Special Delivery: Giving readers What They Expect

Happy morning to you all. Rabbit in a Hat Hooker here. Now that I have snagged your attention with an adorably hypnotic puppy picture, I shall commence.

So writers,

You know that long awaited knock on your front door? The one that makes your entire day because your special delivery has finally arrived? It could be all your online Christmas orders, or those shoes you just couldn't find anywhere else, or even the hulking delivery man himself (carrying a box of puppies of course).

Bottom line, you're totally stoked, because you're about to get what you've been waiting for!

Cracking open a book isn't much different for our readers. They form certain expectations when choosing what to read, and they look forward to those things. Much like those tender souls who thought this blog was about puppies. Yeah, I know. I've got a little touch of meanie in there for tricking you, but I'm making a point, honest.

Is your package handled with care?
As authors, we have precious little opportunity to snag a reader's interest for the initial purchase, but the work doesn't end there. Authors must keep delivering what their readers expect or they may suffer rejection. Much like me and my puppy-pimping tactics. I can almost feel the gravitational pull as throngs of readers click away.

But what about the box it comes in?
You may know by now that authors don't often get to choose their packaging. Book covers are made with great consideration an input, but the art work is often not our own. Our job comes in the writing, and we must set expectations from page one.

Fair writers, please don't get me wrong. A little surprise every now and then can be a good thing, but let's make "little" the operative word. make sure if your reader ordered a pizza, you deliver a pizza. Not a box of puppies. Or a puppy pizza because that's just gross.

And don't forget to deliver on time.
If your hook comes too late, or your climax hits too early, your reader may suffer disappointment. Like when those flashy new Christmas toys come without batteries, or your hunky delivery man keeps vying for your brother. Or the box of puppies drank too much water during the trip to your door.