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Jessica, this is an interesting topic.

I'd like to say you can't judge a book by its cover (or its hook), but the truth is, I do, and so do the patrons who come in to our public library. My area of collection development is non-print (DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, etc.), and I have discovered that the best way to ensure no one will check out an item is to destroy or lose the original cover. The checkout rate comes to a screeching halt. If I go through the trouble of reprinting the cover, it's more likely to check out. If I go through more trouble and reprint the three sentences of description that belong on the back, it will go back into full-fledged circulation. Our library limits patrons to five of each type of non-print item at a time, which means that patrons are narrowing down their selections based on the title, cover, and three-sentence description. Since they can only have five things (and have a limited amount of time to watch movies or listen to music anyway), they aren't likely to go with something that doesn't immediately attract them.

Our regular library patrons tend to hit the new books display first. If they aren't looking for something in particular (and people really do read reviews, because they often clip them and bring them in to see if we have the book), they, too, tend to first skim the displays of faced out books and pick up the ones that catch their eye. When they read the inside flaps, you can tell they've made up their minds within the first six to eight lines, which is why I think it's sad that so many book flaps fill that space with "Jane Doe is the greatest writer on the history of the planet, and here she is, with another tour de force" instead of launching into the story.

I, myself, got into a real reading rut this summer and swore I would try some new authors. I have picked up several I've never read before, but the ones I chose on my own (not through recommendations from friends) I chose because they had cool covers, great titles, or the five or six words on the cover caught my eye. I also chose a few because of ads in the Romance Writer's Report or Romantic Times, which means that the cover and tag line caught my eye and I had the wherewithal to scribble down the title before putting the magazine away.

This is why I'm so irritated about my inability to write a good pitch! *sigh*

When I pick books (not recommended to me) it's all in the cover - and then the hook. If I like what I see I open it up and skim the first lines to see if I like the voice. If those things doesn't click, it goes back on the shelf.

Very few people will pick up a book that looks boring, sounds boring, starts boring and read the whole thing through in order to be able to judge whether it's good or not. Why think that agents and publishers would do it differently?

Heh. The notion of a book being "well-written" makes it sound like an evaluation of an athlete being "fundamentally sound." It means something, but it doesn't necessarily mean everything you're looking for.

Makes me imagine Mel Kiper, NFL draft expert, reviewing books.

"This new novel by Reid Kerr is really well-written, every comma is in place and no participle left to dangle. Of course, it's as boring as dry toast, but it's a veritable masterpiece of proper penmanship."

As for trying out new authors, I'm a sucker for a good title. I scan the shelves at the bookstore often, and a good title will make me check out the back cover, and if there's a hook there, I might give it a chance.

Love the blog!

The first pickup can be anything - title, author's name, cover design, back cover blurb, 'I haven't seen this one before' (the SF selection at my local store really REALLY sucks).

Putting down moments are genre (yet another story about an abused child surviving childhood? Yawn), blurb (there are subtypes of stories I don't enjoy, including explicit sex), or first page. Last book I put down was all edgy and modern and full of disjointed bits - it might have been interesting, but I don't want to work that hard.

If I have a number of books to select from, I usually go for the one with the most interesting combination of storyline/description and writing. Blandness is a turnoff - I need something to keep my interest. That doesn't have to be action, or high concept, but a book has to engage my interest _somehow_.

As for queries, I woulnd't want to judge a book on the query alone any more than I judge it on the back blurb - because there's a good chance that someone else helped to write it and took the most interesting bits and polished it, but no guarantee that the story itself will live up to it. Five pages, on the other hand, would be enough for me to form an accurate opinion in most cases, because I don't believe that anyone will deliver five pages that sing to the soul and whack 350 dull ones at their end - if you can write five good pages, you probably can write, and if your first five pages are blah, it's unlikely you've learnt to write brilliantly by page fifteen.

I don't think anyone can narrow down specifically how they pick a book. I think, as with most of us, it depends on our mood. One day romance, one day a serious piece of nonfiction or a thriller, mystery, it goes on and on. Maybe we don't even know what we want to read. In any case, our attraction to a book might be as simple as the type of text the title is in.

To not judge a book by it's cover is nearly impossible. Especially since that is the first thing we see and we as humans are a visual bunch.

I'll put it this way, picking a book is more like picking a girl or boyfriend. As soon as you see them, you know if you're interested or not.

But to blame the agent or the publisher is silly. They know more about books, what will sell or has potential to sell than any of us, that is why they do what they do.

They pick books based on years of experience and a ton of other things I couldn't begin to comprehend. As a writer, I have to trust their opinions and hope my book is the one they've been looking for.

I've tried out many new-to-me authors as part of a book discussion group I am in. Some I love. Some I don't. I rarely find recommendations on blogs (or even the NY Times) to give me books/authors I like. A book's cover or jacket blurb is irrelevant to me. I don't know what kind of "hook" I would look for other than subject matter.

Overall, I'd say half the time books delight me and the other half they disappoint me.

Just want to chime in with an agreement (unfortunately). Good writing is important (whatever that is and that's undoubtedly up for debate) but all you have to do is look at a bestseller list or the bookshelves at your local bookstore to understand that after a certain level of writing proficiency, there are a lot of other factors going on that make for a successful book (successful being defined as "published" versus, say, "bestseller.").

Some of those are:
Hook
Engaging characters
Good cover art.
A plot that "hooks" you in and keeps you hooked in.
Luck.

Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code took a lot of hits for being "poorly written" but I never really thought so. I thought his writing served the kind of story he was writing. But his hook and his plotting were fantastic.

I've never liked Robert Ludlum (dead or alive). I think he was a pretty clunky writer. But he sure as hell knew how to hook the reader.

And as one published author (at least sometimes) to a bunch of aspiring novelists, I can tell you this as a fact:

good writing isn't enough.

I read new authors all the time. Partly because I'm always on the lookout for something new (and partly because I find most best-sellers leave me disappointed somehow), but no, it's NOT the hook that gets me. The hook is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

What gets me is the subject matter. A book can have the best hook in the world, but I am NOT going to read yet another tale of four friends who are very different yet find their way through the dating pool. Yawn. Been there. Tired of the plot.

When I pick something up, it's because the plot as a whole grabs me. It goes beyond the marketing and into the potential in the whole picture.

Hmmm, interesting question. I answered this on my blog recently when I reviewed the book The Kindness of Strangers. Why did I pick it up?

The cover - cover art always draws me in and plays a role. Too cheesy - gonna pass.

The blurb on the back - it told me that it was contemporary and about a mom and her sons. I have my own sons so I connected and it also told me that two families get brought to their knees.

There was nothing in the stores that floated my boat and I was desperate to find anything to read during the holiday break. I had never heard of this author or read any reviews on this book.

It ended up being a great surprise and I'm glad I picked it up. I think I found a new author to follow into the future as I felt her writing was much like Jodi Picoult.

But it was those two things - the cover and the blurb - that's it.

Is it fair that agents and editors have to make a big decision on such little information? It's tough and no doesn't seem fair because it is the whole experience that makes a book great or not.

Would reading partials or fulls of every submission be the right thing to do? I don't think they'd have time to do anything else that is in their job description if they did!

Great points Jessica.
The truth is when faced with an overwhelming number of choices and options you have to start whittling away at the masses in some way. I equate it to clothes shopping. I can walk right through the middle of several racks and know whether anything is "going to work". The hook is the same thing as that visual for our books. The agent has to see or hear something that clicks with them.

As writer's we need to consider learning how to sell our story in a short blurb and/or start it in the right place .. it's part of the art.

As for shopping new authors -- I'm all about the cover first, then the blurb. I will shamefully admit that if there is no blurb on a book --- it's a pass for me until someone recommends it.

Happy New Year --- thanks for the thoughtful topic to get our butts in gear in tweaking those blurbs and hooks!
Nancy

I have a horrible pattern for picking up new books. If a book is in the bargain bin, I'll take a look at it if it falls in my interest range. I'm more likely to give it a try if it's cheap, even if I'm not entirely sold on it.

If I'm paying full price, I look at the cover. Deeds of Paksennarion had a really blah cover, but it was recommended. I read the jacket, about the author, and the first few pages. Then I skip around and read random pages. If there is a beginning chapter to a sequel, I start reading it.

I have to be sold on the story and the writing to spend my money on it. If someone has a style of writing that drives me nuts the story better be danged good for me to spend my time reading it and it would take something remarkable to do that.

So, yes, to me the hook and the opening chapter are crucial.

I guess that's one reason I appreciate the agents who blog and offer their time to help improve these things. I am terrible at them and yet I know it has to be done.

And my posts today are probably filled with typos, but I had to check in and now I have to hie off to work.

I started reviewing books on my blog about a year ago and now I think it's something other aspiring authors really ought to consider. Among other things, you learn really fast what really matters.

