Can I sell an idea for a novel?

Can I sell an idea for a novel?
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1 Answer

Answer :

No. Ideas are a dime a dozen; finished books are difficult.
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Related questions

Writers: Would you submit your novel to a contest that will edit, illustrate, publish, market and sell your book for you if you win?

Description : Writers: Would you submit your novel to a contest that will edit, illustrate, publish, market and sell your book for you if you win?

Last Answer : What’s the downside? Sure I would do it.

Is it possible to put a complex faux history or cosmology or spiritual system into a novel, or series of sci fi / fantasy novels?

Description : Is it possible to put a complex faux history or cosmology or spiritual system into a novel, or series of sci fi / fantasy novels?

Last Answer : Asimov did it with his Foundation series. Heinlein did it in some of his longer novels. And of course JK Rowling did it in all of the Harry Potter books. It’s certainly possible to do, but you have to spend an enormous amount of time on consistency and detail, or it all falls apart.

What should I call my NaNoWriMo novel?

Description : What should I call my NaNoWriMo novel?

Last Answer : I don’t understand, really. They aren’t just different titles, they are different stories altogether. What do you want us to do? Choose a title for your story or pick which plot for the contest? Edit: the OP left the building. I’m not going to know.

Writer's dilemma: Is writing a collection of short stories as good as writing a novel?

Description : Writer's dilemma: Is writing a collection of short stories as good as writing a novel?

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Is it OK if I present religion in darker tone in a novel?

Description : Is it OK if I present religion in darker tone in a novel?

Last Answer : answer:If you live in the US, you can do whatever you want in this context, and with the rise in the ability to self publish, you don't need anyone's approval. Your command of English, ... just FYI, being a theist dies not necessarily mean that one ascribes to the teachings of an organized religion.

Must a novel have chapters?

Description : Must a novel have chapters?

Last Answer : I think chapters serve as a way to give a sense of pacing and progression to the novel. Off the top of my head I can only recall reading one novel that wasn't divided into chapters. The Road, ... said, it could have used a more active editor, but its issues aren't because it lacks chapter divisions.

When writing a novel, what is your advice when writing chapters of a dark nature?

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Last Answer : answer:If everyone was afraid of going too far , we wouldn't have James Elroy. You are describing a villain so it's necessary that you show your reader what is in his mind, especially when you want ... reasonable to him. That's just a general advice. I don't know exactly what you want to write.

What do you think of the opening paragraph to my novel?

Description : What do you think of the opening paragraph to my novel?

Last Answer : answer:A small, gray doorbell layed into the surrounding brick. This is either not a complete sentence, or the doorbell is an animate object. Either way, I'm confused. It was a curious and amusing ... door only amusing in the past tense, or is she currently amused by the door, from her perspective?

What is the theoretical bare minimum amount of time required to write a novel?

Description : What is the theoretical bare minimum amount of time required to write a novel?

Last Answer : It depends on how fast you can type. At 140 wpm, you could write a novel in about 5 hours.

How many pages long in a Word Doc is the average fiction novel?

Description : How many pages long in a Word Doc is the average fiction novel?

Last Answer : answer:Well let's see. When I put the novel I just finished in size 12 Times New Roman, it reaches 95 pages. It's about 60,000 words, which is pretty average. A novel technically only has to be ... increase your number of pages by a lot. I would say my novel has a below-average amount of dialogue.

Can you help me choose a setting for my novel?

Description : Can you help me choose a setting for my novel?

Last Answer : answer:A youth hostel in Bulgaria? We all know how that story ends. An alien spacecraft with a single alien and five abductees? Random mediaeval oubliette? Six people left in Vatican City after the Rapture?

Would the following synopsis convince you to read the novel it describes?

Description : Would the following synopsis convince you to read the novel it describes?

Last Answer : I would need a lot more than a plot synopsis to persuade me to read something. Discussion of character, dialog, quality of writing, pace, wit, originality and readability are useful for a book review.

