Or maybe not.
Call me old and set in my ways, but yes, I was resistant to the move to digital novels. I didn't resist the change in other media. I love reading news and magazine articles online. I love doing online research. I'm addicted to my PC. But books? No. I love holding a book in my hands... the feel of turning the pages. Then I got a Blackberry.
I'm one of those I only need my phone to make and receive calls kinda people. (I still don't like texting, but do use the feature with a few friends.) Around Christmastime, I was having increasing trouble with my old cell phone. It had seen better days. It was time for a new one. Mr J and I talked it over... we didn't want to be left behind by technology. We decided it was time for smart phones.
Within twenty-four hours of receiving my new Blackberry Torch, I had downloaded the NLT version of the Bible, and several more free ebooks along with the Nook app. I was hooked. I read more books in one week than I used to read in a month! But there was one I didn't read.
I won't mention the name of the ebook I deleted without reading past the first chapter. I would bet it was a self-pub. I can't see that MS making an impression on an agent or publisher. It wasn't just that it was slow starting... after many pages, the most I learned was how the MC loved her cat!
Last night I finished reading Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow. It was equally slow, yet I read it through to the end. What was the difference? Basically, the quality of the writing and how the characters appealed to me. I was intrigued by the main character, as well as her entire family. I was surprised to discover that it was Christian fiction. My purpose here isn't to review the book, but I do recommend it, and I am likely to purchase future ebooks by that author.
The focus of this post is on the try it before you buy it feature of ebooks. Most ebooks sources will allow you to preview a book before investing the money to buy it. Some will let you read several chapters even! No more standing in the aisle of a store reading the jacket and the first pages.
OK, I know this isn't breaking news. But it is an important point. What if my WIP is released as an ebook? Once they've read the first chapter, are readers going to fork out the bucks to read the rest?
I shared the story of the deleted ebook with Jody Hedlund, debut author of The Preacher's Bride. She replied that it fit with what she was preparing to post this week - The Increasing Importance of the First Chapter. There's no need for me to discuss it any further. She has covered the topic well in this post. Please do read it and let me know your thoughts.
I won't mention the name of the ebook I deleted without reading past the first chapter. I would bet it was a self-pub. I can't see that MS making an impression on an agent or publisher. It wasn't just that it was slow starting... after many pages, the most I learned was how the MC loved her cat!
Last night I finished reading Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow. It was equally slow, yet I read it through to the end. What was the difference? Basically, the quality of the writing and how the characters appealed to me. I was intrigued by the main character, as well as her entire family. I was surprised to discover that it was Christian fiction. My purpose here isn't to review the book, but I do recommend it, and I am likely to purchase future ebooks by that author.
The focus of this post is on the try it before you buy it feature of ebooks. Most ebooks sources will allow you to preview a book before investing the money to buy it. Some will let you read several chapters even! No more standing in the aisle of a store reading the jacket and the first pages.
OK, I know this isn't breaking news. But it is an important point. What if my WIP is released as an ebook? Once they've read the first chapter, are readers going to fork out the bucks to read the rest?
