then second by their text.  Use this fact to attract your readers. Make your inserts exciting as a flip-through test.  Then the browsing reader might choose to buy your book.

TIP 5 - Potent Punctuation

In bestsellers, punctuation is not part of the grammar, it is part of the communication of the story.  When you learn how to use punctuation to get your meaning across, you will become a superb writer.

For example:

• use ... for pauses

• use BOLD or capital letters for accentuation

• use italics for thoughts

• use (brackets) for additional information

• use ??? for doubt

• use " for dialogue

Bestseller writers have a greater expertise in the use of punctuation than other writers.  It is a skill they seemed to have carefully developed. You can too!

TIP 6 - Sensational Settings

When readers read a novel, they want to escape the troubles of their lives and go off into another world.  One where exciting things happen, relationships go somewhere, and the settings are places the reader would love to go to.

Knowing this, you can deliberately put your story in a unique setting.

For example, start your romance onboard a Mediterranean cruise ship.

Famous settings are:  haunted houses, penthouse suites, resorts, yachts, castles, ski chalets, deserts, caves, under-water, tropical estates, outer space, and imaginary planets.

TIP 7 - Likeable Characters

Each bestseller should have at least one likeable character. This is a person with good values but human faults as well. They do not necessarily have to be the main character, they can be a secondary one.

TIP 8 - Intelligent Plot

Some of the most famous bestsellers have very well-developed plots.  These plots are inter-woven throughout the story in fascinating ways.  The plot is actually the link the reader has with the book as they are reading.

Before you even begin one line of prose, you should map out your plot of the book.  Do it like a blueprint.  Spend days and days developing it.  Make sure it is not predictable or easy to figure out.  You will never regret this initial effort.

A fabulous plot puts a writer over and above the reader!

TIP 9 - Colorful Vocabulary

This is an area that many writers misunderstand.  They think vocabulary is using fancy words that only a few people even know about.  All bestseller books use only words that everyone can easily understand.  However, you can choose thrilling words, or unusual words, instead of the routine ones. This is a way of making your book a better read.

For example:  Instead of saying 'blue' you can say 'aqua'. Instead of saying 'writer' you can say 'literary expert'.

Stay away from using words that need a dictionary to understand.

If you are writing non-fiction, you can include a Glossary at the back of the book.  This will be appreciated by beginners.

TIP 10 - Write Under A Pen Name

With all the dangers in the world it is sometimes better to write under a pen-name rather than your real name.  You can better protect your personal identity and family in the event that you become famous.

Choose a pen-name that is easy to remember and means something.  You don't need to choose another real name as a pen-name.  It can be a made-up word.

Examples: Star Sapphire, P.L. Eazy, Stern Pilot, Fearless Rogers.

CONCLUSION

Writing a bestseller book can be something you do for your future.  You can work away at it in your spare time, in your secret writer's hideaway.  When you publish your bestseller you can reap the financial rewards from this effort.  If you think reading a bestseller book is a wonderful experience, try writing one.   It is a thousand times more exciting.  Even if you decide not to publish your book, there is still a tremendous satisfaction in just writing one!

The above tips are excerpts from the ebook "How To Write An Amazing Bestseller" by M.P. Hummingbird.
http://humming.biz.gq.nu/ebook1.html

Copyright © 2002 M.P. Hummingbird. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author:
M.P. Hummingbird: Author. Researcher.  Designer.
http://humming.biz.gq.nu/home.html
Email Polly at: mailto:polly@humming.biz.gq.nu
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