How to Write a Best-Selling Novel

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Since Romance Novels are selling, check out my romance books, California Girl Chronicles by Michelle Gamble-Risley available on Amazon as eBook and print.

I just read that came out of HARO/Vocus, which is a public relations database tool. Want to know the "anatomy of a best seller"? Guess what they said recent publishing studies revealed?
 
Romance is the no. #1 genre. I guess romance is back and hot again. For a while romance was dwindling. Usually when times are tough, romance novels become escapist entertainment. Maybe something is in the air right now that have readers turning more toward romantic adventures. Perhaps recent terror attacks and the like have made general readers not want to explore too much reality.
 
The most successful novels are 375 pages. Funny they revealed this number because just yesterday my mom, who is a voracious reader, told me she prefers books at least 350 pages. She said it made her feel like she got her money's worth. Hmm... I guess her opinion is reflected by mainstream readers' feelings too.
 
Female lawyers or detectives are the most popular protagonists. Okay, so I realize girl power has been in for a while. I know my preteen daughter has a tremendous attraction to powerful girl characters. So, it seems the majority of readers (BTW, most readers are women) want to see the women in the power roles. Good to know.
 
The median author advance (when doing traditional publishing) is $10,000. Well, that ought to put to rest the arrogant young woman who attended my writers' group and insisted that $100,000 advances were being given out like business cards. What is true and more common is no advance at all unless you have a strong business case and following to back up your success. I frequently remind authors to always remember one thing:

Publishing is a business, and as a business the bottom line is to make money.
 
There you go - the anatomy of today's best-seller.

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