How Much of an eBook is Read Before It’s Tossed Aside?
Entire books have been written on the best way to
grab a reader’s attention in the beginning of a book. The first sentence, the
opening paragraph, and the first chapter have all been touted as the one thing of
utmost importance.
What we need to keep
in mind as Indie authors, however, is not what hooks agents or publishers.
We need to examine the reading habits of people who buy eBooks.
Things to consider before
publishing an eBook:
1.
Amazon, the Indie author’s biggest marketplace,
allows people to read a generous percentage of a novel. But most readers only
read a page, if that, when deciding whether to purchase or download a book.
Make that first page a grabber and be sure it is
mistake-free and well formatted.
2.
The opening sentence is not quite as important
for eBooks as it is for books on a shelf, but the opening paragraph is!
Don’t waste it on things like description or back-story.
3.
Be sure your blurb is captivating! Run it by
other authors or ask advice on your favorite writing site. A poorly written or
boring blurb will not entice a reader to buy your book.
4.
Design the fist page to reflect the blurb!
5.
Early chapters must pull the reader into the
story. It is a simple process to delete eBooks from a device! I’ve downloaded
many eBooks (series seem to be the worst offenders) that have what can only be described
as a boring beginning. I delete them.
Today’s reader is impatient to get to the heart of
things. If you doubt this, James Patterson’s book sales should convince you that
a fast-paced storyline works!
6.
Don’t perfect your first chapter at the expense
of the rest of the book! Check your flow. Read your book out loud or better
yet, have a friend do it for you. Reviewers
can be merciless in pointing out when a first chapter is not followed by more
with the same level of excellence.
Dear Readers,
Personally, I only
read about one out of ten eBooks that I download into my
Kindle. A common error for the
Indie writer is eagerness to get his/her book published quickly, a
lesson I learned the hard way. My first suspense book, She’d Not There, had to
be re-edited and proofed three times after I published it!
I understand the
importance of getting one’s work out there, but don’t rush to publish at the
expense of turning out a fine product.
Hope you are all
having a pleasant winter and staying warm,
Marla
