Nate Briggs's Blog - Posts Tagged "prologue"
Is It a Prologue? Really?
Coming off a discussion of what a "prologue" is, I'm concerned, again, about the confusion that seems to be hovering around the concept of it.
Many beginning authors seem to think that it's like the TV Guide description — only longer.
What they're actually providing is a "synopsis" — a summary of the book (up to a point) that typically appears on on the dust jacket, and is one kind of sales tool to get a buyer to take the book to the register and become that book's owner.
A "synopsis" is a mistake when it explains Every Single Thing a Book Is Trying to Do. And I've even seen some that give away the story's ending (disaster).
A "prologue" is "bait in the water" and a far more useful tool for selling an e-book: since it naturally appears in the book sample. The best "prologues" generate a "read" decision in the reader: as in "wow ... I need to read this".
Startling is better. Short is better. And, in many cases, no prologue at all is the best option.
Many beginning authors seem to think that it's like the TV Guide description — only longer.
What they're actually providing is a "synopsis" — a summary of the book (up to a point) that typically appears on on the dust jacket, and is one kind of sales tool to get a buyer to take the book to the register and become that book's owner.
A "synopsis" is a mistake when it explains Every Single Thing a Book Is Trying to Do. And I've even seen some that give away the story's ending (disaster).
A "prologue" is "bait in the water" and a far more useful tool for selling an e-book: since it naturally appears in the book sample. The best "prologues" generate a "read" decision in the reader: as in "wow ... I need to read this".
Startling is better. Short is better. And, in many cases, no prologue at all is the best option.
