I spoke at a literary lunch on Monday at the Berkeley Hotel, on behalf of Nightingale, a Jewish nursing home. The gathering were extremely generous, and the charity benefited by some £60,000. This time I didn't have to do an auction, but spoke about writing and took questions. I suppose by now I should realise how many people want to write a book, or have started to write a book, and in some cases, have even finished one. But I'm afraid the facts are cruel: for every 100 books sent to a publisher, one is published; for every 100 that are published, only one reaches the top hundred in the bestsellers list, and for every one that makes it on to that list, only one reaches the top 10. I can't do the maths, but I think you'll find that for every 100,000 books published, one reaches No. 1. I suppose it's no different if you sing or play a musical instrument.
1 Comments:
Jeffrey,
Would you comment on how YOU write a book. Novel, or otherwise.
I've read Ian Flemming's advice which, very simply put (by me) is: just write/type. Press-on regardless, every day. Don't look back, never look back, don't read what you've already written - except maybe the last few words from the previous day, to "pick-up the thread". Never edit/correct/re-structure - until the "Book" is finished.
Then, I recall reading that Dirk Bogard would write/type during the day and revise/edit the day's out-put, that evening.
Clearly, each to his own. But, what works for you..?
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