When I visit a bookshop, before I buy a book, I carry out a number of tests to see whether I am attracted to it or not. In the first place, of course, is the recognition of the author, the attractiveness of the title and the style of the cover. I think this is inevitable, especially in our time. Of course, these may be less important for the work of a well-known or bestselling author.
If the book in my hands passes the first test, I read the back cover. I find it very important. Everything that is written can be quoted from a part of the book that is considered crucial. Sometimes it is quoted from the mouth of a narrator or a critic who tells you what the book is about. In my opinion, even if it is a small quotation, it is like a piece of candy in your mouth, it leaves a taste, and that is why it is necessary.
I couldn't see anything missing on the front or back, I was intrigued. What do I do next? First, I find out if the book is written in chapters. This gives me a rough idea of the flow of the narrative, the pauses the author takes and how often. A novel that offers pauses and allows us to move freely, rather than forcing the reader through a marathon, begins to look more and more plausible. I'm haunted by the thought that this is somehow less common in the books I used to read, but perhaps I'm wrong.
I look at the table of contents and see that the number of chapters is not too exaggerated for the number of pages. Now for the most important part. The quick scan phase.
Remember the concept of induction? If a random selection of a large number of documents meet the requirements, you do not look at all of them and accept the others as correct. This is what I do, although I know it is not very healthy. Besides, I cannot read a whole book on the spot.
First, I look at the first paragraph, let myself read to a point that catches my eye, and then, as I said, I move on to a few pages at random. I start reading any paragraph. Sometimes a word or a name somewhere in there will catch my interest and make me read longer than I thought I would. Sometimes it might be a story that is not heart-warming at all. But that's normal, because I have no idea what the book is about, so I move on to the next random chapter and try my luck again.
Again I'm not interested, I'm getting a bit cold. I give it one last chance because I want to look back a bit before I read the end. It's usually the parts where things are resolved. Maybe I'm at the height of the storm, let's see what the book gives me.
If I don't like it, I put it back, but what if I do? This is the part I find most complicated. But I remember this: no book can be a good story in every part. Even if it is the best book in the world, not all parts will be equally exciting and curious.
For this to happen, it must either be a religious/philosophical book and the teachings must be examined to the letter, or it must be an example of detailed scientific study and what is said must be followed with all seriousness. However, I believe that this does not apply to books that are entirely fictional. In every story there should be a little space, a little normality, a little calm. This will help both the reader not to get lost in the narrative and the writer to collect his thoughts and make connections, and perhaps help to create a transitional section.
Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash
I have put them through a number of tests and given them a chance to be validated, but where is the most effective part? In my opinion, two points are important: the cover, which helps the first impression because of its visual appeal, and the opening sentences, which are the most striking part and can influence the whole narrative.
Let's focus a little more on the opening.
When writing a book, a speech, a plot or a script, I think the two most important points are the beginning and the end. The development part can find its way up and down like a wave. But while the introduction to the story gives the first idea of what to talk about, the last words are always the most memorable.
Since our subject began with the purchase of a book, it was not wise to read the last sentences of the book, so our case will continue to be shaped by the first sentences of the book.
So let's rephrase the question and ask it again: If you were writing a book, how easy would it be to write the first few sentences?
You know what they say: the beginning is the hardest part. Because to begin is to lay the foundations of the journey, to pave the way for change, to open up to the unknown and perhaps even to the inevitable. Sometimes it is scary, exhausting, worrying.
If we take it as a feature, what factors should the beginning have? First of all, it has to be remarkable. So much so that it can provide a descriptive narrative as well as the image on the cover. If you suddenly find yourself in the place of the novel's character, in the atmosphere created in your mind, then you have come across a novel with a good beginning.
The theme can be a determining factor. If you have no idea what the book is about and what the atmosphere might be, even after reading the title and the back of the book, this place will be of great importance. Because the first structure that forms in your mind, according to what is described at the beginning, will form a kind of factory setting for your thoughts about this book. It will enable you to remember what genre, theme and period you are in whenever you get stuck in your head.
The above also suggests that the narrative should connect with the reader. If, on the other hand, you do not get anything out of these opening lines, there may be two reasons: The first is that it does not engage you enough to give you what you want, and the second is that the narrative actually starts to take shape later. This is a bit misleading. There is no rule that any book can sell itself in the first few sentences. It may seem that I am saying the opposite of what I have said so far, but I think it is right to mention this because it is one of the possibilities. After all, any induction is hypothetical, it does not indicate certainty. Moreover, since this is my method of book selection, I cannot guarantee that it is “correct” or efficient. It is just a personal method.
The narrative at the beginning may give an indication of the direction of the story, but it may also be memorable. Maybe you have books that you like to read, or even if you don't like to read them, some of the sentences stick in your mind. There is a nice visualisation of this, you can see it here.
I wonder what they will do with my book when it hits the shelves one day. Being a local, unknown author, presenting a completely fictionalised collection of stories that will not appeal to everyone, seems enough of a disqualifier in itself. Add to that the fact that the visuals in the book, or at least the cover, do not give the desired impression, and the chances of the book being bought become slimmer and slimmer. All that remains is a bit of luck and a few interesting sentences that might catch the eye at the beginning.
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