I’ve been wrestling several days with a “hook” for the proposal for Tangled Strands. Afew minutes ago a wrote a friend that I was torn between working on the hook or working on a blog—and then it occurred to me. Maybe I should write a blog about the hook.
Sorry if that sounds like a bunch of gobbledygook, but I am serious. So let’s back up and talk about the hook. In writing, it is simply a set of words, a devise, by which you try to “hook” a reader the same way a fisherman hooks a fish. The opening of every book needs a hook if we want the reader to take the book home. The end of every chapter needs enough of a hook to keep your reader turning the pages. The back cover on a paperback or the flap on a hardback book are designed to be hooks in themselves.
What I need right now is a hook for the opening of a book proposal. The proposal is what you send to an agent or a publisher (or your agent sends to a publisher) when you are trying to connect with an agent or a publisher. The definition I have at the moment is this: HOOK – the selling hook of 30 words or less; extremely important summary of why the reader should buy the book (italics mine).
In other words, I have thirty words to convince a reader that my book is worth the $$ being asked for it—or, in this circumstance, thirty words to convince an agent that taking a look at my proposal and my synopsis will be worth his time.
What’s the difference between a proposal and a synopsis? The synopsis of course is a summary of the story. A synopsis can be a half page or many pages. A proposal may include the synopsis, but it includes much more—everything from the number of words in the article or synopsis, to who you think will read it, to why the author is qualified to write it, and what plans the author has for trying to sell the final product.
You can see why the hook is important. If it doesn’t catch attention, none of the other “good stuff” in your proposal may be looked at.
So now that I’ve written my blog about the hook, I still need to get back to coming up with the hook itself. I need to find those thirty words that will capture attention and make the reader of the hook say, “Wow! I want to know more about this.”
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"May all your stumbling blocks become stepping stones and your roadblocks bridges."
2 comments:
Nice! Praying for you!
I've just found your blog through Cheryl Elmer. She knows I love writing and want to write the great American novel at some point in my life. We also have other connections. I'm at Bibles International, having served with BMM for 26 years, first in Africa and now at BI. I also have a further connection. I'm proofreading a book written by Larry Fogle. In it, he mentions the Moneysmith family. You may read my blog at http://elaineselectronicepistle.blogspot.com/ or contact me on Facebook. My name there is Elaine A Schulte. I wish you well in your continued writing.
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