Dear O'Abby: What's a hook and do I need them?

 Dear O'Abby,

My crit group keeps saying the same thing about my chapters: there's no hook.  

I'm not sure what they mean by this or why they seem to think I need one in every single chapter.

Is this something you know anything about?  I'd be grateful for any clarification.

Kind regards,

Hookless

Dear Hookless,

A hook is a device in a book that makes the reader want to keep reading.  The first line should act as a hook, drawing the reader in and making them want to read more.

But in the context you've given, around each chapter needing a hook, I'm thinking your crit group is talking about having a good hook at the end of each chapter to make the reader want to keep going.  Think about it like a cliff hanger.  You want to end each chapter with a tantalising reveal about something, a piece of action that leaves your character(s) in peril or a piece of information that changes things for the characters.

Obviously your book isn't going to be pitched at a consistent level of tension throughout, so the hooks at the end of each chapter don't need to be huge every time. It would be too exhausting if every chapter ended on the same kind of note!  There just needs to be a reason for the reader to want to turn the page and keep reading rather than putting the book down.

Hopefully that helps?

XXX O'Abby

Writing Back Cover Copy

Back when I was first working on a query for my YA Urban Fantasy, Crow's Rest, I wrote the query "blurb" section with back cover copy in mind. I thought, "Why not make it do double duty, and have it ready to go when I need it?"

But although that query blurb got my book lots of interest and requests, I came to realize it wouldn't work very well for a back cover blurb. For one thing, it was too spoilery for cover copy, and that meant it didn't have that hook a reader is looking for. The hook that makes them actually crack open the book (or download the sample) and keep reading.

In the end, the text for the back of a book is much simpler than a query. As I said in a post about queries on my blog, "a query serves as your introduction to an agent or editor, gets them excited about your premise and how you've enacted it". In an ideal query, you also want to show some voice, and possibly reveal one or more plot twists.

But none of that belongs in your back copy--except the excitement about the premise, which is where your hook comes in. Copywriter Carly Hoogendyk, in a post on the Book Country blog, says this about a hook:

"There’s something about your novel that makes it original and specific and intriguing to readers. That’s your hook. Working your hook into a tagline that opens your copy is a tried and true way to get a reader to continue on to the rest of your synopsis and, ideally, the first page of your book."

I'm still playing around with my hook for Crow's Rest, but I've moved on to tackling the actual blurb and have discovered that the version I like the best is pretty bare-bones. It's only 5 paragraphs, and each paragraph is only 1 or 2 sentences. A few years ago, I probably would have been aghast at using something that short to convey my entire book, but since then I've learned that you're not trying to do that.

The blurb is a sales tool meant to intrigue the potential buyer into opening the book, and that's all! I found some helpful resources on writing back cover copy and wanted to share them here:

7 Secrets to Writing Persuasive Back Cover Sales Copy

How to Write a Blurb (Back Cover Copy)

What to Avoid When Writing Back Cover Copy

Tips for Writing Back Cover Copy

How to Write Kick-Butt BCC

And the best way to get a sense of successful back cover copy is to read a bunch of them! Go to the library, a bookstore, an online seller, or your own bookcases, and read a wide sample. Which ones make you want to crack open that book, even if you've read it before?