Why I Didn't Finish Reading Your Book...

Hello there, fellow independent author.  How are you doing today?  I hope well.  Did you make any sales last night?  I hope so.  Those numbers going up make our days a bit brighter, don't you think?

So, I bought your book.  The title was good.  The premise was promising.  Unfortunately, though, I wasn't "grabbed".  Why?  Because you didn't let me bond with the protagonist within the first few pages.  You didn't give me anything that allowed me to empathize with her/him and wonder what would happen to their lives. 

I'll be the first to say that I am not a bestselling author.  But I am an avid reader, and I do want to give fellow indie writers a shot. 

So, if you want to take my advice, please consider the following:

• First impressions matter.  I'm talking beyond cover art and even minor grammatical problems.  The person you are selling is the protagonist.  Make me care about him/her as soon as possible.  That means giving me their background, personality quirks, aspirations and a problem they are facing. 
• Take your time introducing new characters.  If your protagonist lives in her/his head a lot, and frequently thinks about the people in their life, describe them in his/her eyes so that I have an easy time connecting them. 
• Make the rest of your characters vulnerable, too; it will make me care about what happens to them. 

I think that one thing all indie writers (and probably all writers) share is that we are avid readers.  I try to keep my "reading points" in mind when I write.  Try to think of your own, too.

Cyndia Rios-Myers