I knew it! A man’s brain IS in his penis!
According to neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Louann Brizendine, romance writers have had it right all along, a man does think with what’s between his legs!
She says, and I quote, “Women don’t always realize the penis has a mind of it’s own - for neurological reasons. The male brain has an area for sexual pursuit 2.5 times larger than female brains.”
Her book, The Male Brain, was released last week. My question for women is - Does this come as a surprise? Anyone?
In other news, as ebooks and ereaders become increasingly popular, authors in all genres are going to have to make sure to hook a reader in the first twenty pages…I’ll go a step farther. I say authors had better hook the reader in the first ten pages or less. If you own a Kindle, as my hubby does, you can download the first twenty pages of any book for free - even with my novella, Captured, you can download the first twenty pages for free via Amazon. My husband said there was a work of nonfiction he was interested in so he downloaded the first twenty pages to check it out. He knew within five pages that he had no further interest in the book so he didn’t buy it.
Those of us already in the epublishing world have been working under the premise that we must hook publishers, editors, and readers within the first few pages, sometimes in just a paragraph or two. Do I dare venture to say that we may have a leg up? Let me put it this way - a few months back I bought an expensive hardcover book based on a friend’s rec and Amazon reviews. The book wasn’t available on Kindle and there was no look inside feature. The book sucked and I felt totally ripped off. If I’d had the opportunity to read the first twenty pages, I would have known immediately that this was not the book for me and I would have skipped it altogether. So yes, I believe ereaders will change buying habits, especially if you can download a free excerpt from the book.
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March 28th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Great hook, Julia! LOL! I looked on that damn diagram for a itsy bitsy little brain in that male anatomy diagram…psych!
March 28th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
hahahahahahaha!
March 28th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
I’ve read studies that say the average reader will get hooked within the first 18 pages or not at all. Most readers are generous enough to give an author that much slack but no more. Just to be safe I try to have my hooks in by page 6! lol I think you’re absolutely right ebooks are their own developing art form the way film is separate from TV. Both can be excellent but they are structured differently. e-authors are used to moving fast and throwing those hooks out there. lol
XXOO Kat
March 29th, 2010 at 1:29 am
Am I commenting on the brain/penis dilemma (as you say, this is *news*?) or the ebook hooks?
Before I started reading for a consultancy out of London (I’m in the UK) I took with a pinch of salt that publishers’ editors could tell from the first page whether the novel was going to be decent. How wrong I was. It only took critting a few scripts to get my eye in.
Therefore, I expect ebooks to work the same for readers. The UK is just getting ereaders and Amazon USA has just allowed us non-USA citizens to upload our backlists, so this “hook them fast” is really raising its head (oops, puns not intended) So what’s to happen to all the… er…foreplay of the frontpages to a novel?
March 29th, 2010 at 4:08 am
Yeah, somehow both those bits of info make a lot of sense…
March 29th, 2010 at 5:14 am
I knew about the hooks but I’ve always suspected as much about the other;-) Thanks for the info and the chuckle!
March 29th, 2010 at 5:22 am
I’ve always tried to hook them in the first 5 pages. As for the penis - well, I’m sure us women didn’t need the study to know that. lol
March 29th, 2010 at 8:02 am
Love reading your comments - yes I do think the reading public will have less patience as time goes on. I think foreplay will still be important provided we write characters and opening scenes the reader feels invested in. But if a reader finds that after 20 pages, he or she still doesn’t really care or feel even a spark of interest, I’m betting they won’t purchase the book on the chance that by page 50 or 60 or even 100, they’ll find what they’re looking for. I suppose that if a particular ebook is very inexpensive, a reader might not care - maybe an outlay of a couple bucks won’t matter either way - but if ebooks are $10 or above? I think anything over $5 and it will matter.
Oh - computer is messed up today - using hubby’s until I can get mine fixed.
March 29th, 2010 at 11:18 am
My evil plan is to learn how to stimulate his mind at the same time.
Bwahahahahaha!
Hugs -
G.
March 29th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Well, Genella, if they are in the same place, that shouldn’t be an issue!
March 29th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
So true about that opening hook! I’d say your husband is right-the first 5 pages something better happen!
March 30th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Too funny.