Also, if you develop a reputation authors and publishers start sending you books for free! It's like being the first kid to open presents on Christmas morning.
:o)

The cover and title gets me to pick up a book. A good description on the back keeps me from putting it back down. Award indications are impressive but quotes of praise from other authors or critics are not an influence. Then I read a few sample pages. That's the buy or not decision. I've often not brought books, especially fiction, if the prose is a style I do not like. With non-fiction I'm much more open to different writing styles.

That's when I'm at the bookstore. But a lot of books I read are chosen online based on recommendations of others. A strong recommendation from a literary blogger or a blogger on a niche topic for non-fiction will usually get me interested enough in the book to give it a chance.

Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon, one of my favorites now: I picked it up because there was a dragon on the cover and I was curious, and I thought the premise sounded so original and cool that I started reading it in the bookstore (my MO - I won't buy it if I don't make it through at least the first chapter in-store) and then I bought it.

If I'm in the bookstore, these three things influence my selections:

1) title...because sometimes all I see is the spine
2) cover...an intriguing cover will draw me in every time
3) back cover blurb...without a good one, the book goes back on the shelf. The worst thing a publisher could do is only put praise quotes on the back of a new author's book from reviewers or other authors. If I have no clue what the book is about, it goes back on the shelf (and I have seen this done MANY times...even well-known writers I will put back if I can't figure out what the book's about)

If I am shopping online, recommendations from friends/blogs. I also do get curious about those book lists on Amazon or recommendations based on books I've purchased in the past. I've selected lots of books that way.

I always try out new authors because I like to know what editors are buying. I'm a historical junkie. Unfortunately, the bunch of authors I've tried out recently, while the hooks were great, the follow through wasn't so great. I won't be picking up anymore of their books in the future unless someone I know and completely trusts (and who shares the tastes I do in books) says I MUST buy it. I figure the longer we write, the better we get.

Hi Jessica,

When I look at the cover of a book, I realize that the author rarely has any input in that area so I don't fault her if it's ugly. But if it's really terrible, I'll pass.

I don't care what the author looks like, though it's interesting to get a general idea of age. It's the opposite of ageism: I trust a mature writer. Perhaps that's because I am post-youth myself.

I'll flip the book over and read the back copy. What's the story about? I have to care about the premise. If it doesn't interest me, there's no chance I'll buy it, even if it's a bestseller written by a hotshot author. I like books that are fresh and free of cliché—the literary equivalent of the independent film. Certain genres will never interest me.

It doesn't matter much which critic has written what about the book. Chances are I'll buy a book that's highly recommended by a friend whose taste I trust.

The acid test is the first page. Rather, I should say, the first paragraph. Hook me with a unique voice and good writing and I'm yours.

I'm the same as Inherwrite 9:06 above.

Voice more than anything hooks me. The problem with "hook" is that most of the time they have so little to do with the reality of the book. You know, the sort of cliched "list" plots for YA books or "journal" plots where the whole thing is written in journal format or written as a series of "emails" to friends.

Ick.

The more I read the more I think those gimmicks are for people that don't have great "voice" to begin with.

I hate feeling like I'm being marketed to, but of course I understand how the book industry needs that hook, baby, or they don't know how to sell your work.

Jessica,

Great post. It reminded me of something, too. When I was entering and finaling in a lot of first chapter contests, I was constantly being asked by other writers if I wrote my entries especially for contest. I had heard other writers claim they did this, but my answer was no. I wrote the best first chapter I could.

I couldn't lie that I had changed my ending and upped my hook in an attempt to polish my chapter for the contest, but the rewrite made it a better story,a better read, and I never changed it back.

I totally agree that a story is more than a hook. A hook alone, won't generally get you published. The execution of a story is what will get you a contract, but I believe a good hook is part of the execution.

Diana, I think the question is: what is a good hook right now? Hooks change from year to year--perhaps month to month.(Readers, and this includes me, are fickle and are ADD-ed. They bore quickly and need a new or refreshed idea constantly, lol.)
Hence, knowing how to write a good hook may be seconadry to having an interesting hook to begin with. Which is to say, there's no way to make a stale hook interesting no matter how well-written!)
So...Should we look to current affairs (tabloids included) or current bestsellers in order to predict what hooks will be hot next year?
After reading Jessica's post, my resolution this year is to extrapolate that hook-trend graph (yeah, I'll draw one up, lol. The stock market has one, why not one for bestselling hooks??),then I'll try to predict what fickle readers want for their next fix before I write my next book. Only half-kidding here.
With Jessica's help, I think I've solved the mystery (again!)of getting a foot in the door. Hey! I'm an optimist, Failures provide the opportunity to laugh at myself and re-adjust my strategy.
DQ

Every book displayed in the front of the store will get looked at by me if it's a book or author I'm not familiar with.

A pretty cover always draws my eye to a book and I'll pick it up and read a few sentences.

Even if it's a great opener, a lot of books start great, then fizzle, so I'd never buy book on impulse that way (anymore!), especially from a new author.

Getting a great review from the NY Times gets my attention, especially with a new author, but the Publishers Weekly review posted on amazon has to be good as well in order for me to hit the "buy with one click" feature - which I rarely do now because I'm finding even the NYT and PW reviews can no longer be trusted.

I get the majority of books from the library now since most (these days: ALL) of the books I read ultimately disappoint me, even the established authors, not just the new ones.

Blurbs I trust even less than reviews now, so I'd never consider reading a book based on a blurb.

Kimber An, getting free books is cool, yet I felt obligated to read, and therefore review those ARC's that were sent to me. Frankly a lot of them were not worth reading or finishing, so as a fellow reviwer, I no longer accept free books from publishers or authors - I don't want to feel obligated to finish any book, or review a book that I'd hoped to like but ultimately did not.

Josie's reading room? It's a tough one!

Anon 8:55: could not agree with you more!

To the folks who talked about getting recommendations from trusted book friends - I've been recommended great books and bad books by the same person - it's all really a matter of taste for the individual.

Great discussion, Jessica!

I had an agent I really respected turn down my book, but she said she read the full because of the "beautiful writing" -- which was awesome to hear. But she wasn't drawn into the story enough.

That's the kind of rejection I can do something with, and so I'm revising.

As for trying out new authors...

Anna Godbersen, The Luxe, because an agent compared my book to that one

The Thirteenth Tale / Diane Setterfield, because of the promotional blitz at Barnes & Noble

The Twilight series, because it's repped by the agency I'm working with and, you know, it's mad huge

But authors I'd never heard of? It was nonfiction: Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton -- and I'm reading it because of subject matter (New Year, lots of organizing to be done!). Loving it, too, by the way.

As for novels? That's really, really hard. Probably The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli -- bought it because A) subject matter (New York history) B) it was an ARC, and geeks like ARCs, and C) location - I was in Brooklyn, and buying books in Brooklyn just feels right, since some of my favorite authors live there.

OK then, I have a question. What do you do when you get a multitude of personalized rejections stating that the premise is intriguing and the writing is good (one even said "first rate")?

I tried out Leven Thumps by Obert Skye just because the spine was well designed and easy to read. I read the first few pages and was hooked instantly by his style and wit.

So a cover does have a lot to do with trying new authors. Since it stood out from all the other spines on the shelf, I picked that one and now Obert has a new fan.

Funny enough I think my number of repeat buys has really dropped the last few years--that means LOTS of new authors. I Just ordered six new books, five were new-to-me authors and all from other reader's recommendations (Mostly one reader but I find her and I have similar reading tastes).

Yes, walking in a book store, it's the cover that makes me pick a book up, it's the blurb that gets me to flip the page open and read a little, but it seems most of the time, when I hit a brick and mortar store, I already know what I want.

I pick up new authors all the time, and it's mostly due to the jacket copy. I'll give it a try. Most first books I read are interesting, if not terrific.

There was a time when I had several "automatic buys" from authors I loved. No more. Just last night I dumped a book after reading thirty pages, and that was being generous. By an established writer. I won't be buying her again, or more important, wasting my time reading her again.

Before Christmas, I did something I'd never done before. I returned a book to a bookstore. One of my favorite authors had a new hardcover book, which I auto-bought and read. It was dreadful. Same genre, same hype. Just a dreadful book. After I finished it, I went on Amazon to read reader reviews, and the consensus of readers agreed with me.

Why was this book released? Because the author is a big name, bestseller? Is he too big for editing? It's like the Emperor's New Clothes. The book was not good. In fact, it sucked. And the publisher should have known it.

I thought long and hard before I did this, but since this book was released and felt like a "product," I decided to do what I would with any other defective product. Returned it. I asked them to make certain when they returned the book to the publisher to let them know that it was returned and why. Hopefully that will happen. At nearly thirty dollars, I am going to be more selective and not rely so much on past performance.

A NY's resolution: go back to the library.

--Greetings. Long time reader, first time poster.--

I'm always seeking new books to read, and it's always an ordeal because I'm so tired of mediocrity. When I find a writer I like, I devour all his/her works until I am either disappointed or run out.

When I seek a new author, there's a process. I met some authors at conventions/symposium. I met Brandon Sanderson that way, and picked up his book for it. Otherwise I'm collecting recommendations from friends or kindly strangers in the bookstore, then I sit in the store and read for half-an-hour before I commit to purchase.

