You only have five seconds to capture the reader’s attention.
Trust me on this one. Have you ever been to the library and began picking up books to only put them down moments later because a) the cover art looks like something you could slap together in photoshop in five minutes, or b) the excerpt said something cliché about prophecies and finding lost love, (and we all know that has been done one-too-many times) or c) you read a few sentences and nothing jumped out at you? That is it. You have only a set amount of time to capture the reader’s interest with everything you write. That does not mean that you should write every single sentence with mystery and intrigue just in case. It means that you need to reevaluate what you write and the impact that it gives.
Cover art plays a big part for me. If the writer does not take the time to hire a decent artist to do his/or her cover art, they get stuck with the photoshop king who enjoys making human faces shaded with dark colors and swirls of light. Something about that always struck me as cheap. It does not show any particular talent or a very inspiring picture to associate with the book. Harry Potter always struck my fancy since the artists chosen always had some key scene in the book drawn on the cover. It is not necessary to have an artist draw your cover, but just keep in mind, I, for one reader, enjoy that kind of cover more and I refuse to pick up certain books because of their lack of originally in their cover.
Be that original person who has something different besides love triangles, strong female characters, photoshop kings, and prophecies. Your work does not have to appeal to everyone; not everyone has the same tastes nor do they have to have interest in the genre that you are writing in. You want more readers? Make your book memorable. Make it so irresistible that the five seconds that they read a paragraph to check out whether or not your book is interesting, that they cannot put it down. They should not be able to tear their eyes away. If Annie is being kidnapped by a rogue mercenary, make sure that they want to know if she gets captured, or falls in love with her captor, or in some cases, does not make it out alive. Make them read it. You have the power and the pen. Now write your ideas down and begin fleshing out that long awaited for book that has been screaming your name.
Xoxo, Ella Douglas
Nevermore 