(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO. Hellooo everybody! Today we're talking
about books and why people don't want to read ‘em. We've all experienced it - you
pick up a book, you're super excited to read it, and then everything goes to crap.
It wasn't what you expected, you aren't enjoying it, and you decide to throw it
out the window. If you're a writer, this is the LAST thing you want, and I'm gonna
tell you why it happens. “But Jenna, we already know why people don't finish
books - it’s because they didn't like it.” No shit, Sherlock! If someone decides
not to finish reading a book, also known as DNF-ing, it's because they weren't
enjoying it. It didn't vibe with them, they thought it
was boring, or they thought it was tired. The thing is, this feedback on its own
isn't particularly helpful for writers. How was the story boring? What about it
was tired? That's where this list comes in. I'm breaking down the ten most common
reasons that readers DNF. These are the flaws behind statements like, “I wasn't
pulled in,” or, “the characters suck.” Before we get started, I want to send all of my
love to Book of the Month, who has sponsored today's video. Book of the
Month - as you can probably already assume - is a monthly bookish subscription box
that helps readers discover the best new releases, early releases, and adult debut
fiction releases. They offer five new releases every month, and members get to
pick one of those books to be shipped directly to them. In addition to
purchasing one of the featured books, members can choose up to two featured
books, trending books, or previous books as add-ons to their monthly purchases, and they can skip any month without penalty. Book of the Month was super
generous, and sent me all five of their books for this month. I've got the
unboxing for you right here: Damn! This is a heavy box. Watch out, Butters! I just got my box from Book of the
Month and I don't want to waste any time! I want to open this sucker right now!
Book of the Month was super kind, and sent me all five of their books for the
month. I'm spoiled! Ooh, what is this? The first book is Home Before Dark by Riley
Sager. “Bells that ring themselves, record players that turn on and play music to
empty rooms, ghosts that climb out of wardrobes.” Oh, so this is a ghost story! Oh
my gosh. I'm super, SUPER excited for this! Next, we have The Last Flight by Julie
Clark. I just realized they've got little Book of the Month emblems on them. That's
really cool! Very fancy. “Two women, two flights, one last chance to disappear.” Oh,
is this like a thriller? “Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish. A
chance meeting in an airport brings her together with a woman who seems equally
desperate to flee for her life. But when the Puerto Rico plane crashes, Claire's
options narrow to one impossible choice: assume Eva's identity and along with it
the secrets she fought so hard to keep hidden.” Ooh, ooh. This looks juicy. Ooh,
I'm excited for this! Next, I've got The Vanishing Half. Ooh! I have heard of this,
and I've heard VERY good things. “Twins inseparable as children ultimately
choose to live in two very different worlds: one black and one white.” I have
heard a lot of really good things about this book, so I am excited to check it
out! It feels like this box is bottomless! There're so many books! Another one. One to
Watch. It looks like a romance. Ahhh! “Real love, as seen on TV.” Oh my gosh! So I'm getting
the vibe that this is a rom-com. I am definitely interested! (Butters’ Voice) Right, Butters? Right? Are you interested? Thank you! (Normal Voice) And
the last book is A Burning by Megha Majumdar. “An electrifying debut novel
about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise - to the middle class, to
political power, to fame and movies - and find their lives entangled in the wake
of a catastrophe in contemporary India.” This sounds super interesting, as well.
All of these books sound great, and they're all so beautiful! It looks like
they are purposely packaged for Book of the Month. And look how beautiful
they are all together! Thank you so much Book of the Month for sending these to
me! I cannot wait to dive in! If you're interested in getting your own box, head
to BookoftheMonth.com to get your first book today! Even better, you can get
your first book for only $9.99 using code SUN5. This is an AWESOME discount
for some AWESOME bookish goodies - definitely check it out! I have the
information listed below. If you want more information about all things
bookish, subscribe to my channel and ring that bell down below. I post new videos
on Wednesdays, as well as some bonus content on Mondays. And be sure to
pre-order my number one best-selling dark fantasy novel The Savior’s Sister! It's
available for pre-order right now all over the place! I'm also hosting a
massive presale giveaway. I've got the information in the description - check it
out! Now to talk about the ten (10) reasons why people are putting your book down. Let's
get to it! Number One (1): They don't have any questions.