I have asked many, many people why they read the books they do. The answer is that they have many reasons for picking up a book, but always in the top three is that a friend reccomended it.

That's my #1. If someone says, "This is a good book," I will at least give it a try.

I realize that in the old daze books were sold to people browsing in bookstores, but I do not think this is a significant part of the market anymore. Furthermore, ads in newspapers (or anywhere) are not an important part of the equation.

I think that it's all about buzz, and the internet is one place where people often find "book buddies" that like the same things they do. The buzz is going to be what sells books, not the hook. The hook is something from an era based on styles of communication and purchase that is ending rapidly.

I criticize you guys not because I think you are villians. I believe that your world is changing rapidly, and you aren't. That doesn't make you evil or lazy, it makes you just like most American industries that faced rapid change, many of them in the 1970s. You may note with the hindsight of 30 years or so that many such industries are mere shadows of what they were. Caveat machina.

The key has to be how to generate good buzz, which is to say to find where the word-of-keyboard chains really come together. The hook? Save it for a pirate book.

1. First I go to the mystery section of a good indie bookstore.

2. Knowing that marketing usually chooses the title and cover design, I try to ignore them, and just choose a random book.

3. Skipping the prologue, I read the first page.

4. Then I read a random page in the middle.

5. If I'm intrigued, I read another random page in the middle.

I never read the back. I never read the blurbs. For me, it really is all about the writing.

"Buzz" is nothing new. When I was in high school in NYC in the '70's I took the subway or a bus daily. EVERYONE read. Either a newspaper or a paperback book. You could see the buzz in action. Books like The Godfather, Jaws, Coma, All the President's Men were driven by buzz, but it was true buzz, not the manipulation of the internet by someone seeking product placement.
And the more reliance on the type of buzz now hyped over the internet, the less effective it is.

What I'm curious about is how the market seems to chase its own tail. There will be one huge book, like a Harry Potter, or Da Vinci Code or Bridget Jones, and then that will be all editors want until the market is flooded with bad imitations.

Then the cycle starts again. The problem is that these books are all sold on hooks. But why must the hooks all be the same after success of one?

Dena

Anon, I agree that buzz is not anything new.

I do think that as the other marketing channels collapse, however, it becomes prominent as the only thing left. Furthermore, the internet hype that you (I think rightly) say has diminishing returns is a relatively new art that is not practiced all that well.

Let's say for the sake of argument that "buzz" on the internet is a very different animal. I can agree with that. How should it be done? There may be some space for a "hook" in that, but it's a very different kind of "hook" than you use on the back of the book or in a regular advert. For one thing, I don't think that you can count on your carefully crafted tag lines being faithfully repeated by people.

In short, I'm not disagreeing with you at all. I think that "Buzz" has emerged as nearly the only real way that books are reccomended to a large portion of the reading audience, outside of Oprah. That means that it will take time to build sales. It also means that "fake buzz" has to be done more artfully and effectively so that it meshes with the "real buzz".

I simply don't believe that a lot of people browse bookstores any longer for their recommendations. If they did, indies wouldn't be closing and Borders wouldn't be in serious trouble (as they are).

I never pick up a new author because of advertising copy on the back. I pick up books because of buzz--I see reviews, I read about books on the web, I know what other writers are talking about. If I'm at an airport and looking for a detective story, I read the blurbs to see if anyone I respect has liked it. 90% of hooks all sound they same--they don't hook me, and they give no indication of whether the book is, as you said, well executed, which is very, very important to me.

When was the last time you tried out a new author you’d never heard of and what was the reason for picking up the book?

Nathalie Mallet, The Princes of the Golden Cage. I came upon the book researching the publisher, but the back copy (and the gorgeous cover) caught my eye, and so I picked the book up. Loved it, and I can't wait for the next one.

There is one particular long-time NYT bestselling writer whose writing is simply horrible but whose stories are considered fascinating (and no, I'm not talking about Dan Brown here).

That's because in the end, it's the story that really matters, so long as the execution is mostly passable. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try to be the best writers we can be, but it does mean all the nitpicking we do about too many adverbs, adjectives, overuse of "up," etc. is less important than character motivation, plot, and interesting dialog.

Erik,
I agree with you that if the buzz is organic, it will work.
What I mentioned before was literally seeing twenty or thirty people at a time reading the same book.

That's more than subliminal. That's in your face buzz, saying this book is good enough that this many people bought it and are reading it now.

Internet buzz has far to go to match that tangible strength. Today, everyone's a reviewer, and blurbs are merely quid pro quo.
I "browse" Amazon and B&N online much the way I used to browse bookstores.

If there were any independent bookstores around me, I would definitely go. Unfortunately, there are not. And while B&N and Borders are nice to visit, I hate feeling that all those books up front are only there because some publisher was blackmailed into paying for the position. And most of these books are by bestselling authors who don't need the push.
Kind of like the opposite of growing your readership if you ask me. If you wanted to grow your readership, you would put those new and exciting authors up front in readers' faces, not the ones they already read.

If I want to find the interesting new books, I have to go upstairs and browse the shelves.

It will shake itself out in the end.

Anon11:19

Here's the three things that work on me, as far as trying out a new book/new author:

1. a great cover
2. an intriguing blurb/description (hook)
3. a gushing friend recommendation

I don't read fantasy, I don't read YA. Yet I picked up a fantasy/YA book by an author I'd never heard of because of the design, and the story description/copy. Oh, and it was prominently placed on display at Target.
The author is working on her next one, and I'm buying it.

I just discovered Jeanine Frost, and really I picked it up because I couldn't believe a debut author had one of those cardboard stands filled with fifty books in it! (And over the next two days, all but five were gone!) I was curious to see what had caused the excitement and such support from the publisher.

I'm not sure the book itself had a hook, at least not one I can remember, but I just couldn't put it down. She did the first four-fifths perfectly. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but we'll see how it works out in the sequel.

Anonymous, you're right about the voice. There have been times when I found the inside flap description really promising, but when I started to read the book, I decided that I didn't want to "listen to that voice" telling me a story for 300 pages.

I've been asked to "blurb" books for new authors and have found some amazing reads that way--Devyn Quinn's dark erotic romances for one. I got a free copy of the first of Jenna Black's Guardians series at a conference and have bought her second and third--both authors write much darker than I usually read, but their stories are totally mesmerizing. I have to say, I might not have picked them up on my own w/o that first free read! If I'm in a bookstore and want something new, it's usually a name I've heard of--I think word of mouth is important. After that I would say the combination of an attractive cover and an interesting back blurb. I will sometimes open the pages and take a look, but not always. Once I find an author I like, I will continue to buy everything they write, regardless of the cover or blurb, which is why my bookshelves have complete sets of Angela Knight, Lori Handeland, Christine Feehan, Alyssa Day, Jenna Black, Lori Foster, Sunny, etc. etc. :-) And also why I'm falling behind on my WIP!

As a writer who has written book manuscripts for many years, but never gotten a book published, I write a story that I think is interesting. I write on a conflict or a process that I find fascinating and that needs expression. And I can't tell you how many times I've heard from editors and agents that a manuscript I've sent is interesting but not marketable, or the like. If I were told to write a book that is not necessarily interesting but has a great hook, I would find that defeats the whole purpose of being a writer.

I'm heavily influenced by timing. Well, that's a given, I suppose, without going into physics. I mean that a book that might really excite me (usually because of the author, the title, the hook) one month will nearly repulse me the next. Right now I can't stand anything with a dark hero on a dark urban street. I won't even give it a chance if I know the guy will be immortal or a vampire, etc.

I would imagine publishers and agents might feel the same, for different reasons. If you've just seen twenty bad pitches for yet another formulaic urban fantasy...bleck.

I am totally turned off by cheesy titles as well--I mean suggestive ones.

I was just considering this when selecting a book at the library yesterday. Normally I go with book reviews or recommendations, but when I have to manually select a book - how daring! - I look at cover/title/blurb/first page in that order.

I noticed that covers with a fresh, uncluttered look were the ones that most drew me in. But I definitely needed a good hook to keep going. I found myself thinking about Jessica's critiques as I browsed and don't think that many of them would've passed muster. ;->

It's all nothing, but the first page. I've picked up gorgeous covers to be so disappointed. I've picked up HORRID covers only to fall in love. Blurbs? Meh. I read the first few pages, and if I need to keep reading it comes home with me.

For fiction, my answer would be the first three books of the Ladies' #1 Detective Agency series. I started reading it because it was a gift from a friend. Even though it's nothing like what I usually read, I decided to give it a shot. What hooked me and kept me reading through all three books were the writer's use of language, the sense of place, and an interesting main character.

I don't remember the last time I picked up a novel without it having been recommended to me. Maybe the first Artemis Fowl book, several years ago, because the cover blurb sounded interesting and the writing looked decent when I browsed through the book.

For nonfiction, it's completely different. Usually, I'll go hunting for a book on a particular topic, and I'll do a little research online or in the book store to find the one that looks the best.

