There are certain beginnings of books that are the kiss of death in the publishing industry and I am not talking about ‘its a dark and stormy night.’ If you are an aspiring author or even one who has written a few books, there is one beginning that you should never use, if you have any hopes about landing a publishing deal.
Many agents and publishers have admitted that beginning your book with the main protagonist waking up in bed will be rejected 99.5% of the time.
The vast majority of writers who have their character waking up in bed are doing it because its a safe place and something that the author experiences on a daily basis. It is also a big struggle with making this opening narrative captivating enough for readers. New writers are especially guilty of starting their novels in this fashion.
The best advice that can be offered on novel openings is to tap into the excitement and energy you felt when you first started to write the book. If you can get this across to the reader and immediately get them interested, you have a higher chance with an agent or publisher reading more than the opening paragraph.
via Nelson Agency
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.