For some authors it’s great, for others it’s the kiss of death. If you write saga type historical fiction like mine, the Look Inside feature will probably work against you because that type of novel doesn’t start out with all the action on the first page. The books in my series start with the roller coaster heading to the top at a normal pace, but once it gets there and takes off, look out! You won’t have time to breathe until the last word is read. But the foundation has to be laid because it’s a meat-on-the-bones story. If someone were to only read the first few pages, they might just think it’s like any other historical fiction novel.
Unfortunately, you can’t do much about that if people use that feature and say, “Oh, I know what this is,” and don’t read any further. (Because, of course, they know everything) Chalk it up to their loss.
However, there is one thing that you can do to prevent that feature from hurting you, and that’s to write a rockin’ book description. Let people know there’s a whole lot coming, and they’ll be less apt to give up if there’s not a tsunami on page two.
If it all happens in ten pages, it’s not much of a book. In fact, many authors have harmed themselves and their careers trying to make everything happen by page nine. Then, when you have to slow it down–and if you use that tactic, you WILL have to slow it down–it’s mistaken for drag and readers think it was a big lead up to nothing. Don’t use all your bullets by chapter two. Don’t write something on page 6 that page sixty can’t compete with, etc.,. You guys are smart, you get it!
The first book in my series starts with a very short, but cute and sentimental prologue about the heroine when she was a little girl, but by page 90 there’s been a funeral, an elopement, outrageous family conflict, and a murder.
Yes. I thought better of putting all that in ten pages at the beginning. (Insert laughter.)
So, don’t let the Look Inside feature run your life. You’ll get a lot of bad advice telling everybody to write your book with that feature in mind. Don’t, don’t, just don’t. Never change what you’re doing based on trends. They come and go. Just write good stories (once they’re fully cooked and not before) , create a great book description to make people want to keep reading, and fulfill the implied promise with interesting reading. Write on!
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