Bestselling Authors
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 27th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
These folks are usually good at two things: writing a great story and promoting their book. However, when it comes to offering advice to writers on how to become a best-selling author, I have to draw the line. This line does not include teaching a writer how to improve their writing skills, but is drawn in the areas of proclaiming that anyone can write a best-seller and they will teach you how for $X amount of money! Here are my reasons: these people seldom sit in on meetings where marketing plans are developed. They follow the direction of their publisher, go where they are told and perform in front of crowds a publisher has arranged and promoted.
There is currently a seminar being offered by some big name authors for a lot of money and they make some promises that border on the ridiculous. You cannot promise an audience that you can teach them how to write a best seller. If they could they would form their own publishing company and follow their own advice and make a gazillion dollars. You see, they are making their money by holding seminars and telling their audience what it takes to write a best seller. Similar to these real estate gurus telling everyone they can become instant millionaries buying and selling property.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m certain some of the information is good, however, the bottom line in all of this is that publishers still have to be willing to buy your manuscript, spend big bucks promoting you and your book, and hoping the market buys what you are selling. If you think these folks have the keys to success then you would be wrong. No one knows why certain books sell and there are no guarantees in publishing.This group of authors is selling the sizzle without the steak. It boils down to the product, how good it is, and how much money you want to spend? After that, there are still no guarantees!
This web site and everything I do is about information, credible, reliable, honest information that any writer can take and use to evaluate and make decisions about their book and future as a writer and author. I have no axe to grind and I don’t mind bestselling authors making millions by teaching a seminar but I think my readers need to understand the reality of the market. These people cannot tell you how to become a bestselling author, I’m sorry, it won’t happen!
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