10 Reasons Why Readers Quit a Book
by Jacqui Murray
It used to be I almost always finished any book I started. I'd think about all the work the author put into writing it, figure it was my personal lens not their skill, and continue in the hope I'd learn a different way of thinking. Over the years, I've changed. With Kindle Unlimited, I can borrow a book, read a few chapters, and then return it with no muss or fuss. Now, I quit about 10% of the books I start even after spending the time to preview, read the blurbs, and explore reader comments.
Why? There are good reasons to not
invest the time required to finish a book:
- Characters aren’t likable. If I don't find a character to root for in the first
few chapters, I'm probably not going to keep reading. It doesn't have to
be the MC, just someone who I'd like to travel 300 pages or so with.
- Plot develops too slowly. This is a personal choice because I love thrillers. I
like fast-paced plots with dramatic consequences. I'm not into those that
explore every tangential character, their lives and motivations. I'll
whisper this next: I'm not a fan of literary
fiction for those same reasons.
- Plot is too complicated. This happens in political thrillers often. They
usually have so many moving parts, my head spins. I used to track all
those subplots well but not anymore. Once I no longer connect actions and
consequences, I start skipping things. Honestly, I think it has more to do
with age than organic reasoning.
- Plot is unrealistic
(and it isn’t science fiction or fantasy). I want to willingly suspend my
disbelief, root for a superhero who can save the world without backup. If
an author can make me believe that, I'll read the entire series. Case in
point: The Jess Williams Westerns. Jess can shoot his gun faster
than is humanly possible but the author (Robert Thompson) made me believe
it so completely that I've read all 100 books in
the series. And am
waiting for the next.
- No hook.
The book has a dazzling plot, believable characters, set in a
perfectly-described scene, but the author forgot the hook. Why do I care?
Well, another word for 'hook' is 'theme'. It ties all the characters and
subplots together into a sensible package. Without it, maybe I don't care
that Julio lost his job or Amanda broke her fingernail.
- Author is preachy.
I don’t want the author’s opinions on a subject for more than a paragraph.
If I wanted preaching, I’d go to church. Same goes for politics. For
many--including me--reading is an escape from politics. Let them escape.
The exception of course are novels that deal with politics like Alan
Drury's Advise and Consent.
- I can’t see what’s going on. The author hasn’t sufficiently fleshed out the scenery
or filled my senses with the world inhabited by the characters. It's
common for new authors to forget about the senses but it's a fatal flaw.
Our lives are lived in full color. The stories we read must be also.
- Author didn’t do his/her research. I’ve caught too many errors and no longer trust what
the author is telling me. This is especially important in my genre,
historic fiction, where readers expect to be wrapped in the atmosphere of
the time. A writer can make one mistake, but two is a trend. Three is an
end.
- Author made mistakes.
A character has red hair one scene and black the next. It was a drizzly
day when the chapter opened and the characters dress for summer–for no
reason. We all do that but fix it before publication. If you find you're
missing these, hire an editor.
- A dog is killed for no reason (or a horse). Or abused. This is personal. I can't stand seeing a dog murdered
when their entire life's goal is to make us happy. I relate to John
Wick's homicidal tirade after someone killed his dog. Remember the
dog-death scene in I Am Legend? Why did they have to include that?
One I used to consider deadly was
POV switches. I hated when the author jumped in and out of characters heads
with abandon. Unfortunately, I see that often now, even from good writers, so I
am more tolerant.
What are your reasons for giving up
on a book?
If you'd like to chat more about
this, you can find me at these social media locations:
Amazon Author
Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jacqui-Murray/e/B002E78CQQ/
Blog: https://worddreams.wordpress.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquimurraywriter/
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jacquimurray
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher
Twitter: http://twitter.com/worddreams
Website: https://jacquimurray.net
Upcoming Book
Laws of Nature
Planned
publication: Summer 2021
A boy blinded by fire. A woman raised by wolves. An avowed
enemy offers help. Can they save Lucy's tribe?
Short Summary
Lucy and her band of early humans struggle against the harsh
reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent
new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they
survive.
If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t
get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. It will bring that
world to life in a way you've never seen before.
Author Bio:
, the
story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval
Academy, the Man vs. Nature saga, and the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers. She is also
the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education,
adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her
next prehistoric fiction, Laws of Nature, Summer 2021.Thank you for your post, Jacqui!
