Have you wondered why most readers, probably you included, skip book introduction? Most authors think that the primary purpose of an introduction is to explain all the things they talk about in the book.
That can be incredibly boring, not forgetting that it’s wrong. The purpose of a book’s introduction is to engage readers and ensure they read the entire book. Know this: just because people read an introduction doesn’t mean they will complete the book.
What deters people from books is not the price but the dedication of time. People are more concerned about spending considerable time on something that is engaging and interesting. That is the purpose of an introduction. It proves to the reader that your book is worth the read.
A good introduction will grab the reader’s attention and compel them to read the book until the end continuously. You’ll always get people to read your book if you’re able to answer the question, “why should the reader care or read this book?”.
6 Things You Should Include In Your Book’s Introduction
- If you want a captivating and exciting introduction, it should include the following:
- The introduction should get the reader fascinated or involved in the book
- It should outline the reader’s core pain they’re facing
- It should show the benefit the reader will get (a better future or something worth having)
- Showcase what the reader will get in the book. It should be brief.
- The introduction should explain why you’re the expert on the subject matter
- Get the reader to be committed to reading the entire book
10 Things To Avoid In Your Book’s Introduction
- Don’t let the introduction be a summary of your book
- Avoid telling the entire story of what is already in the book
- Don’t tell your whole life story
- Don’t explain what the reader is expected to see in the book
- It’s not advisable to include a story that has nothing to do with the reader
- Your background should not be too much
- The introduction shouldn’t be too long
- Don’t start your introduction at the beginning of your life
- The introduction should not be entirely about you
- Don’t have too much autobiography
The Best Introductions Have A Formula. Follow It.
Best introductions usually follow a specific pattern or formula, which you should take notice of. Yes. It may not seem like introductions have a formula, but there is. However, you don’t have to be restricted by the formula.
You can be creative within the confines of the formula. If you don’t adhere to it, your readers will notice it, and that can cause them not to read the entire book. Here’s the formula for the introduction.
Think of a captivating sales pitch you came across recently. We bet it wasn’t a boring and uninteresting informational piece. Introductions are developed from the elements below:
1. Quickly Hook the reader.
For your introduction to work, you need to hook your reader and fast. It should quickly get their attention and compel them to pay attention to what you’re saying. When it comes to your hook, there’s no particular formula to refer from.
But you can use the three questions below to determine your hook:
- What is the most exciting story about your book?
- What facts or sentences draw people’s attention the moment they see it?
- What will your intended audience care about the most? What will most likely shock them?
2. Tell a captivating story that involves the reader’s pain
After hooking the reader, your next question to consider is, “what should your reader care?” You should not give shallow and straightforward information, and you should by no means pour down facts and figures. They can get boring too fast.
People enjoy stories, especially those that connect with their pain points. From there, they would want to know about the solution you have to offer. Of course, the answer should provide relief, happiness, and pleasure.
3. Tell a story about your reader’s pleasure.
After you’ve resonated with your reader’s pain point, you should tell a captivating story that explains the pleasure that comes from taking action. Let them know why the solutions you offer in the book are so unique, and the goal is worth the risk or pain.
4. Let them know what they’ll get from your book.
At this point, you’ve connected with their pain points, and the readers understand what’s in for them when they read your book. What you have to do next is to vividly explain how you’ll help them solve their pain and achieve comfort or pleasure.
Now make sure that this point is obvious, simple, and straightforward. Even seventh graders should be able to understand.
5. Describing your background or book’s origin
After you’ve completed the above-stated points, you have to explain who you are, why you wrote the book, and why people should care and trust what you have to say. So you need to know why you wrote the book, how you got to where you are now, including qualifications and all.
Why are you qualified to be the expert of your book? Keep in mind that the readers don’t care about you. They’ll only care about you and your story. But that is as long as it’s connected to your book and your area of expertise.
Avoid autobiography.
6. Transition to the first chapter
What’s left is for you to transition smoothly to the first chapter, get the readers ready to engage in your book.
Final Thoughts: Why You Should Write Your Introduction Last
One of the challenging parts of the book for most authors is the introduction, and that’s why we advise starting your introduction last. The reason why it’s the hardest and why you should probably leave for last is this: you use the introduction to entice, so it should sell very hard.
It would be best if you spent some time getting the introduction right. That’s because that can determine whether people will read your book or not. So you should get it right and get it right the first time.
This article was kindly contributed by BookDeal.com. If you have books that you want to sell, BookDeal is the ultimate platform. You can just scan the ISBN code of your book, enter it into the search and compare the deals from various buyers.
