What Makes a Bestseller? | Jonny Geller | TEDxOxford

Jonny looks at what lies behind some of the most successful books of recent years. He explores the patterns and trends underlying their popularity and describes what a literary agent looks for in a writer.
After spending twenty years as a literary agent, he reveals some of the secrets he has learned and argues about the power of the reader in the making of a bestseller.
Jonny Geller is a literary agent and joint CEO of Curtis Brown, the world’s oldest Literary and Talent agency, based in London. After working as an actor in early 1990s, Jonny became an agent in 1995 and now represents some of the world’s bestselling writers, from authors of first class literary fiction to best-selling thriller writers, from ground-breaking journalists to public figures and business people. His clients include John le Carre’, Tracy Chevalier, David Mitchell, David Nicholls, William Boyd, Howard Jacobson, Elif Shafak, Tony Parsons, Nelson Mandela Foundation and many others.
www.curtisbrown.co.uk/agent/jo...
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Пікірлер: 168

  • @continuousimprovement4528
    @continuousimprovement45282 жыл бұрын

    IMPORTANT: Remember to turn down the volume before moving to the next video.

  • @marys7988

    @marys7988

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you ☺️

  • @stephaniemattson4457

    @stephaniemattson4457

    Жыл бұрын

    Needed that! Thanx lol!

  • @MicheleLantieri

    @MicheleLantieri

    Жыл бұрын

    😂 wish I would have read this sooner!

  • @diederikburgers242

    @diederikburgers242

    9 ай бұрын

    A hero!

  • @RosanaHermann

    @RosanaHermann

    2 ай бұрын

    should have read your advice before opening another youtube window...

  • @Tori-vz5er
    @Tori-vz5er7 жыл бұрын

    when you praying the sound doesn't randomly normalise because you'll go deaf if it does

  • @Tori-vz5er

    @Tori-vz5er

    6 жыл бұрын

    U 1ST um okay....

  • @RashmikaLikesBooks

    @RashmikaLikesBooks

    5 жыл бұрын

    Hehehe. 😂

  • @daviddrew7852
    @daviddrew78526 жыл бұрын

    Never judge a book by the sound. A Fascinating talk despite the poor audio quality.

  • @AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor
    @AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor5 жыл бұрын

    Cat sat on a mat. - this is not a story Cat sat on a dog's mat. - now, this is a story. There are more little gems in this talk. Highly enjoyable. The sound gets better after a minute or so. I was able to hear everything just fine.

  • @booksalessecrets6944
    @booksalessecrets69443 жыл бұрын

    Best-seller = Interesting book + Effective promotion. To be a Best-seller, not only must you write an interesting book, but you must also know how to promote it well !

  • @scarletpimpernel101
    @scarletpimpernel1016 жыл бұрын

    everything aspiring writers needs to hear, and at the end he says 'reading is a creative act'. right on.

  • @heitorla
    @heitorla7 жыл бұрын

    sound is so low on many of your videos. Please work on it, TED !!!

  • @dustindmarks

    @dustindmarks

    7 жыл бұрын

    it's TEDx Oxford that's the problem, not "TED."

  • @MuayThaiMonkey

    @MuayThaiMonkey

    2 жыл бұрын

    Shhhh, you're writing too loud. I'm trying to hear.

  • @gunpowderboardgames
    @gunpowderboardgames4 жыл бұрын

    A really interesting window into how the book industry chooses and creates bestsellers. Good talk.

  • @vrhetinst
    @vrhetinst6 жыл бұрын

    Attention everyone who chooses to watch this--the sound quality is extremely poor. There are two main work-arounds for this: (1) Headphones. For some reason, when I plugged in my headphones the sound came through fine, at half the volume. (2) Captions. If you have good eyesight, and don't mind reading your videos, this works, too.

  • @deborahchoma7096

    @deborahchoma7096

    5 жыл бұрын

    vrhetinst, Thank you

  • @BeCtieR
    @BeCtieR7 жыл бұрын

    Finally helpful video about writing. Thank you.

