How to Pitch a Novel: Finding Your Hook #writing #publishing #kidlit #yalit #MGLit

An orphan explores his magical powers at a school for wizards. Twins discover they are really genies. Death narrates a World War II story. The young descendants of Sherlock Holmes tackle one of his unsolved cases. 

A hook—in this case the “high concept” idea—can grab the reader’s attention and make a book stand out. Here are the books with the above hooks.

        Harry Potter series, by J. K Rowling

        Children of the Lamp series, by P. B. Kerr

        The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak.

        The 100-Year-Old Secret, by Tracy Barrett

       

Do you need a hook? Well, in today’s competitive market, it can definitely help. It’s a quick way to summarize your idea for an editor or agent, handy for writing conferences. So how do you figure out what yours is—or if you have one?

One option is comparisons—I So Don’t Do Mysteries was described as Nancy Drew with a Devil Meets Prada makeover by the publisher sales team trying to sell the book to bookstores and libraries. After Die Hard, action movies were often described as “Die Hard on a plane” or “Die Hard on a boat.”

On the jacket flap, books often used an “except” or “but” twist. The second part is the twist on a common plot. — A woman thinks her ex-husband is going to try to kill her, but he kidnaps her daughter instead.

If your book isn’t trendy, don’t despair. What hooks the reader is individual to that reader. Some may read any book set in a certain time or place, or love talking animals. Don’t try to make your book sound like it fits some hot trend, if it doesn’t. Instead try to hook your readers. Who are your target readers, and what will draw them to this book?

A good hook is simple and short—sometimes it’s referred to as a one-sentence synopsis or an elevator pitch (from the idea that you might have 30 seconds in an elevator to grab an editor’s attention). It’s not long-winded, where you are trying to cram everything into one run-on sentence. The hook doesn’t necessarily tell you the plot, but it gives you the flavor of the book and arouses interest. It may be simply the premise.

For example: In The Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. 

This sentence identifies the MC as a journalist turning fifty, it says she'll solve crimes, and it identifies the setting of Arizona. "Witty" suggests this will be humorous (as does calling the series a "humorous mystery series"). 

There is no specific plot in that series pitch. Here's the pitch for Book 1, Something Shady at Sunshine Haven: 

When patients are dying at an Alzheimer’s unit, a former war correspondent must use her journalism skills to uncover the killer and save her mother. 

That sentence identifies the MC and her challenge, with high stakes, since her mother is one of the people in danger. 

You can find books similar to yours on Amazon, Goodreads etc. and look at the first sentence of the book description, which may be in bold or italics. This is often a good hook. For example:

Fatima Tate Takes the Cake, by Khadijah VanBrakle: 

Fatima Tate wants to be a baker AND enjoy some innocent flirting with her hot friend Raheem—but her strict Muslim parents would never approve of either.

Bunnybirds #1, by Natalie Linn:

Princess Aster must leave home to discover why her people are disappearing—even if it means journeying over the rim of the world itself—in this animal fantasy graphic novel perfect for fans of blockbuster series like Warriors and Wings of Fire.

This works for picture books too.

Too Much: My Great Big Native Family, by Laurel Goodluck, illustrated by  Bridget George: 

A little boy wants a chance to shine on his own but discovers that being apart from his large and lively Native family isn’t necessarily better in this heartwarming and humorous picture book.

(Note that it can be risky to compliment your own work in a query. I might call my own book humorous, but I wouldn't claim it's "laugh out loud funny." Leave the big praise for marketing.)

EXERCISE: For practice, name a favorite or recent book—how would you describe it to a friend? Would you pick it up if you heard that description? Then check the opening of its marketing description. Is that a good hook? Why or why not? Try this a few times.

EXCERCISE: Write a simple synopsis of your work. Don’t worry about length or clarity. Jot down the who, what, when, where, and why. Now you have some idea of the most interesting and important aspects of the work. Turn it into a one-sentence synopsis with your hook.

To start focusing on your hook, ask, What is the conflict, in terms of X versus Y? Once you have your hook, you can expand upon that one-sentence pitch for a query letter or longer conversation. (Please note that it's better to have two or even three short, snappy sentences than one very long sentence where you try to cram in everything. A good hook is one you can remember and share verbally fairly easily, without worrying about getting exactly the right word in the right place.)

More examples:

     In The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan girl in ninth-century Guatemala rebels against the High Priest who sacrifices anyone challenging his power. 

     The Genie’s Gift: Shy, thirteen-year-old Anise resolves to find the Genie Shakayak and claim the Gift of Sweet Speech, but the journey is full of challenges, both ordinary and magical.

     The Eyes of Pharaoh: When their friend disappears, Seshta and Horus spy on merchants, soldiers, and royalty, and start to suspect even The Eyes of Pharaoh, the powerful head of the secret police. 

     Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café: Kari doesn’t have time for love when she’s opening her new cat café. But when a sexy master baker walks in, how can she resist?
    The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas: Carly has crushed on Josh for years, but when he wins a fortune in the lottery, how can she prove she wants him for himself? 
     The Teenage Adventures of Felony Melanie: Meet teen “Felony Melanie” years before the movie Sweet Home Alabama and follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends as teens in this fun-filled romantic comedy series. (This one is more vague, because it relies on the movie as the hook for the series. FYI, I cowrote this series with my brother who wrote the original screenplay for the movie, which is why we were legally able to do this.)

