Make your Sample Work -

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G S Johnston

30 Jun 2011, 09:48 PM | Post: #1

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Make your Sample Work

Last night I started reading an Indie Kindle novel. The writer had stacked all the thankyous etc into the first few pages. The text was also done as a story of discovery and I thought it was actually the novel. It went on for several Kindle pages. I was about to stop when I got to Chapter 1.

When someone downloads a sample of your novel, they only get the first few pages. This is the opportunity to snare them. Whilst the intro maybe cute to you, it ain't your novel. It's great to thank Great Aunt Myrtle for inspiring your love of writing by reading to you while she changed your nappy, and your Boyf/GirlF and God and all the rest, BUT it's boring to a reader. The exciting thing is the novel.

It may be better to ship all of that stuff out to the end of the book, that way when someone gets a sample you can get them quickly into the novel and hopefully hooked into buying it. I tried to get CONSUMPTION: A NOVEL up and running straight away

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debjbennett Reading

01 Jul 2011, 12:07 PM | Post: #2

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RE: Make your Sample Work

It annoys the hell out of me when I buy/read the whole book, never mind the sample. Who on earth wants to read pages of thank-yous and "reviews"? If I wanted to know how good the book is, I'd read the amazon reviews - I don't need lots of self-congratulatory rubbish cluttering up my kindle too.

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joo Reading Punchline by P.A. Fenton

01 Jul 2011, 12:09 PM | Post: #3

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RE: Make your Sample Work

I've had samples in which the book itself hadn't started. Guess whether I bought it or not? Thumbs Down

I've also read samples that I bought the book before getting to the end of it. Thumbs Up

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G S Johnston

01 Jul 2011, 12:14 PM | Post: #4

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RE: Make your Sample Work

I'm glad someone else does - what happened to the Death of the Author??

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debjbennett Reading

01 Jul 2011, 12:15 PM | Post: #5

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RE: Make your Sample Work

Too many thank-yous & reviews smacks of desperation to me. Like the author is looking for approval, as if he/she isn't confident that the book can stand on its own merits.

Thriller/crime & fantasy writer
Hamelin's Child
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http://www.debbiebennett.co.uk

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daveb Reading Bed by David Whitehouse

02 Jul 2011, 06:02 AM | Post: #6

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RE: Make your Sample Work

I must declare my hand by saying I must be one of the pew people who has never d/l'ed a sample and can't see me ever doing so. I make up my mindif I want to give a book a go, buy & d/l the whole thing then If it's not what I expected I simply put that mistake down to experience .......

But I'd have to agree on all those pointless recommendations, one-liner descriptions & mini reviews that adorn inside pages & back covers. Recently I heard a short fragment of a radio show where a literary 'celeb' was talking about the many friends & acquaintances asked for his endorsement (for which he was paid) of their new book ...... which he duly did ...... and just pulled statements from a list of suitable comments. He said his most used line was "Fans of 'author xyz' will not be disappointed" LOL

Dave B.

We parted company my Kindle 3 & me Sad

but I now have a new friend called Kindle 4 ...... smaller & cuter Heart

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IndiaDrummond Reading Calculated Loss by Linda Richards

02 Jul 2011, 07:55 AM | Post: #7

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RE: Make your Sample Work

I always download samples...the one time I didn't, I got a horrible book. I think it's sort of like when you to a drive-in fast food place. The ONE time you don't check to make sure they got your order right, they screw it up. (How do they know???) LOL

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Available on Amazon now.

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Jan Hurst-Nicholson Reading Haven't got a Kindle. A big pile of books.

03 Jul 2011, 06:38 PM | Post: #8

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RE: Make your Sample Work

Someone suggested putting the description in the front of the book as readers tend to download lots of samples and then forget what the book is about. Undecided

I thought this made sense. Would this meet with your approval? Kindle Smile

[Image: Jans8covers75pixelsheight_zps6fd7533d.png]

Something to Read on the Plane But Can You Drink The Water? The Breadwinners Bheki and the Magic Light Leon Chameleon PI and the case of the missing canary eggs Leon Chameleon PI and the case of the kidnapped mouse I Made These Up

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Grace Elliot Reading Demelza.

03 Jul 2011, 06:54 PM | Post: #9

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RE: Make your Sample Work

I buy on impulse and rarely, if ever, download the sample. The author has to capture me with the blurb and cover....tough cookie!

Fall in Love with History http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com

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G S Johnston

03 Jul 2011, 08:06 PM | Post: #10

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RE: Make your Sample Work

It wasn't the description of the book, per se, it was the endless thank yous, dedications, inspirations etc. All lovely stuff but not the stiff that sells a novel. I just think it's better up the back

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