Fiction Scribe

How to write a fiction or non-fiction story about a book, a news item, or a how-to subject without having the editor send you a rejection letter with a message like “your work is both good and original. But, the parts that are good are not original and the parts that are original are not good.” This is what the legendary Samuel Johnson wrote to an author who had submitted his book for editorial review.

The first doctrine that any author should hold dear is to be himself or herself. Never try to be a carbon copy of some successful, best selling author. If you can’t find a niche in the writing world by being “you”, you have another hidden talent that you need to discover

Second, look at what 99% of the public reads. Gossip, hard luck stories, good Samaritan stories, soap operas, romance, horror stories, domestic love and violence stories, bravery stories, and anything that a) stirs an emotion, happy or sad; b) turns on a light in the brain with an “aha, I didn’t know this” and 3) knowing it will give better health, greater wealth, solve a curable problem like obesity, help lighten a load of worry, or just give support and comfort. It is human to human remote control contact and words that say “I understand your pain”, “I share your pain”, “I care about you even if I don’t know you, but I have been there too.” This creates that invisible bond between author and reader that for time immemorial has been unbreakable not only for years but centuries and millenniums.

Let us talk about just one example. You have written a diet and health book. Well, friends, there are already 30 million books, diets, pills and now how do you get the 200 million Americans from all walks of life to even listen to you, let alone buy your book? First, do your due diligence. Then, shout your story from sea to shining sea. You must shout louder and louder until you are heard. Guess what, it is not the super-educated who succeed, it is the persistent people who succeed. Persistence is and always will be the secret key to communicating with the masses. There is no secret known to mortal man that lets one author become the toast of the town, another author invisible other than persistence.

Bottom line is if you believe in the book you have written, if it has a message that will help alleviate pain, suffering, pangs of hunger, cravings attacks, obesity associated 32 debilitating diseases, loss of 20 years of life span, don’t ever stop. No great landmark in the history of Mankind was built in a day, a week or a few months and even a few years. New ideas take a much longer time to be appreciated because they often intrude into people zone.

Here’s another good story. An author submitted a book with a never before known idea for weight loss. The editor wrote back “Your book is serious, we are looking for trash”. He wrote to this author, “Give me a weight loss idea where we can eat all we want to and lose the weight while we are sleeping.” Well, we would have to reinvent the human anatomy and biological system to achieve such a miracle.

And, believe it or not, just yesterday, we received a copy of Bottom Line Books in which they claim that “498 world-acclaimed traditional and alternative doctors” have just such a scheme to lose weight. This book allegedly cures every known disease that afflicts the human race if you just buy this “treasury of health secrets”. Our advice to readers of this guest post is straight and simple. Please don’t do this to your fellow man. Yes, life is not fair, but we don’t need to participate in this rip-off.

For us, we would, if we could, dry the tears from every eye and put a smile on every face. This is our mission up to the last second of our life on this planet.

Thank you and good luck.