Why writers need to be copycats

Rothko gets Religion by Erik Hagen of www.potamoi.com

An author’s first job

As you know already, I help people to write, edit and publish their books and I offer a service that goes from ‘brainwave’ to ‘bookshelf’. When I start working with a new client who is at the ‘brainwave’ end of the process I always give them one job to do first of all. The first is to read other books that are in the same genre, that are in competition with them and that are ‘like’ the one they want to write.

‘Oh but I can’t,” they usually respond, clapping their hands over their eyes. “I don’t want to spoil my idea. I don’t want to find out that someone else got there first.” They shake their heads. “No, Jo, I can’t do that.”

“But you must,” I reply and stand my ground, hands probably on my hips and a twinkle in my eye.

You see there are five reasons why new authors simply must read other books like theirs:

Five reasons why authors must read books like the one they want to write

1. Comparing your book to others already in existence is a must-have portion of any proposal you would send to a potential publisher or agent. You will need to compare and contrast at least three other books that represent your competition in your proposal.
2. Seeing how successful books in this genre can be, and that there is a market for them, only goes to prove that you have had a good idea. Spotting which ones are most successful (look at the Amazon sales rank number, the lower it is the better) will help you to discern what has worked best.
3. You can see what works and how you could emulate some of the good ideas in your book too. Maybe not with the content, but with the layout, or with the added value, the tone, the style, the voice, the illustrations, the endorsements.
4. You can spot the gaps in the other books and ensure your publication does things differently or better or both.
5. You can quote or explain some of the ideas in the other books in your book. These extracts will endorse your idea and using the words of other experts in your field will make your book seem more worthy. Of course you must get permission to quote another person’s work, though just a few words or a sentence is fine, and you must always attribute those words to their originator. Don’t be scared about asking this favour. Most authors will be flattered and see that their inclusion in your book will be good publicity for them too. I get asked for permission all the time. I see it as free advertising.

Copycat art

Let me illustrate my point with a story about the painting above.

I first saw the gorgeous painting, above, in his studio, when artist and photographer, Erik Hagen, invited me round for a ‘brainpicking session’ in preparation for the book he plans to write, called Exploring Beauty. I was immediately taken with it.

“Hey, you copied Mark Rothko!” I said. “Wow! I love his work.” And I went on to tell him how I visited the Rothko chapel in Houston and we talked about that for a while.

“What’s it called?” I asked.

“Rothko gets Religion.”

I laughed.

“See that one there?” Erik continued, pointing at a white and blue mixed media piece that had a triangle of something like cloth painted under the oil. “That one’s called Rothko Loses his Hanky.”

I laughed again. I was impressed by the way he had  copied the ideas of a great artist. In fact he had done it so blatantly that I knew instantly who he was trying to be, and then added a twist of his own. I thought it was genius.

“Let me know if you ever want to sell it,” I said.

“Oh no, it’s not for sale. It’s my favourite,” said Erik.

I loved that painting so much that I asked if he could email me a jpeg of it so I could use it as the wallpaper on my mobile phone. For three months I have shown anyone with an interest in art that ‘Rothko’.

Today, Erik let me buy the original and I am walking on air!

Do I feel that I purchased something of less value or beauty because it was so clearly inspired by someone else? No way. Copycat art, like copycat writing, can be vastly enriched by the inspiration of those who went before.

Ask yourself this

Where would poetry be if we had never had Shakespeare or Auden or Betjeman or Owen?

Where would fiction be if we had never had  Fowles or  Austen or Hemingway?

Where would memoir be if we had never had Pepys?

Where would the genre of travel writing be if we had never Ibn Battuta, Lawrence Durrell or even Peter Mayle?

If you want to write – get reading!