Write A Book
I read sometimes about people who have sold their debut novel and been given a huge advance to write another one. Just when I'm fuming with jealousy, I hear that they sold the film rights for squillions of dollars! The most annoying thing is when a celebrity is commissioned to write a book, only to hire an anonymous ghostwriter. Sports personalities seem to do that a lot. They take all the credit and most of the money. English soccer star David Beckham even won a literary award for his so called effort at an autobiography.
The lucky writers are the ones that have a publisher really pushing them. A new writer needs tons of publicity after they write a book. Sometimes, the public is manipulated a little into buying a book. I have seen book covers with scantily clad ladies that I know has very little relevance to the plot.
So what are the books that sell well? Non-fiction subjects such as cookery, travel, home improvement and gardening are always in demand. Unfortunately, I don't feel equipped to write a book on any of those themes. I could try my hand at fiction but that seems a harder market to crack. The crime and thriller genre does well but I don't think I could come up with a clever, intricate plot. I'm more into novels about the human condition, which explore relationships and modern society. For a publisher to go with something like that from an unknown writer, it would have to be very, very good.
Sometimes, a great novel will come along that's critically acclaimed and a best seller. This just proves to me that the general public is underestimated and there is a demand for thoughtful stories. Publishers, like TV networks and film producers should stop dumbing down.
