Newbie Author's Guide

Helping new and aspiring authors navigate the publishing wilderness

Infographic: Anatomy of A Best Selling Book by The Expert Editor

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I would like to welcome Expert Editor to NAG today. They wanted to share an awesome infographic and some thoughts about what seems to be the anatomy of many bestsellers even though it is nearly impossible to do! Anyway, enjoy!

Anyone brave enough to write a book hopes that it goes on to become a bestseller. But what does a book need to have to achieve this?

While there is no magic formula, the folks over at The Expert Editor have crunched the numbers and created an infographic on all the common factors shared best selling books.

You may be surprised to know that the average length of a bestseller is 375 pages and books with a female protagonist are more likely to be successful. Also, while romance books are clearly the most popular genre today in terms of total sales, more people have read a crime/thriller book over the last year than any other genre.

These are just a few of the fascinating insights to be gleaned from the infographic below.

Anatomy of a Best Selling Book

#Infographic: 50 of the World’s Most Translated Books

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I would like to welcome Stephen from 7Brands to NAG today. He is here to share an infographic and some brief information about 50 of the world’s most translated books. Hope you Enjoy!

An infographic released by the translation company 7Brands to celebrate World Book Day has shed light on 50 of the World’s Most Translated Books. Other than being a genius and writing a classic work of fiction such as Don Quixote, does the list provide any clues about how to make your book more appealing to translators and foreign audiences?

The good news is all types of books make the list. Commercially successful but critically mauled books like The Da Vinci Code and the Twilight Series sit happily along Nobel prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 100 Years of Solitude, while every age is catered for from The Hungry Caterpillar to Catcher in the Rye and Gone With The Wind.

With that said there are trends: a look down the list shows that many of the most translated books provide moral lessons – Pinocchio, Andersen’s Fairy Tales, The Alchemist, To Kill A Mockingbird and Charlotte’s Web are all didactic. The significant thing about these books are the lessons they teach are just as relevant for readers in Australia as they are in Argentina.

But books don’t always need universal themes to make them accessible to a wide audience. People are more adventurous than ever and want to discover more about cultures and places that are alien and little known to them. This is why books like Wolf Totem which takes a close look at the culture of Mongolian nomads and Han Chinese farmers have fared so well outside their country of origin.

This just goes to prove that you don’t need to write a certain way or about a certain thing for it to be of interest to people around the world – write something you love and feel passionate about, because passion is something that doesn’t get lost in translation.

50 Most Translated Books

Guest Post and Infographic: Social Media Etiquette by Russel Cooke

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I would like to welcome Russel Cooke to NAG today. He is here to share a guest post and an infographic about social media etiquette. I have had somethings along these lines going on in my head for a time and this will also give my colleague Rachel Thompson a break too. Anyway– Enjoy!

Minding your manners is just as important as your mother always told you. When it comes to the world of online interaction, etiquette still counts – just maybe not quite in the same way that you were told as a child.

Respecting the Basics

It’s important to respect that interactions via social media occur at a remove from typical face-to-face or even voice-to-voice interaction. Because of this aspect of social media, abide by a basic framework of rules with your online communication.

Ever had a conversation via text go awry when one or both people involved got confused by what was said? The same thing can happen on social media. Make your intentions clear by using the proper netiquette.

Be natural, polite and prompt. Don’t inundate your social media interactions with emoticons, CAPS,  improper grammar, or robotic language. Rather, mind your tone – and your manners! – on social media and treat each message or post as you would a conversation with a friend.

Be Appropriate

Just as you wouldn’t want to talk to your friends in a movie theatre, you don’t want to misuse social media platforms. Be aware of the format of each of your social media outlets:

  • Facebook – Facebook is a great place to share pictures, ask questions, and comment on industry news or trends. Don’t be afraid to get social and invoke fun on your Facebook page.
  • Twitter – Due to its short form, Twitter is best for quick messages, perhaps in metered succession. Directly tweet at followers as well as thought leaders – answer questions from your clients and ask your own.
  • Instagram – Instagram is a quick and attractive way to share snapshots and tell a story. Stagger your posts so that your followers aren’t inundated with photographs solely from your profile.
  • LinkedIn – Because LinkedIn is a forum intended for business professionals, keep your communications crisp and formal.

There’s no such thing as being too polite. Check out this infographic on more ways to use netiquette on social media.
Social Media Etiquette Infographic
About the Author:

Russel Cooke is a business consultant and writer who lives in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on Twitter @RusselCooke2.