Can you suggest a modern novel with a moral delimma at its core?

Description : Can you suggest a modern novel with a moral delimma at its core?

Last Answer : I would say that The Help fits that category.

How many novel pages is one handwritten page?

Description : How many novel pages is one handwritten page?

Last Answer : answer:“Novel pages” is pretty vague. You might want to gauge your writing according to typed text – say, a handwritten page like you described is probably about two pages typed in Word, double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman. (That’s just my guess.)

What kind of story should a 13-year-old write for a book/novel?

Description : What kind of story should a 13-year-old write for a book/novel?

Last Answer : I’d appreciate all types of opinions.. :DD Thanks a lot!! :DD

Anybody writing a novel using Kindle or other e-pub system?

Description : Anybody writing a novel using Kindle or other e-pub system?

Last Answer : I am trying to convert a friend's book to kindle that I designed for her for print. The book was designed using Adobe InDesign and Adobe offers a PDF white paper with instructions for ... free open-source conversion utility called calibre which is useful whether you are using Adobe products or not.

How does one write a novel while enraged?

Description : How does one write a novel while enraged?

Last Answer : answer:Refrain from using any sharp instrument like a pencil or pen and stick to using your computer. Actually, seriously, just write. Use that passion, use that authenticity of your experience and ... into constructive work and writing better than you may be able to channel it yourself right now.

What are your thoughts on Margaret Atwood? What is your favorite novel or poem by her?

Description : What are your thoughts on Margaret Atwood? What is your favorite novel or poem by her?

Last Answer : The Handmaid’s Tale is one of my favorites by her. I think you’d like it, @Jude .

Tips for writing a novel?

Description : Tips for writing a novel?

Last Answer : answer:A few months ago, I read Coraline by Neil Gaiman and the copy I happened to be reading included an interview. He noted that he would write 100 words of the story every day in order to get it ... on the verge of falling asleep. Keep track of all your ideas big and small, no matter how trivial.

What defines a young adult novel?

Description : What defines a young adult novel?

Last Answer : I've been wondering this myself. I'm reading I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett, which is a Tiffany Aching story, and those have usually been classified as young adult. This one starts ... a long, frequently referenced, detailed description of a large carving of a man with a humongous dong.

Tips for writing a novel?

Description : Tips for writing a novel?

Last Answer : answer:A few months ago, I read Coraline by Neil Gaiman and the copy I happened to be reading included an interview. He noted that he would write 100 words of the story every day in order to get it ... on the verge of falling asleep. Keep track of all your ideas big and small, no matter how trivial.

Novel Help?

Description : Novel Help?

Last Answer : For example: Name: Earth’s Army Objective: Rid the world of pollution by using violence. Description: A large group of citizens, soldiers and scientists dedicated to saving their planet by all means necessary. Enemies: Oil companies, whaling vessels, etc Friends: Greenpeace etc

What makes a good young-adult fiction novel?

Description : What makes a good young-adult fiction novel?

Last Answer : tragic loss, redemption, retold , well, in modern day vernacular. an intense original story told within that framework.

Have you ever written a novel?

Description : Have you ever written a novel?

Last Answer : If you could ever read some of my police reports, you would think that i write a novel with each incident. i am serious. each incident has to answer the questions of who, what, when, where and why? ... a book after 44 years. there is nothing i have not seen, smelled, felt or observed ...nothing.

Could you recommend a novel that will keep my nervous mind off my flight?

Description : Could you recommend a novel that will keep my nervous mind off my flight?

Last Answer : I know this is a bit of a stretch, but when I was flying home from Guatemala with the worst stomach bug ever, I picked up a Nintendo DS in the airport-the game kept me enthralled. ... need distraction I find the interactivity really helps. Otherwise, Pulp by Bukowski. Total page turner. But short.

How do I start writing a novel?

Description : How do I start writing a novel?

