Writing a Good Chess Book

Recently a blogger said he got a book he didn't like.

To prevent this I suggest authors follow a few simple principles.

1. Start with a sparsely annotated game collection.

2. But give a specialized or catchy title , like Dark-Squared Bishops in the Middle-Game or Hogs on the Seventh.

3. Include plenty of authors games, esp. if he's obscure.

4. Borrow freely from other works "repetition is the mother of learning "

5. Include erudite but irrelevant maxims.

6. Don't bother to define terms like pawn break or hook  "A word means just what I choose it to mean".

7. Skip an index ; this is great literature, not a textbook.

8. Don't waste space on exercises.

9. Print few diagrams. Good players visualize 20 moves in their head.

10. To save more space use postage-stamp size diagrams as in The Power of Pawns .

11. If an e-book, be sure diagrams remain small & can't be zoomed.

12. With a diagram never indicate which side moves.

13. Write at least at 2200 level. Anyone below this has no business studying chess.

14. Above all : print by Ishi press in descriptive notation.

If all followed the above, maybe Denver High would not be disappointed .

Thanks Alena_str.   It's been pointed out that an item of paramount importance was omitted :

13a.  Always include an enthusiastic chapter on the minority attack .

Any other corrections appreciated.

Thanks dude appreciate it

Say not a word about the reasoning for moves that were actually made.  Instead go into mind-numbing detail explaining moves that might have been made but weren't.

The Modern Language Association has pointed out an import omission.

14.  Write in any language , but translate to English by machine.  We don't need no stinkin' style of Thomas Carlyle.  

I thought the current thought was to just run an opening through stockfish and print the results in your book. 

Do it once a month, someone will buy it. 

Finish every unexplained variation with "white/black has resources".