Business lessons from best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks

I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.   —James

Michener

The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend.   —Isaac

Bashevis Singer

The road to hell is paved with adverbs.   —Stephen King

Congratulations to National Book Store and Powerbooks, led by Xandra Ramos-Padilla, for recently bringing to the Philippines the world-famous novelist and film screenwriter Nicholas Sparks. She shared that last year their two chains sold 65,000 Nicholas Sparks books. His latest Hollywood film based on his novel The Lucky One is coming out in April of next year.

Meeting him at C3 resto in Greenhills, San Juan, on Oct. 27 and listening to his interesting ideas and inspiring life story — including his funny love story with his wife — I have also become a fan and will now read his books.

Among the best-selling author’s 17 novels, several have been adapted into films like Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song.

What are the secrets to his phenomenal and consistent success beyond writing talent, which we entrepreneurs, business people and professionals can learn from? Here are some:

1. Creativity — It is not only artists like novelists and writers who should put a premium on creativity; all of us in whatever field of endeavor should excel with creativity and innovation. Think about what if … how can we make things different and more exciting? Think out of the box.

Sparks said that he is always thinking of new ways to make readers worldwide enjoy a better reading experience with each new book.

2. Discipline — Outstanding authors usually have higher productivity in writing than most writers, with the discipline of getting up each day to produce high-quality work. It’s not just discipline, it’s also passion. Sparks has written one novel every year since his first success, The Notebook, in the mid-1990s, plus lots of work for TV and film projects.

He said, “When I walk up to the office, when I sit down, I know I have to write 2,000 words. I procrastinate a little here and there, but I spend about five to six hours to write 2,000 words.” Many aspiring authors want to write but do not like the hard work needed for writing success; in the same way, so many people fantasize of wealth as business people or top professionals but dislike the unglamorous hard work and discipline needed.

Lucky lola: Nena Tiukinhoy shares a special moment with the author of her favorite book, Message in a Bottle, at Sparks’ book-signing event.

3. Study continuously — As an author of novels, he himself studies his craft continuously by reading voraciously. He said that reading is his passion.   He reads approximately 125 books a year. His favorite authors include Dennis Lehane, who wrote Mystic River, and Stephen King.

4. Perseverance — Almost all best-selling authors in the world struggled as unpublished writers but never gave up even if they experienced early setbacks and rejections. Sparks never gave up; he persevered in his dream of being a novelist. He said, “I have written two novels that failed. I was then 28 years old. I said to myself, I’m going to give myself three shots; if I fail it’s okay, but I could not live with failure without trying my best. My third novel, The Notebook, sold a gazillion copies.” 

Another aspect of his perseverance is what my former Ateneo English literature Professor Emmanuel “Eric” Torres used to advise us repeatedly: “A good writer is a good rewriter.” Sparks is hardworking at rewriting and basically restructuring his drafts, whenever his agent and also his editor give him suggestions.

5. Marketing nonstop — Best-selling authors, whether a Nicholas Sparks or a J.K. Rowling, do what even the most successful companies like Apple or Coca-Cola still do even at the pinnacle of success — nonstop promotions and sustained marketing.

These authors work hard to promote their new works on tours, going on TV or radio interviews, etc. They visit bookstores and do book-signing sessions, similar to Nicholas Sparks’ Oct. 28 book signing at National Book Store’s Bestsellers in Podium Mall.

In January 2001 when I was visiting my cousin in Cupertino, California, I went to a local bookstore to buy Bill Clinton’s memoir in order to get his autograph at a book signing, but decided not to go when I saw the incredibly long lines of people waiting. It’s a fatal mistake to think that a best-selling author or top product or famous brand is already successful, so there’s no need for continuous promotions. 

Like the best entrepreneurs and professionals, best-selling authors keenly monitor trends in the marketplace, what books sell and analyze also how to better market their works.

6. Care for fans or customers — Top authors like Sparks listen to, dialogue with and care genuinely about their fans, who are like the all-important customers businesses should take care of. In fact, they care more about the word-of-mouth feedback of their readers and fans than about the opinions of reviewers and critics.

Sparks said, “Criticism is criticism. Bad reviews? Yeah. There are good reviews and bad reviews for the same book? Yup. The only criticism that bothers me is that which is factually incorrect, not those that are subjectively incorrect.”

7. Selflessness — I know that capitalism and its success is mainly about greed or basically selfishness, and how the latter has spurred boundless resourcefulness and personal initiatives, thus bringing us socio-economic progress. It’s almost the same in writing or other arts: an artist does his or her art in solitude, answerable only to himself, his vision and truth.

However, I still believe the best capitalists, business people and professionals in the world — like the very best writers or artists — are often (or can be) selfless people.

Sparks said, “I’m one of five living authors with Cliffs Notes sold and taught in schools.”

Sparks is inspiring because he has chosen to share his success by contributing to local and national charities. He is also a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships and a fellowship annually to his alma mater. He and his wife Catherine also reportedly spent US$10 million to found The Epiphany School as a Christian, international school in New Bern, North Carolina.

8. Faith in God — Recently in Larry King’s interesting special CNN interview of Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp, both agreed that “luck” is essential to all great successes. I’m really not a religious person, but what others call “luck” I believe is actually God’s blessings — essential to business or professional success.

Contrary to our impressions of not a few mega-rich artists and writers in the US or Hollywood being too liberal, cynical or even agnostic, Nicholas Sparks and his wife Catherine are devout Christians and I think they have been blessed with success due to their sincere faith. They go to church every Sunday and raised all their five sons in their faith. He said (and I agree): “God is the most important thing in our lives. I suppose that’s true of everybody’s lives, whether or not they want to believe it.”

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