The following excerpt is from 2009 INDIE Finalist, “Success, Your Path to a Successful Book,” by Maralyn D. Hill and Brenda C. Hill
The Hill Team Hints
Let your passion show in your writing. Passion may be easier to emphasize in fiction than non-fiction. $uccess is non-fiction. We hope our passion shines through. If we didn’t feel the pull, we would write something else.
Keep learning. We continue reading and attending workshops and conferences.
Read, read, and read more. Not just books about writing, but fiction and non-fiction written by others will help you become a better writer.
Notice the style of any book, cover, layout, and how you may have seen it marketed.
If you are internet shy or challenged, step outside the box and start learning. It is the way of the future. According to the BBC News in January 2008, “Books most popular online buy. More books are sold on the Internet than any other product and the number is increasing…”
Maralyn Dennis Hill, The Epicurean Explorer, is President Emeritus of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association and Executive Editor for LuxeBeatMag. She is also a member of SATW and SPJ. She contributes to numerous publications.
The majority of Maralyn’s articles are now geared to the luxury market, spas, corporate retreats, business events, and culinary tourism, from simple to gourmet.
Maralyn’s description of herself: I was born to travel and tell the tale. I’m energized by different cultures in every aspect of their lives, from food, wine, and destination, to how they conduct business. Travel represents a continual geography lesson.
Major contractions in the independent book distribution space, an explosion of artificial intelligence tools and businesses, and turmoil over freedom of expression in multiple sectors defined the book business landscape throughout the year.