More advice on writing a pitch:

How to Write a Book Pitch (and Why it Matters) at The Novelry.

How to write a killer one sentence pitch (or logline) for novels and memoirs, by Nathan Bransford

How to Pitch a Book – Your Guide to Writing the Perfect Book Pitch, by Alyssa Matesic

Chris offers online, on-demand courses (start whenever you want and work at your own pace) 

Advanced Plotting—Keep Those Pages Turning: Learn advanced techniques that will make a decent plot dynamic. Take this online course at your own pace. It includes six videos plus handouts with notes and more resources for $100. Get Advanced Plotting here. 

You Can Write for Children: Learn about children’s publishing—opportunities and challenges, genres, age ranges, book and magazine markets, and resources to keep you going. Watch this three-session video course at your own pace. It's five chapters for $60. Get You Can Write for Children here. 

Educational Publishing: Make Money Writing for the Educational Market: Do you want to make money from writing? Are you willing and able to write on assignment if given a topic, word count, grade level, and deadline? Then you may be perfect for educational work for hire! 7 chapters, 14 lessons, $150 or the $350 subscription option lets you send your work to me for feedback. Get the Ed Pub course here.

The Ten-Minute Writer offers short videos to help writers improve their craft quickly. See videos on The Promise of the First Chapter, Fast Starts, Characters in Conflict, Secondary Characters, Villains, and a quick peek at Cliffhangers. 

Chris Eboch is the author of over 100 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure used in many schools; and The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers, and Advanced Plotting. Learn more at chriseboch.com. 

Chris writes mystery and romance for adults as Kris Bock. Learn more at KrisBock.com. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, which causes as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café, and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Teenage Adventures of Felony Melanie follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get a short story preview

Writing and Running: 6 Lessons Learned from Jogging #NWHFD #fitnessday #writing #amwriting

In honor of National Women's Health & Fitness Day (September 25, #NWHFD #fitnessday), I wanted to share some lessons I learned from running.
 
In March of 2011 I started jogging. Despite the occasional illness, injury, and ‘I don’t wanna,’ I’m still getting out regularly. On one long and rather tedious solo run, I started making connections between jogging and writing and life.
 
Get Some Running Buddies
 
It helps to have inspiration. I started jogging with a Couch to 5K group that met twice a week. Having the regular schedule kept us on track. The program helped us pace ourselves, starting with short runs and frequent walks, and working up to a 45 minute run. We also had an experienced leader to offer advice.

 
Several of us continued running together after the program ended. I wouldn’t get out there as often if people weren’t waiting for me. I’d be tempted to stop early, if I didn’t have the encouragement of the group. Hey, peer pressure is powerful! You might as well make it work for you. Plus, it’s more fun to run with other people.

For writers, it’s important to find the right peer group for your needs. For many, this is a critique group. They may be large or small, meet in person or online, have open or closed membership, get together weekly or monthly or as needed. Finding a group that suits your needs is invaluable.
 
Other writers share goals and deadlines, checking in with a friend daily or weekly to report progress. There’s that peer pressure again! Even a non-writing friend can help hold you accountable. (But choose carefully. Most people don't understand writing or the publishing business and have no idea how long it takes to get something published. Many people don't even realize that you may never sell a manuscript. You don't want someone making you feel bad because you haven't finished and sold your novel within six months.)
 
Finally, social groups can provide camaraderie and networking. I live in a small town with a science and engineering college; I know far more computer geeks than writers. But by making monthly trips to Albuquerque to attend a writing meeting, I’ve made many friends who understand what I do. I’ve also made connections by teaching workshops and guest speaking for groups like Sisters in Crime. For those who can’t attend in person, online discussion boards, listserves, and online classes offer information and a sense of connection.

 
It’s Distance, Not Speed
 

It really is about the journey, not how fast you get there. Pace yourself, and enjoy the journey, or you might burn out along the way. If you can see the end, or at least imagine the cheering crowds and free food, it might give you the extra boost you need to keep going. But take time to enjoy the sights, and the experience will be a lot more fun.
 
As a writer, don’t focus so much on the response to your query letters. Sure, celebrate successes, and try to learn from disappointments, but put most of your energy into enjoying the journey. (That works for the rest of life, too.)
 
Robin LaFevers had a post at Writer Unboxed about keeping creative play in your writing.
 
But Keep Moving
 
A slow pace may get you there, but if you have a long way to go, you might as well do it running. A marathon will take a lot longer at a stroll than at a jog, even a slow jog. Run when you can, walk when you need a rest, but keep moving. That’s the only way to reach the end.
 

Take the time you need to learn and practice your writing craft. Do as many drafts as you need to polish your novel. Don’t rush, but do keep working. Write a page a day, and you’ll have a complete draft in a year. It may not be perfect, but it will be more than what you started with.

