Trend Spotlight: Confessions of…

Lady Nijo wrote an autobiographical novel in the thirteenth century about her experience as concubine to Emperor of Japan Gofukakusa. The account was later found and then finally published as The Confessions of Lady Nijo in 1950, translated to English in 1973.

Confessional books have been popular ever since with an increase that seems to parallel the rise of reality television. Here are just a few titles:

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel
By Gregory Maguire and Bill Sanderson (2000)

Confessions of a Street Addict
By James J. Cramer and Jim J. Cramer (2002)

Confessions of a Shopaholic
By Sophie Kinsella (2003)

Confessions of an Advertising Man
By David Ogilvy and Sir Alan Parker (2004)

The Confessions of Max Tivoli: A Novel
By Andrew Sean Greer (2005)

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
By John Perkins (2005)

Confessions of a Video Vixen
By Karrine Steffans (2006)

Confessions of a Carb Queen: A Memoir
By Susan Blech and Caroline Bock (2006)

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
By Laurie Viera Rigler (2007)

Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress: A Girl’s Guide to the D & D Game
By Shelly Mazzanoble (2007)

Confessions of a Sub-Prime Lender: An Insider’s Tale of Greed, Fraud, and Ignorance
By Richard Bitner (2008)

Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss
By Philip Carlo (2008)

Confessions of a Contractor
By Richard Murphy (2008)

The trend just won’t quit—it even seems to work for novels. Perhaps all your fictional manuscript needs to spark interest is the Confessions of prefix in the title.

Trend Spotlight by Adriel Gorsuch, Indigo Editing, LLC

Trend Spotlight: How-Tos

Books on the shelves of both local and chain booksellers seem to be capitalizing on the shift in moods and energy that sunny spring days bring. Recently upon bookstore entry, I was immediately faced with barricade-like displays of guide books. Step-by-step advice on how to raise unselfish children in a self-absorbed world, run my presidential campaign, be a college student, retire, live up to my full potential, stop running from love, juice vegetables and fruit, remodel my home to create an eco-friendly abode and, of course, how to lose all unwelcome winter weight.

Spring is a great time for publishers to be releasing any guide/how-to or self-improvement books. And of course the Portland DIY mentality makes the audience all the more ready and interested in such books. In particular, books that spout advice for energy-saving, eco-, bio-, green living/projects have a ripe market.

Here are a few recently (and soon-to-be) released:

Bead Simple
by Portland writer/crafter Susan Beal
Taunton Press
March 2008

Collins Energy-Saving DIY
by Albert Jackson & David Day
HarperCollins UK
May 2008

Achieve Green: Staying Sane while Planning Your Green Wedding

by Tiffany Green

Tynans Independent Media

April 2008

A Million is Not Enough: How to Retire with the Money You’ll Need
by Michael K. Farr & Gary Brozek
Springboard Press
March 2008

Beyond the Big Talk: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Teens
by Debra W. Haffner & Jason Reitman
Newmarket Press
April 2008

How to See Yourself as You Really Are

by Dalai Lama & Bstan-Dzin-Rgya

Gale Group

May 2008

Book trend review by Adriel Gorsuch, Indigo Editing, LLC