How-to-ism Is The Flavour Of New Age Books

If you thought self-help books are something of recent origin, you clearly got the very facts wrong. How-to books have made their foray into literary clubs many years ago, and when they arrived on the scene they ensured their space slowly but surely, and bridged a gap between elite literature and whatever was considered ‘useful’ by people who were leading mundane, routine, turn-by-the-clock lives.

Way back in 1954, Dwight MacDonald had made a very profound observation about a growing interest of people in reading/buying self-help books. He said: “How-to writers are to other writers as frogs are to mammals” after a survey on ‘How-to-ism’ terming their books as pieces of work that were not born, but spawned.

Though six decades ago Macdonald cited nearly 3,500 books to begin with, he probably didn’t anticipate that category of books to grow manifold in the coming years. Today, self-help books in US account to a $11 bn industry, which keeps growing every year—economic downturn or not.

At least 2,000 new titles in self help category get released every year and adorn the bookshelves of stores, and get catalogued in the categories of ecommerce stores as well. Writers today are not hesitant to write self-help books with smallest of the small detail on surviving depression, anxiety, meeting people, life, men, women, kids, pregnancy, divorce, pets, parents, cars – just about anything on earth that has remote connection to human existence.

Despite this, it is important to note that self-help books need streamlined marketing strategy even internationally. They are today the most important category of publishing industry and have not been completely tapped for their potential.

Clinical Psychologists have long warned about the ‘use’ of self-help books to deal with a particular situation in life. There have been instances where people living with acute depression or anxiety or any psychological condition have sought refuge in a self help book than having to actually meet a psychologist or a psychiatrist to deal with the matter.

People find self-help books on pregnancy or divorce helpful because these are vivid conditions where common human biology and social conditions could be applied universally, if not very accurately. But to pick up a self help book on parenting or dealing with parents can spell disaster since cultures can widely differ. For instance, dealing with parents in Asian context could be way too different from western concept. These nuances may not be captured efficiently by every writer who may assume the role of a mentor or observer.

Whether it is the ‘power of habit’ or ‘habits of highly effective people’, ‘who moved my cheese’, ‘chicken soup for the soul’ or ‘how to make friends’ or the spiritual ‘The Alchemist’ or ‘The Secret’ – all these are preferred by people for the abstractness of their messaging. Whether you have a condition in life or not, these books have a generic message about something that may be bothering you and reading them may actually help you look beyond the problem, thus untangling things in your own mind.

Even in India, publication of self help books is a thriving industry that has picked up since the last 14 years. Every year, India sells about Rs 1,200 crore worth books, of which Rs 180 crore would be that of self help books, according to an estimate.

Timing of the publication of self-help books is also a well-researched and tricky proposition. It is indeed that time of the year when mind wants to begin afresh and a self-help book looks like a sure way of getting a makeover, albeit mentally though!

January is the time when most self help books hit the stores. This is also the time when people’s resolve to ‘be good’ or ‘be efficient’ or ‘get better’ or ‘get a hold on self’ hit the high note. Festive cheer still afresh on their minds, and a new year ahead of them; this time is the best time to find a reason (and a book) get better from where one has landed.

Just as there is a book for a season and a mood, there is a ‘how to’ book for every reason. Go find yours!