Sometimes I'll have a vague topic in mind. Like, maybe I want to buy a new book about writing, but I don't have a particular aspect in mind. In that case, I'll look at titles and pick out a few books that look like they'd be useful at that moment, then I browse through them to decide which one I like best.

This one is easy for me. I read fiction by debut authors because I run a blog called Fantasy Debut, and that's all I cover. The reason I started the blog is because I read so much debut fantasy. The reason I read so much debut fantasy is because I'm trying to divine the secrets of how all the debut authors get published. I learn something from every debut novel that I read.

I'm close to burning up my quota of posts for the week, so I promise I'll clam up after this.

But here's a thought to consider:

In any other industry, the sales people have a clear picture of what they can and can't sell. Their job is, more than anything, to know the customers.

In the book industry, fads are rampant. Every Harry Potter has a thousand, "Just like Harry Potter!" books following it.

If the people who are in charge of knowing what readers want really had their job nailed, they wouldn't chase every single fad. They would work on product differentiation, which is what a real sales strategy looks like, not copycatting.

So when someone tells me that "This book won't sell," I have to wonder how the Hell they think they know that. There's considerable evidence that the book industry does not have its most basic market research down at all.

If someone wants to prove me wrong, they should address the "It's just like Harry Potter!" routine that you will not see in any other industry.

Last thought - I know it rankles book industry people to the point that I am routinely ignored when I compare it to other industries. Yet when it comes to entertainment dollar, that's what the consumer is cnosidering. Why do people read? I've elicited a lot of very useful comments off of my blog recently. The same arguments that tell us that the book industry is about what sells, not literature, can be used to say that this is just another industry that has to understand its customers, trim its distribution system, and control costs.

But the hooks on the back cover aren't written by the authors--that's not their job any more than designing a cover is. An agent should be able to tell in less than 10 minutes (first 5 pages and a 2-page synopsis) whether the book is worth finding the hook for and selling. Asking the author to hook the agent in a few sentences is like asking a computer programmer to sell a new version of windows to Microsoft by saying "Easy to use! Cool new graphics!" Presumably, the industry itself has a deeper view of these things than the casual reader.

The last time I picked up a book by an author I'd never heard of, it was because of the title: Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name (Vendela Vida). Awesome title, I couldn't grab it fast enough. The writing & story were just okay, but that title, wow.

thanks, jessica. i always feel like a jerk when i'm on a panel and someone ELSE says "just a really well-written book!" because i feel it's irresponsible of me NOT to jump in and say no, not quite...

You're absolutely right, Jessica! I hate writing hooks, and I think I'm probably quite bad at it. But when I buy a book, it's usually by an author I don't know, and I always read the back first. If the back doesn't sound interesting enough, I leave that one and pick up another- there are way too many other books to choose from, and I don't have enough money to buy the ones I'm questioning. I also have to admit though, that the cover plays a huge role too- I pick up the pretty ones first:)

Great discussion!

I usually pick up new authors upon the recommendation of friends who know the genres I like, and I also read the book review section of the weekend paper. If I'm at a book store, I tend to go to the genre shelves I like, but also browse the general fiction area and look at the cover, usually drawn by a good title. If the title hooks me, then I go to the next level and read the back.

I tend to visit the library for new authors--and in many cases, even ones I've read before. With books being so expensive, I won't even buy hardbacks any more because it's just too expensive to get a book and then find out the book is a flop.

In the library, it's the title and the jacket blurb. I'm nearly always turned off if the book just has blubs and doesn't say what it's about.

In the bookstore, the cover will draw my attention, then the title, and then the back of the book.

My last purchase that didn't involve any of these methods was at Thrillerfest when I picked up a book because the author was a first timer. Unfortunately, I also regretted spending the money; the book was awful. I could see the hook's selling point, but the execution wasn't there.

I really think its funny that any writer would think agents or editors had enough time to read every complete manuscript submitted. I've heard the slush pile gets pretty high in some offices. So, what else is there but the hook? If the back of the book blurb doesn't suck you in you move on. Right? Same difference. I think experienced agents and editors can see potential in a hook. And after seeing the marathon of pitches here I'm finally beginning to believe writing a good hook is possible. Thanks Jessica! We've learned so much about hooks in past few months you'll soon be deluged with great books you can't bear to turn down!!!
:)

To anon 10:22 - I've had the same response as you. Finally an agent took the time to exchange emails with me and we talked about the market for the book. Yes, he loved the story, the premise and the writing. No, he didn't feel there was a big enough market for him to pursue representation.

I shared a new idea with him that I had been working on and he was very enthusiastic. Advised me to keep writing and requested that I contact him when it was done. Hopefully, in a couple of months, I'll be ready to do just that.

By the way, the book I'm working on now is far more commercial than the first. I didn't choose to write it because of that -- it was already well under way when I recieved the aforementioned comments -- but it was on a subject with which I was intrigued, felt compassionate enough about to write an entire novel on.

Start something new, maybe something a little different, but don't compromise your writing style. Incorporate it into your new venture.

Good Luck.

Over the past three years or so; I have tried a lot of books of authors I had never heard of before.

Before that I used to look for the word NYT....so many weeks.

after trying the bunch of books from the unknown names, I was blown away. My paradigm of buying books has changed.
I read the back cover, see that the subject matter [call it hook] interests me. read the first few pages, then at randowm in between. If I like the voice and writing, I buy it.
There have been more successes than failures.
I think the bestselling authors [ not all of them] sometimes take their success for granted, and the writing suffers.
PS: I still read the really well received books out there; either through word of mouth or gut feeling.

"When was the last time you tried out a new author you’d never heard of and what was the reason for picking up the book?"

Good question, and here's an honest answer.

"Scratch Golfer" by Wille Thompson.

Why: Wille comments on the Comic Curmudgeon blog and promoted his (self-published) book there. Visited his Web site, read the excerpt, and placed an order.

What caught me. The cover, which made me laugh. Plus, he -- being a good Carolina boy -- set the story in Charlotte, N.C., where I grew up. Third, the book's design is beautiful (I love fonts). Fourth, the excerpt made me laugh.

Here's his site, so you can see for yourself. Note, however, that he came up with a great tag line: "A devilishly funny book about Life, Business, and the Golf Match from Hell"

I'll bet you could plot out the novel right now, based on that description.

http://www.scratchgolferbook.com/

Well. When i got the idea for my premise I had real passion about it because it combined two things I had personal experience with- Disability studies and the Lottery. I think the writing - premise - passion go hand in hand.

I think the cover and title are the first things that catch my attention. I give a quick look to the blurb, but rarely read the whole thing. Then, I scan the first chapter or so of the book. I'm not really reading it, only bits and pieces to give me an idea of whether or not I'm going to l ike it. The dialogue and the way the characters interact is a major factor for me. I usually can tell if I'm not going to like the book immediately.

The actual blurb doesn't play that big of a role for me other than letting me know if it is a genre I'm interested in reading.

When I managed a bookstore in Phil. Airport I read new books all the time because I read so much, that my fav. authors couldn't write fast enough. Now I read the blurbs and then open the cover and read what the book is about. A blurb isn't enough to make me read a book. And I usually go online and check out the author and what else they've written. I do tend to keep to well published authors, except my sister who has written a few books already! I'll read new authors if someone refers me to them.

Anon 8:05pm--Anon 10:22 here. Thank you. It's good to know others have had the same experience--and that there's definitely hope for the next one!

I read reviews, and ask people whose opinions I trust for recommendations.

If I am in a bookstore, I start with the cover design, unless it is a new title by an author I trust. Then the cover can be trashy as hell, and I wouldn't mind. After liking a cover, I will have a read of first page.

And what keeps me with an author? The journey of the characters. I find it interesting that many agents seem to say that it is the clever and unusual storyline pitched creatively that would cause them to read a full book. Very weird then that so many books become best sellers which are telling a story that has been told umpteen times before, but which have been simply told well.

I'm a horrible book-buyer. About half of what I buy was recommended to me either by a friend or a blog. For the other half, I have 3 criteria: The cover (if it doesn't appeal to me, I probably won't pick it up), the tagline on the front, and a random page in the middle. I rarely check the back of the book unless I'm undecided after the first 3 criteria are met.

Christine. That is good. Read a sample from the middle. Everyone knows that the first para, first page have lots devoted to them. I am going to crack it open in the middle from now on. Thanks

I have two different ways to judge books.

1-I see what Amazon.com recommends. I have found Eileen Weeks and C.E. Murphy among others.
I have to admit that only three out of ten recommendations are authors that I really like with good characterization and plots.

2-When I go to the book store, I read the back, I read the hook, and then I randomly read in the middle of the book. With this shopping method I buy less books, but I find more authors that I like. However, I find newer authors on Amazon.com and not at my bookstore, which is a pity.

I have always loved fantasy and science fiction. After the death of some of the best scifi writers (Heinlein, Isamov, etc) I have only found a few writers in that genre that I fit my criteria. (My criteria includes writing that doesn't offend my sensibilities i.e. good grammar, characterization, and plot). If I can second-guess the writer, then I have a BORING book.