Every single chapter you write should either produce a question, or elaborate
on an existing question. Why did he lie to her? Is her job in jeopardy?
Who started the attack? Is she really his mother?
If you end a chapter without a single lingering question, you haven't done your
duty as a writer. This is the number one reason why readers claim they
‘weren't feeling’ a story. It's also a popular reason why readers will claim a
story is boring. Even if it's the start of the book, and readers aren't yet
invested in the characters, you should still give them a reason to keep reading.
And nine times out of ten (10), that reason is a question. What is this magical letter?
Who is this mysterious pale guy? Will Tobias enter the tournament? No questions
means the reader has no reason to continue, so they're probably gonna put
the book down. Number Two (2): You answered all the questions. A lot of writers know that
they're supposed to create a question in every chapter - which is wonderful, kudos
to you! But sometimes they create a question and answer the question in the
same chapter. That's not how this shit works! Each chapter should end with a
cliffhanger, or some type of longing. Something the reader is eager to bring
to closure. It's fine to answer questions within a chapter, so long as other
questions are left remaining. Think of it like breadcrumbs.
Sure, you've sprinkled some along the floor,
but you still got a bunch more in your hand, right? Once you've run out of
breadcrumbs, the ducks have no reason to follow you. They've gotten everything
they need. Your readers are ducks - keep some breadcrumbs in your hand, and you'll
be good to go! Number Three (3): There are WAY too many questions. As we already covered,
it's great to leave questions remaining for the reader. But there comes a point
in the story where you kinda have to deliver... Recently, I read a book that
created twelve pressing questions within the first three chapters. That's four
questions per chapter! The book then went on for 150 pages without
answering a single one of those twelve questions. That was over half the book,
and not a single promise delivered on. Its like what I said about the
breadcrumbs. Sure, you want to keep some in your hand, but if you walk for a mile
without dropping a single breadcrumb, the ducks are gonna get tired of the dick tease,
and walk away. Plus, 150 pages with no answers usually means 150 pages without
focus on the plot. The questions your readers ask should directly correlate
to the plot, and if you're not answering them, that usually means you've shifted
focus elsewhere. Number Four (4): Info dumps. This is the number one reason people
claim they DNF-ed a ‘boring book.’ You overloaded them with unnecessary info
dumps, and I'm gonna wager at least seventy-five percent (75%) of those were world-building. I know
you're passionate about your world - I am too - but the number one (1) rule of
world-building is to introduce your world as it becomes relevant. If it's not
relevant, it don't matter. Period. Number Five (5): Unlikable characters.
“But Jenna, my characters aren't supposed to be good people, they're complicated.”
What if I told you ‘likable’ and ‘good’ are not synonymous? Many people find Hannibal
Lecter wildly entertaining and charming, and he literally EATS people. About fifty percent (50%)
of readers read specifically for the characters, and it's a huge bummer when
you're reading a book and you don't really like the MC. So put effort into
making the MC likeable! They can be likable because they are sympathetic or
relatable, they have struggles and traits that lots
of people can identify with. Maybe they‘re likeable because they're entertaining.
They're funny and charismatic. They have an “it” factor.
Whichever tactic you employ, and there's many, it's way easier to hook a reader if
they like the MC. And if they don't, expect a DNF in your future. Number Six (6):
Shit ain't edited. Your book is not finished until you've hired a
professional editor. BOTTOM LINE. I cannot tell you how many books I've DNF-ed
because of typos on the first page, punctuation errors in the first
paragraph, or grammar mistakes in the first line. It's not easy to read a book
riddled with mistakes. It's like walking through a minefield - minus all the death! With
every mistake, your reader is removed from the plot. They're reminded that the
story is fake. You DON’T want that. You want them to be sucked into your world,
to feel as though they're experiencing it firsthand. So for the love of God, hire
an editor! Number Seven: No trigger warnings. If you're writing content that
is potentially triggering, like domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual assault or
suicide, it behooves you to include a trigger warning somewhere in or on your
book. The point of this is not to coddle readers - it's to make sure the RIGHT
readers read your book. Some people, whether it's for trigger reasons or
personal preference, do not want to read about graphic violence. And guess what?
