Promotional excerpts

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matdonna

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How much of an excerpt should be posted on your website or blog to promote your book when it is about to be published?

A whole chapter? Opening page?
 

vsrenard

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I've put my first chapter on my website, with no complaints frm my publisher. I am also having a reading made of that chapter...
 

Harold

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I have a similar question.

I've launched a new site as my author platform and would like to post some excerpts, possibly as text in short video clips. I plan to query agents next month. Will using the excerpts this soon help or hurt me?
 

matdonna

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Hey, everyone, thanks for the responses! I have asked my publisher, and they okayed posting the whole first chapter. My editor said, "You have a knack for breaking chapters at intriguing moments and ch 1 will definitely make people want to read more." Chuffed about that! :)

Also one of the interior maps by our cover artist, which I think will really add interest to the site.

Now I'm just wondering WHEN to post it...I kinda think it should be after it's available for pre-order from the publisher and from Amazon. I don't want to have people excited but not be able to get the book, lest they go away and forget about it.....

Harold, we were talking here about a book that is already in the process of being published, so it's a slightly different question from yours. I don't think I would put any part of a book online myself if I were still trying to market it, but that might just be me, I don't know what people usually do in this case.
 

jmascia

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Put enough to hook the reader. I personally think 1 page isn't enough. However, if you have a first chapter that's like 20 pages long, then that might be too much. Where can you stop where the reader will feel the need to have to finish the story?
 

sasmom

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I've put excerpts from a few key chapters up for my forthcoming Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. Book is coming out in 2 months. Does it make sense to put up more, less???? Ideas???
 
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