I RECEIVED an email from a curious writer who wanted to know the ins and outs of self-publishing on Amazon. Now, because I am still on my own journey to publishing, I admittedly do not have all the answers, but one question did jump out at me. He was curious whether it was necessary to release an excerpt of his novel to early readers to help his marketing efforts. This was an interesting question because it is not a path that many local writers I’ve met usually consider. At one point, I did it for my project, but that did not turn out the way I expected, mostly because I was ignorant about some important things to consider when releasing an excerpt- which I will explain below. But if I were to give that question a general answer, I’d say: go for it.

Here’s why: beyond its marketing benefits, providing an excerpt for early readers – whether through publishing, selected readers groups, or both – is a good way to ensure that you don’t get lost in your own fantasy about how good your work is. The right set of early readers can give you valuable feedback to fix errors, gain outside perspectives and even predict the general public’s possible response to your book ahead of time.

Where marketing is concerned, excerpts help you to succinctly package your product to “sell” it to different stakeholders within the publishing process. Editors, agents (if you are heading the traditional route), publishing houses and marketing agencies may all ask for a sample of your book for consideration before taking you on as a client. If you publish your excerpt in a magazine or newspaper, you can generate interest from publishers who are looking for clients. Your published excerpt can also serve as an added item to your writing bio and build your publishing portfolio for future marketing.

Professionally, having an actual excerpt (which is more than just a chapter of your book) shows your seriousness and preparedness as a writer. Excerpts also allow the author to “test the waters” before sending their project into the world.

So how do you go about creating the perfect excerpt?

Here are a few tips
Chapter One is your first consideration. While I mentioned that an excerpt is more than just pulling a chapter from your book, if there are lots of action or conflict in your first chapter, it can serve as an immediate option to entice the reader. If you’re writing an anthology of poems or short stories, then one story or a few poems can serve as your excerpt as well.

Conflict or action is key. Chapter One may, instead, be an introduction with lots of backstory. This is not a compelling choice for an excerpt. Look at sections of your book that will draw the reader’s interest. For anthologies, choose one of your best pieces. Keep in mind that wherever you place your excerpt, it is to “sell” the idea of your book.

Choose your platform wisely. The mistake I made when releasing my excerpt was to do so without any focus on my book’s intended audience or platform. In a previous article about receiving feedback, I advised that you must consider your audience and your genre then look for people with special interest or expertise in those fields to critique your work. Similarly, you should seek to publish or share your excerpts on platforms where there are readers that will have an interest in your genre.

Be aware of required word limits. This one is a bit more tricky given the increase in options to publish. Newspapers usually have a limit of 2,000 words (if they’re being generous). Traditional magazines could extend up to 3,500 words. If you’re using your own blog or website, of course, you have unlimited space. But because of the varying word limits, make sure your excerpt generally falls within the above-mentioned range, and that it can easily be adapted to fit into smaller word limits if needed.

Switch it up. Try to save some mystery for your finished product for when you publish it. Change some of the details to make the story standalone rather than precisely out of your book. Your story is still considered to be an excerpt from your book, even with some variations.

It doesn’t have to end perfectly. You don’t need to find the perfect ending to your excerpt. It is understood that this is not your whole project. So long as there is some satisfying stopping point that will still lead the writer to want more, that is sufficient.

While most of this advice considers full-length manuscripts, you can still take these points into account if you are writing anthologies or shorter projects. With the various platforms and pathways now available for publishing, you don’t really have to stick to a rigid set of rules, especially if self-publishing is your route of choice. But features such as excerpts can help writers prepare for the road ahead, especially when doubt tries to creep in. Remember, feedback goes a long way once it is constructive.

Interested in contributing to this column on writing? Email me at thewritemind592@gmail.com