When you do this work for as long as I’ve been doing it, you learn a lot about what makes a book salable. It’s all about telling a good story.
Because of everything I learned, I started auctioning critiques of partial manuscripts for charity once a month. I found this surprisingly rewarding to do.
The craft of writing is not easy, but every single story needs the same elements:
1. What is the plot? This is the number one mistake that people make. They don’t understand what a plot is. It’s harder than you think, but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier.
2. Are the characters both vulnerable and resourceful? If they are not, they will be dull.
3. Where are we? A story with a strong setting is so much better than a story that takes place in a vacuum.
4. Pacing is everything. You can write about watching paint dry if you have good pacing. This comes naturally to some people, but it can also be learned. The trick is to never be boring.
That’s about it. I review manuscripts with these things in mind. Some people have great writing, but no real story. Others have a great story, but the writing is faulty. Sometimes there are wonderful characters who jump off the page. Other times the characters are forgettable.
You can’t get away with having some but not all of these elements. We need the whole package.
The auctions are fun to watch, especially on the last day or even the last few minutes. If you’ve ever participated in an auction on eBay, you know what it’s like. People often wait until the last few seconds so as not to be outbid. It can get quite exciting to see something jump from $1500 to $4000 in the space of 15 seconds. Sometimes they go for a relatively small amount. Other times they run into five figures. But the important thing is to show up. You can’t know until you put your toe in the water.
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