So there you go.

I'm thinking your hook is of the ~300 word variety, rather than the 1 sentence variety. That might be why Jessica is confused; your question made sense to me.

Remember that a hook is supposed to make someone want read your novel. A hook is snappy advertising, rather than an honest synopsis. It's okay to pare away important details or even characters.

It won't hurt you with either agents or readers if they discover there's more substance to your novel than they anticipated. That's always a happy discovery.

I was caught up in the same dilemma as the questioner.

Reduce my complex plot to one sentence?

Compare my *cough*original*cough story to some popular title? After all the advice I've heard not to do that in a query?

What??





But then I took a good look at a lot of two sentence log lines. Many of them have VERY LITTLE to do with the plot of the story.

They are a hook. The job of a log line hook is ONLY to get the agent to request additional pages. It isn't a synopsis of the plot.

I'd encourage the question writer to step outside herself and rethink their novel in Varietyspeak. I completely understand. I hated the thought of reducing my novel to a catchphrase.

I haven't been to a sitdown pitch session, and assumed I'd work out a log line before I went to one.

But then the author/writing coach I was working with said the following to me:

"Dwight, imagine this: An agent reads your partial and likes it. Before they ask you for a full, they pick up the phone and CALL YOU and say, 'Mr. Wannabe, tell me what's so special about your book that I would want to read a Full.' What are you going to say?"

She swears that's the way it happened to her. Seems a little far-fetched, but I resolved myself to not blow the opportunity if it came my way.

And my hook has thismuch to do with the plot of my story.

Think outside the plotbox.

So what the *heck* is a hook contest?

Someone's running a contest on story hooks alone? No further material?

Oh, my aching head. What next?

You know, I completely forgot I sent this to you. Thank you so much for the reply!

I actually did figure out a solution. The hook is based on someone who connects all the characters. And no, the book is not about one character - it depends on all three, and would fall apart without their POVs. (Hopefully you'll soon get a chance to see what I mean!)

The new hook stands at 93 words in five sentences. I'll work on paring it down further. Thanks again.

I saw this same problem but not in writing.
I used to do research in chemical engineering and late in my career, I had to get scientists to discuss what they did in a particular lab or pilot plant.
I had several people who always said - "I do something different every day. My Research is unique." That's the different charcters in the book scenario.
Me and my fellows used to watch them for a few days and reduce their operations not to experiments, but to the processes involved in the labs or pilot facilities. That required us to step back from the work and look at the work with different eyes. It's the forest and trees cliche'.

You can create chapters, characters, plot lines and all that to write the novel. But to write a hook, a synopsis, or a query, you must step back away from the details and look at the whole story. What actually happens in the novel?

In my engineering case, instead of the day-to-day drudgery of measuring pH, analyzing chemicals, creating catalysts and all that neato, fun science - these labs did analytical research and created new substances, uses and procedures. the former requires a PHD, the latter requires a good command of English.

Another question: How does a person pitch an agent in person? I'm thinking of pitching at NJRWA in October. Aside from tripping over my own tongue...I know I have X amount of minutes to get my idea across. So I speil my hook/book blurb and then I'm sure I should say something else. What other information should I try to include during the brief time we hae together?

Aimless, just run a search on this blog for "pitch". You'll find some excellent information, including "The Art of The Pitch Session" on June 12 & 13.

Also check out Miss Snark's blog for advice.

The question of hooks makes me think of a movie: Me and You and Everyone We Know. I read a review of it, thought the title was intriguing, thought I'd give it a chance, so I added it to my Netflix queue. Then the DVD arrived, and I didn't feel compelled to watch it. I let the DVD sit in the envelope for several weeks, never getting "hooked" into wanting to watch it. Finally I made myself put it in the DVD player, and liked it, yet I struggled with a way to recommend it to friends.

What's it about? It's about a bunch of different people, of different ages and social backgrounds, whose lives intersect as they try to get by in the world. Which is certainly a good thing to make a movie about, but it doesn't hook. Which is too bad, because it was an excellent movie.

But when I get a "hooky" movie from Netflix, I can't wait to watch it, because I'm curious how the hook plays out. A washed-up pop star finds a woman to help him write a new song, and as they write he falls in love. A child bride in rural India is widowed, and forced to move into a convent for widows. A transexual woman is reunited with a son who she had conceived in her previous life as a man. Which is not to say that these movies aren't richer or more complex than their "hooks"--but something had to get me to move the DVD from the envelope to the DVD player.

So the same thing is true of books. Something's got to make you open the cover. What is it?

It's funny - a good hook can sometimes be the easiest - or the hardest thing to come up with. When I came up with the idea for "Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me" I had just seen the movie "Sideways" and thought, Wouldn't it be great if it had been about three women who roadtrip to the Wine Country and find three fantastic local men. Voila! The book - and the three connected novellas - were born.

Fortunately both Jessica and Pocket Books loved the idea too - because (lucky me!) it sold on hook and blurbs. No chaps.

I think that's one of the biggest benefits to a great hook - you can sell on less material. Which is always a good thing. ;-)

~ Bella Andre

I always am intrigued when I read the description of movies and series in the TV guide. They're just one sentence but tell the essence of the show.

That's what I suspect we need to do with our books.

This whole series on hooks is very useful and insightful. Thanks, EA, for posting it. I am learning lots here, particulary with the variety of information provided! And a lot of what I did know has been reinforced or forced me to rethink it.

Thanks for getting the wheels turning!

-AJS

I teach writing, and I absolutely agree with EA that you can tell from the query whether the person can write. The story may be high fantasy and the query may be a one-page pitch, but you can still tell.

In your query, you must nail (b) with no mistakes (without, in other words, falling into (c)). If you must do (a) to arrive at (b) then do, but prune all vestiges of (a) out of the query before you send it. :)

I hope I don't upset anyone, because that's not my intent. I often wonder why it is I am constantly buying books that bore me to tears...Hook? What will grab a reader? What will make him/her buy a book? Yeah, you hook a reader, they buy it, only to find disappointment between the covers, and this teaches them to hate reading. I know my thoughts don't go along with the "real world," but why can't you find and publish books that people (kids) will LOVE. Roald Dahl didn't listen to publishers (adults), he listened to the children, his audience, and that genius will live forever because of it. He wasn't about hooks or plots or any other bullsh*t, like books written for adults but styled as children's books. He was about magic...why don't you look for magic? It's what the children love...and it's what lives forever. I've never met a kid that said the story was boring but the writing was wonderful...

Roald Dahl "wasn't about plots"???

Um... Roald Dahl was ALL about plot.... And characters.... and being wickedly, subversively funny.......

Magic wasn't the point for him, it was a plot device......

And there are LOTS of horendously dull children's books involving magic... I know... i used to pick them up as a kid and throw them out the window in disgust....

And not ALL children like Magic....

I personally LOATHE "teen problem novels"... I always have.... you know "Bonnie's brother died of cancer and now she gets violently ill whenever she sees a cute guy dressed as a clown" novels......

But I had lots of friends in high school who devoured them like sugar-spun candy.

And I had friends who said "ewww.... fantasy? If it couldn't really happen, why read it?"

Tastes are widely varied... a GOOD hook matches someone who would like your book with the book....

BTW--- if you're ALWAYS buying books that disapoint you, perhaps you should consult a librarian....

They're really good at playing the "If you liked X your will probably also like Y and Z" game...

Many public libraries even subscribe to "readers advisory" databases... The public can access them, and they can find books similiar to ones they've liked.....

but it's unfair to say "all children like magic" or horses, or princesses or glitter or puppies or dinosaurs or trucks, for that matter.......

Children are not a monolithic group, anymore than adults..... or any subset of adults...

If I said "Single women over 30 like soft-porn quality trashy romance with Fabio on the cover,"

I would be flamed to death... and rightly so.....

There's a similiar problem with treating "the children" as a single entity.....


(Sorry about the long rant in reply..... I just get annoyed when people forget that children are just shorter people with fewer years to their age.... not some strange robots with no desires, wants, ideas and feelings of their own.......)

Oh, and as for "the story was dull but the writing was wonderful"...

If Roald Dahl's writing HADN'T been wonderful, his stories would have seemed dull.....

Part of "the magic" IS the writing...

For instance, contrast:

"In a hole in the ground lives a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort"

with:

"Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who lives in a comfortable hole."

Same plot elements, but the second has no magic while the first draws you in....

oops.. in both of those, "lived" not lives..... my typing leaves a LOT to be desired......

