Infographic: The Waterstones Best-Seller Formula
Do you know how there's a formula for choosing the title of your great American novel?
Now there's a similar formula for how to write a best-seller. Waterstones has crunched the numbers on the ten best-selling titles for each of the past ten years, and they say they've identified all the characteristics of a best-selling novel.
They found that 68% of best-sellers were either thrillers or contemporary novels, and that the authors had won an average of four awards and had previously written 13 books. The book should have a male lead (55% of the best-sellers did), be part of a series, (41%), and be set in the US (45%).
And be sure not to verb your title; that's the kiss of death.
In conclusion, any author who wants to pen a best-seller should read the following infographic and follow its instructions to the letter. Because remember, formulaic homogeneity is the key to financial security.
Tough guy loner protagonist, preferably ex-military with PTSD and a physical injury that “humanizes” him, car chases and shootouts galore, and a ticking clock to some “unspeakable horror”.
Bonus points if the villain is a decadent billionaire with “perverse” sexual preferences.
Nothing new there. Formula goes way back to Bond and earlier.
It even has been spoofed left and right.
Note that female characters are optional, though useful if played as sex toys, trophies, or victims. Preferably all three.