The 34-second Rule for Writers

by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

How do people buy books? Even though we may not be aware of it, we all use the 34-second rule.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1.   Pick a genre

 Most of us know what type of book we want when we’re browsing shelves in a book store or surfing the web. Maybe we want a mystery, something scary. We know where to go to find one on the internet or in the book store, so pretend your reader is standing in front of the shelf. (If the reader has a favorite author, he or she will probably start there but pretend they are searching for something new.)

Step 2. Pick a cover

The first thing that attracts a reader is the cover. Colors, clarity, titles – all of these are hand-picked by a publisher to convince that reader to select that particular book. It’s a real science, one that only a very few are really good at. 

Step 3. Pick a pitch 

Next, the reader turns the book over and reads the back-of-the-book blurb. In How to Write a Synopsis Without Turning Homicidal,Gracie O’Neill says “Your back-of-the-book blurb is a filter, an advertisement, a need generator.” (Italics mine.) When a potential buyer picks up your book, a decision is being made as to whether money will be exchanged. So, what does your blurb say to that reader? They will be asking themselves, “Do I NEED this book? Has my curiosity been aroused enough to lay that money down?” If the answer is no, the book will go back on the shelf.

Step 4. Pick a first paragraph

The first paragraph is the clincher. If a reader has gotten that far, they’re interested. But if that first paragraph doesn’t hook them, it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the book is.

Do you know how long this usually takes? 34-seconds. Just a little over half a minute. The decision is made and the book either goes into the shopping cart or back on the shelf. 

And that makes the difference as to whether the author makes money from it. 

Of course, it’s a little different when someone is purchasing a book online – they have access to reviews and a little bit more copy. But it still is the same process. 

Most buyers make quick decisions based on a small amount of information.

So, how can you make your book as attractive as possible to those buyers?

Let’s follow the same basic steps:

Step 1. Clarify your genre

With the advent of online book stores, we’re able to use many more ‘modifiers’, i.e., sub-genres. Instead of a rack where suspense thrillers and cozy mysteries – basically the polar opposites of each other – line up side by side, now we can define our books by any of the twenty-two (or more) types of mystery genre fiction. A little research into these sub-genres can give our readers the ability to choose Sherlock Holmes-type mysteries as opposed to Nero Wolfe-type mysteries. So, be sure to know exactly who your target audience is, and what they will be interested in. If you’re selling a steam-punk historical, for instance, make sure everything about your book screams ‘steam-punk’ so your ideal reader can find it.

Step 2. Find a cover

If you’re publishing through an established house, you probably won’t have a lot of say in your cover. Unless it’s absolutely horrible, I suggest you trust them to choose, based on their market research, something that will work. 

If, instead, you’re publishing your own book, I recommend you hire a cover artist. Even though Aunt Josie can draw a good picture or take a beautiful photograph, it may not be appropriate for cover art. 

Remember, when the book cover is displayed online, it needs to be clear and uncluttered, with the title and your name prominently displayed, and exactly on target for what you’re selling. If it’s muddled or amateurish, it’s very easy for the buyer to click on the next one.

Step 3. Write your back-of-the-book blurb

Can you tell your story in fifty words or less? If you need help, check out my 2-part blog on How to Write a Synopsis without Turning Homicidal. The process for a blurb is very similar. The things to look for are clarity, brevity, and emotional punch. Remember, it’s a need generator. The buyer has to discover a NEED to buy your book and the blurb is your best-selling tool.

Step 4. Make the first paragraph the best first paragraph ever

Evaluate your beginning. Is it the strongest it can be? Can you make it better? Does it create a question in your reader’s mind that makes them want to buy the book so they can find out what happens? (Then, make sure the rest of the book is as good!)

The more you know about the psychology of selling books, the better your books will sell. It’s not that hard. You can do your own research no farther away than your own bookshelf. Something attracted you to spend your hard-earned money on the books you own. Check out the covers. Read the blurbs. Read as many first paragraphs as you can. Why did you buy those books? 

Then, armed with knowledge, you can make sure the books you write are just as attractive to readers.

What kind of covers attract you? What is your favorite blurb? Or first paragraph?

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The 34-second rule for writers - tips from @SarahSallyHamer on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

34-seconds is all the time an author has to interest a reader - @SarahSallyHamer on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Sarah (Sally) Hamer is a lover of books, a teacher of writers, and a believer in good stories. Most of all, she is eternally fascinated by people and how they 'tick'. She’s passionate about helping people tell their own stories, whether through fiction or through memoir. Writing in many genres - mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, medieval history, non-fiction – she has won awards at both local and national levels, including two Golden Heart finals.

A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twelve years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at www.margielawson.com. Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors. You can find her at www.sallyhamer.blogspot.com or on Twitter @sarahsallyhamer.

I wish to express gratitude to the giants whose shoulders I stand on, from whom I learned the craft of writing. I would list every one, if it were only possible.