Wow. Six posts into this blog and we're writing the first page? What is this? Am I crazy?
Slightly, but that's beside the point.
You may be saying, "But Grace, I don't have a front cover! I don't have my patterns completed yet! Heavens, I don't even have all my patterns planned out yet! I'm not ready to write my intro page!"
Um yes, actually you are. You sitting there at your computer or phone are ready to write the first page of your book. Beginning this journey with your introduction page is a fantastic way to truly flesh out the details of your book before you even create it. It's a sort of backwards-building technique. You write out what exactly you want the book to be, and then you go and you make it.
First, before we continue, you need a book idea. If you don't have that, you need to do some dreaming. Then, once you have your idea, head over to this post where I show you how to get your idea rolling. Once you've done all that, you're ready to write your first page.
Alright, now let's begin.
By "introduction" I mean that first page or two you'll sometimes see in knitting books. Authors discuss a bit about their book and get you ready and hyped up to begin. You don't have to include one, but I'm going to. I adore these little paragraphs because I'm an extreme "process" person. It totally gets me in the mood to create and connects me to the author. It commits me to the book. I want you to think of your introduction page as a press release of sorts. Tell everything about you, about what inspired your book idea, and what people can expect to see in your book. Imagine you have like 3 paragraphs to totally sell people on you and your book. Or, imagine someone has already bought your book and sits down with a nice cup of tea to begin reading it. You want them to go "Yes! I'm so glad I bought this book, this sounds awesome!" Seriously, make your intro so mind-blowingly fabulous that they say that out loud.
You may be scared. You may not know how to start. That's fine! I get you! That's why I'm here! Grab a notebook or open up a Microsoft Word document and follow these tips along with me. Write down any little thought that comes to your mind when you read each of these tips. Don't worry about how it sounds. You can't improve upon something you haven't written. So write it so you can improve it!
And, I must add, when I say write I don't mean design. We'll design this page much later in the process. For now, just write up a storm and save all of it for use later.
1. Introduce yourself. And make a great first impression.
These are the first words your audience will read about you. They have to love you to truly love your book (and any future books you may write). Imagine the person reading your book is a timid guest entering your private art studio. Imagine them peeping through the slightly opened door and hesitantly asking, "Can I come in?" Greet them with a friendly "Yes!" Go over there and give them a hug and ask how their family is doing! Ok, you have that picture in your mind? Go put that kind of warmth and welcome into your personal introduction.
2. Answer the question "What's in it for me?"
Let's face it. Humans want to know what they will get if they spend money on your book. It sounds selfish, but it's not. They want to know what they're trading their money for. This can be good for you because you can use this human trait to get people to purchase your book. Tell them right off the bat what they will receive. Include things like charts, graphs, picture tutorials, patterns, and/or guides to learn a new technique. Also tell people how fun your patterns are to knit! Explain how your patterns will bring joy to their lives. This sounds silly, but if you can strategically add this in, it'll do a world of good for your introduction.
3. Tell them how the book was inspired. Honestly.
Humans also like to be nosy. Give your readers a peek into your life with the story behind how the book was inspired. This will get them interested and invested in YOU and the book.
4. Tell them what to expect.
Give people a little guide of what they'll see in your book. Tell them how they should read through your book. Should they read from cover to cover, or is it okay to skip around? Should they look at the tutorial for the technique before the patterns, or are the patterns self-explanatory enough to be independent? If your book has chapters, what is contained in each? Do all of your patterns have a chart or graph or written instructions? Do all of your patterns have multiple up-close and far-away shots of the finished piece? This information will not only sell the book but also set your readers up for success.
5. Give a call to action.
Finally, to finish off, invite people to join you. Invite them to continue reading! Come along side them and give them a nice reassurance that they can do whatever it is your book is about. This adds another layer of commitment to both you and your book.
Thanks for reading! I hope this post was helpful for you. Also, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to the people who have joined the Ravelry Group. It's fantastic to hear from people who have ambitions like mine. :) So thank you thank you thank you!
-Grace