  • @cazgreenham
    @cazgreenham7 жыл бұрын

    Couldn't hear it

  • @vrindagupta2472

    @vrindagupta2472

    7 жыл бұрын

    Caz Greenham enable captions. it might help =)

  • @jimmy_x557

    @jimmy_x557

    6 жыл бұрын

    Use Headphones. You're welcome!

  • @peterjonesdelacruz

    @peterjonesdelacruz

    6 жыл бұрын

    I using headphones and I still can't hear it.

  • @MarcusP52

    @MarcusP52

    4 жыл бұрын

    Headphones help but still too low. The video should be fixed and uploaded again.

  • @mdavis7834

    @mdavis7834

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@vrindagupta2472 It did help. the closed captioning was well done.

  • @fancyloafwinifred3897
    @fancyloafwinifred38973 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. So, so helpful :) Honored to hear what a literary agent is looking for!

  • @yomyomcam
    @yomyomcam6 жыл бұрын

    excellent talk. people complain volume is low, but that makes you pay real attention to it

  • @4xfun563

    @4xfun563

    4 жыл бұрын

    Good point

  • @lovetownsend
    @lovetownsend5 жыл бұрын

    My friend recommended me the show trigun and it changed my life. And i recommended my other friend neon gensis and it changed his life!

  • @givensishekano7414
    @givensishekano74146 жыл бұрын

    This is a wonderful talk, thank you!

  • @UBSINGH-pd7fp
    @UBSINGH-pd7fp5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing your valuable experiences.

  • @ihath
    @ihath8 жыл бұрын

    Really enjoyed watching this talk.

  • @mooncheese6638
    @mooncheese66386 жыл бұрын

    Fun fact:if you cant hear turn on captions. You can read. It makes you better.

  • @ahmeds6421

    @ahmeds6421

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you

  • @r.brooks5287

    @r.brooks5287

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. Stupidly, it really hadn't occurred to me and I ended up finding this vid very helpful.

  • @thejimparks
    @thejimparks8 жыл бұрын

    Well done Jonny, brilliant, informative and fun talk.

  • @endrehalasz
    @endrehalasz4 жыл бұрын

    “Nobody knows anything...... Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what's going to work. Every time out it's a guess and, if you're lucky, an educated one.” - William Goldman - Advantures in the Screen Trade - Warner Books, 1983

  • @cheerp7313
    @cheerp73135 жыл бұрын

    A beautiful talk!

  • 7 жыл бұрын

    very good this one, well-stuffed with striking examples as well, fine bitter conclusion

  • @victoriaevs4903
    @victoriaevs4903 Жыл бұрын

    Fabulous speech! Thank you

  • @CeruleanSounds
    @CeruleanSounds2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for taking a chance on fellow Eastleigh boi David Nicholls, Jonny. -Cerulean

  • @juliusantonovicius6454
    @juliusantonovicius64542 жыл бұрын

    Omg I'm geting sooo manyyy goosebumps... He is totaly right 🤯

  • @myth86715
    @myth867154 жыл бұрын

    I have never before in my life been so grateful for youtube subtitles

  • @khomtatitelaurenvincentawa1432
    @khomtatitelaurenvincentawa14326 жыл бұрын

    Quite insightful.liked it very much.

  • @DelOfTheShire
    @DelOfTheShire8 жыл бұрын

    Interesting talk. Well worth watching and listening.

  • @jaz6789
    @jaz67893 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful talk

  • @deborahchoma7096
    @deborahchoma70965 жыл бұрын

    Mr. Geller, thank you. Brilliant and insightful content. I thoroughly enjoyed the exercise of listening with intent due to poor sound quality. Captions helped tremendously. Take away for me was: Communicate the core idea easily. Allow your writing style to be open, free, generous, uncluttered. "All that really matters is that the next book I buy might just change my life." Brilliant!

  • @Alice.in.Marmalade
    @Alice.in.Marmalade8 жыл бұрын

    fantastic talk

  • @dustindmarks

    @dustindmarks

    7 жыл бұрын

    "talk" how did you hear it?