That is a hundred percent (100%) their prerogative! As a reader, it's really
frustrating to go into a book that has given you ZERO indication that there
will be upsetting content, and then be hit with a scene that you would have
NEVER chosen to expose yourself to otherwise. If you want to make sure
you're attracting the right readers, and your book includes some potentially
triggering content, just add some trigger warnings. It's super easy! This will lower
your chances of one-star reviews, and attract the kind of readers that will
gobble your story up. Number Eight (8): Regurgitation. Also known as cliche! Every
writer has tropes they adore or genres they love, and thus we'll see a lot of
that in their writing. Maybe they only write science fiction, maybe they're
absolutely obsessed with enemies-to- lovers. That's fine! But there’s
a big difference between that and regurgitating what has already been
popularized by other authors, or what's already been popularized by yourself.
Recycling the same lines and same story over and over and over. This is what we
refer to as ‘cliche.’ It’s lines, phrases, and tropes that are overused, particularly if
they're not repackaged or subverted in some way. I know you think you're hitting
a home-run because some other author already got popular off this, but readers
are bored of it, because they've already read it a thousand times. Rather than
guaranteeing yourself sales, you're guaranteeing yourself some DNF’s. Number
Nine (9): Glorification. Life is filled with horrors like abusive relationships, drug
addiction, or mental illness, and it's perfectly fine to represent these
realities in your fiction. But representation is not the same thing as
glorification or romanticization. ‘Romanticization...’
It's a hard word. If a story is representing an abusive relationship, it’s
presenting it as multifaceted and complex but inherently negative. If a
story glorifies or romanticizes abuse, its presenting it as normal, sexy, and
even desired. (Sarcastically) Wow, I really wish a hot guy would try to break my arm! Swoon! (Normal Voice) Look, no
one is telling you you can't write dark shit. Hell, my books are filled with
torture and decapitation. But it's about the manner in which you express this
content. If you're presenting depression as beautiful and poetic - something only
the coolest, deep thinkers suffer from - then you're glorifying mental illness.
Readers are gonna get grossed out and they're gonna put the book down. And
Number Ten (10): Filler. The back of the book blurb makes a promise to the reader, like
romance, adventure, or drama. But sometimes people open up a book expecting one
thing, and are met with something completely different! There are many
reasons for this. Sometimes it's improper advertising, or placing the book in the
wrong target audience, but a lot of the time it's filler. A book may promise to
be a thrilling ghost story, but instead we see the MC meander through their
world, having casual conversations with family and friends. You know, the boring
shit. It's fine to include content that is not plot specific -
this is where subplots come into play - but if your book is packed with
day-in-the-life shenanigans that have no relevance to the plot,
you've overindulged on filler. The reader is going to get bored, and they're likely
gonna walk away. So that's all I got for you today! Thank you so much to
Book of the Month for sponsoring today's video! Not only did they give me SO many
amazing books, but they've also got a special discount just for you guys!
Use code SUN5 to get your first book for only $9.99! I have the information
listed below! Check it out! Don't forget to subscribe to my channel, I post new
videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring
that bell. The Savior’s Sister is available for pre-order in eBook,
paperback, and hardback. It's available all over the place, plus I'm holding a
MAJOR presale giveaway! I am handing out well over 35 prizes! All the information
is in the description - get on it! And be sure to follow me on social media! I'm on
Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook - and of course, you can Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Male Voice) You've read Tobias's story. Now, it's time for Leila’s! The Savior’s Sister, coming
soon...
