How Authors Earn a Place on My Must-Read List
I recently read a book by one of my favorite authors. As I neared the halfway point, I thought to myself, “I really should slow down. I don’t want to finish this book too fast, because then I’ll be done and have to wait too long for her next book to release.”
Have you ever found yourself saying that? And then at the end, when you finally reach the last page and breathe a satisfied sigh, you also feel that terrible sense of disappointment because the book is over?
Although I always have a stack of books waiting for my attention, I’ve found that my favorite authors trump the TBR pile. The day I get their book in the mail, I eagerly start it, even if that means putting aside another book I’m reading.
I don’t look at the back blurb. I could care less about the title. And I really don’t pay much attention to the cover. When they’ve already earned my trust as a go-to author, then all that matters is the story on the pages.
I only have a handful of must-read authors whose books I
devour and then have to wait impatiently for their next release. That doesn’t
mean I don’t like other authors, because I do. It’s just that their books don’t grip me quite the same way.
So, that begs the question—what makes a book so gripping
that you wish the author would write one book a week instead of one or two a
year?
I think the answer to that question will be as diverse as we
are as humans. But here are just a few of the things that put an author onto my
go-to list:
1. The characters are vibrant and alive. I don’t have to fall in love with them right away, but I at least have to like them.
2. The pace of the story is just right. It isn’t so fast that it moves me along without allowing me to catch my breath. And yet it’s not so slow that I get droopy-eyed and am tempted to put the book down. They also have a feel for when to use exposition to tell and when to slow down a scene and show.
3. The plot is engaging. The twists and turns don’t have to wow my socks off. And the conflict doesn’t have to jump at me from every page. But the authors utilize various methods of creating tension to draw me in and hold my attention.
4. The writing is smooth. While no author or story is absolutely perfect, my go-to authors have definitely learned their writing craft and have honed their skills. I’m not jarred from the story by quirky mechanic issues.
Personally, I also have to really like how the author is able to tell a good romance tale. This will make or break a story for me. Even though all the other elements (listed above) are present, if the author fails to deliver a well-told romance, then they don’t make my list of favorites.
When authors consistently put out books that encompass the above traits, they gain my trust and subsequently earn a place on my must-read list.
Your turn! What things put an author on your must-read list?
