It'll Be Better Tomorrow

[Brian]

Sylvie had issues with creating the thread, so I posted for her. She wants to know:

Would you buy this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Itll-better-tom...

[Brian]

Sylvie,

The first thing I notice is the title. Words appear to be capitalized in a rather haphazard manner. Comes across as a little unprofessional. Note that typically I don't even pay much attention at all to the title; the fact that something stood out to me as a negative isn't good.

1. Description

Very short. Doesn't tell me anything about the individual stories in the anthology. Is this by one author or a bunch of authors? Are these fiction or true?

Basically, I'm left without any real understanding of what I'm being sold.

Overall, I'd probably move on to the next book based solely on the description.

2. Reviews

There are none. Combined with the title and description, really makes me feel that the author hasn't made a lot of effort to be professional. If the author isn't going to go through the effort to be professional on the Amazon page, why would I think that the writing is any good?

3. Sample

The sample immediately give credence to the idea that this might be a quality work as the author appears to have had a long career and several of the anthology's stories have been previously published in magazines. This fact might be good to mention in the description!

The start of the first story is abrupt in that there's no separation between it and the author's foreword. Recommend tweaking the formatting. Include a page break at the very least.

I could immediately tell in the first page that the author had a clue about how to write. As a fantasy/sci-fi reader, I don't think I'm the target audience, so I wasn't immediately enthralled. I can understand, however, that the people who will be buying this book aren't going to have a problem with the writing.

Basically, my advice would be to spend a bit more time on the Amazon page. Spruce up the description. Give a few highlights of some of the stories. Play up the fact that some of them were previously published.

Hope this helps!

Brian

[Sylvie]

All good points. I think I'm forgetting that readers won't have the book in their hands as all your points are answered in my preface. I'll certainly take a look at the Amazon page. But actually there is a review, isn't there (assuming one clicks on the cover and goes to the Amazon page)?

[Brian]

Sylvie wrote: "All good points. I think I'm forgetting that readers won't have the book in their hands as all your points are answered in my preface. I'll certainly take a look at the Amazon page. But actually..."

This is what I'm seeing on Amazon.com:

Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet.

Perhaps you're looking at a non-USA Amazon page?

Thanks.

Brian

[Gregory]

As with most people, the first things I notice are the title and the cover.

A few thoughts on those. First, the title gives the vibe of a "helpful living" sort of book. Not that that's a bad thing, but it was my first impression, and I only want to have full disclosure here. Beyond that, the second part of the title doesn't match (Amazon shows "An anthology celebrating senior citizens" // Book shows "An anthology celebrating advancing years"). To me, it looks like you aren't sure what the title is and would force me to therefore question how good the work within is.

Next, I see the cover, and I can't help but get distracted by the lines that seem like it was open in a visual editor and taken a screenshot of. Perhaps that was the intended effect, but I fail to see how it vibes with what the book appears to be about. In other words, the cover itself looks as though its still being edited and therefore incomplete.

After this first look, I would simply pass the book over. That might seem unfair, but in honesty, that's what I would do. Also, in fairness, I wouldn't originally be interested in this particular book because of its subject matter anyway, but that's only taste and preference.

I look on and it sounds like its probably a fine book. Looking inside, I see that it appears to be competently written, and it's nice to see the accolades. Consider showing those on the page. Also, you might try and find readers that have given it a shot in order to get a few early reviews. It would lend credibility to the work and potentially garner attention.

I hope I've helped! Good luck with it.

[Sylvie]

Thank you both. You have confirmed what I have long suspected: that (I think) I am quite a good writer but rubbish at self promotion and technology. The wording in the cover was inconsistent because it was sent back four times to the printers (Lightning Source), changing titles in the process. The last time they reverted to the incorrect title and by the time I observed it, I was anxious to get it out for Christmas and let it go. One should never be in a hurry! I don't agree about the picture. I think the road leading into an attractive distance is OK.

Clearly this was not intended for fans of fantasy/sci-fi, and I wonder if there is a case for creating genres within your group. I am aiming at my own generation and the one below who either have experience of advancing years or are caring for them. They usually get a bad press and I wanted to put them in a positive light. They are the generations who lived through the Second World War and post-war austerity.

But I know I did the final stages in too much of a hurry and will remedy that for my next book (which will be centred on the same generation and the very current problem of internet spam which has robbed them of considerable sums of money, at least in this part of the world).
Best, Sylvie

[Gregory]

Sylvie wrote: "Thank you both. You have confirmed what I have long suspected: that (I think) I am quite a good writer but rubbish at self promotion and technology. The wording in the cover was inconsistent bec..."

Glad to have provided any sort of help. I did, however, want to clarify what I meant about the cover. I think the cover image (the lush landscape and the road) is perfectly fine, even inviting. I was directly referencing the guidelines that seem to surround parts of the cover itself. They look as if they are artifacts leftover from the editing software.