The Bestseller Code: Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel

It sounds like something straight out of

The Da Vinci Code: a hidden algorithm that considers plot, pacing and even punctuation to predict with 97 percent certainty if a novel will claw its way to the top of the New York

Times bestseller list. Tip No. 1: Try to make your main character a 28-year-old woman who owns a dog.