How do you read it?
Family photo: Emma Lossl reading while visiting friends in Henley 1937

How do you read it?

As an author, I'm fascinated by the way people read. Is it possible to write a book to suit all reading styles?

Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, then stop, is not for everyone.

For myself, over the years, I've had many different reading needs. For my reading history, check out my web page.

Recently I have written about the years, 1909 to 1939. My publications have taken many years to research. I've had to read books, articles, documents, and websites, to find out what happened during those years. I became frustrated, if an author did not clearly define which year they were talking about. A good contents page became my friend. To fit in all the reading required, I developed my strategy for reading.

My reading strategy:

  • Reading the bits relevant to me
  • Used the contents page to find relevant information
  • Followed individual elements through a publication
  • You don’t have to read the whole publication

With this in mind, I have designed my book, Betweenwhiles: A family between two wars - a true story of rebellion against Nazism (Amazon), with a contents page at the back.

Why at the back? So you don’t have to wade through it, the get to the story. The contents page permits you to:

  1. Use the chapters like short stories, pick and mix how you feel
  2. Read chapters that relate to specific individuals through the years
  3. Choose the years/ topics you're interested in

And I won't be offended if you don't read the prologue and the forward. If you're short of time and in need of knowledge, I've endevoured to meet your need.

How do you read it? Let me know, it will help with my next book.

#research #reading #historical fiction #memoir #publishing

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