I attended a writing seminar
yesterday.
There was a side discussion
on books that make the big bestseller lists.
There are a core group of
what industry folks call
‘experienced readers.’
These readers read A LOT.
They are the bread and butter
of any career author.
They buy books every week.
But in order to land
on the major bestseller lists,
capturing the experienced reader
is not enough.
A book has to also appeal
to the less experienced
(i.e. they read less than 5 books a year)
and typically male reader.
To do that requires an easier to read,
simpler, faster paced,
plot driven story.
And often a male author
or… an author using initials rather than names
to sound male
(J.K. Rowling, J.D. Robb, etc.)