Last Answer : I thought this post at Write to Done was really good, and it might offer some direction for you: http://writetodone.com/2009/07/07/the-art-vs-craft-gap-a-writers-paradox/

Researching a novel - q about a single key witness to murder?

Description : Researching a novel - q about a single key witness to murder?

Last Answer : Perp is pulled over and taken into custody for traffic violation / DUI. He is fingerprinted and his prints are run through AFIS (Automated Fingerprint ID System). His prints match those from the 7-year-old the murder scene / on murder weapon…

Is anyone here working on their own novel/story (or have you in the past)? If so, how long has it taken you (so far) to develop a working first draft?

Description : Is anyone here working on their own novel/story (or have you in the past)? If so, how long has it taken you (so far) to develop a working first draft?

Last Answer : i started once, lost interest and turned it into a short story. took, id say about a solid week. ( really it took a lil more than 3 weeks workin only 2 or so hours a day) before i was ready to turn it in.

I'm about to begin editing the rough draft of my first completed novel. Any advice?

Description : I'm about to begin editing the rough draft of my first completed novel. Any advice?

Last Answer : Make sure you capitalized the first letter of the first word in every sentence.

What percent do bestselling authors commonly make on a novel?

Description : What percent do bestselling authors commonly make on a novel?

Last Answer : I still don’t think it’s 1% and you will not convince me otherwise.

You novelists here: what is the topic of your novel, and how far does it diverge from your life?

Description : You novelists here: what is the topic of your novel, and how far does it diverge from your life?

Last Answer : I always thought it would be interesting to have a fictional biography of a person working at a coffee shop, and it would show developments of the customers as they shared little moments every morning for a year. Fell free to take it. Just throwing out ideas.

Can anyone lend me some tips on writing a book, specifically a novel?

Description : Can anyone lend me some tips on writing a book, specifically a novel?

Last Answer : No. You either have the drive and the love to do it or you don’t.

What is the most you've ever written? A thesis? A novel? A letter?

Description : What is the most you've ever written? A thesis? A novel? A letter?

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Can you recommend a really well-written novel by a contemporary author?

Description : Can you recommend a really well-written novel by a contemporary author?

Last Answer : I've just got into "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl. It's well written and very engrossing. (Don't be thrown off by the name, it's an O.C. meets Nabokov (says NYT) murder mystery). I'd recommend it highly.

Anyone attempting/attempted National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? Tips?

Description : Anyone attempting/attempted National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? Tips?

Last Answer : answer:Just start. You need to do some planning: genre, plot, characters, atmosphere, voice, style. But it ain't teachable. Altho, BIRD BY BIRD - Annie LaMott - has good ideas about writing. You don't want to ... down now and type. (How about a young man who falls in love w. an older woman?) :-)

If you were to choose a pseudonym under to which to publish/sell/display a work, what would it be?

Description : If you were to choose a pseudonym under to which to publish/sell/display a work, what would it be?

Last Answer : I go by Annie Cheerio.

Guys, have you an idea on how to fulfil my dream?

Description : Guys, have you an idea on how to fulfil my dream?

Last Answer : answer:Only a small part of skill is talent. The rest is having put in the effort that others are unwilling or unable to. So read your chosen genre comprehensively. Write a synopsis of each book, and ... best loved in history. You don't have to be masterful with wordplay to write a masterful work.

Am I rational to fear that my idea can be stolen?

Description : Am I rational to fear that my idea can be stolen?

Last Answer : i would be cautious and not post your work on any site like that. why can’t you email it to the proofreader?

Idea brainstorming: can you suggest some motives for a criminal to kill cops?

Description : Idea brainstorming: can you suggest some motives for a criminal to kill cops?

Last Answer : Ambush them? Poison them in their coffee? Shoot them via sniper style? Run them over with your car? As for why the killer is after them, maybe the cops arrested a friend or relative and they were killed in prison and now the killer is out for a distorted type of revenge for their loved one?

Writers, how do you feel when an idea suddenly crosses your mind?

Description : Writers, how do you feel when an idea suddenly crosses your mind?