What was the plot of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? What was the plot of James and The Giant Peach? And I meant "magic" in the sense of wonder and excitement and wanting to turn the pages, not poof there's a rabbit! My point: you people talk about a bunch of crap. Kids don't care about this garbage you speak of. Hook? Roald Dahl's writing was simple and magical. Is Criss Cross really a children's book? And what the hell is that book about anyway. Also: Roald Dahl himself said his books were not about plot; he wrote simply to entertain. Yes, his books had plot, all books have plot, or should, but his books were not plotted. If any of you write for children, I'd be real interested in reading your work, because the focus I see here is not about children, but about you and editors and publishers and blah, blah, blah. I'm not a writer; I'm a reader, and my son hates books because they bore him, and you, dear people, if you are writers or editors, are boring young readers to death. Plus, almost every new book is doing nothing but copying what's already out there. Have you read Rick-somethings Titan Curse or whatever. Yes, it popular, and it's a Harry Potter knock off. It's terrible what you folks are doing. Your focus is all wrong and one day you're all going to pay dearly for it. That's fine, yell and curse and me, no matter. I'm the one buying your work and I'm telling you I'm not happy or impressed.

BTW, please give me the name of a new children's book that's going to change my outlook. A book that'll transport me and my young son. A book we'll want to read over and over again, like we do Roald Dahl's work. Go ahead. Something newly published this year. Brand new. Not a series. A brand new book and author who is magical and amazing and wonderful. I'm waiting...

"Dragon Slippers" by Jessica Day George was EXCELLENT, but probably a bit too much of a "girl" book for your son.....

Gerald Morris has a GREAT series called "The Squires Tales"--- The most recent one was published in 2006 -- a great retelling of King Arthur, all from a minor characters viewpoint....

And there's always Brian Jacques... The Redwall books DO get a tad repetative (there are a gazillion of them , but they're great rip=roaring adventures--just don't read them all back to back) and his "Flying Dutchman" series is shaping up to be really neat.....

None of these have the same dark edge as Dahl, though.... They're more adventure.....

One problem with looking for "Another Dahl" is that he's totally unique... there can't be another.... he was a genius, and any attempt to mimic him is just pathetic...


Oh, you might also not be familiar with the "John Bellairs" books... the series started in the early eighties.... very dark and scary... after he died, someone else took up the writing and I've been told the new books are actually fabulous! (haven't gotten to read them yet) but they've come out in the last year or so....

Oh! And Diana Wynne Jones had a new one last fall called

"The Pinhoe Egg" -- also a lot of fun...

(And DON'T even THINK of accusing her of being a Rowling Knockoff---- she's been at since the 70s!!!!!!!!!!)

Once again, I really suggest you consult a good children's librarian....

Most authors have their own favorite styles and genres.... a librarian would be better at figuring out what's best for your son...

I can only recommend what I've liked, and right now my daughters are too young for most of these....

They're still in the goodnight moon, Max and Ruby, Dr. Seuss stage......

Thanks, Deirdre! Some of these we've tried and they didn't work, but others we haven't, but will. Thanks again! And you're right: He keeps wanting the authors to be Roald Dahl (and he HATES Lemony Snicket, go figure; too much narrative, I think), so we usually put the new books down and pick up James or Charlie or BFG, etc. That man was truly a genius. My son is almost hypnotized when I read these books to him, and it's like he blames me when the new books are "stupid," as he calls them.

Also, would you mind telling me a few recent books that you and your son tried and hated, and why you hated them? That might give me a better grip on your problem...

As it is, you're simply making ad hominem attacks against a group of people you've never met....

The reason we ask about hooks and the like is because we want to know how to get the books we've written, that we're really excited about, into print and into the hands of readers who'll adore them....

The hook think is a technical discussion, not really about what makes great children's literature....

though I'm sure you can find plenty of sites that discuss that on line too....

But again, a librarian is a book-seekers BEST resource... it's what they do for a living and they LOVE to match kids with books they'll enjoy... it's not just a job, it's a calling.....

Lemony Snickett doesn't COMPARE to Dahl...

He's actually pretty boring... I haven't been able to make it through the series.....

One thing that I find helps is checking to see how long it takes an author to write a book... if he churns them out every few months, they're probably not worth reading...

But if he ONLY wants Dahl, you'll probably never find a substitute...

Well, there are the collections of Edward Gorey -- but he might be to young for those, and they're more "graphic novel"

Oh... have you tried Neil Gaiman's "Coraline?" That one's pretty dark too.....

But, on the whole, dark AND funny is almost impossible....

For "not as dark" but still well-written and fun, there's also
Terry Pratchett... he has a series out that starts with "Wee Free Men" -- it makes a HILARIOUS read aloud if you try to do the voices.....

Sorry all... I get out of hand when I start recommending books.... I'll stop now and cook my kids lunch...

Eva Ibbotson's books are fantastic. Hard for me to imagine any kid finding them boring.

Anonymous, if you're not a children's writer, I'd be curious what drew you to this blog. Most of us are here because we write for children, and Editorial Anonymous is generously giving us insight into the publishing process. We are talking about "editors and publishers and blah, blah, blah" because (a) this is what we do for a living (or in some cases hope to do), and (b) the nuts and bolts of the publishing business is what this blog is ABOUT.

Many of us also frequent children's literature blogs and chatboards where we talk about the stories that we love. I'm not sure how you got here, but you might find what you're looking for at one of those. I'd recommend Fuse #8 and Read Roger for a start.

Thanks EA for the clarification regarding hook. I'm sure there's at least one shiny slithery thing in my book.

And, to anonymous, all I can say is that all of us -- agents, editors, writers -- we're doing the best we can. If you haven't figured it out yet, writing and publishing for children is largely a labor of love. It's a ton of work and few get rich. We do it (as I speak for everyone) because we love books, kids and want to write and publish that work that will speak to your son.

We aren't talking about hooks because we all want to write a great hook and nothing more -- we're talking about hooks because that is just one small and important aspect of this slush-filled process.

I'm sure there are books out there that your son will like. Think of yourself as an editor, reading through the library of slush as you look for it. It'll give you compassion for their work. The work that they do for you and your son.

Children's writers are a group of people who love children's books so much that most of us slave away unpaid for years and years, struggling to master our craft, amassing piles of rejection slips. Even when we finally achieve success, the vast majority of us go on having to support ourselves in some other way, because except for J. K. Rowling and a few others, it just doesn't pay that much. We don't need to be snarled at about how someday we'll "pay dearly." Trust me, we already have.

I would love to know what anonymous does for a living, and whether it involves having to listen to angry inquiries (from someone who has never done any work in the field) about why s/he doesn't "just" do something absolutely brilliant, exactly like Famous Person X, only of course completely original.

I, too, wish Roald Dahl were here. He was always great at coming up with suitably unpleasant fates for nasty, stupid people.

I'm sure you're right, my apologies. I just believe that children's books have become about anything except the young reader. And I came to this blog for reasons of my own. And if I told you who I am you'd freak out...and start editing my posts, I'm sure. I was just curious as to the responses I'd get to some of my comments. Take care, all. And much success with your writing.

By the way, Anon -- have you tried your son on NON-Fiction?

(Not an area where I have a lot of experience, but...)

I know my Roald Dahl obsessed younger brothers had a hard time finding fiction to suit them... but good nonfiction books about their interests could lose them for a whole afternoon....

Just a thought.... one doesn't have to read fiction to love reading, and many boys really like finding things out.....

Are you David Copperfield, by any chance? Because it sounds like you expect others to pull magic out of their ass. So I am presuming you can do the same.

Anyone who is not thinking first and foremost about their young readers is going to fail in the marketplace. And as for real writers with real bills to pay from their very real hard work, their eye is firmly on their readership, I can assure you.

And this blog, correct me if I'm wrong, is largely concerned with the business of children's publishing, not the wonder of it.

The presumptuousness of your posts really got under my skin. But now I must get back to making magic.

P.

My kids and I hate Roald Dahl. This is not to start a RD war, it's just to point out that every writer has their audience and their non-audience. I think what you need to do is discover who else your son likes (I know, you've been trying) rather than bemoan that there's nobody on Earth but Roald Dahl and he's not around to write anymore.

How about Gregor the Overlander? Yes, it is a series, but a current one; new volumes are released every couple of years. Would he like Jerry Spinelli? My son, not a fiction lover, goes for him. How about Louis Sachar? And how about nonfiction, as was suggested? Many boys who think books are stupid will read nonfiction about subjects that grab them. What's his passion? Can you introduce him to nonfiction on that subject? And do take the advice of others here and make friends with your local children's librarian. She or he can really help point the way. A small children's bookshop might help, too, as they still hand-sell.

By any chance -- is your son feeding off your attitude? I mean, does he have your clearly implied agreement that anything but Roald Dahl is stupid? If so, you may be "teaching" him resistance, inadvertently.

Oh.. Louis Sachar is BRILLIANTLY funny.. I used to love the "Wayside school" books as a kid, and Holes was GREAT.

Also, Gordan Korman (not super recent) is really funny... I used to LOVE him..

But you won't be able to find another Roald Dahl... just like there's only one Lewis Carroll, some authors, especially the ones that hang around for generations, are one of a kind.....

One thing you might want to try is a "Three chapter rule" --Someone I know from SCBWI uses it with her daughter... they give a book three chapters before they give up and throw it to the crocodiles...

apparently the first Harry potter book started them on this trend, because they were bored after the first chapter but wanted to see what all the hullaballoo was about....

