More than just a book: Giving your readers an experience
I love books. I love reading books. There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a good novel, especially one that keeps me thinking about the plot and characters long after I read the last page. But sometimes I like having more than just the story. I’m always pleasantly surprised when the author includes notes, written interviews or any other ‘extras’ that can illuminate the story even more.
On a simple level, all of you have seen this before (especially those with young kids). When you buy a kids book, the book has the written story, but it also has illustrations that complement the story and bring it to life in a way not possible with just words. Some childrens books even have accompanying stuffed animals and other toys (sold separately, of course).
Recently, I bought the Grateful Dead Scrapbook: The Long, Strange Trip in Stories, Photos, and Memorabilia
Along with the text, there are pull-out posters, hand drawn ads for concerts, a thank you letter from Hugh Hefner for the Dead’s appearance on his ‘After Dark’ television show, and a multitude of other memorabilia that really brought the book (and the band) to life.
Poetry and fiction also work well with this idea. Like I mentioned above, I love when novels contain those little extras alongside the text. Of course, I’ve never seen a novel or collection of poems go as far as the Grateful Dead scrapbook, and I think most publishers would balk at the idea (and added expense) of including more than is absolutely necessary.
Self publishing is the perfect avenue for this kind of idea. For example, I’m compiling a chapbook with some poetry and other goodies. It will be handmade and I plan to include a few extras to make it more than just another self published chapbook. If I had any artistic ability you can bet I would also include original artwork in the chapbook as well.
Even ebooks can get in on the action. If you publish your novel as an ebook, why not include extras like all those alternate endings you wrote and threw out, or your original plot outline, character sketches, the list can go on.
The idea of giving your reader more than just a story/poem is to give them a glimpse inside your imagination – a peek into your creative process. This gives the reader a deeper relationship with the writer. They will appreciate your work more and will spend more time with your book, rather than just reading it and then letting it collect dust on a bookshelf.
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Read More: Reading, Self-Publishing, Writing
