A book is a medium in which to record important information, usually written or pictures, in the form of text or pages enclosed in a single wrapper and protected with a cover. The term for that physical arrangement, technically called the bookcase, is usually referred to as the case or folio. In some cases, the term refers to the binding on which the pages are bound. In other cases, it simply means the cover of the book (sometimes called the slip case).
Reading a physical book presents challenges similar to reading an electronic version. First of all, how much more time do you need to read a nonfiction book? Is it even worth the effort to read it? Most people would say no; most readers do not have the same interest as authors to devote four or more years to writing a book, no matter how carefully or extensively they plan and format their work. That’s why book editors and publishers often encourage their clients to write a first book, submit it to an editor, and then, with the help of the editor and a professional printer and binding company, have a book printed.
But what if you’ve already written the nonfiction book, but want to turn it into a paperback? Or perhaps you’re interested in writing a screenplay and want to know how many screenplays have been successfully produced in marketable quantities? Or maybe your idea is to start writing a best-seller and want to know how many books were successfully sold in its first day of release. There are many ways to test the success of a new book, whether you’re just beginning or have been writing for decades. One way is to gauge your word count for each section of the book, then compare that number to the word count for the entire book and divide the difference between the two numbers.
Rapgenius’ Laws of Success was not a first novel. He wrote four self-help books in 1815 and sold them primarily to lawyers. However, he began to think about the laws of success when he became frustrated by the lack of results from his efforts to design and manage a printing press. Heusan repeatedly suggested that readers invest in a set of newspapers that would print his words and that would “roll up like a newspaper.” Less than a year later, however, his first printing was unacceptable and he abandoned the project.
Stauffer’s Laws of Success was printed in two volumes, which might indicate that he intended the book to be long. He began using the pen name of Arthur Stauffer after leaving the publishing business and publishing pamphlets for the “American Anti trusts.” No mention is made of the fact that he was working on his masterpiece when he began working on this book, nor was there any reference to his family’s background in the book. Even his daughter, a writer of her own, commented that he had “not been very regular” while she was studying at college.
The book has received numerous reviews, including one from the Canadian Review of Books and another from the Chicago Daily News where it was described as “a little too dry.” However, the former author said it was a “smokescreen for his larger effort–the law of Success.” Nevertheless, critics agree with the author that Stauffer offers valuable insights into the ways to achieve wealth and success.