Becoming a successful writer isn’t something you can boil down into a single formula. There are many paths to success. One thing we can all agree upon, is that a strong excerpt for your book is a great place to start.
Today I’m going to offer some tips for crafting a perfect excerpt for your readers. After that, we’ll look at an exciting infographic that can help you build habits and utilize tools which will elevate your writing.
3 Tips For Creating a Compelling Excerpt
A great novel begins with an attractive cover, but once the reader has opened the book, you’ll need to draw them in. Using a service like BookBuzzr, you can create compelling excerpts, but first you’ll need to create. These three tips will help you do just that.
1. Utilize the First Chapter
Oftentimes the first chapter of a book can work well as an excerpt, but there are a few exceptions. If the first chapter has a lot of compelling aspects or action, it would make an ideal selection.
If your first chapter is devoted to setting the scene or building characters, you may want to reconsider using it as an excerpt. Instead, choose a chapter that grabs the reader’s attention and works as a standalone scene.
2. Tweak the Excerpt
There isn’t a rule anywhere that says you have to use an excerpt that’s verbatim from your book. You can adapt certain elements of the scene to make it work better as a short story for example. The most ideal length is 3,500 words or under to maximize the number of markets that will publish it.
3. Write Something Based on Your Book
If you can’t find or adapt anything from the book to work on its own, try creating something new. In order to drive people to your full book, you’ll want to base it on the full experience so people know what to expect. Think of it like a deleted scene.
Honing Your Skills For Success (Infographic)
As writers, we should always grow and hone our skills. Finding success as a writer isn’t easy, but with hard work you can do it. Check out this infographic below and let us know how you’ve utilized it to improve your skills in the comments!
Credit: On Blast Blog
Matt Banner is the author of On Blast Blog, a website that provides insight on starting and growing your blog. Find him on Twitter @blastyourblog