Practice Makes Perfect, or At Least Lessens the Pain
 
If you’re training, you need to get out regularly. Running once a month will just leave you sore and frustrated each time, and you won’t see any progress in your fitness.

It’s the same with writing. Establishing habits and sticking to them will keep your mind fit. Writing several times a week will hone your skills and make it easier to get started next time.

Beware of Shortcuts

 
If I map out a 5K run, but take every shortcut, that could cut the distance down to 3 1/2K. Easier, sure, but that won’t prepare me for running a 10K. It’s the same with life. Whether you’re trying to switch careers, meet the right man or woman, or finish a novel, some shortcuts may help, but others may do more harm than good.
 
I work with a lot of writing students. The beginners want to know if they’ll get published after taking one course. Nobody wants to spend 10 years learning how to write, but you need to do the work in order to earn the reward at the end. If you beg your friend to send your rough draft to her editor, you’ll blow your chance to make the best use of that connection. If you self publish your work before it’s ready, you’ll waste time that could be better spent working on your craft.
 
Sometimes the long, hard path is the only one that gets you where you want to go.

Push Yourself Sometimes

With enough practice, you should get better. When I started jogging, it was a struggle to go for 10 minutes without a break. Six months later, I could make it through 45 minutes without stopping.
 
And then I plateaued. Jogging had become comfortable, if not easy. Why cause more pain by trying to go farther or faster?
 
Because that’s the only way to get better. And most likely, it’s the only way to stay interested. Fortunately, one of my jogging partners is great about coming up with new workouts. We add in some sprints one day, do hills another day. We choose different routes on different terrains. Variety keeps it interesting, which makes it easier to work hard.
 
With my writing, I find that I get bored if I become too comfortable with something. After publishing a dozen children’s books as Chris Eboch, I wanted a change. I began writing romantic suspense for adults, using the name Kris Bock. This brought new challenges – writing books two or three times as long as what I was used to, exploring romantic subplots, delving deeper into character. I didn’t always get things right the first time, but I became a better writer – and I renewed my interest in writing.

Online, on-demand writing courses
 
Start whenever you want and work at your own pace.

Please note:

When you are new to EzyCourse, you will need to sign up and get a password first. Then return to the course page to enroll and pay. You will not have access to the course until you "Complete Purchase."  

 
Advanced Plotting—Keep Those Pages Turning: Learn advanced techniques that will make a decent plot dynamic. Take this online course at your own pace. It includes six videos plus handouts with notes and more resources for $100. Get Advanced Plotting here.
 
You Can Write for Children: Learn about children’s publishing—opportunities and challenges, genres, age ranges, book and magazine markets, and resources to keep you going. Watch this three-session video course at your own pace. It's five chapters for $60. Get You Can Write for Children here. 

Educational Publishing: Make Money Writing for the Educational Market: Do you want to make money from writing? Are you willing and able to write on assignment if given a topic, word count, grade level, and deadline? Then you may be perfect for educational work for hire! 7 chapters, 14 lessons, $150 or the $350 subscription option lets you send your work to me for feedback. Get the Ed Pub course here.

Boost your #writing skills with a #writingworkshop - Take these online courses at your own pace. #creativewriting and #KidLit classes

Bring your writing career to the next level! Take a self-paced video writing class with Chris Eboch, the author of over 100 books for children and two dozen novels for adults written as Kris Bock. Chris has led popular writing workshops around the world.

Advanced Plotting—Keep Those Pages Turning

Learn advanced techniques that will make a decent plot dynamic. Understand the promise of your first chapter. Then start with a “grab you by the throat” opening. Once you’ve caught the reader’s attention, you’ll want to pack the plot full. But how do you make sure you’ve done that? Check out these tools to analyze your plot. Once your plot is strong, learn techniques to maximize your pacing, including cliffhanger chapter endings to drive the story forward. Novelists will benefit from these insights, whether you are just starting out or have years of experience. Many techniques work for memoires, nonfiction, and even picture books too!

Take this online course at your own pace. It includes six videos plus handouts with notes and more resources for $100. You can hire me to work with you one-on-one for an additional fee. Get Advanced Plotting here.

Please note: If you are new to EzyCourse, you will need to sign up and get a password first. Then return to the course page to enroll and pay. You will not have access to the course until you "Complete Purchase."

Educational Publishing: Make Money Writing for the Educational Market: Do you want to make money from writing? Are you willing and able to write on assignment if given a topic, word count, grade level, and deadline? Then you may be perfect for educational work for hire! Get it here.

Also available: You Can Write for Children

Learn about children’s publishing—opportunities and challenges, genres, age ranges, book and magazine markets, and resources to keep you going. This three-session video course is $60. Get You Can Write for Children here.

You can also go straight to the source and hire me to review your manuscript. See rates and recommendations here. Or if you prefer to learn from books, check out Advanced Plotting and You Can Write for Children on Amazon.

Chris has over 100 books for children published under the names Chris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure used in many schools; and The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens: Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier are inspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men. Learn more about Chris Eboch books at her website. Her writing craft books include Advanced Plotting and You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers. 

As Kris Bock, she writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, which causes as many problems as it solves. 

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanieseries follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Learn more at www.krisbock.com.