  • @Alice.in.Marmalade

    @Alice.in.Marmalade

    7 жыл бұрын

    with headphones

  • @Zeltan88
    @Zeltan88 Жыл бұрын

    A lot of people dream about writing a book and hope it becomes a success. I believe it is more important to visualize yourself writing a succesfull book and doing everything that is necassary to do so.

  • @TheChrisSumlin
    @TheChrisSumlin6 жыл бұрын

    That was really good! Nice work.

  • @mrdee0
    @mrdee02 жыл бұрын

    Speakers blown not because of this content but having to turn up volume!

  • @MrIndrajeet27
    @MrIndrajeet276 жыл бұрын

    Very well put across...

  • @TravellinMatt77
    @TravellinMatt775 жыл бұрын

    The author makes some good points, but a guaranteed bestseller still comes down to three elements --- thriller genre, brand-name author, and major publisher. For example, here are the current top-five hardcover fiction bestsellers according to the New York Times (as of this writing): 1. Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens) 2. Verses for the Dead (Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child) 3. The Reckoning (John Grisham) 4. Fire & Blood (George R. R. Martin) 5. Every Breath (Nicholas Sparks). All of these books are from longtime authors, all from major publishers, and three of them are thrillers. Despite some sudden bestsellers from previous unknowns (such as E.L. James, Stephanie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, and Andy Weir), I do believe that they are the exception rather than the rule. Brand names still drive the industry. And while I'm glad that Jonny Geller at least touched upon book covers, there is a lot more to book marketing than that. Marketing is essential--getting word out to established or potential readers, getting the books into the hands of reviewers, and publicizing books in trades. Do that, and you give yourself a good chance at seeing increased sales.

  • @Missfarahbhanji
    @Missfarahbhanji2 жыл бұрын

    A brilliant mind.

  • @InlawsOutlaws
    @InlawsOutlaws6 жыл бұрын

    Loved this, despite the sound level.

  • @etaks99
    @etaks996 жыл бұрын

    Loved it until I turned my music on afterwards and went deaf

  • @brunogrady4326

    @brunogrady4326

    6 жыл бұрын

    hahaha - the same happened to me! :)

  • @susannamarker2582
    @susannamarker25822 жыл бұрын

    Put the volume up. Right up.

  • @r.brooks5287
    @r.brooks52875 жыл бұрын

    Writers out there. This is good stuff, it gives a different perspective. Put on the subtitles.

  • @user-go2yu4hq5p
    @user-go2yu4hq5p3 жыл бұрын

    A cat sit on the mat A cat sit on the dog's mat Realy good to hear.❤️

  • @GarretRaja
    @GarretRaja7 жыл бұрын

    good talk on making it best seller

  • @booksalessecrets6944
    @booksalessecrets69443 жыл бұрын

    Very good !

  • @FarisAzriAswandi
    @FarisAzriAswandi7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for all the tips. I can hear this fine using a headset. Volume isn't even high.

  • @dustindmarks

    @dustindmarks

    7 жыл бұрын

    I have on a headset, and it's still barely audible, except with the output volume put at DANGEROUS levels.

  • @NaseemRakha
    @NaseemRakha7 жыл бұрын

    Very good.

  • @marielalunetta6489
    @marielalunetta6489 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you

  • @maxinewest4096
    @maxinewest40963 жыл бұрын

    I think a good idea for a book is about a woman who is being framed over her own artwork, this woman started painting when her husband became disabled, and she started painting over ten years ago but some crooked politicians and his mobsters friends came up with ways to frame her.

  • @craigenputtock
    @craigenputtock4 жыл бұрын

    Perhaps. But ultimately what makes a best seller (in the long-term sense of the word) is something original. Like the Polity of Beasts. People either hate it or love it, but they all admit there's nothing else like it.

  • @judithjupe7111
    @judithjupe71116 жыл бұрын

    Really had to work hard to listen to this, but definitely worth it. Succinct, brilliant advice for authors

  • @rodneyholmes720
    @rodneyholmes7204 жыл бұрын

    Great.

