How to write a bestseller

8. 'Really target your agent,' advises Claudia. 'Look in the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook for brief explanations of specialities. Also, try to find a book that you like or feel is similar to yours. Many writers thank their agents so you can find relevant agents that way.' There's no point in targeting your crime book at an agent who specialises in romantic fiction.
9. Expect rejection. Lisa Jewell, author of Ralph's Party, went through nine agents before the tenth saw her potential. Harry Potter writer JK Rowling was turned down by two publishers before Bloomsbury snapped her up. 'The most brilliant people have been rejected before they found success,' says Claudia. 'If you expect it, you won't be disappointed. Just keep trying. Obviously, though, if you get 20 rejections all telling you there's no market for your book, you do have to take note.'
10. Don't be too precious about your work. If you do get to the stage where you have an agent or an editor, listen to their advice. They have a wider overview of the market and the insider gossip on what people are looking for. They are the experts in their field. 'I followed every bit of advice,' says Claudia. 'I think the book is one million times better as a result.'

The secrets of success

Find out how other famous names wrote their bestsellers:

Her literary career started on a bet. She was offered a free meal if she could write the first three chapters of a book in a month. She did and, on a whim, sent them off to 10 agents.

She says: 'I didn't expect anything to happen and sure enough, as the weeks went by, rejection letter after rejection letter landed on my doorstep. I'd expected nothing more. And then one morning a letter arrived from the last of the ten agents. She liked what she read and wanted to see the rest. After peeling myself off the ceiling, I started panicking. There was no 'rest' of the novel - I'd only written three chapters.'

It took Lisa almost a year to finish it but the agent was as good as her word - she took it up and sold the book to Penguin. Lisa hasn't looked back since.