Last Answer : I feel and have learned to know that if I don’t get the idea down in writing—even just a snippet of the idea—I’ll lose it. Can’t even begin to guess how many ideas for poems and stories have vanished forever because I didn’t do that.

I want to get better at writing, and I have an idea. Do you have any suggestions?

Description : I want to get better at writing, and I have an idea. Do you have any suggestions?

Last Answer : answer:Depends on whether you're open to outside criticism of the work or not. If you are thick-skinned enough to take an occasional negative review, you might try blogging. Internet critics can be ... a person of letters is a life skill that pays in virtually everything you set your hand to.

How do I proceed with a book idea?

Description : How do I proceed with a book idea?

Last Answer : Get a copy of Writer’s Market or sign up online. You have to pay, but it worth every penny. It is THE resource for writers wanting to get published.

Is my idea for a Sci-Fi book any good, and how could I improve it?

Description : Is my idea for a Sci-Fi book any good, and how could I improve it?

Last Answer : It sounds like a really good idea to me, especially refusing the injection as a form of punishment, but if no-one died the world would become over populated pretty quick; are women still giving birth freely?

I just found out about Inkpop, and the idea of it really appeals to me. I don't have any writings right now, though. Any help with figuring out what I'd like to do?

Description : I just found out about Inkpop, and the idea of it really appeals to me. I don't have any writings right now, though. Any help with figuring out what I'd like to do?

Last Answer : answer:Wow .I'll think I'll try it out! Coming up with an idea is called inspiration. Anything can inspire, from your favorite walk in nature to a crack in the sidewalk. To come up with an idea, you ... on it. One hint though: stay away from vampires. Those have used and used again way. to. much.

Are you obsessed with the idea of doing something, but never do anything about it?

Description : Are you obsessed with the idea of doing something, but never do anything about it?

Last Answer : Yes. I have several obsessions like this.

The market price of a novel was 50% more than its cost price. Vadi was going to sell it at market price to a customer, but he showed vadi some defects in the novel, due to which vadi gave him a discount of 33%.Next day he came again and showed vadi some more defects, hence he gave him another discount that was equal to 14.5% of the cost price. What was the approximate profit/loss to vadi?

Description : The market price of a novel was 50% more than its cost price. Vadi was going to sell it at market price to a customer, but he showed vadi some defects in the novel, due to which vadi gave ... another discount that was equal to 14.5% of the cost price. What was the approximate profit/loss to vadi?

Last Answer : Let the cost price be Rs. 100  Then, market price is Rs. 150  Now, the first discount is of 33% Rs.150 =Rs. 50  Hence, its selling price = 150 - 50 = Rs. 100  since vadi's ... further discount will be equal to loss %  The next discount of 14.5% will be the loss percentage to vadi

What idea is explored in Imbolos Mbue's novel behold of dreamers?

Description : What idea is explored in Imbolos Mbue's novel behold of dreamers?

Last Answer : The American Dream

Leó Szilárd drew inspiration from whose novel The World Set Free while developing the idea of nuclear chain reaction? Incidentally, he is also known for the catchphrase “The war to end war” associated with World War I.

Description : Leó Szilárd drew inspiration from whose novel The World Set Free while developing the idea of nuclear chain reaction? Incidentally, he is also known for the catchphrase “The war to end war” associated with World War I.

Last Answer : H.G. Wells.

Which fiction books imply/say the Giza pyramid hosts inside a high-power maser that almost destroyed the solar system?

Description : Which fiction books imply/say the Giza pyramid hosts inside a high-power maser that almost destroyed the solar system?

Last Answer : Try this

How do writers come up with antagonists philosophies?

Description : How do writers come up with antagonists philosophies?

Last Answer : That's part of the job of a writer. They have to devise all sorts of scenarios and envionments in which their plot will fit. A lot of it is imagination, probably with some research thrown in. ... invented the grammar and syntax of an entire make-believe language as well. Bottom line: It takes work!