Never Heard of Ya (or Love for the Little Guys)

Tip of the Day: Sick of the presidential debates? Good news for you: They are done! Don't forget to vote in less than two weeks!

After reading Megg's post on how to be a bestseller last week, I thought about all those amazing books that are not bestsellers, probably never will be, but are fabulouso nonetheless and should have a fair shot at fandom.

Since when I do publish my novels, I most likely will not fall into the "1%" of bestsellers, I thought I'd highlight five "lesser knowns" here that I loved, in no particular order:

NOTES FROM AN ACCIDENTAL BAND GEEK by Erin Dionne. Freshman Elsie Wyatt wants to be a Boston Symphony Orchestra French Hornist like her father, but when she misses auditions for a junior orchestra and instead must join the marching band in order to fulfill an ensemble band credit for a prestigious music school, Elsie is out of her league...or has she found a new love? This lower YA took me back to my marching band days in all of its pain and glory. I loved Elsie and watching her overcome her challenges and learn new things. This funny novel is a nice light realistic read with heart. (Puffin, 2011)

FLYING THE DRAGON by Natalie Dias Lorenzi. Hiroshi, his parents, and his kite-making grandfather move from Japan to Virginia when Grandfather gets sick; Hiroshi's cousin Skye lives there and she takes to Grandfather, whom she just met, and his kites as well; but Grandfather gets sicker and the cousins must work together to keep his kites flying. This sweet, beautiful MG novel grew on me more and more with each chapter I read. It is a lovely tale of families and cultures coming together, and how we are all more similar than different. (Charlesbridge, 2012)

D IS FOR DRAMA by Jo Whittemore. Eighth-grader Sunny is sure she'll be cast in a lead of her Arts Academy's musical production of Mary Pops In, but when she's passed over again -- this time because "an Asian Mary Poppins isn't believable" -- Sunny decides to star in a production of her own that soon includes the other overlooked actors, singers, and dancers in her school. Sunny is quippy and funny and I love how she finds solutions to her problems with the help of her friends and family. An adorable tween novel. (Aladdin Mix, 2012)

GUY LANGMAN, CRIME SCENE PROCRASTINATOR by Josh Berk. Convinced by his best friend to join the Forensics Club at school, Guy realizes the real-life applications he learns there may help him learn the truth about his deceased father's past, who broke into his house, and who killed a kid on a fake crime scene scavenger hunt. Guy is hilarious, and JB really nails the voice of a 16yo teen boy. I skimmed over some of the extended banter/jokes between the characters, but overall I laughed out loud and enjoyed the outcome of this pseudo-mystery. (Knopf, 2012)

SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller. Nineteen-year-old Travis is home on leave after his first year as a Marine in Afghanistan and he feels like he no longer fits in with his nightmares about his best friend who was killed in action and other terrors, but when he runs into a girl he knew in middle school, he wants to fight his demons and find a new normal. The banter between the guy characters was realistic and funny, and the voice reminded me of Jennifer Hubbard's novels which I love. I would've liked to see a bit more of the relationships between Travis and his bro and father, but overall this is a nice upper YA about PTSD with a side of romance and family. (Bloomsbury, 2012)

What under the radar books should I add to my TBR list?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

How to Sell a Billion Books and Be Queen of the World

Tip of the Day: Tired of political ads? Me too. DVR everything from now through the election and fast-forward through the commercials.

Maybe I'm crazy (which is likely), but I've decided that magic is the deciding factor in best-selling books. Yes, there are marketing techniques that can help and yes, your book better be good, but seriously, look at the bestsellers. What makes them better than you?

Typos Clearly Will Kill a Book's Success

I've seen ebook bestsellers (and, no, I'm not naming names because that's rude) that are riddled with typos. Some are so bad, I wanted to throw my precious iPad against the wall. Some indie authors clearly don't know the difference between your and you're, and they're, there, and their, much less where to place a comma or even a period. Yet sometimes those books hit BIG.

They Appeal to a Wide Audience

Where did the 50 Shades audience come from? Seriously? Where? I know there are a gajillion people who read erotica, but I've seen a lot of them bemoan 50 Shades. I was at my local park district, hanging out while my son was at his gymnastics lessons, and some gnarly old lady was sitting on the couch next to me, reading 50 Shades. Her lips were moving along. I couldn't help but wondering if she was mouthing 'ball cock.' Gross.

The Book is High Concept

How are vampiers in love considered high concept? People acted like they'd never heard of sexy vampires before Twilight came out. Am I the only one who watched The Lost Boys? Could Jason Patric and Jamie Gertz have been any hotter?

I could go on and on, but I'm sick (again, or still, depending on who you ask), so I don't wanna. I'm going to sum up.

You cannot predict a book's success. You could write the most beautiful book in the world and it might languish like a pile of overlooked dog poo in the backyard. No one noticed it, so no one cares. All you can do is continue to write what you love. Publish the books that mean something to you. If your only goal in writing is to be the most famous author in the universe, then you're clearly on the wrong path. Very few authors become mega-famous. It's the luck of the draw.

Let's go back to Twilight for a sec. I'm the first one to admit I loooooved this series. I plowed through the first three books in one week. I am also the first to admit that I threw Breaking Dawn against the wall when I finished it (hardcover, yes, but at least it wasn't my iPad). The ending drove me mad. Soooo glad they're supposedly changing the ending of the movie. ;) But there was something about the books, despite Bella's neediness, and Edward's stalker behavior, and Jacob's love for Renesmee. There are more things I despise about the books than I like. Yet, I Could. Not. Put. Them. Down.

Explain that to me. And when you do, surely we will have discovered the key to selling a billion books and becoming Queen of the World.

So to the 20-or-so people who email, FB, tweet me every week, asking what my secret is, I'm telling you right now that I don't know the secret. If I did, my name would be on the NY Times bestseller list. But I'd bet that even if you asked those authors, they don't know either. They're holding their breath, hoping it doesn't magically dry up. Because, yes, the magic goes both ways. It can propel you and it can tear you down.

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber