tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251174860490089038.post6940494942144751994..comments2024-01-20T00:23:09.683-06:00Comments on The New Podler Review of Books: Review Roundup by Libby ConeDEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266406676643270732noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251174860490089038.post-42990793576668388752010-06-08T09:17:36.299-05:002010-06-08T09:17:36.299-05:00You can certainly tell within a few pages whether ...You can certainly tell within a few pages whether an author has mastered the construction of a clear English sentence. A book with a complicated plot, such as "Embrace the Rain," may take a while to get going after introducing all the characters, so it may require more than the first three chapters to pull the reader in, or, like Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon," may pull one in all the way with just a few pages and a small fraction of the ultimate number of characters. A book that starts off very quickly with just a few characters would seem to need fewer pages. Smashwords suggests offering a 50% free sample, which I think is too much. I think the trajectory of most books can be at least partially understood with a sample of between 10-30%.Libby Conehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14593946682148892617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251174860490089038.post-56517434663225691372010-06-07T22:05:43.592-05:002010-06-07T22:05:43.592-05:00I offered the first three chapters (~13%) of my no...I offered the first three chapters (~13%) of my novel as a free preview. I get the impression from reading your first review that there should be more. If a writer can't capture a reader's interest (or an agent for that matter) in three chapters, how much should they give?<br /><br />Kudos, btw, for putting yourself through that gauntlet of ebooks.DEDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07266406676643270732noreply@blogger.com