Tag: hooks

Categories
Kids Lit

Our Most Important Sentence

Kids Lit

Once the dream book is finally contracted, the most important writing starts. Essentially what we write in preparation for the book to sell many, many copies. The HOOK!

Bob Hostetler in his article Hooks and Gimmicks quotes Tamela Hancock Murray:

“A hook is a line that makes the reader say, ‘I’ve GOT to read this NOW!’ A gimmick is when the reader says, ‘Not ANOTHER one of these! I’m soooo tired of this same old same old.’

“Amazon completely dominates the bookselling landscape, controlling over 80% of ebook sales, 65% of online print book sales, and 83% of the U.S. e-reader market.”

The hook is the first sentence of the write up, often in bold face type. Your book’s hook should say: “I’ve GOT to read this NOW!”

I have a picture book coming in 2026 about trees. Every four months or so I check Amazon to see how tree books are being described.

Hook 1: drop a famous name or familiar title

Listening to Trees: George Nakashima, Woodworker by Holly Thompson. Neal Porter/Holiday House

A poetic and moving picture book biography celebrating the life and work of the visionary Japanese American woodworker George Nakashima.

Ecologist Suzanne Simard photographed in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. Two decades ago, while researching her doctoral thesis, Simard discovered that trees communicate to each other.

Mother Aspen: A Story of How Forests Cooperate and Communicate by Annette LeBox. Groundwood Books

A lyrical story of an aspen grove through the seasons, inspired by the ground-breaking work of Dr. Suzanne Simard on how trees and fungi talk to each other.

Hook 2: mention a familiar theme

My Olive Tree by Hazar Elbayya. Anne Schwartz Books/Random House

In this simple, touching picture book about the healing power of a loving community, a girl’s grandpa and her neighbors help her grow an olive tree in a war-torn land.

I am Tree Rex! by Mo Davey. Berbay (Australia)

A character-driven dinosaur story about protecting the environment, one tree at a time. 

Hook 3: tell us about the characters

Wonder of the Woods by Bonnie Kelso. Little Press

A young girl explores the wooded area near her home and encounters a variety of animals that are curious about their new visitor. 

Together, a Forest: Drawing Connections Between Nature’s Diversity and Our Own by Roz MacLean. Henry Holt

Explore a forest with a curious classroom in this breathtaking new picture book by the author of the beloved More Than Words and experience the essential beauty of diversity in humanity and nature.

 Hook 4: Crack out the buzz words

Our Tree by Jessica Meserve. Tiger tales

For readers ages 3-7, this is a stunningly illustrated celebration of tolerance, togetherness, and the power of community.

A Forest Song by Kirsten Hall. Random house

Beautifully illustrated by an award-winning artist, this cento poem about experiencing a forest with all of your senses will make the perfect read-aloud for nature lovers and curious explorers of all ages.

Manuscript sold and contract signed. Begin now to write the Most Important Sentence: the HOOK!

Multi award winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing sitting on the floor during more than 1000 story times. She sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again. Watch for her tree book HOOK in 2026!

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

Hooks

I recently read a few middle grade novels I could not put down, even when sleep called loud and clear. What compelled me to keep turning pages? Instead of giving me an easy stopping place, the authors ended most chapters with a hook that made me want to know more.

So, what is a hook and how can you use it to help you achieve the same effect?

The Hook

A hook is when an author deliberately crafts the last few lines in a chapter in a manner that pulls the reader into the next chapter. Think of it like a fish lured by a promising dinner prospect, only to find itself hooked and unable to swim away.

Let’s look at four different ‘hooking methods’ used in middle grade books I’ve read recently.

Ask a Question

 Mom said they died in an accident when she was a teenager. But was that true?

Wraithwood, Chapter 3, by Alyssa Roat

In this chapter, Roat reveals some mysteries about the main character’s past. Rather than verifying these nuggets as truth, she asks a question that plants doubt in the reader’s mind, making them want to explore further and seek the answer.

Asking a question is how advertisers (and scammers) often slip past our defenses too. Ever pick up a call and hear, “Do you know when your homeowner’s insurance expires?” The listener feels compelled to answer, which draws them into a conversation with the seller. That’s how it works in writing too. We are naturally wired to seek answers to questions.

Look through your own work in progress. Are there chapters you could end with a question to plant seeds of curiosity?

Stop in the Middle of Action

Right as she did so, something grabbed her leg.

