What goes into a good piece of writing? Good story, gripping plot, or professional writing? In simple words, whatever you decide to put in your text should be something that will make the reader want to read it from beginning to end.
And the beauty of it is that readers don’t lie. If they like your text, or if they don’t, you will be able to sense from their feedback. Here are 15 things that readers want to see in your book.
15 Things Readers Expect From Your Book
Here are 15 things that readers expect in your book, check them out below:
1. Appealing Title:
The first thing that draws the attention of the reader is the title of your book. You can’t afford to miss out on that, or else you will end up jumbling up your reader’s mind. Do not just think that the title has to be good enough for you, it should be equally appealing to your readers.
2. Good Cover Page:
The next thing in line is the cover page of your book. This is something that makes the difference between any two books because many people make this mistake by judging a book by its cover. You can even go a step further and provide the cover page of similar books in your category. This will make it easier for you to make your book stand out among the rest.
3. Unique Content:
Your content should be unique, interesting and to the point at all stages. Don’t get lost in stories that are not related to the subject you are writing about because that will confuse your readers. Ensure to separate narration from explanation, or else you will end up losing their interest in your work almost instantly.
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4. Uniqueness in Designing Sub-Headings:
If you take care of this factor then half of your job is done in terms of attracting attention back onto what you intended them to read when they first got interested. The sub-headings should be such that they can draw the attention of your readers and make them keep on reading your book without losing their interest.
5. Captivating Introduction:
This is one of the most important factors in terms of gaining attention for any piece of writing, including your book. Your introduction needs to be gripping enough for the reader to want to read more about what you are trying to say or sell through your work. Also, check out the hook line technique while writing an intro for a good start.
6. Concise & Purposeful Paragraphs:
Don’t get carried away with your sentences because that will only put off the reader from focusing on anything else other than getting past each paragraph at a time. The reader should be able to easily identify the point you are trying to make in each paragraph.
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7. Good usage of Vocabulary:
The words that you choose play a very important role in making your content interesting or boring. Make sure that whenever you are using challenging vocabulary, it is done only to ensure the flow of the story and not for showing off your literary skills because if readers find something like this they will just get bored with your work altogether. Be consistent with your choice of words throughout the book.
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8. Suitable Sentences & Paragraph Lengths:
Ensure that whatever kind of sentences you use, all have equal lengths because whether long or short every sentence should count towards the storyline rather than just being there for the sake of it. Keep in mind that most readers don’t read books they find monotonous and if your work falls into that category, you will lose them before you got them hooked onto your story.
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9. Be concise wherever possible:
No one likes reading pages after pages of text without anything interesting at the end of it because such texts are boring and would soon be forgotten by readers. Make sure to include only vital points regarding whatever matter you are writing about so that the reader doesn’t get bored halfway through what you’ve written and then skip on to something else like a movie or a walk in nature.
10. Integration of Quotes:
Ensure that whatever quotes you choose fits in with the content of your book and is not just randomly used to show off how much you know about the subject. If you are finding it difficult to integrate the quote into your book then maybe you just don’t have enough useful information about that part.
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11. Properly Placed Images:
The images you choose should be placed at the right spots so that it doesn’t seem out of place. Also, make sure that you are not disclosing any copyrighted information by using them without permission because if caught doing this would land you in big trouble.
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12. Presentation of Facts:
Don’t let your emotions get in the way when presenting factual information because it will only confuse the reader to understand what exactly you are trying to say. Make sure that all facts are presented clearly and without leaving anything open for interpretation.
13. Grammatical Accuracy & Spelling Mistakes:
I know it’s very difficult to proofread your own work but trust me it is one of the most vital points when it comes to presenting your work through a book. You should always have someone else read over your work before submitting it for publishing because if even one spelling mistake is there, the reader will get annoyed by having to find that mistake every time they go back on what you’ve written.
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14. Finalizing of Quotes & Images:
I know it’s already been mentioned but just making sure that everyone knows how important this part is when finalizing an ebook or printing a book. Make sure all the images are in place and available at the right places so that readers don’t have trouble looking for them while reading your book. Also, make sure any important quotes have been fully credited to their respective owners/writers so that no legal action is taken against you for using them without their permission.
15. Proper structuring of chapters:
When it comes to writing books, there’s no specific style that needs to be followed other than the one that fits the storyline or subject that is being presented. There should always be something that readers can use as a guideline to understand how your work should be read because if they aren’t able to do so then they will just not bother reading your book at all.
Authors normally present short stories in different parts and this also holds true for ebooks because unlike printed versions these are meant to be read whenever you have time which means only after completing every chapter must the next one open automatically because if it’s not done like this then many people will just close the book and go to watch a movie or play video games instead.
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Final Thought:
Although it’s a good idea to take your time while writing an ebook, you also need to make sure that you complete the book in a timely manner because if not then people will just get annoyed and leave your story for other more interesting ones. You should always work towards completing the book as soon as possible so that everyone gets to read it in its full glory, don’t just keep adding information to the already existing chapters because it will just be a waste of time.
