Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: How to Get Attention with the First Line
• Method 2 of 2: How to create an interesting annotation

There are two main ways to draw the reader's attention to a book. You can engage your audience with your story and inspire people to read it by starting the book with an intriguing introduction. Or create an enticing annotation that introduces the book to the publisher or readers. Which method is better is up to you, and the tips below will help you understand their principle.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: How to Get Attention with the First Line

1. 1 The description should be strong and catchy. One of the most effective ways to write your introduction is to start with a captivating description that will raise a ton of questions from your audience. You must surprise and captivate the reader, leaving them no choice but to turn the page and satisfy their curiosity.
   • For the opening line, you can use an interesting description of your protagonist in action. For example, Joseph Heller began his novel Catch-22 with the following words: “Yossarian was in the hospital with liver pains. The suspicion fell on jaundice. However, something was lacking for real jaundice, and this puzzled the doctors. " This is a good start, because the main character is immediately presented to the reader, he is already surrounded by certain decorations, and he has a problem that needs to be solved.
   • You can also start the book by describing the scene. A great example of this is JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit: "There was a Hobbit in a hole underground." The author begins with a description of the place and the main hobbit, thereby riveting a person's attention to the work.
2. 2 Start with the main storyline. You can devote the reader to the plot from the first lines by starting the description of the main actions. This will allow you to immediately immerse yourself in the story and immediately force the reader to explore the world of the book.
   • So, Kate Morton's novel "The Forgotten Garden" opens with the following lines: "Where she was hiding, it was dark and a little scary, but the little girl tried to obey her mistress, who strictly forbade her to leave the hiding place." These words immediately draw the reader into the thick of things, creating a situation that is supposedly dangerous and causes fear in this very "little girl".
3. 3 Give your story a compelling tone. You can also kickstart your book with a unique and compelling storytelling tone. This is especially effective when the story is told in the first person, the "voice" of the narrator will help the events of the book develop.Third-person storytelling will help you present the characters in a favorable light.
   • For example, this is how JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone begins: "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley lived at number four Privet Drive and always proudly declared that they were, thank God, absolutely normal people." The story is told from a third person with its own position and flavor, which attracts the reader more.
   • Another good example is the opening lines of Nabokov's "Lolita": "Lolita, the light of my life, the fire of my loins." Immediately, the reader is presented with a unique storyteller who is not afraid to embellish, entertain and excite.
4. 4 Use an unusual setting. You can engage your readership by creating an exceptional and weird situation for your characters. This may prompt the person to continue reading to find out how the characters got out of their unusual situation.
   • Nick Hornby begins his novel Naked Juliet with the phrase: "They flew from England to Minneapolis to look at the outhouse." This atypical and wonderful picture immediately grabs the reader's attention.
5. 5 Write for your audience. Focus on your readers when choosing the opening lines of the work. Try to imagine your ideal reader: his age, interests, and what type of literature he prefers. Write the first sentence of your story for this image.
   • For example, if you are writing a book for young people, you can start the story with a young person's image in mind. Take into account all the details and points you need to include if your audience is young.
   • It's also a useful tactic if you want to draw attention to a popular science story - consider which fact, anecdote, or historical moment will pique your readers' interest.

Method 2 of 2: How to create an interesting annotation

1. 1 Why do you need to interest the reader? Annotation is different from a synopsis or a short description of a plot; it should not be too detailed, and it should not reveal the entire plot of the book. One or two sentences should tell you about the book as a whole.
   • This short description should grab the reader's attention in 30 seconds. Such a lead in a book application or marketing material for a book can make your work more attractive to an editor or literary agent.
   • Your short description should also explain how your book differs from others. If you write in a particular genre, you should also clarify how your story differs from other works in that genre.
2. 2 Use a valid voice. The use of active voice and strong verbs will help to hook and captivate the reader. Avoid passive verbs and passive participles, as they can cause a completely opposite impression from the text - the words will be dull, dry and will not be remembered by the reader at all.
   • If you want to interest the reader, it is better to write in the present than in the past, this will add liveliness to the text. Try to always use the present tense to describe the actions in the book.
3. 3 Light up the main plot. The abstract should include the main plot or the problem considered in the narrative. Try to describe the main conflict or tipping point with a few words, using bold and imaginative sentences. Don't try to explain the conflict. Better just outline it in general.
   • Use interesting nouns to describe the plot. Don't use too many adjectives and adverbs. Your task is to convey the image, not make the reader bored. When in doubt, use the less is more rule.
   • Do not under any circumstances reveal the ending of the book. It should only be included in the synopsis and not in the annotation.
4. 4 It is better to focus on the character and action than the theme. The idea of ​​describing the main topics of the book can be very tempting.But such a formulation may sound too general and familiar. Refrain from presenting the topic, concentrate on the characters and the action.
   • Try the following formula if you want to use the character and action way of annotating: "When [the first conflict] happened [to the characters], they must [overcome the conflict] in order [to complete the quest]."
   • Referring again to the example of JK Rowling "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone": "The Dark Lord killed the boy's parents, and he must learn to fight for his life and save his friends and the entire wizarding world."
5. 5 Read what you have written aloud and correct any mistakes. Reading the written text aloud will help you understand what it sounds like. Replace difficult phrases or indistinct nouns with more interesting active nouns. Use the present tense and don't reveal the ending of the book.
   • After correcting mistakes, you will shorten the text and add specifics. The abstract should not be more than two sentences, and after reading it, the reader should want to buy the book.