Please leave a comment for her.
I used to be like that. Had to finish a book if I started it, even when every page was like drawing a tooth. But a bit more relaxed now. To each his own, I now realize. The author does not become a bad person if I don't finish her book.
ReplyDelete"Drawing a tooth"--boy does that beget an image, Ankur!
DeleteI don't finish some books now for those very reasons. Unlikable characters and plodding story kill it often for me. And never kill the dog. I'll never read or watch the movie for Marley and Me because I know the dog dies in the end.
ReplyDeleteIt's usually so unnecessary--dog death--and seems to symbolize the death of innocence. I'm not that gal.
DeleteFor many of the same reasons... This is a great reminder to keep us on track as writers!
DeleteGreat guest post, Chrys, and I couldn't agree more with Jacqui's list. I had a dog drown in a flood in one of my books (it was supposed to show the terrible tragedy of the flood). A beta reader said, "No, don't risk it!" So, I changed it to a rat. Much better. And I don't feel that I need to finish books anymore either. There are too many good ones out there to spend my time on ones I don't enjoy. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm like that even with vicious dogs because they didn't start nasty. They learned it.
DeleteThank you so much for hosting me, Chrys! What a joy to chat with your followers.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! It's awesome to see your followers visiting. :)
DeleteI will put up with poor writing in non-fiction more than fiction. I am currently reading such a book (for information) and I'm thinking this could be a great story if creatively told, but instead I have to be content with struggling through it--but I want the information. I will easily give up on a work of fiction.
ReplyDeleteGood to see Jacqui on your blog!
sagecoveredhills.blogspot.com
https://fromarockyhillside.com
That's what I like about Creative Non-fiction--it includes the best traits of fiction while losing none of the authenticity. Thanks for dropping in, Jeff!
DeleteI generally finish what I've started. It's rare for me to give up on a book or a movie. The one consequence is I'm unlikely to read anything else by the same author in the future if I'm left unsatisfied.
ReplyDeleteThe main deal breaker from your list to me is realism. Fiction doesn't give license to writing the impossible or actions that someone would never choose in real life.
I'm a bit wishy washy on that. "Willing suspension of disbelief"--that must happen which requires some grounding in reality.
DeleteYou're more forgiving on POV switches than I am. That said, as you point out, a lot of this is personal. I like an eclectic mix of reads, some 'literary', but regret to say that mental challenge has been a reason for me - ie some books are just too 'difficult' - or perhaps too difficult for that current point in my life. Don DeLillo and James Joyce are examples here. Bit embarrassing as I studied English language and linguistics.
ReplyDeleteJames- Joyce--spot on. I don't even try the Cliff Notes on that.
DeleteThis is a great list, Jacqui. I don't mind POV switches as long as they happen at a change of scene or chapter- it's annoying when it's every other paragraph!
ReplyDeleteIf the story has pages of sex (romance reader here :)) it turns me off instead of on, lol. I don't need to know how A fits into B into C, and so on- really, it's okay!
The other thing that kills a story for me is if it drags. I can't read if the words are putting me to sleep.
Agreed with all your points. The dragging--I think the author is trying to get me into the characters head and emotions but I much prefer to do that through action.
DeleteGreat post. #1 and #2 especially turn me off. I really need a face-paced story to continue reading.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I'll like the character by their actions, not their thoughts.
DeleteThis was great, Jacqui, and spot on. Ten things, as writers, that we need to remind ourselves of.
ReplyDelete'Lo, Chrys:)
Well thank you! I just quit another book today and am analyzing why the next in my TBR pile has already gripped me. I love it!
DeleteI think school trains us to finish books because assignments. There's something liberating about not finishing a book that you just can't get into. I can't do literary fiction, either.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. I think you're right, even though it's been a while since school.
DeleteI quit a book should I get bored with it, may be the storyline or chatacters.
ReplyDeleteI have always been an avid reader since I was a child and it was the same then.
Loved the post.
Yvonne.
I finally caught up with what you do--I just stopped reading one book today. Just didn't do it for me.
DeleteI usually finish a book once I start it, even if I'm not enjoying it. I don't know what it is, once I start, I feel like I HAVE to finish. I remember once I stopped reading a book because it was getting a little preachy for me. It was a fantasy book, too, and it just kinda took me out of it.
