Recently there has been an upsurge in old books being re-printed either by publishers or by authors who’ve obtained their rights back. Many of these older books, and I’m thinking of Georgette Heyer and others of her ilk, spent time introducing the reader to the story. This is particularly important when an historical writer wants to do something that is not period accurate. However new authors are told to jump the reader into the story.
I recently downloaded a sample of a book that received rave reviews. The author started out with a scene that was so completely historically inaccurate I didn’t even get past the first page. If she would have been encouraged to lead up to that scene, I may very well have stayed with her and bought the book. As it was, I deleted the sample and re-read one of my Georgette Heyer’s.
The point, that I’ve taken my time getting to, is that there is a market for, so-called, older style books, otherwise they would not be in reprint or doing well as e-books. Publishers don’t print what they don’t think they can sell, and why should they? What I do not understand is the reason new authors are being pushed to begin their novels by going right for the action, when books with a lead-in still sell.
ellaquinnauthor
That was an interesting post. Thanks for sharing.
Ella, I have to say that I believe there can be a market for both types of books. I am not a history buff and wouldn’t know historical accuracy if it bit me in the bum. All I know is, and I believe I fall in the larger of the two categories, if a book doesn’t grab me in the first couple of pages–sometimes in the first paragraph–I don’t read it.
That’s not to say someone else couldn’t enjoy the book. I believe in equal rights for all books but from a publisher’s perspective where the difference of a few hundred sales means the difference between making a profit on the work you’ve invested in or not – I can understand wanting to seek work that’s more marketable.
That being said, the indie market is a perfect opportunity for those authors (like me) who write out of the box. Just my two cents worth but today it’s no extra charge.
I personally love a good GH novel, but there are times when I do want to get right to the action. I think the solution between the two extremes is a compromise and it should be the publisher, agent and writer’s duties to make sure that the even though the book starts off with action, the scene is historically accurate. If more books could achieve this proper balance, I think the level of writing would be better and yet the books would still catch a reader’s attention right away.
Great blog post!
You wrote – What I do not understand is the reason new authors are being pushed to begin their novels by going right for the action, when books with a lead-in still sell.
I have a theory about that – and it has nothing to do with style or genre – it has to do with overstressed – overworked agents trying to find books to represent. They don’t have the time to read 25 – 30 pages to get into the story. If by page 3 they don’t know the main characters names and what’s going on – they move on.
If by page 3 – I’ve figured out who’s who and what the problem is – I usually flip to the back to see if I’m right and then toss it because I don’t need to read it. I want to get wrapped up in character, setting – sweep me away. I can handle some inaccuracy – some! if the characters and setting enthrall me.
When asked who my favourite authors are – I’ll mention Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers – they set the place and the people – then delve iinto the story.
I agree, I like the setting to be set before I get into the action. Otherwise I feel something is missing or I’m playing catch-up.
Ella
I like to be pulled into a story. I don’t like too much detail. I do believe there should be a good balance in details/descriptions and action. Great post!
Because I write historicals, I’m really stunned by an historical that jumps into action that is not correct for the period! You’ve got me intrigued. My question would be, why write in that period if you don’t want to use the period’s parameters? But I digress.
I think publishers are looking for what will sell and the trend for today seems to be action. I’ve been told numerous times to hook the reader in the first two pages and action (if it’s well done and plausible) will do that. I tend to use action of some sort to begin my stories–I don’t think I’ve ever started with description or set up.
I, as a reader, like a book to start with action and suck me into the story. But there are readers who want that slow introduction, as you point out with the upsurge in GH books being reprinted. There should be room for both styles, especially with the ease of self-publishing these days.
Great post, Ella! Enjoyed it!
A thought-provoking post! And very pertinent to today’s romance market. I think it has to do with how engaging the opening is, which often means action.
There are still authors out there who are able to write a story which starts out slowly and builds into the action. The thing is, they’ve paid their dues. They’ve worked hard and learned how to write stories according to the modern requirements of the publishing industry. They’ve proven they can do so. And then, they have purposefully made the choice to break those rules for a very specific reason. Mary Balogh comes to mind. In one of her Huxtable novels, if I’m not mistaken, the entire first chapter weaves back story, told with exquisite detail, and she does most of it in an omniscient POV.
That sort of thing is not going to work for a debut author. New authors have to prove, not only to agents and editors, but to READERS, that they can tell a good story from start to finish, hooking the reader in and not letting them go until the last page, before they’re going to be given the chance to break those sorts of rules. So, if you want to get to where you can write stories like that and have them published, then you need to first learn to write to the standards of today’s publishing industry.
Then, once you’ve learned all of those rules and understand why they’re in place in today’s publishing industry, THEN you can start trying to break them when it serves your purpose. But at least at that point, you’re making an educated, informed decision. But a publisher might still not let you do it in a published book until you have many, many, many successful books under your belt.
Lacey.
My question goes to why those are the rules now. They didn’t used to be.
