Archive for the ‘fiction’ tag
Writing a Bestseller With Math
Do you have the next bestselling novel hidden under your bed? Probably not, but what if there was a magic formula that could take that manuscript and tell you how likely it was to succeed and how to change it to give yourself the best shot?
In a recent survey, F.S. Publishing discovered that word complexity had a huge impact on the way a novel was received and exactly how surely it sold. By just gathering figures for the text structure of over 700 novels and analyzing sales rank and booklover reception, F.S. Publishing was able to calculate how alterations to text structure affected chances of becoming successful.
It makes sense: a huge part of the book market is in guilty-pleasure paperback readers. Writers like James Patterson and John Grisham routinely debut on the bestseller list because their novels are fun and fast-paced. Although we all may aspire to literary greatness, it seems for many authors overloading their fiction with two dollar words could be the death of their careers.
What is the perfect word difficulty range and just how could you attain it? Make use of either a solution like thebestsellercode.com or Microsoft’s Text Stats functions to examine your word difficulty percentage. The ideal range is between 6% – 7% so make an effort to keep it there. Some programs may even allow you to break out sections of your manuscript and identify areas where your word choice is throwing the average off.
For writers working on Young Adult novels, trying to stick to an even lower complexity level of 5%. Young Adult novels have huge adult followings as well, so remember simple doesn’t mean dumb!
Double check sentence size as well. While there’s no evidence that shorter sentences will lead to more fans and better selling books, they are easier to read and keep the pacing of your fiction moving. The page-turning appeal of a bestseller comes from a sense of urgency both in the plot and how the plot is communicated. Try to keep sentences short and concise.
Looking to find out your word complexity and write a bestseller, then visit www.thebestsellercode.com to find the best advice on improving your writing.