  • @neghiethervil5606
    @neghiethervil56065 жыл бұрын

    Playing Russian Roulette with my ears. Either way, this was worth the ringing in my ears once the next video popped up.

  • @chankiyaskhan8612

    @chankiyaskhan8612

    4 жыл бұрын

    Vmv

  • @MariaMilenovasArt
    @MariaMilenovasArt9 ай бұрын

    priceless

  • @TaraDobbs
    @TaraDobbs7 жыл бұрын

    The recording of this video, the sound is too low. I've nearly blared my speakers and I can barely hear him at times.

  • @gregfield9660
    @gregfield96606 жыл бұрын

    I had not heard anyone make the point about 'the bridge' so far. Good advice for aspiring writers.

  • @willrich3908
    @willrich39086 жыл бұрын

    turned off and went to another video, thanks for blowing my speakers up.

  • @Giovannix51
    @Giovannix517 ай бұрын

    Why is the audio so low…

  • @kirstenclarkson1495
    @kirstenclarkson14956 жыл бұрын

    Hard to hear so I had to listen carefully. I'm glad I did.

  • @Matislavio
    @Matislavio4 жыл бұрын

    So the first thing would be: To find that one sentence. God, it's too easy for me to create that one sentence! The rest is the problem xD

  • @sukanyajoshi2975
    @sukanyajoshi29753 жыл бұрын

    How I can connect with you sir

  • @prasantbanerjee8199
    @prasantbanerjee81993 жыл бұрын

    Useful presentation: and the low sound concentrates the mind that bit more.

  • @theesperanzacompromisebyja9044
    @theesperanzacompromisebyja90443 жыл бұрын

    I see that in a lot of ways.

  • @CryptoWealthyChannel
    @CryptoWealthyChannel4 жыл бұрын

    wow! 7:02 is just powerful. I paused to read.

  • @manolingz
    @manolingz7 жыл бұрын

    something's wrong with the audio

  • @ethicalphytophage
    @ethicalphytophage7 жыл бұрын

    Pretty good insider info on the publishing industry - which is I suspect more about common sense than anything else. Use headphones to hear it.

  • @DougBernacchi
    @DougBernacchi3 жыл бұрын

    I have several novels in me to write...or finish.

  • @xelakram
    @xelakram5 жыл бұрын

    Turn up the volume, please!

  • @SimoneCastello
    @SimoneCastello7 жыл бұрын

    Interesting talk, crank the volume up to the top to listen to it.

  • @Andrea_Manconi
    @Andrea_Manconi4 жыл бұрын

    It's one of those days, when I only get inaudible videos!

  • @greenlitlleman
    @greenlitlleman3 жыл бұрын

    Winnie-the-Pooh + Fifty Shades of Grey? We already have Lolita.

  • @maxinewest1326
    @maxinewest13263 жыл бұрын

    I think this make a good book. the title is called Secrets it about a woman who being frame over her painting that she painted,. The story is people lying to help mobster make money off her painting, because they don't like her, so they frame her. By deleted videos footage of her buying art supplies and crooked people be coming into her home taken pictures of her painting.

  • @ethelbertezemobi5103
    @ethelbertezemobi51034 жыл бұрын

    I am newbie working on my writing skills. Please could someone suggest for me a good writer's forum I could join. Thanks in advance

  • @panjorawashere2813

    @panjorawashere2813

    3 жыл бұрын

    Well, I know there are subreddits about writing related stuff on Reddit. So maybe you can try it there? X3

  • @tacopizza493
    @tacopizza4936 жыл бұрын

    That laugh tho

  • @joeoselo2812
    @joeoselo28126 жыл бұрын

    sorry!couldn't pick the sound

  • @sushmajoshi8666
    @sushmajoshi86666 жыл бұрын

    Hold up your laptop and put it close to your ear. Hold it up for the next 16 minutes. Nice talk. Those five word sentences are classic American workshop Strunk and White "elements of style" writing--thank god someone is there to give a concise and clear illustration of how that is absolutely not mandatory, as many so-called editors in the US would like you to believe. I like all the Shakespeare and the bloopery book covers (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) are fantastic.

