Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinisajoy
Don't use it.
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Pretty much this. If in doubt, don't use it. Both my second and third novels got an epigraph fairly early in their writing, quotes from songs that I thought fit perfectly ... but then I worked out what might be involved in getting the okay to use those lyrics and they had to go. My first novel got to keeps its epigraph because the quote had no copyright issues (from an 1871 translation).
It becomes a question of: how important is it?
Some readers will never see it (Kindle editions made to jump right to the start of the story). Some readers won't notice it. Some readers won't like it. Which leaves you with those that see it, read it and like it. I have no idea what percentage that is, but I don't remember ever reading someone saying, "Gee, I wish that book had an epigraph."