What’s
a hot topic to write on that will yield you instant fans, fame, and royalties?
That’s
the million-dollar question.
Writers
are encouraged to write what they know and to write what they like. Good writing will sell – if promoted
properly. But all things being equal,
would it help to write about certain topics, events, places, personalities, and
things? Of course!
Let’s
take a look at these 12 areas:
1.
Sex. It’s a timeless subject, from teenagers to
seniors. We are a nation obsessed with
sex.
2.
GLBT. They are experiencing a civil rights
breakthrough with marriage legalization.
People are curious about how society will change as a result.
3.
Hispanics. They are growing in number – and fast. Anything relating to the Spanish culture will
find 45 million built-in fans.
4.
Crime. Though major crime is down in big cities like
New York City, crime fascinates us.
5.
Sports. Pro sports are in decline, to some degree,
but the country loves its sports and star athletes and their scandalous lives.
6.
Technology. We live for the next gadget and cool Web
site. We also fret about hacking,
government monitoring, identity theft, and privacy. It’s a hot topic.
7.
Politics. The nation seems more concerned with the
economy than political issues but politics will be on stage as the 2014
campaign season gets under way shortly.
8.
History/1990s. Period pieces get attention. The look at all things 1980s is moving
towards the 1990s. That generation grew
up with the advent of the Internet.
9.
Doomsday/Apocalypse. We always seem to obsess over the world
ending. It’s always a good time.
10. War/Terror. The faces of the bad guys may always
change. Russia? China?
Middle East? But all things bomb
and war entertain us.
11. Celebrities. Rumors, gossip, and tell-alls fill our
talk-shows, blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
12. Real Estate/Housing. Real estate is on the
verge of a boom and will be on one for a few years.
Writers
get ideas from the news media, arts, film, books, and music of the day. They are influenced by the social mores,
political movements, and economic times of their day. They find fantasy out of reality and they
rediscover a new reality in their fantasies.
Whatever they write about, one thing remains true: Writers use words in
a way that stirs the reader, which makes him or her feel entertained,
enlightened, informed or inspired.
Writers can challenge us, question themselves, rewrite the past, sketch
out a future scenario or merely reflectively comment on the present. By sprinkling in hot, trending topics, you
are sure to make your writing relevant, timely, and interesting.
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Brian
Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and
not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow
him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He
feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013
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