Here's a tidbit to chew on.
Roal Dahl lived next door to my friend when he was growing up in England. Roal Dahl did crazy things and crazy things were always happening to his family. One example was he used to drive his Jag across his front lawn. My friend has always said R.D. took notes on life, finding humor in the ordinary and finding a common laughing point. His brilliance was delivering it to the masses.

I sent my MS to a professional editor (I found her on Editors and Preditors, thanks to you) for character and plot analysis. As part of the package, she writes the query letter and summary.

I've never written anything other than school work before and got the impression that the steps to publication are 1) write the book 2) edit, edit, edit yourself and when you think it's done, 3) send to a professional editor then 4) incorporate those changes you agree with. Only then are you ready to submit query letters.

It sounds like you and some of your commenters, who are obviously in the same business, are saying that you should write your own query letter so that it's in your voice and not your polishing editor's.

EA thank you for these posts. I'm a little confused though. When talking about hooks aren't we talking about the one or two sentence "thing" that will get an agent, editor or reader to read the ms or book? When you talk about a book being wonderful, or written well, or having a great story, you aren't talking about the hook, are you? Because, those are the things you know about the book after you've read it, whereas the hook is the thing that gets you to read it.

I'm wondering what would be the thing in a cover letter for Speak, or Hattie Big Sky,(before they became what they became) or any other title that would prompt you to read the first three chapters?

Isn't that what we're talking about when we talk about hooks -- how to pitch one's work so that the hopefully great writing will get read?

I blame Disney for the princess thing. Every single thing you pick up is purple and pink and covered in princesses, from bicycles to diapers.

Excellent call on Hattie Big Sky. I've never been a historical fiction fan but she had me from page 2... that book is amazing.

Ann, I think you're right about the main denotation of the word "hook," but I was blasted on a previous thread for not distinguishing between hooking agents and editors and hooking readers. I maintain that if you say the word "hook" to a group of writers, they're going to think "pitch" or "query letter," just possibly "blurb." That is a hook the writer must be able to formulate and can control. What hooks the reader is so much more nebulous, e.g., winning a major award will hook many readers, but who can control that? Genre does hook readers, as those who devour romances, historicals (Dear America, etc., was HUGE), fantasy or mystery will attest, especially when the cycle turns and "your" genre is hot, but genre may repel others. Word-of-mouth hooks readers. Reviews, bestseller lists -- but who can control that? Author appearances hook readers, although usually only locally. Non-stop plot and message hook some readers (The LEFT BEHIND kids series sold hugely, but the writing REEKS). To know what will hook readers en masse, a new writer has to know what "the masses" will be caught up in six years from now (assuming two years to write a novel, two years to sell it, and two years for it to come out). An impossible task. It's no accident that a lot of successful writers say they write for themselves, or don't keep a market or an age group in mind but let the publisher handle that stuff. They need to write what they're passionate about, hook the agent or editor, and let the publisher decide how to present the package that will hook the reader.

Anon -- thanks for your post. Right, there are a lotta hooks in these here waters. I've got an agent, I've sold my book and now I've got to figure out how to "pitch" it, when people ask, "What's your book about?" I want my answer to be the shiniest, prettiest, wiggliest shimmering worm-like thing the person has ever seen or heard. I want them to reach for it with that mesmerized look in their eyes, and "me want" gurgling from their mouths.

Okay, now you all think I'm demented. Even I do. I had food poisoning the night before last -- that's my excuse.

Don't mean to keep the hook discussion alive if others aren't interested.

When I used to work at a children’s bookstore, I’d sell people on Clementine by persuading them to read the first page. I would pull the book off the shelf, open it to the first page, and hand it to them. They would read it. And then they would buy it. Sometimes they would buy two.

It didn’t hurt when I told them that Clementine was Junie B Jones without the awful grammatical mistakes-on-purpose. Authentic kid voice without the stupids.

Kidlitjunkie -- now that's a hook -- junie b without the stupid!

Thanks.

I agree with all the comments about Junie B. Jones. It makes me wonder why Barbara Parks continues to write the series with the grammar mistakes and why her editor doesn't suggest a compromise or the concept of growth to better the series. Or does one get free rein when they are popular?

EA, ditto Ann's question in first comment. Can you explain?

You know, I work retail in a children's book store and easily 50% of the time someone comes in and says they're looking for a picture book for a "girly girl, and it has to be pink." One look at Fancy Nancy and they're sold. The other 50% already own it.

But it's sequel, Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy, those same girls aren't buying it. The cover is purple, not pink. It may not be about glitter but look at all the princess books and you'll see more pink that you can shake a pig at.

Thanks for the suggestions. We loved Clementine and now we have some more books to look for when we go to the store. :)

I'd like to know the hooks for a couple of YA books: Speak, Hattie Big Sky. Do these books have hooks besides the wonderful authors?

Since Speak was L H Anderson's first book, her name wasn't a hook then. "Girl goes mute due to horrendous secret" might be a hook, because secrets and mysteries are hooks in themselves. (Yet I didn't think the secret was particularly fresh and different.) Another hook is "good reviews"; I picked up the book for that reason, too. "Accurate YA voice" might be one of the hooks.

Hattie Big Sky's author isn't a big name either, although in this industry, "big name" often means "known by others in the industry." The bookstore consumer or library patron may not have a clue. I loved the book. For me, the hooks were "Newbery Honor," (that was the first time I'd heard of the book), "historical fiction," which I love, and "adventurous heroine." Another thing I really loved about it, though it's not a hook in that I didn't discover it until reading the book, is the friendship between Hattie and her neighboring family. Whether hook or not, "friendship" will get me every time. For me personally, another hook is "YA book that is neither grim nor filled with sex and swear words."

Another Hook for Hattie is

"Pioneer Life" -- A lot of girls grow up loving the Little House books... this is an interesting (girl does it on her own) take on a popular topic.....

Also, the cover is awesome.

I'd add to the EDWINA list a third hook: the title. How can you not wonder?


Loree Burns
www.loreeburns.com

Thanks for the thoughts regarding the hooks of Speak and Hattie. It helps me understand what to emphasize when describing my book. Very helpful.

Very cool! THANKS, EA!

This list serves as good reminder of potential hooks. I try to make sure I am satisfying some of these (and some of the hooks below) when I have come up with an IDEA for a PICTURE BOOK and am in the fledgling stages of fleshing out the story. If I only have one, I try to add a second without forcing them. It has to feel natural.

Some other hooks i try to instill...

-Onomatopoeia - kids love making silly sounds and hearing them. It's just another way to engage them.

-Riddles/Asking questions for the reader to answer

-Word play (like Runny Babbit)... I think kids often wind up talking in this manner even after the book is closed, which might help them want to open it again

-Secrets that only the reader is in on. Like in Amelia Bedelia or Knuffle Bunny

-Open ended or circular stories as in the If you Give a Moose, Mouse, etc a Cookie, Muffin, etc...

-Physical Interaction (not as in pop-up/novelty books although certainly not exclusive from that)... more like needing to turn the book to view the illustrations at different angles.

-(One of my favorites), breaking the "invisible wall" between reader and story/character. Often the characters will address the reader and include them in the story. Mo Willems and Jon Scieszka/Lane Smith are masters at doing this simply and effectively.

Some of what you've named are nice elements to include in a book, but not are hooks. Onomotopoeia is not something that inspires people to pay money for it. Neither are the physical interaction you mention or breaking the wall between book and reader. As I say, these are nice things to have--don't get rid of them. But they're not your hook. The other stuff you mention could be hooks, depending on how (and how well) they're done.

I'd hate to get this wrong, but I would think that the hook for Edwina is the question of whether or not she actually is extinct. What happens if the little boy is right?

What a great book. :)
Is it wrong that I still enjoy good picture books at my age?

And "How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight" has a couple of hooks for the book-buying parent

1. JANE YOLEN. We all grew up on her.... now she's writing a book for our child

2. Engaging Illustrations

3. Rhyme done well.

4. DINOSAURS.

5. "Bedtime Book" -- While the market is flooded with these, you can always use one more...

6. Reasonably SHORT bedtime book... so "Read it again, Mom!" is do-able, and it holds the younger child's interest.

As for Edwina -- The mystery (is she or isn't she)

The humor -- A dinosaur who bakes cookies?

Once again, the illustrations -- a picture book with bad illustrations is a No-go...

Conflict, Tension and Resolution -- a complete story arc in just a few words!

My one HUGE issue with the hook-thing is: I can see why someone would want to buy a finished book in the bookstore from a wellknown author/ great illustrator..

But how does that work when you're querying with a picture book manuscript?

1. Author recognition --None

2. Illustrations -- Only in the reader's head. And in a query, the editor can't really see if your text lends itself to illustration or not.


As far as I can tell, the hooks for a query letter would be

1. reasonable word count
2. Interesting sounding plot
3. Author credentials
4. Well-written query that mentions a few aspects of your book that appeal to the target age-group and their parents

Then there are the anti-hooks.... (I get a lot of grief for this one over at SCBWI, but......)

