How to keep a reader interested

I get this question a lot, “how do I keep a reader interested?” Its a rough one to answer because it can often depend on the type of reader you want to attract but I will offer my general rules here.

Evoke emotions in the reader

People will be interested in something they care about. Therefore, if you evoke pity or anger in the reader then they will want to know what happens next. This does not mean annoy them with the first line or give your protagonist the saddest backstory there e...