What if an algorithm could predict which manuscripts would become mega-bestsellers? Girl on the Train. Fifty Shades. The Goldfinch. Why do some books capture the whole world's attention? What secret DNA do they share? In The Bestseller Code, Archer and Jockers boldly claim that blockbuster hits are highly predictable, and they have created the algorithm to prove it. Using cutting-edge text mining techniques, they have developed a model that analyses theme, plot, style and character to explain why some books resonate more than others with readers. Provocative, entertaining, and ground-breaking, The Bestseller Code explores the hidden patterns at work in the biggest hits and, more importantly, the real reasons we love to read.
There's no better writing than what writers write about writing. Each author's perspective, each honest quip, and each unique truth offers insight into the process of self-expression. Curated here in a thoughtful collection, The Truth About Writing brings fresh attention to favorite writers, their thoughts, and their passions. Elevated with a fresh design, a foil-stamped cover, and colorful edge staining, this book of quotes is the perfect gift for novice and professional writers, avid readers, or anyone who loves the written word. Filled with wisdom from some of writing's best and brightest, including old favorites such as J. D. Salinger, Jack Kerouac, Sylvia Plath, and Ray Bradbury, and more contemporary figures such as Roxane Gay, Toni Morrison, Stephen King, and Cheryl Strayed, this book contains more than 380 quotations; many are contradictory, but all are true. Also in this series: The Truth About Love
A shooting lays bare the secrets harboured by five families in a sleepy suburban cul-de-sac in this riveting psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of All the Wrong Places. Someone in a quiet, unassuming cul-de-sac was shot dead in the middle of the night. Was it Maggie, the perfectionist wife, or Craig, the husband who can't quite live up to her expectations? When Maggie witnessed a shooting and later testified against a killer set free, the couple relocated, putting new pressure on their already strained union. Maggie is constantly looking over her shoulder. She owns a gun, just in case. Was it Nick, a doctor whose family, especially his wife, Dani, must bear the brunt of his ill temper? Nick is an avid hunter, too, and keeps a collection of handguns. Or was it Julia, a recently widowed grandmother? Her grandson is a troublemaker, someone not above stealing from her purse. His friends are equally unsavory. Her son buys her a gun for her protection. And then there's Olivia and her husband, Vic, who has been laid off, forcing Olivia to become the breadwinner. Vic is resentful. And depressed. He's started drinking heavily, and has threatened to shoot himself on several occasions. Or it could be one of the newlyweds, Aiden and Heidi, who are already on the rocks. Aiden refuses to stand up to his intrusive mother. When Heidi befriends Julia's grandson, it sets the stage for a major blow-up. Every house owns a gun. And anyone can be the victim, or the killer.
An anthology Malcolm Gladwell has called "riveting and indispensable," The Best Business Writing is a far-ranging survey of business's dynamic relationship with politics, culture, and life. This year's selections include John Markoff (New York Times) on innovations in robot technology and the decline of the factory worker; Evgeny Morozov (New Republic) on the questionable value of the popular TED conference series and the idea industry behind it; Paul Kiel (ProPublica) on the ripple effects of the ongoing foreclosure crisis; and the infamous op-ed by Greg Smith, published in the New York Times, announcing his break with Goldman Sachs over its trading practices and corrupt corporate ethos. Jessica Pressler (New York) delves into the personal and professional rivalry between Tory and Christopher Burch, former spouses now competing to dominate the fashion world. Peter Whoriskey (Washington Post) exposes the human cost of promoting pharmaceuticals off-label. Charles Duhigg and David Barboza (New York Times) investigate Apple's unethical labor practices in China. Max Abelson (Bloomberg) reports on Wall Street's amusing reaction to the diminishing annual bonus. Mina Kimes (Fortune) recounts the grisly story of a company's illegal testing—and misuse—of a medical device for profit, and Jeff Tietz (Rolling Stone) composes one of the most poignant and comprehensive portraits of the financial crisis's dissolution of the American middle class.
We’re an “instant gratification” generation—but most change happens gradually. Many of us spend our lives searching and longing for something more than what is in front of us. Whether it’s traveling abroad or chasing cheap (or expensive) thrills, we’re all looking for the medicine to satisfy our restlessness. And so often we're looking in the wrong place. The In-Between is a call to accept the importance that waiting plays in our lives. Can we embrace the extraordinary nature of the ordinary and enjoy the daily mundane—what lies in between the “major” moments? Learning to live in this tension, to be content in these moments of waiting, may be our greatest struggle—and our greatest opportunity to grow.
