Are You Doing This To Your Readers??

Did you know that in 2022, between 2.8 million and 3.3 million books were traditionally-released or self-published in the US? 

That’s a lot of choices when it comes to reading!

Fiction books account for over over half of the books published each year in the US.

For our mathematically-challenged friends, that amounts to between 1.4 million and 1.65 million new books. Every. Year.

If you’re a fiction writer, you might be wondering, How on earth is my book going to get noticed?

With so many options, readers have less patience for mistakes. If your book isn’t satisfying, you better believe people will be dropping it for another.

Happy readers refer their favorite novels to their friends. That applies to nonfiction books as well.

Today we're going to look at the three biggest mistakes fiction writers make. Even if you're predominantly a nonfiction writer, I'm sure you'll pick up some helpful tips.

And at the very end, I'll tell you about a cool promotion we do for fiction and nonfiction books.

Today’s PWR is all about what not to do. If you want your novel to sell, you’ll need to avoid making these three big mistakes.

Welcome to the Power Writers Report, our weekly update, packed full of powerful writing tips, productivity tools, platform-building strategies, author best practices, resources, and free stuff. 

If you find this useful, forward it to a friend.

Click here to subscribe to the weekly Power Writers Report.

Click here to schedule an author strategy session with me.

Please Don't Make These Mistakes

Of course, you’re going to make mistakes if you're new to fiction writing. But part of honing your craft is learning from the mistakes of others. 

Here are three of the biggest mistakes fiction writers make:

Fiction Mistake #1: Not doing enough research

You must do your homework as a writer. Not only do you need to research people, places, and things in your book, you also need to research your genre.

Certain conventions based on the type of book you’re writing, make for a positive reading experience. If you stray from the norms, make sure it’s purposeful. If you bend the rules too much, it will push readers away from your book.

For example, if you switch between different points of view within a single scene or chapter without clear transitions or narrative purpose, it can confuse readers and drive them away from your book. 

Or, if you're a historical fiction writer and you've researched your genre, you know that one of the conventions of that genre is that it blends true historical facts with fictional elements. Striking a balance between historical accuracy and compelling storytelling is key to providing an engaging reading experience.

Mistake #2: Not fully developing your characters

Your characters need to be believable, human, and dynamic. That means they need to change by the end of your book. They need to learn something, and it’s your job to show that. 

I'm purposefully using the word "need" here. It's that important.

At least one of your characters needs to grow.

When I was a teenager, I watched a television movie about the life of Patty Duke. She was one of the most popular actresses of the 1960s and 70s. She also struggled with bi-polar disorder. The TV movie showed the dark side of her struggle, and then at the end, when she discovers that she can treat her mental illness with medication, suddenly her life is good. I felt ripped off.

You need to show struggle, interspersed with a little growth, then more struggle, then a little more growth. No one experiences a life transformation all at once.

Not even in real life.

Increase the stakes by making life get worse and worse as your book goes on. Basically, it needs to get so bad that your characters can’t resist trying something new or taking a stand.

Present your characters with difficult choices. Fully developed characters make choices and suffer the consequences of their actions. They’re human, and that means they make mistakes, but they don’t stay the same over time.

Mistake #3: Stretching the reader’s suspension of disbelief 

What I love about writing fiction is that you get to make stuff up. Just make sure you don’t push your readers beyond the point of believability.

Your book needs to be logical. Characters need to make decisions in line with their personalities and within basic human abilities. 

Too many fiction writers make the mistake of thinking they’re exempt from certain rules of writing—and they’re not. If you introduce a challenge, there must be a payoff. If something major happens to a character, it needs to affect them in a realistic way. 

Even though you’re writing fiction, it needs to mimic reality. Leave jumping the shark to movies like Sharknado and stick to writing what you know.

Next week I'll give you three more mistakes.

Now, About Promoting Your Novel

I want to come back to the common lament of every beginning novelist: How on earth is my book going to get noticed?

Over the years, I've developed a strategy that can get your novel into the hands of 2,000-3,000 readers. 

You read that right.

If readers like your book...BOOM!!

I love promoting novels--and I love happy authors. 

To learn more, schedule a meeting with me today by clicking here. 

Let’s bring your book to life!