AMAZON MONEY MAGIC

+1 permanent point for every four-leaf clover
(+2 permanent points for every five-leaf clover
+3 special points for every six-leaf clover)
+1 temporary points every time you eat a whole tomato
+2 permanent points if you have your own living space

-1 temporary point every time you think negative thoughts

+1 for up to 5 consecutive days of eating good food.


Overall:

6 points = sell 1 book.
12 points =  sell 10 books.
18 points = sell 100 books.
24 points = sell 1000 books.
32 points = sell 10,000 books.
44 points = sell 100,000 books.
58 points = sell 500,000 books.
70 points = sell 2,000,000 books.
140 points = sell 5,000,000 books.
280 points = sell 100,000,000 books.

Repeatedly.

But, remember, J.K. Rowling has a magic ring, according to one interview (I think).

Guide to Luck and Fortune

1 Yr. Above 400,000th Author! Yay!

The chart shows my supposed Amazon Rank over the past 1-Yr. period.

Slight improvements over the previous year (not shown).

ADVICE ON WRITING

Here is some advice on writing books and being creative:
1. Think about the title first. To an important extent, a title is what makes a book classic. Not only the title, but the accurate reflection of the title by the content. But if you can't think properly about the title, you probably don't have a good idea of the book. This is kind of my thesis of good writing.
2. Think about what it means to have content. Are you a poet? Then you need to get inspired. Are you a facts-person? Then you need to do some research. Are you a novelist? Then you need to know how to connect 'creativity' with a 'story'.
3. Think about concepts of meaning. What would be meaningful to write about? Or, of you're not a meaning-oriented person, what would be meaningless to write about?
4. If you're still stuck, try taking short little adventure-vacations. If you feel like writing a few notes, you can do that (notes eventually add up, although I don't recommend this as the primary method). The important thing is that you are clarifying your thinking.
5. Whenever you have a seed---the merest seed---of inspiration, then you can use this to develop a longer piece, such as a paragraph, or several pages. Try working with short chapters if you can't work for long. Or, if you're like me, you can write in an encyclopedia style, collecting the parts alphabetically. This may be easier than writing a novel. A second method is to write a book of quotations, and a third method is to use structure primarily, such as lists or graphics.
6. An alternative is being very inspired, and writing either a structure of a piece, or an entire piece, or chapter, in one sitting. This is something to work up to gradually. (I don't recommend drugs for getting inspired: just feel the cool air, the wind on your face, and focus on what you know or love).
7. This is one of the secrets of writing: Remember, you don't need to write very much to make a book in a year. In 6" X 9" format, you need to only write the equivalent of about a page every two or three days. If you don't have good content, though, or if there is no organization, then you're doomed.
That's my sagacious advice on writing. I hope it means something significant to you.