The Unseemly
Troubadour
Perhaps such a thread has existed, perhaps it hasn't, but here is a place to discuss what makes/made a work of fantasy a bestseller.
First off, something to keep in mind is that not everybody can write a bestseller. Indeed, you shouldn't aim to write a bestseller, you should aim to write a story, which may become a bestseller if enough people like it. Write because you like writing.
For me, personally, books that become bestsellers are ones that add something more than just a new perspective (which all books add). LotR became a hit because it created a whole new concept of story - it was something that was original. Likewise goes for Game of Thrones: like LotR, it added just that something more, it had just that extra originality. Both analysed the world in a completely new way, and both won't a read-enjoy-putdown-forget type of book.
Alternatively, there also comes the fact that many bestsellers are simply entertaining in a completely new way, much like Harry Potter was. They are simply books which you do not wish to put down, because of a completely original take on their storyline.
Anyway - people's thoughts?
First off, something to keep in mind is that not everybody can write a bestseller. Indeed, you shouldn't aim to write a bestseller, you should aim to write a story, which may become a bestseller if enough people like it. Write because you like writing.
For me, personally, books that become bestsellers are ones that add something more than just a new perspective (which all books add). LotR became a hit because it created a whole new concept of story - it was something that was original. Likewise goes for Game of Thrones: like LotR, it added just that something more, it had just that extra originality. Both analysed the world in a completely new way, and both won't a read-enjoy-putdown-forget type of book.
Alternatively, there also comes the fact that many bestsellers are simply entertaining in a completely new way, much like Harry Potter was. They are simply books which you do not wish to put down, because of a completely original take on their storyline.
Anyway - people's thoughts?