M. J. Rose

“The marketability, the success of a book, ultimately rests with whether or not people will find the concept/characters/title/cover appealing.”

“I've always felt writing is an art. Publishing is a business. I felt strongly if I was going to write, I would write what I wanted to, and if the 'market' didn't respond, there was nothing I could really do about it.”

“From the very beginning, I envisioned success as selling enough books so I could keep getting published and continue to write what I wanted to without compromising.”

“I'm not a good writer. It takes me a long time to get there. I write and then rewrite and revise and do it over and over until I'm satisfied.”

“There was an ingredient used in perfumes and remedies in the Middle Ages called 'momie' that is certainly one of the most fascinating I've come across.”

“Sales don't always have anything to do with good or brilliant or original. Sales are about appeal.”

“If I present a boring personal life to my readers, it's going to be harder for them to think of my novels as thrilling.”

“The most satisfying thrillers send ordinary people into battle against the forces of evil - otherwise known as greed, ego, rage, fear and laziness - and bring them out bloodied but whole.”

“Nora Roberts, Stephen King, Lee Child and George R. R. Martin write wildly different books. Their writing, plotting and styles have little or nothing in common. But they all write books and characters that readers find appealing.”

“I grew up in New York and have lived here all my life. I think it's the best city in the world and can write about it with gusto and fervor and passion.”

“Books on their own aren't insanely expensive compared to other things; three large cappuccinos cost more than a paperback, and two and a half gallons of gas cost more than a paperback.”

“Estimates are that in 2012, more than 32 million books were available - the explosion, thanks to the ease of self-publishing; 2013 could see even more titles grace our virtual bookstores! That means we are going to be awash in covers and titles, plot descriptions and characters.”

“I was taught to think outside the box. Before my grandfather was one of the original Mad Men, he and a group of other Air Force Intelligence officers formalized brainstorming as a problem solving technique. He taught the concept that creativity can be taught at Buffalo University. My dad invented toys. My mom was a photographer.”