Do E-Readers Put Unfair Pressure on First Chapters?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

How important is it for readers to know what the book is about before they start reading? 

Years ago, I'd started a novel on my e-reader that my husband had recommended. I'd read other books by this author and enjoyed them, and this was a different series with new characters and world. I knew the basic premise going in, but nothing more. After several chapters I found myself getting bored, but probably not for the reasons you'd expect.

Since I'd never read the cover copy, I had no idea what the novel was about.

Since I had no clue what the novel was about, I needed the first few chapters to establish that for me to keep me hooked.

And this novel didn't do that. It focused on things that--as far as I could see--were going nowhere. I mentioned it to my husband, who gave me a quick two-sentence core conflict update. Suddenly I saw those "going nowhere" chapters in a whole new light. The tiniest bit of information made a huge difference.

I'd found this especially interesting, since I'd written about how revealing cover copy information in the opening scenes can hurt a beginning and a commenter had brought up this exact situation. I was still new to e-readers at that time, so I hadn't experienced this yet. I thought the commentor had a great point then, and I wondered how this might affect books in the future.

Now it's the future, and I ran into this again last night.

I first wrote this post back in 2014, and since then, e-readers and e-books have started providing a summary before the book starts, either in the book itself, or a little popup when you first open it. Things have changed, probably because I'm not the only reader who had this issue.

Yesterday, I read the sample downloads of three novels, and two of them didn't give me a blurb. Neither of those two I bought. The third did, and I purchased it at the end of the sample. Was it just coincidence the non-blurb ones didn't hook me, or did those novels need a little extra knowledge to make their opening chapters work? 

I suspect first chapters for ebooks need more than opening chapters of a physical novel. Not only do they have to do everything a strong opening does, but I think they have to pick up the slack from missing cover copy--and do it without making those details feel repetitious. Because I do still believe in the points from my original "revealing cover info" post.

I'm not saying we need two separate versions of our novels--just that with the wide-spread use of ebooks, we can't always count on readers knowing anything about the story when they start reading. It's our job as writers to compensate for that. 

(Here's more on Seven Deadly Sins (If You're a First Chapter)

Hooking Readers in Your Opening Chapter, even if They Never Read the Cover Blurb

Even if you take this issue out of the equation entirely, I think it's a good idea to craft the strongest opening you can. Readers have millions of novels to choose from, and the "download sample" feature makes it easy for them to test a novel before buying. I know from my own reading habits, if the first 10% doesn't make me want to hit the buy button at the end, I don't. Some of these are novels I probably would have finished had I purchased them, just because I had paid money for them.

Reading habits have changed.

In today's world of sample chapters and ebooks, we should look at our first chapters as if we know nothing about the story other than maybe genre, and determine if a reader can see where the story is going by what's there--without relying on previous cover copy knowledge.

Our opening chapters should give readers a sense that the story is going somewhere, offer strong hooks, and reasons to turn the page--and hit the "buy now" button.

Here are three questions to ask to test your opening chapter:

1. Is there a sense of a larger story brewing by the end of chapter one?

I think this is the key question, because the novel needs to feel like it's going somewhere, even if readers aren't sure where yet. If it's just characters doing "stuff" with no real goals or stakes, then the chapter risks feeling aimless.

Show a problem in the works. Drop hints of conflicts to come. Plant intriguing story questions that beg for answers. even crafting a fascinating world readers want to dive into can work, as long as the need to know more is there.

(Here's more on 4 Steps to Establish the Beginning of Your Novel) 

2. Is there a sense of tension about explode or a change about to happen?

Many novels open with the protagonist's normal world, and the problems don't appear until a little farther in, after that norm is established. The "normal" is a contrast to the "abnormal" problem--See this life? Now watch it fall apart.

These kinds of stories would likely rely on cover copy, because that's where it'll say "and then it all goes wrong." Without knowing that, it'll be harder to show story progression. The tension would have to come from somewhere else to keep readers engaged, but that tension will be even more critical to a reader who doesn't know the hook.

Hint that something is about to go horribly wrong. Drop clues of an adventure about to begin. Show a longing for things to change and suggest what that might entail. Or just get to the change by the end of chapter one.

(Here's more on Whoa, That’s Tense. 3 Ways to Raise the Tension in Your Scenes)

3. Are the elements in the cover copy mentioned or alluded to in the chapter?

If something is critical enough to make it to the cover copy, odds are it's something that will appear early on in the novel. Even a few small examples or hints can be enough to suggest the larger story in the works. But if nothing on the cover copy makes it into the first chapter? That could be a red flag that e-reader readers might need a little extra help. (Please note that this might not hold true if the first chapter focuses on someone other than the protagonist) I suspect show don't tell will come into heavy use to fix this one.

What's happening in the early chapters that will keep readers hooked? What will let them know the type of story this is, and what the protagonist(s) is trying to achieve?

(Here's more on Set Up or Start Up? Making Critical Character Traits Part of Your Plot)

These are good questions to ask of any first chapter, because making the opening stronger for those who know nothing about the book will also make it stronger for those who do. We might have to work a little harder to accomplish that, but in the end I think our books will be better for it.

What do you think about e-readers and first chapters? Would your novel pass the e-reader test? 

*Originally published January 2014. Last Updated May 2020.

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Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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