Author would appreciate some help

[markjh]

Hi everyone,

I’m very happy to say that I’ve just had my debut novel published and would love to swap thoughts and opinions on what makes a compelling read. Obviously, some of my motivation is market research, but if I don't ask people who are interested in books who can I ask! With this in mind, what do you think attracts a potential reader? Would it be the front cover like mine below or is it more likely to be on the strength of the synopsis? Just how important is the cover art and what really determines our decision to invest the time to actually sit down and read a book? As a new author, I feel these questions are very important, so any insights you can give will be greatly appreciated. It may help me not to make the same mistakes if I ever get around to writing another one!

[Red]

Hey there, Mark... Congratulations on your debut novel! ;D

Personally, the first thing that attracts me to a novel is the cover art... Then the title... only then do I go for the synopsis. But then again, that's mainly because I'm more inclined towards the visual...

Hope it helps!

[markjh]

Thanks for your reply. I think I agree that while a good cover may encourage someone to take a closer look at a book, it's really the synopsis that's the most important thing. If you get a chance to check it out, maybe you could take a look at my own synopsis. You can find it at this link: hometown.aol.co.uk/markjohnhockley/myhomepage/mywork.html
It would be great to get some feedback on it.

[markjh]

For anyone interested there are a number of mini reviews of The Magic Lands on Amazon.co.uk It would be great to hear from some readers and I'm always happy to answers questions if anyone has one!