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How to Write Best Selling Fiction
 
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How to Write Best Selling Fiction (Hardcover)

~ Dean R. Koontz (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)


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  Hardcover, August 31, 1981 -- -- $38.50

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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 309 pages
  • Publisher: Writers Digest Books; 1st edition (September 1981)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 089879045X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0898790450
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #178,963 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Dean Koontz
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Dean Koontz Page


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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars PACKED WITH USEFUL INFORMATION, June 19, 2000
By "justicewriter" (READ MY NOVEL) - See all my reviews
I like the premise that Koontz starts with here: that your goal as a writer should be to have as many people as possible read your book. That is my goal as a writer, and I found the book incredibly helpful and insightful. Obviously, Koontz knows what he's talking about, with millions of books in print.

This is a very practical guide: long on examples and practical lists and short on voodoo and magic. Koontz breaks writing down into understandable pieces, whereas some writing books I've read spend far too much time on touchy-feely things that are hard to understand or emulate.

There is much practical advice here, not only in the writing of best-sellers, but also in the business of books, dealing with contracts and agents, etc. There's even a reading list of books and authors that will inspire the aspiring novelist.

My one complaint is that, even in the 20 years since this was written, the publishing industry has changed dramatically. I would LOVE to see Koontz update this tome with a 21st century edition, addressing some of the changes he's seen in the course of his career. I'd also like to see an updated reading list...I wonder which authors Koontz would praise now?

An excellent resource for writers, even if you have to pay quite a bit for it!

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars required reading for writers, December 7, 2002
By David Group (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews
This is the Bible for anyone who wants to write good commercial fiction. His no-b.s. approach to writing is refreshing in an area filled with mediocre books. This book may be expensive and hard to find (it should be updated, or at least brought back in print), but is well worth the effort in tracking it down, as much of what he says is still valid.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book about writing, before he was famous, July 13, 1999
By A Customer
Dean Koontz, as an act of generosity, wrote a book about how to write books which is enjoyable and insightful whether you want to write books or not. Even then, he could have made a lot more money writing fiction than by writing this book, but he wanted to share some excellent and interesting ideas.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars I've changed my mind - wish I could put five stars on this book and not three.
OK, I have been changing my review of this book for a couple of times. The first time I considered it was a three stars book because I was expecting someting else. Read more
Published on August 23, 2007 by Daniel

5.0 out of 5 stars A Re-Issue of the 1974 Version
This must be a re-issue of the same book that Koontz published in 1974, in which he lays down exactly the way you write a best seller. Read more
Published on January 16, 2007 by Curmudgeon99

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book on Writing, but No Longer in Print
This is a great book on writing that was written by Dean Koontz when he was a relatively unknown 35-year old writer of paperback suspense novels. Read more
Published on October 29, 2006 by Thriller Lover

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Timeless Advice For Any Fiction Writer
Dean Koontz is a master at his storytelling craft. This book has been read and re-read as it's been on my shelf for more than 20 years. Read more
Published on July 27, 2006 by W. Terry Whalin

5.0 out of 5 stars Read and Sell
Dean Koontz gives insightful advice, not just on getting your words on paper, but also how to get published. Read more
Published on April 4, 2000 by paralegal2222

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