There are countless reasons why the “rules” have changed over the years. The primary one, in my mind, is that the world has changed so drastically. Fifty years ago, a hundred years ago, two hundred years ago, the world moved at slower pace. People had more time to devote to something before they decided that it either needed to grip them or they would move on to something else.
Today, readers also have TV, movies, the internet, live sports events, rock concerts, video games, Twitter, Facebook, etc., etc. etc. all vying for their attention. If they aren’t hooked fast (in TV/movies, I think they say you have a minute), then they’ll move on to something else. Because don’t forget, they’ve also got work and friends and family, and the kids have to go to their soccer game and band concert tonight, and the dog needs a trip to the vet, and oops, Grandma fell down and is on her way to the hospital.
There are still readers who are willing to take some more time in getting to the meat of the book. But most of those readers are picking up literary fiction, not commercial fiction. If you’re writing commercial fiction, which I assume you are since it seems like you’re leaning towards historical romance, you aren’t afforded that luxury. Sorry.
Learn to write something that will grip the readers from the first page…and then, once you’re a star in your genre, then you can try to delve outside of the norm.
I believe the re-printed books do so well because they are by known and established authors. I think those authors can get away with taking more time to get into the story because the reader knows the story is going to be well written. I really think, in most instances, new authors cannot get away with this. I say most because I’m a firm believer that there is always an exception. We live in a fast paced world where people want what they want right away. I think this holds true with books as well, for the most part. I believe most people want to get into the action or heart of the story sooner rather than later. As for why new authors are told to do this, it’s because that’s what sells for new authors.
When I first started writing historical romances, I entered a lot of contests to get feedback on what I was doing right and wrong. My first story, a time travel, started off a bit slow with the background of what led up to the heroine’s travel back in time to the hero during the Civil War.
All the advice I got was to start the book off with a bang to snag readers. And all the writing books and workshops I took all led to the conclusion that an editor won’t read past the first page unless the story starts off with something riveting.
I understand that it what we are being told. If that was always the case there wouldn’t be a question. But that doesn’t explain the continued success of Georgette Heyer and other older authors? Or even authors who wrote only ten to twenty years ago?
It seems to me there are two separate issues here: historical accuracy and whether you have to start with a dramatic/actiony hook vs. a more gradual lead-in. Would the more abrupt beginning of the sample you downloaded still have been an issue to you if the situation had been historically accurate?
Not as much. I still like a longer introduction to the book.
We live in a NOW society. Get it now, Have it now. Most people don’t have time/patience to get to know the characters. If Georgette’s old stuff is selling, I’d say it’s because of few are taking time to find and get into them.
Or as a break from do everything right away.
Ella
I like to be “grabbed” in the first couple of pages, and if I’m not, I might push through the rest of the book, but I most likely won’t read that author again. Historical inaccuracy is different, though. I’m not an expert, and so I might miss it sometimes, but something blatantly out of whack is going to throw me out of the story. I think there is room in the market for writers who like to set a stage, and those who like to “jump in”, and that’s what makes our genre so interesting. We have SO MANY different types of romance. If you like, you can browse the romance section of a store, or library, and find steam-punk, Regency, contemporary, paranormal, inspirational, Chick-Lit, and many others that combine sub-genres. It really is the most diverse genre of writing, I think, and I’d like to think there is room for everyone. Great post, Ella!
Thoughtful post, Ella. Seems little has changed since one of my professors claimed there was a ‘taxi-driver test’ for selecting a book. Check the cover, read the first paragraph. If you aren’t ‘grabbed’, the book goes back on the shelf. This was long before technology made us expect the immediate. There’s a place for the so-called ‘long-tail’ of writing but writers and publishers are competing for an audience that is more likely to wait for the film than curl up with a long read. Write according to your own expectations and standards. Otherwise, you’re just another hack making a quick, transitory buck.
I haven’t read a ‘New York Best-seller’ I really enjoyed for years. I don’t expect that to change in the near future.
I hope we can eventually find a balance between embarking on an interesting journey that combines jumping into the story and some decent character development! Thanks for the interesting topic!
I’m with you, Ella. I like an introduction and a slower build. I also love detail and sweeping descriptions that plant me smack dab into the story, as if I’m not just reading about fascinating people, but I’m actually witnessing what’s going on. As a long-time history buff of specific eras I cringe when I read blatant inaccuracies, but will forgive small details. Afterall, we’re all human and we all make mistakes.
As for the question as to why publishers prefer books begin with a bang, I think it’s all about the fast pace we live in. I do think the modern attention span borders on ADD. I honestly don’t think we’re busier than people were 100-200 hundred years ago when common folk worked from sun-up to sundown and embraced the classics and works of writers such as Austen, Thoreau, and Poe, not to mention Shakespeare. Their time was as precious as ours. They didn’t have technology pulling them away from holding a book and reading,but they also didn’t have technology to get work completed faster,not to mention the lack of good lighting.
It’s the publishing world moving at the pace of its readers. I have a feeling we’re in the minority,so it’s go with the flow or stand still.
Great post to get people thinking!
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