April 20, 2006
I had a conversation with a writer friend a few months ago. He had self-published a couple novels and had asked another writer friend of mine to read one of them and asked for his opinion. The opinion he received was that he told a pretty good story, but he had some technical issues he should address.

I've read one of his books myself and there were also grammar and spelling issues and general clunky writing issues, but the issues that specifically came up were things like:

--shifting point of view

--passive voice

--shifting voice, as in sometimes using 3rd person, then having a different pov character in the 1st person

--too much tell, not enough show

All pretty much basic issues that professional writers need to work on, and beginning writers almost always use.

My friend, talking about using 3rd person sometimes and 1st person, mentioned that Harlan Coben used it in his last book.

Last several, I said, and sometimes ineffectively, but you really can't take a bestseller's technique and say, "See, it's being done by him! I can do it!"

"Why?" he asked.

"Because publishers will publish them anyway. They sell a million or more copies."

I don't think he agreed with me, but he's off running a new business and I doubt he'll get to writing another novel any time soon, although you never know.

I have two thoughts--okay, maybe more, maybe this is more like 2 schools of thought--on reading bestsellers and reading first novels.

Somewhere yesterday somewhere I read where Joe Konrath mentioned you should read first novels recently published to see what publishers are buying as first novels these days. I agree completely. I also think that prior to reviewing novels, I didn't read many first novels, and I often purposely grab a first novel when it comes along now to review, just so I can read it. Sometimes I wish I didn't, but there you go.

I also think it's worth your time to read bestsellers so you know what the majority of people are reading. Haven't read The Da Vinci Code? For better or for worse, Dan Brown struck a chord.

Janet Evanovich? What's she doing that makes people line up for 10 hours to make it to her book signings. (That one might be easy, and the word is FUN.)

James Patterson? Hey, the way he's peddling his name and not writing his own books these days is grist for a dozen blog entries, but I read Patterson's early novels, and thought they were great, although "Pop Goes the Weasel" ended any continued reading of his books for me. What's Patterson doing--aside from marketing--that's so successful?

Stephen King? Patricia Cornwall (of the phoning-it-in school of novel publishing)?

There are a lot of bestsellers I really like. And many I don't. But the fact is, for some reason their books appeal to a very broad range of people, and if you can tap into that a little bit, it might (maybe) help you get published. Maybe.

At the very least it'll give you a sense of what's being published at all levels.

But I'd take a look at small presses and first novels, too.

Best,
Mark Terry