A collection of essays from today’s most acclaimed authors—from Cheryl Strayed to Roxane Gay to Jennifer Weiner, Alexander Chee, Nick Hornby, and Jonathan Franzen—on the realities of making a living in the writing world. In the literary world, the debate around writing and commerce often begs us to take sides: either writers should be paid for everything they do or writers should just pay their dues and count themselves lucky to be published. You should never quit your day job, but your ultimate goal should be to quit your day job. It’s an endless, confusing, and often controversial conversation that, despite our bare-it-all culture, still remains taboo. In Scratch, Manjula Martin has gathered interviews and essays from established and rising authors to confront the age-old question: how do creative people make money? As contributors including Jonathan Franzen, Cheryl Strayed, Roxane Gay, Nick Hornby, Susan Orlean, Alexander Chee, Daniel Jose Older, Jennifer Weiner, and Yiyun Li candidly and emotionally discuss money, MFA programs, teaching fellowships, finally getting published, and what success really means to them, Scratch honestly addresses the tensions between writing and money, work and life, literature and commerce. The result is an entertaining and inspiring book that helps readers and writers understand what it’s really like to make art in a world that runs on money—and why it matters. Essential reading for aspiring and experienced writers, and for anyone interested in the future of literature, Scratch is the perfect bookshelf companion to On Writing, Never Can Say Goodbye, and MFA vs. NYC.
Join seven-figure author Elana Johnson as she outlines two of the most important things all self-publishers grapple with: 1. How to write the next bestseller, and 2. How to launch the next bestseller. And bonus - there will be ideas for how to market that new release when it's no longer shiny and fresh. Every book an author releases has untold earning potential, but we all want to write the most marketable book possible and then launch it well from the beginning. Come learn how to decide what to write that will appeal to readers, including how to drive them to the next book, and then how to launch each book in a way that makes the most sense for your pocketbook, your series, and your sanity. Writing and launching your next bestseller is only a few steps from where you are right now!
How would you like to become the next John Gray or Mark Victor Hansen? The enormously successful authors of the bestselling "Mars and Venus and "Chicken Soup for the Soul books weren't always so famous or prosperous. Just like you, they once only "dreamed of making it to the top. How they--and 58 other bestselling writers--made it big is revealed inside, along with the tips you'll need to make it onto the bestseller lists. You'll learn the secrets to: - Turning a good idea into a bestselling book - Writing book proposals that will reel in the big advances - Finding--and keeping--the right agent - Discovering the best promotional possibilities for you and your book - And much, much more! "People always ask me for advice on how to get their books published successfully. Now I can refer them to "You Can Make It Big Writing Books--one of the best reference books on this subject."--Nelson Demille, author of "The General's Daughter "Don't even think about writing a book until you read this. Jeff Herman tells it like it is in today's publishing world."--Arielle Ford, publicist and author "Conveys what it takes to become a bestselling author: the discipline, the perseverance, the knowledge, and the passion."--John Gray, author of "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus About the Author Jeff Herman is the owner of the Jeff Herman Literary Agency, one of New York's leading agencies for writers. He frequently speaks to writer's groups and conferences on the topic of getting published and can be reached at /www.jeffherman.com
Unlock your creativity. An inspiring guide to creativity in the digital age, Steal Like an Artist presents ten transformative principles that will help readers discover their artistic side and build a more creative life. Nothing is original, so embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, remix and reimagine to discover your own path. Follow interests wherever they take you—what feels like a hobby may turn into you life’s work. Forget the old cliché about writing what you know: Instead, write the book you want to read, make the movie you want to watch. And finally, stay Smart, stay out of debt, and risk being boring in the everyday world so that you have the space to be wild and daring in your imagination and your work. “Brilliant and real and true.”—Rosanne Cash
Albert Zuckerman, legendary literary agent, has worked with many bestselling authors, including Ken Follett, Olivia Goldsmith, Antoinette Van Heugten, Michael Lewis, and F. Paul Wilson. Zuckerman is a master at teaching writers the skills necessary to crack the bestseller list. For this revised edition of Writing the Blockbuster Novel, Zuckerman has added an analysis of Nora Roberts's The Witness, which he uses along with classic books like Gone With the Wind and The Godfather, to illustrate his points. Zuckerman's commentary on Ken Follett's working outlines for The Man From St. Petersburg provide a blueprint for building links between plot and character. A new introduction discusses social media and self-publishing. Writing the Blockbuster Novel is an essential tool for any aspiring author. As Dan Brown said in an interview: "Not long ago, I had an amusing experience meeting the author of a book I received as a gift nearly two decades ago a book that in many ways changed my life. I was halfway through writing my first novel when I was given a copy of Writing the Blockbuster Novel. [Zuckerman's] book helped me complete my manuscript and get it published. [When] I met Mr. Zuckerman for the first time. I gratefully told him that he had helped me. He jokingly replied that he planned to tell everyone that he had helped me write The Da Vinci Code." At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