The Cassandra Curse, Chapter 7, by Hope Bolinger

Ending a chapter in the middle of action, commonly known as a cliffhanger, is another great hook an author can use. We think we’re about to learn something important to the plot when the chapter suddenly ends. Are we going to stop reading there? Of course not! We’ve got to know who or what grabbed her, and what happened after that. Leaving the issue unresolved puts an itch under the reader’s skin that must be scratched by continuing to read. Television series often employ this trick in their storylines, and I can’t count how many times that has led me to binge watch an entire series.

If you have a large chunk of action, this might be a great technique for you to use. Instead of a longer chapter with a resolution at the end, break the action into two or more chapters, leaving your main character in a dire predicament in the final lines.

Raise the Tension

She still couldn’t shake the feeling that the blurry shapes were following her home.

Legend of the Storm Sneezer, Entry 4, by Kristiana Sfirlea

Raising the tension is not a case of a break in action. In the example above, the action is slowing as the character heads home. The words, “she still couldn’t shake the feeling” sharpens the scene’s mood and the reader’s apprehension. It causes the tension to rise, and the reader can’t walk away from the book without knowing what happens next.

To use this method, look for chapters you have ended in a manner that could lead to closing the book—like going to bed or saying goodbye. Then add one more comment that will cause the reader to wonder. Select words that paint an appropriate tone for the next chapter.

Introduce a New Character or Upcoming Event

A tall, dark figure had been coming down the hall toward her, a black cloak flapping behind him, his boots thumping on the creaking floorboards. 

Wraithwood, Chapter 1, by Alyssa Roat

When you pass a stretch of highway and spot flashing lights and a car, how often do you rubberneck—stare to find out if it’s an accident or an arrest or speeding? That’s the idea behind this method. You give a brief snapshot, like the highway accident, and let the reader’s curiosity drive them forward.

Look for opportunities to use this technique in your manuscript. End your chapter by showing us the new character but save all the details or even their true identity for the chapters that follow.

The power of a hook cannot be underestimated. Re-read some of the books you love, the ones you stayed up reading late into the night. Study the final lines of each chapter and look for how the author hooks you into reading the next chapter. Learn from these masters and catch yourself an audience!

Do you have an example of a great hook? If so, please share in the comments below. You might just hook me into reading your story.

Elementary school teacher Lori Z. Scott usually writes fiction. Her down time is filled with two quirky habits: chronic doodling and inventing lame jokes. Neither one impresses her principal (or friends/parents/dogs/casual strangers), but they do help inspire her writing.

Somehow, her odd musings led her to accidentally write a ten-title bestselling chapter book series and on purpose write over 175 short stories, articles, essays, poems, and devotions. Lori also contributed to over a dozen books.

Lori enjoys speaking, leading workshops, and visiting local elementary schools to share her writing journey. Follow her on Instagram @Lori.Z.Scott.

Categories
Guest Posts

7 Steps to Write a Great Book Description

Guest posts

Let’s think like a potential reader for a second. We’re looking for a book to buy, and searching through our favorite genre. We see a book cover that intrigues us, but we need more. What’s the next thing we’ll do? We’ll read the book description. This goes for online shopping as well as for buying a book in a bookstore. The readers all follow these steps.

That means that you as the author need to write a great book description that will hook potential readers into buying your book. If you’re not sure how to write a great book description, just keep reading.

Here are the 7 ultimate steps for nailing your book description.

1. Open on a Strong Note

When you’re writing your book description, you need to keep one thing in mind. Potential readers don’t have the time to read dozens of book descriptions. They’ll only read the ones that speak to them from the first line.

This is why your opening lines should be:

  • intriguing
  • shocking
  • mystical
  • attention-grabbing

Make sure that you open on a strong note to inspire the potential readers to keep reading.

2. Don’t Reveal Too Much

Nobody wants to know what happens in your book before they decide to read it. It would be a huge mistake to reveal the most important plot twists or storylines in your book description.

Instead, you need to choose a small fraction of your book’s storyline and share it in the description. Make sure to:

  • reveal no crucial moments of the book
  • give minor hints of what to expect
  • leave an open question that the readers will answer if the read the book

Give them just enough to help them imagine what your book might be like, and imagine themselves reading it.

3. Keep it Short

You don’t want to scare off any of your potential readers by making the description too long. It would be much more effective to keep it short, but to make sure it has all the elements:

  • it’s informative
  • it’s concise
  • it’s to the point

Don’t waste any words on poetic descriptions and vague sentences. Instead, make sure every word counts and reveals something special about your book.

4. Explain What the Book Offers

You want to make sure your book description speaks to your target readers. The best way to do it is to tell them why they need to read it.

