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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » book proposals » Page 5

book proposals

What Makes a Great Hook?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 12, 2017
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Lately, smart publishing professionals have been saying “it needs a great hook” to describe  books they seek. Recently I wrote about the all-important first page, which of course should seize the reader and not let go.

However, that’s not the same as the story hook itself. The hook must make the consumer say, “I’ve got to read this!” even before she turns to page one.

Nonfiction:

The nonfiction hook shows weighty questions the book answers, also known as “felt need” in editorial circles. Here, the title can be a major selling point because it immediately lets the reader know the book’s purpose. Examples:

The Art of Loving God: Simple Virtues for the Christian Life by St. Francis de Sales

Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer

And to illustrate how subtitles can be changed to hook various audiences at different times:

The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: A Treatise in Which the Whole Controversy about Universal Redemption is Fully Discussed by John Owen. Published 1959

Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Why Christ Saves All for Whom He Died by John Owen.  Published 2016

Which version of Owen’s book would you prefer to read?

Fiction:

In fiction, the hook tells us how the plot entertains and answers questions. Novels can be more challenging to name, but you want the reader to pick up your book based on the title, then intrigue the consumer to read the blurb to see if the story is of interest. For example:

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Michell answers the question: How does one Southern woman cope with the loss of everything she knows in the wake of war?

1984 by George Orwell answers the question: What happens when Government exerts too much control?

Granted, no matter how excellent your hook is, a specific portion of the reading public will not bite because the book doesn’t resonate with them. Not to worry. Your job isn’t to attract all readers. Your mission is to lure your intended audience. With a great hook, you can.

Your turn:

Are you reading a book with an exceptionally good hook now?

What type of books currently get your attention? Why?

 

 

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Category: Book Proposals, MarketingTag: book proposals, Hooks, Marketing

Send Simultaneous Submissions or Not?

By Steve Laubeon August 7, 2017
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Bryan Mitchell asked, “What is the max number of submissions you should send at a given time? I’ve heard ten but that sounds off; to me, it seems it should be less than that if you are carefully considering the agents you reach out to.” When approaching agents I encourage simultaneous submissions, as long as you let us know you are doing so. But, as Bryan answered his own question, there is no …

Read moreSend Simultaneous Submissions or Not?
Category: Agency, Agents, Book ProposalsTag: Agency, Agents, book proposals, Queries, Simultaneous Submissions

What Happens in the Agency After I Send my Proposal?

By Steve Laubeon July 24, 2017
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Jeanine asked, “Please help me to get a picture of what happens to a manuscript that has been submitted (via email) to your office, from the time of its arrival to the time of the agent’s acceptance/rejection.” Thank you for the question Jeanine. I will first give a silly but kinda true answer of what happens in the agency as follows: We avoid looking in the incoming proposals inbox …

Read moreWhat Happens in the Agency After I Send my Proposal?
Category: Agency, Book ProposalsTag: Agency, book proposals

Books are Sold with Proposals

By Dan Balowon June 20, 2017
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If you think about it, the first step leading to the eventual sale of any book begins with grabbing someone’s attention with a short description of the book content. The proposal or short description motivates the agent, publisher, book retailer or reader to take the next step, which is different for each, but everything is set in motion by something less than the full manuscript. No one first …

Read moreBooks are Sold with Proposals
Category: Book ProposalsTag: book proposals

Make Me Jump off the Fence

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 18, 2017
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So, when querying me, maybe you followed my guidelines, submitted an appropriate manuscript, and your work has much to recommend itself. So why am I not getting back to you right away? Am I ignoring you? I’m sure it feels that way, and I’m sorry. What has probably happened is that your manuscript (and yours is not alone), has me sitting on the fence. Think about that expression. Who wants to sit …

Read moreMake Me Jump off the Fence
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, PitchTag: book proposals, Get Published

Where Do You Find New Clients?

By Steve Laubeon April 3, 2017
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“As an agent, what percentage of your new clients come from meetings at conferences vs. general email or postal proposals? Can you address the importance of conferences?” Thanks to Scott for the question. It is a good one. Another way to frame it is “Where do you find new clients? Blind submissions or conferences?” The answer, as always, is “It depends.” Meeting someone at a conference is a …

Read moreWhere Do You Find New Clients?
Category: Book Proposals, Christian Writers Institute, Conferences, ConventionsTag: Agency, book proposals, Christian Writers Institute, writers conferences

Frustrated by Rejection or No Response? Try This

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 30, 2017
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Last week I wrote about authors who send agents submissions despite the fact those agents clearly state that they don’t represent those categories. When this happens, I sense one of three things from the author: exuberance, ignorance, or frustration. Exuberance An author who’s been successful for decades still can be exuberant about her work. That’s not what I mean here. In this case, the author …

Read moreFrustrated by Rejection or No Response? Try This
Category: Book Proposals, Pitch, Pitching, PlatformTag: Agents, book proposals, Frustration, Pitching

When Proposing a Series of Novels

By Steve Laubeon March 27, 2017
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“Are today’s publishers more interested in an individual novel or a trilogy? Also, when submitting a proposal for the completed first novel in a planned trilogy, is it better to focus on the first novel or give an overview of the complete trilogy? Is there an upper limit to how many books should be in a series?” These are some excellent questions submitted by both Peter and …

Read moreWhen Proposing a Series of Novels
Category: Book Proposals, Genre, Get Published, PitchingTag: book proposals, Series, Stand Alones

Do You Really Want to Change Our Minds?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 23, 2017
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Agents know how difficult it is to break in to publishing, to keep your stride as a midlist author, and to stay on top once you’re there. We realize where you’re coming from when you send us something we say we don’t represent, thinking it’s so wonderful we might change our minds. Maybe it is that wonderful. Maybe we might change our minds. But is that what you really want? Let’s look at two …

Read moreDo You Really Want to Change Our Minds?
Category: Agents, Book ProposalsTag: Agents, book proposals

The Ambitious Author

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 16, 2017
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Recently my office received an unsolicited submission from an author unfamiliar to us. Of course, this is not unusual. But here is a list of what is unusual: The submission was openly cc’ed to 185 agents. The author sent writing samples for 28 books. The author said she wants to write across all genres. At least one entry offered graphic detail of a sexual encounter. The author stated her age as …

Read moreThe Ambitious Author
Category: Agents, Book ProposalsTag: book proposals, Queries
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