ReplyDeletePreachy really makes me quit. It's hard enough to allow those I love to preach at me!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Jacqui here, Chrys! She’s been an inspiration for me and I agree with many of her book “turn-offs,” I like how you fleshed out this list, Jacqui! To me, a book has to keep moving. Fiction as well as memoir and even non-fiction, in which I don’t like too much repetition. In many self-help books, I feel the author could have shared the same content in half the size of the book.
ReplyDeleteI think self-help books wander into pontificating, which I don't like. Personalize is fine. Thanks, Liesbet! Have a wonderful week.
DeleteI burst out laughing at the 100 books in the series. I've noticed that I have less patience as I get older for plots. The head hopping POVs bugs me. Or series which flip between characters with each book (I like to stick with the character I first fell in love with). Bad dialogue bugs me, or insane emotional reactions, or stupid characters...I'll just have to restate the getting older part, I guess ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd the author did a celebration when he hit 100. He'd planned on a trilogy! I love that series.
DeleteSoooo very useful to know from a lady who has tremendous experience. Thank you, Jacqui for this valid info. I'm currently reading a great book for authors in making their readers into "Superfans" and he (David Gaughan) addresses this exact issue--readers DNF'ing our books. So making the sale is far from the end of the author's journey to success. It's remarkably high, the percentage of readers who either don't open your book or start it and don't finish it. I rarely DNF a book but I am doing it more now in the last five years. I think it's an age thing, too. I don't have the same patience for slow plots, too many POV's and no hook. Thank you, Chrys, for sharing Jacqui's wisdom here.
ReplyDeleteDNF--love that term, Lisa. Thanks for sharing it!
DeleteI very rarely quit a book I've started, but if I do, it's probably around the 50 page mark. A lot of it depends on the reader's mood. Sometimes, you're just not in the mood for a certain story.
ReplyDeleteI try to give slow books 25% but don't always make it. And you're right about mood--sometimes, I'm just not interested and it has nothing to do with the writer.
DeleteI hope my comment doesn't come up twice. I lost it the first time. I found this list of reasons why readers quit reading to be right on the mark, and I found the comments from others very interesting too. I agree with most of them. I'm convinced that Jacqui has control of all the reasons readers quit and has managed to avoid these pitfalls in her own writing. I love her books and can't stop reading them once I start.
ReplyDeleteAren't you a ray of sunshine in my cloudy California morning. Thank you, Anneli!
DeleteI can't bear abuse of any kind in a book, whether it's children, animals, old folks--whatever.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Me, too. I've drifted more toward cozies as I grow older.
DeleteExcellent reasons to stop reading! My biggest reason for walking away is the unlikability of the characters. I once read a story hashed on an old electric typewriter. It was filled with grammar errors and the writing was elementary, but the main character had so much likability, I didn't care. I had to know how the story would end. But if they're not worth rooting for, I don't care how beautifully written the book is, I'm putting it down.
ReplyDeleteReally good point--and you're right! I will tolerate a lot in the real world too for people I like.
DeleteFor me, it's mostly slow starts that get me. I figure if a writer can't get things moving in the most important part of the story (the beginning) they probably aren't going to be able to do it through the book either. thanks for the list Jacqui.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the beginning. So many writers swear the story gets better when the reader gets into it but will they read that far?
DeleteExcellent points made in this blog Jacqui! These are the very reaons it is imperative that authors use beta readers and proofreaders before they hit the publish button. This blog is food for thought and will help new and experienced writers alike. Thank you for sharing your ideas with us. Thank you, Chrys for hosting Jacqui. You have a new follower in me.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Mark. It is basics, don't you think? I appreciate your thoughts.
DeleteA 100-book series? Holy Toledo! I ordered the first one right now when I read this. Just to let you know, Jacqui, 101 and 102 are now out. LOL! This is an excellent list, one writers should take to heart. Thanks Jacqui and Chrys for a great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Jacqui and Chrys ... I definitely need to be engaged ... otherwise count me out. I struggle to read fiction now ... but have read one of Jacqui's and it's excellent ... but I can't stand bad, faded endings ... having read the book and enjoyed it - I don't need to be left unhappy with a poorly written finish to the book. Stay safe both of you ... Hilary
ReplyDelete