Explain what the book offers to the readers to help them decide whether to buy it or not. For example, it could offer:

  • an emotional chronicle of a Jewish family’s life during WWII
  • a passionate love story that was never supposed to happen
  • a complex and emotional thriller that gives insight into the minds of both the good and bad

Make sure to reveal the value of the book and give the readers an additional reason to buy it.

5. Optimize For Google

Selling your book online means knowing how to optimize for Google searches. You have to think like a potential reader and understand the phrases they might be typing in the search box.

For example:

  • a female-empowered adult drama book
  • children’s fantasy novel
  • an adults’ romance novel

Figure out what they’re going to google and use those phrases in your book description. Make sure they fit naturally, or you’ll lose the quality of the description.

6. Create Several Drafts

When writing your book description, chances are you won’t get it right the first time. Try creating several different drafts to explore different angles and approaches.

Then, let them rest for a day or two.

Go back to them and:

  • read each one like you’re seeing it for the first time
  • read it like a potential book buyer
  • make notes about each one
  • choose the best one

In case you need any help with writing your book description, there are professional essay writers who can help you nail it.

7. Show Your Writing Style

Your book description is supposed to reveal something about the emotion, atmosphere, or sensibility of the book. This is why you need to write it in accordance with the book’s content.

Make sure to:

  • show your writing style
  • show your uniqueness
  • let them feel your energy

Make the book description a preview of what’s waiting inside the pages.

Final Thoughts

Writing a great book is not enough to make it a hit that sells like crazy. You need to do all the extra work for promoting it and making sure it reaches the right audience.

The tips above will help you write a great book description. Use them to help your book reach its full potential.

Jessica Fender is a professional writer and educational blogger at Bestwritingadvisor, an aggregator for useful college resources and websites. Jessica enjoys sharing her ideas to make writing and learning fun.

Categories
Screenwriting

Hooked?

I’m excited to say that I am almost finished with the first draft of my new screenplay. Getting the story down, developing the characters, planning plot twists, doing the research has all been relatively easy because I developed my hook before starting.

If you’ve been in the writing profession for a time, you know the importance of a good hook. A hook isn’t exclusive to screenwriting, but its critical to getting your screenplay greenlighted for production. Be sure to keep a few things in mind as you work on your hook.

  • Be sure to get your audiences’ attention.
  • Be sure it will keep them invested in your story for the duration of the film.
  • Be sure it happens as soon as possible to set up the premise of your story.

It is safe to say that we don’t hook our audience as soon as possible, we can’t sell them on our story. What’s the point of writing or telling our story if it isn’t interesting—what’s the hook?

Hooked!

In literature the hook is a literary technique used in the opening of a piece that “hooks” the audiences’ attention. It’s been said that the hook is the most important part of any writing.

The hook has to be strong enough to not just interest the audience, but to convince them them to invest time and money into our stories. Below are a few types of hooks used in literature.

  1. Story or example hooks (antecedents).
  2. Facts/statistics.
  3. Strong statements/declarations.
  4. Metaphors/similes.
  5. Description hooks (visual writing).
  6. Famous quotes hooks.
  7. Interesting question hooks.

In screenwriting there is an additional approach to pitching a screenplay called the “what if” technique. This technique presents an interesting question by using familiar films to give someone a familiar idea to get a studio or producer interested.

Interest?

The age-old adage is true: always make a great first impression. Just like in dating, the first impression is what gets us interested. This is even more so in screenwriting. How many times have you begun watching a movie but failed to get interested in the first few minutes? Did you want to go on the journey with the characters or give up?

Screenwriting legend David Trotter explains it this way:

“the first thing your script should be concerned with is engaging the reader and setting forth the rules or parameters of your story.”1

David Trotter

When I first started writing screenplays almost 20 years ago, the emphasis was placed on the first 10 pages or 10 minutes of screen time to hook an audience.

Nowadays, screenwriters don’t have that luxury. Technology has affected the audiences’ attention span. It is more realistic to plan your hook around 5 to 7 pages in, the sooner the better, but keep in mind the sooner it is, the more interesting it needs to be to keep your audience hooked for the remainder of the script.

 Still unsure? Check out these movies below and see how the hook is interesting enough to keep you following along with your characters through the story’s plot.

  • Independence Day What if aliens invaded the earth and civilization fought for their freedom?
  • Jurassic Park What if scientists used the DNA of dinosaurs to bring them back and then placed them in a park?
  • Back to the Future What if a young teen used a time machine to go back to the past and then got stuck there?

Movies with great hooks take us on an adventure and make us want to follow the heroes’ journey from beginning to end. While working on my latest WIP, I’ve had to do a good bit of research, and the more I’ve researched, the more I wanted to write this inspiring story of adventure. For me, the writing process has gotten me hooked!