  • @jakobw135
    @jakobw135 Жыл бұрын

    The audio is too soft. You have to strain to listen.

  • @oldsachem
    @oldsachem Жыл бұрын

    Mr. Geller looks and sounds like a kinder, gentler Phil Silvers.

  • @liebehappy6863
    @liebehappy68635 жыл бұрын

    Ted's trying to keep what makes a Best Seller a Secret. the best seller is the subtitles for this video lol

  • @Akrafes
    @Akrafes6 жыл бұрын

    Why are these talks are muffed down? Isnt there an editor checking these?

  • @justinlaboy6837
    @justinlaboy68374 жыл бұрын

    or money. money can make a best seller just like in the "musc" industry. when there's a lot of money thrown at any project's advertising in order to ram it down the publics throats, it will always sell

  • @akray1153
    @akray11536 жыл бұрын

    why the hell is the volume so low !

  • @angelntonyoutube
    @angelntonyoutube5 жыл бұрын

    Please fix the volume 💖 even if you have to upload it again.

  • @janbrigman9948
    @janbrigman99484 жыл бұрын

    Volume is too low

  • @morningcoffee1111
    @morningcoffee11115 жыл бұрын

    TedX has really diluted the importance of TED.

  • @einsteinwallah2
    @einsteinwallah27 жыл бұрын

    can't hear ... bad recording ... will thumb down this and try to find another copy of this

  • @vrindagupta2472

    @vrindagupta2472

    7 жыл бұрын

    Einstein Wallah enable captions. that might help =)

  • @dustindmarks

    @dustindmarks

    7 жыл бұрын

    still can't hear it, duh! it's not my job to workaround their #Fail

  • @vrindagupta2472

    @vrindagupta2472

    7 жыл бұрын

    I am not sure how you hear captions maybe you could try reading them...

  • @psilow7789
    @psilow77893 жыл бұрын

    Pardon?

  • @MrIndrajeet27
    @MrIndrajeet276 жыл бұрын

    Ted needs to work on this low sound problem.

  • @sandramalone3522
    @sandramalone35223 жыл бұрын

    The sound was so low I had to hold my phone to my ear to hear it. Anyway, good advice for anyone who wants to write a best seller.

  • @lizargh
    @lizargh5 жыл бұрын

    terrible sound quality. really want to listen but too too low.

  • @ELLE_NESS
    @ELLE_NESS3 жыл бұрын

    I have to stop chewing until the video is over

  • @Skorpi00007
    @Skorpi000074 жыл бұрын

    Anyone found a better video of bestsellers? This one has sound problem

  • @jc-py7di
    @jc-py7di3 жыл бұрын

    Good stuff, poor audio

  • @OK-wb1dy
    @OK-wb1dy2 жыл бұрын

    So what makes best seller? Answer: write something people relate to And story should be able to be reduced to a sentence.

  • @ofmbi
    @ofmbi5 жыл бұрын

    Why is volume recorded so low! ):

  • @angeladoraisani7304
    @angeladoraisani73042 жыл бұрын

    No sound except low low blips of what I assume to be words. The mike is at the lips ....I can't believe it is a malfunctioning mkre because the audience would be saying....we can't hear. Plz turn on your mike! Therefore it must be in the posting I the general public???? Not good public relations. Was looking forward to hearing what he had to say.

  • @CliffG
    @CliffG Жыл бұрын

    What's with the sound? Fire the audio person.

  • @jules-bz5vc
    @jules-bz5vc4 жыл бұрын

    It sounds a lot better if you hit 'subtitles'.🤷‍♀️

  • @LFLingner
    @LFLingner4 жыл бұрын

    I wonder what I'm missing. Sound is to low

  • @amostake
    @amostake2 жыл бұрын

    this is way too quiet. I have my sound volume maxed, and the volume on my speakers maxed, and he's whispering. Please fix.

  • @punchlores5760
    @punchlores57603 жыл бұрын

    Sound too low.. Plz correct the problem 🙏

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