1. TOO LONG. As a mother, I will NOT buy (or even check out from the library) a picture book with HUGE blocks of text on every page. I don't want to read 4000 words without a break. My kids don't want to listen. If I want to read them a chapter book, I'll read them a chapter book... with chapters of a sensible, kid-friendly length.

2. HUMDRUM Illustrations. If the fairy tale book looks exactly like every other fairy tale book in the world, why should I bother spending MORE money on it?

3. FLIMSY CONSTRUCTION -- I want it to last at least 6 months in a house with 3 kids under 5! I'm especially fussy about "Lift-the-flap" books -- some seem designed to break on the first read-through!

4. Too Edgy -- When my kids are older, yes, as I enjoy slightly edgy picture books. But my 4 year old DOESN'T.

5. Cubist-style illustrations -- Makes the youngest kids cry.....

6. Bad Rhyme and Metre. If I read a book through and can, in 45 seconds, think of a million ways to improve the poem, it's a no-go. If we've received one as a gift and the kids insist, I WILL substitute words that actually work.

7. Super-Didactic, Inspirational, or "Dealing with an Issue" related.

If it reads like something the school guidance counselor would have read to my 5th grade class, It's NOT going to make it home....


Oh.. and one last hook that I find regretful, but unfortunately looms large in my house:

Contains a popular TV or movie character.....

Though the Dora books reallyt aren't as bad as I would have thought... and at least they're short... and the kids like all the exhortations to "Jump! Reach! Bend! Count!" ... of course, the 2 year old has started adding Spanish to her constant monologue....

It's hard to use humour to get someone to pick up a book because it's hard to communicate it, unless the book's central idea is inherently comedic. You can intrigue people with the puzzle and tell them who the author is, but people usually only know the book's funny once they've read it. This is particularly true for adult novels, where the marketing department seems to slap the word 'hilarious' on just about any novel in which nobody dies, devaluing the description along the way.

EA, I guess you are right... some of the things I added aren't really HOOKS per se. Like you said, some of them are good, but don't really push a purchase.

I am making a cheat sheet list of hooks to peruse when generating ideas to see where/how/when I can try and generate interest (I guess interest in a book where the potential buyer/reader knows very little about the actual story... is that a good way of saying it?... Elements that fullfill a child's psyche?)

Would you say hooks are more for the buyer/parent or for the child in the case of picture books? I suppose both need to be factored.

As the mother of a four-year-old, I have to disagree about "free stuff" being something that three- to five-year-olds love. An eight-year-old loves free stuff. Ten-year-olds love free stuff. Grownups love free stuff. Three- to five-year-olds could not care less about free stuff, because as far as they know, EVERYTHING is free.

The book I'm currently dying to read (but haven't managed to get out to a store/library that's kept it in stock yet) is the first "Beka Cooper" book by Tamora Pierce....

So I guess the hooks here would be (tell me if I'm wrong)

1. Tamora Pierce - A beloved author from my childhood who's still writing

2. Beka Cooper - The ancestress of my favorite Pierce Characters (George. And his daughter from the "trickster" books)

3. Plot sounds like a fun romp through ancient Tortall

Hmmm.... but now I need to decide -- what would be the hook for someone who WASN'T already a Tamora Pierce fan? (Tough one, because all my friends grew up on her too, so all I have to say is "Hey, did you see that Tamora Pierce has a new YA out?" and they go running to the store.....

But then this really isn't a helpful hook for a new writer, since she's already made a name for herself...

So let me think back to "Alana: The first adventure"

-Girl doesn't want to go to charm school, brother doesn't want to go to Knight school, so they swap places.

-They have a secret "Gift" that lets them do magic

-Can girl hide her identity and defeat the bad guys?

The hook for me, as a child, was all plot -- magic, adventure, and a girl pretending to be a boy so that she can be a knight...

As a pre-teen girl, one of the strongest hooks for me was a fantasy setting anf a strong female main character...

Which I assume is still true for girls today (at least the ones who read fantasy) --but now there are a LOT more books on the market that fill that niche.....

So why does one make it and another not?

(sorry about the long ramble... I've had inadequate amounts of sleep recently....)

Why do I suddenly see the slush piles getting flooded with "Donny the Diapered Dinosaur" and "Flatulence on the Farm" manuscripts? ; )

"How do dinosaurs use the potty?

They're very polite -- they're never snotty.

They nicely excuse themselves from the table

And pee in the toilet as best as they're able....

And every dinosaur understands

That he must always WASH HIS HANDS!"

(Because EVERYONE wants to start their week off with bad doggeral about the bodily functions of Sauropods! =) )

Some things that hook me now are quite different from what hooked me when I was a kid. These days I read so much publishing industry info / gossip online that I'm drawn to books that have interesting publication stories, or books from authors whose blogs I read. Like you, Edit Anon, I'm really interested to read Thirteen Reasons Why. But that book is only on my radar because I've read so much about it on forums, blogs, etc. I agree that the premise is really intriguing, though.

I don't usually read fantasy, but I'm dying to read Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely. The pre-pub buzz was huge, and so many other YA writers and fans, fantasy lovers and non-fantasy-lovers alike, have had such good things to say about it.

Stellar writing has been a hook for me since I was a middle-grade reader. At age 9 and 10, I was all about reading blurbs, getting recommendations from the librarian, and using the Newbery list as a to-be-read checklist. What I was searching for, really, was something that challenged me -- whether it was a writing style that encouraged me to read sentences 2 or 3 times to truly appreciate all that they held, or a format that was something different from the norm (loved those epistolary novels). I moved on from the YA shelf to the adult section at a pretty young age mostly because I felt I'd read all the hard stuff that interested me. I read fluff sometimes (and had a whole shelf of Sweet Valley books at home to prove it), but a book with a reputation for being intellectually challenging could always pull me away from those wacky Wakefield twins.

First commenter: fair enough. 3-5 year olds often have no conception of money. Gifts and ownership, though, are concepts they get, wouldn't you agree?

I wish I like M.T. Anderson, but I don't. I REALLY don't. Heck, I don't like J.K. Rowlings, either. I'm obviously the odd man out, but these two authors put me to sleep faster than Unisom. Sorry. And no, four and five-year-olds (at least mine) know the concept of free and their daddy having to spend money.

"I'm a naturally skeptical person, and I hate to be disappointed."

Sounds like a challenge!

Tell ya what, E.A. If you let me know where to send it, I'll send you a free galley of Thirteen Reasons Why. And we all know editors are worse than 3-5 year olds when it comes to freebies.

Of course, that'll require you to give up some otherwise anonymous information to me. But you can trust me!

- Jay

I have to agree with the anon who doesn't like MT Anderson. This business is so subjective it's scary. I love about half of the new, different, edgy, brilliant, etc. stuff that's published and think the other half sucks. And one author can fall into both camps (loved An Abundance of Katherines, hated Looking for Alaska.) What hooks me is intelligence, a balance between character development and plot (no character studies where nothing happens, no scenes of utter destruction before we know the characters, a la The Alchemyst), and some sense of virtue or depth -- a hopeful or spot-on theme, for example, or a sense of family or community among the characters that makes you want to join them. Of course, you run into books sometimes that override your personal list of hooks or render them contradictory, such as Criss Cross. I loved it because of its theme -- the many ways in which people just miss connecting. But plot? Zip, zero, zilch.

RE: 13 Reasons Why ... I agree, what a great hook! As I noted in my blog's review of the ARC, I think it will be the Blair Witch Project of YA novels on that basis alone. And IMO, the book DOES live up to the hook.

Disco Merman:
Tempting offer. And kind of you; thanks. But I didn't give Betsy any clues, and that was tempting too. I'll find myself a copy of your book on my own. :)

My YA book about a 14-year-old girl with a schizophrenic mother will be coming out in spring of '08.

Is that hook enough...or do I need more to attract readers?

That's not a hook. People don't go out of their way to read about dealing with schizophrenia. What else is going on in the book?

Ooooh, I hated Looking for Alaska as well. Talk about boring. Jeeze. I've been so disappointed with new releases that I've resigned myself to go back and re-read all my favorites. Saves money and disappointment. I recently purchased Lisey's Story by Stephen King and I simply did't understand what the h*ll that book is about??? And the reviews have been glowing??? I gave the book away this morning.

Thanks EA -- although, I wish a girl with a crazy mother was hook enough. It's not that nothing else is going on in the book -- the narrator takes up running, has a first date, a first kiss, realizes the importance of friendship, and courage, and loyalty.

You know -- the book has all the stuff of a good story -- character transformation, suspense, tension, worry, and tears. Most importantly, as I've been told, people care about the characters at the end. But, every good story has these elements. I'm sure these aren't the makings of hook.

I'm writing ya character novels -- stories about teens being able to triumph in the face of difficult circumstances without resorting to self abuse to get through. Maybe I just need to write a couple of good books to make my name the hook.

Then I hope that it's awesome writing and is received as such by the review journals. That's what it'll take.
Much luck!