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  Trotter, D, The Screenwriter’s Bible. Silman-James Press, Los Angeles. (2019) , p11.

Categories
Devotional/Christian Living

Gotcha! How to Write a Compelling Devotional Hook

A short form devotional has three sections: a hook, a Bible passage connection, and a connection to the life of faith.

Here are three things that will make your devotional hook compelling to the readers:

1. Begin with the end in mind.

The hook should get the reader thinking about the connection to the life of faith that you will make at the end of your devotional. Before I write a devotional, I read the Bible passage several times and list out the possible application points that are presented in the passage. I pick out only one of these as the focus. If there is not a clear command to follow in the passage, I look to see what the passage tells us about who God is and how that particular aspect of God’s character impacts our lives. Make sure that the hook pulls the reader towards the one focus point of the passage.

2. Draw from a variety of sources.

Use stories or illustrations from history, science, nature, or personal experience. Know your audience. Are you writing the devotional for women? Men? Both? Older or younger people? Make sure that the hook you share will be relatable to your readers. Take care to make your hook understandable across cultures since many devotional markets have an international audience. If you are writing a group of devotionals, make sure that there is variety in your hooks.

3. Use descriptive language.

If you are writing a devotional for a publication, they will have guidelines for a word count. Most of the time, you will have between 270-400 words. You need to make sure every word counts. Budget some of those words to use descriptive language in the hook. You want your reader to paint a picture in her mind so that her heart is ready to hear God’s truth and to remember it. Use words that convey emotion as well.

how to write a compelling devotional hook

If you are interested in writing devotionals, keep a notebook nearby during your regular Bible reading. When the Holy Spirit bring a truth to your attention and how it relates to your life, jot it down. From these writings you can write a devotional and submit it to one of these seven places that have open submissions.

Rachel Schmoyer is a pastor’s wife who is loving her church life. She writes about the hard parts of Scripture at readthehardparts.com. She has had devotionals published in the past, but now she is looking forward to getting her first Christian Living book published. You can connect with Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Categories
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

Setting the Hook

mystery suspense thriller

Without a perfect bait a fisherman loses their chance in catching a fish. They must take their time and ease that wiggly worm onto the hook before lowering their line into the water. It’s just as important for a writer to do the same with a novel. Forget the worms and the book will fall flat. How can we do this? Here are some important areas we should reel in on in order for our mystery/suspense/thrillers to be noticed and not cast back into the lake.

Great first lines – Most readers will shop for a book by reading that very first line. It doesn’t matter if the next chapter is amazing. If the opening doesn’t hook, the reader will go fishing elsewhere. This is especially true for works of suspense. We want to set up the mystery right from the first sentence. Every word needs to be carefully chosen. We must edit and re-read the beginning over and over until we get it right. Think about these openings. “Once upon a time…” or “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. These are first lines we’ve remembered over the years. They stood the test of time and caught the reader’s attention. Let’s do the same.

Inciting incident – What exactly is this? It’s the event that the character is thrust into that shatters their world and changes it forever. Doesn’t necessarily have to be action-packed, but it has to be trouble for the main character. Loss of spouse, fired from their job, news of a health condition. Of course, for suspense writers it could be the character is kidnapped, witnessed a murder, found out their identity was stolen. The problem must not just scratch the surface but be a story that is sustainable as well as develop the character’s arc. It has to be resolved by the end of the book. Create an inciting incident that will sink your reader into wanting more.

Introducing characters – Just like in an interview, first impressions are extremely important. We need to give the reader reasons to like them. What should we consider to set the hook? Descriptions are important. We don’t want them to appear mousey or brazen. Give small snippets of personality and appearance. The mystery will leave the reader turning the pages to find out more. How does the character talk? What sets their dialogue apart from secondary characters? These are areas we need to think about so the hero and heroine will stand out on the page and make them believable.

Backstory – This is the character’s past. How did they grow up? What traumatic event happened that affects the way they deal with the inciting incident? Backstory is important, but we need to know the right timing of when it should appear. Not too much in the first fifty pages—just snippets to lure the reader. Then as the story progresses more backstory is given. However, do it carefully. We don’t want to take the reader out of the story. Weave it in and it will create a powerful tale.

Foreshadowing – This can be done effectively or totally fizzle in the beginning chapter. We need to be careful how we foreshadow upcoming events. Giving away too much robs the reader of the joy of figuring out the clues of the thriller. They like to be surprised. However, if we don’t give at least a hint of something to come, the reader may be disappointed and stop reading. Reel them in with the mystery!

These are just some areas to consider in writing the first chapter. Ending chapter one with an unanswered question will intrigue the reader to turn that page to find out the answer.

