> It’s because Hemingway’s Boat is broadly “about” a topic, whereas The War of Art promises—and delivers—an outcome.
I certaintly don't know a damn thing about selling books. But I am an avid reader of nonfiction and this is exactly the opposite of how I shop for books myself.
Other than the odd "how-to", I'm skeptical of any book promising me anything other than the author's diligent study and incisive distillation of a topic. I've read many books which caused my mind to grow and really excited me about the world but I've never read a book that "solved my problem". Of which, I assure you, I have many.
I share your opinion (I particularily like essays; I follow along the arguments, think whether I agree with them or not, etc. but absolutely hate the "how-to" kind of books which I strongly associate with the hustle and self improvement culture that I find quite toxic.)
But I agree with the author that the later kind of books seems much more popular with the general public, being handed solutions appears to be more attractive to many people that being encouraged to think about problems that probably aren't even relevant to them. And in a sense it's perfectly understandable, but I personally prefer the intellectual stimulation from a good essay over what is essentially a marketing speech from a professional hustler.
That's the kind of stuff I like to write myself as well. But after hundreds of essays, years in, my audience is still tiny. Churn is also higher because when you have such a style, it's harder to make a crystal clear promise so the probability that the content/reader fit isn't just right is higher.
There just aren't that many people like that.
For the gen. pop. you're better off making a crystal clear promise, being very clear about who should and shouldn't read it, and delivering on that promise so the book proves useful to the reader and gets recommended.
Most people read non-fiction to solve a problem. It seems that what you and I like is learning for learning's sake.
There are so many issues in all this. I think most self-help and how-to-be-an-entrepreneur books target people who don't read much. On the one hand, it's the bigger market! on the other hand, they don't read much.
These days, most or a large portion of books that have involve substance and research written by academics, who probably would like the books to make money but are OK with them not making money 'cause they still get fame and possibly academic kudos. Of course, there are professional researchers and writers who make a living publishing but they have their substance, they have their niche and they need only very specific advice as opposed to the (apparently confused) generalities of the article.
And thing the author of this website is he seems to aim to sell a book about getting rich writing books and those books would have to be about getting rich too. It's more a multilevel marketing scheme - which doesn't mean someone won't rich here but the entire enterprise is grim and not something I'd want to read about - well, Barbara Ehrenreich's Bait And Switch is somewhat interesting. But still.
How to accept that due to a drift in my world views, I will likely never have as close a relationship with my parents as when I was young.
How to decide if one should withdraw from the world as much as possible or embrace it.
How to view every person as valuable.
How to respect every person even when they are creating problems for you.
How to cope with long term illness in the family.
How to feel about having amassed an amount of money that seems disproportionate to my contribution to society.
How to disagree with people without resenting them (even when you believe the things they believe are hurting people).
How to raise a kid who is curious and interested in things.
How to raise a kid that shuns cruelty.
How guide a kid away from traps you fell into yourself without taking over their life.
How to show people you appreciate them.
I'm not saying no book has helped with any of the above. But I have never read a book that fixed one of these problems or really even ever told me anything very interesting about them. What to do is mostly obvious. How to get oneself to do those things is the hard part. And I think that kind of change doesn't come from reading one book. It comes from many absorbed over a long period of time. It comes from daily devotions (not specifically of the Christian variety, though I have seen those guide people well too).
Maybe I'm wrong but that's the best I've figured out.
I certaintly don't know a damn thing about selling books. But I am an avid reader of nonfiction and this is exactly the opposite of how I shop for books myself.
Other than the odd "how-to", I'm skeptical of any book promising me anything other than the author's diligent study and incisive distillation of a topic. I've read many books which caused my mind to grow and really excited me about the world but I've never read a book that "solved my problem". Of which, I assure you, I have many.