Baiting the reader at the beginning will ensure a great catch! Let’s get our lures right the first time by setting the hook with a powerful suspenseful opening.

How do you set the hook? Share your thoughts on what works for you.

Darlene L. Turner writes romantic suspense and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. She won the 2019 and 2016 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense contest. She was a finalist in the 2019 ACFW Genesis contest and won in 2017. She lives with her husband in the Forest City of London, Ontario. Darlene’s debut novel, Border Breach, will release in April, 2020 and is now available to pre-order. Click here to order.

Visit Darlene at her website, where she believes there’s suspense beyond borders

Social Media links:

Facebook: darlene.turner.902

Twitter: darlenelturner

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Categories
Blogging Basics

Make Your Blog Mighty: Attention To The Details

Do details matter? In the world of blogging, I would say, “Yes.” You labor over a beautifully crafted blog spending time, effort and energy to share your heart with your audience only to hear crickets. Has this happened to you? The following two tips could help make your blog hum with activity by paying attention to the details.

SEO Your Headings

I recently saw a lengthy news article online. After the title and under the featured image, the writer listed bullet points sharing the most important topics shared in the article. This helped me to decide if I wanted to read the article in its entirety.

Headings in a blog are similar to the points noted in the article. Using the Headings Feature in WordPress will help your blog to be easily read. This allows the reader to scan the blog and know, at a glance, if they would like to read it.

Another reason to craft Headings is for SEO. As stated in a Yoast article,

“Although not a major ranking factor, headings do affect SEO. That’s because headings are important to help users understand the subject of an article. And if readers use headings to figure out what an article is about, Google will too.”

Crafting headings helps visually set a block of text apart and aids with the readability score in WordPress.  Yoast SEO recommends you offer a heading for every 300 words. To add headings, you type the heading, highlight it, and then select the dropdown box that says Paragraph.

Heading 1 – 6 are available options to select from. I usually use Heading 2 throughout my blog. You can choose Heading 1 as your first heading and use Heading 2 in the remainder of your blog.  For this blog post, I used Heading 2 only.

The Mighty Meta-Description

The purpose of creating a meta description is to have a reader choose your blog to read. Similar to the description on a book jacket, the meta description helps draw them in. State why they should read your blog. Using 150 characters, craft enticing phrases like, Learn More, Get It Now and Try It For Free. This needs to mirror/match your content or Google may penalize your site.  The meta-description should have your selected keyword shared at least once for SEO purposes.

For my blog titled, Why Being A Mother Has Great Value, I wrote the following meta description:

Is there value in the mundane daily chores of being a mother? This article says, “Yes.” Read why being a mother has great value.

My selected focus keyword is: a mother has great value. These words are also contained in my title. Using the focus keywords in my meta description, and title helped to give my Yoast SEO score a green light.

Another example of a meta description used by Barnes & Noble for the memoir, I Can Only Imagine By Bart Millard is the following:

I Can Only Imagine is an amazing book. I was humbled just reading it, Mr. Millard’s story is fantastic to read. To know all that he is gone through in his life and how GOD fit exclusively into it.

In this meta description, Barnes & Noble chose to use a book review to entice the reader. However you choose to craft your meta description, remember to make it do the heavy lifting to gain attention. In other words, make it mighty.

Why do these details matter? Meta descriptions help to entice your reader. Headers help your readers decide if they want to continue to read. There are many aspects to writing, designing and marketing your blog. These two details are two of the ingredients to make your blog mighty. For more tips, read Sure Fire Ways To Gain An Audience .

Evelyn Mann is a mother of a miracle and her story has been featured on WFLA Channel 8, Fox35 Orlando, Inspirational Radio and the Catholic News Agency. A special interview with her son on the Facebook Page, Special Books by Special Kids, has received 1.4M views. Along with giving Samuel lots of hugs and kisses, Evelyn enjoys hot tea, sushi and writing. Visit her at miraclemann.com.

Categories
Child's Craft

Picture Book Submissions – The Great Cover Letter

You might be asking what you actually submit to a publisher when you submit a picture book manuscript. I submit three items. This may be debatable, and many of you may submit items differently. I’d love to hear what the rest of you submit, but I’m going to share with you what I learned at one of my first conferences and therefore, what I submit. I’d especially love to hear from you if you’re an editor and like to receive submissions in a different manner. Please comment below.

The three items I submit are a cover letter, proposal and formatted manuscript. We’ll cover each item in separate blogs.

Today we’ll talk about the killer, knock the socks of an editor cover letter. If a publisher requests query letters first, before full submission of the manuscript, then this will be your query letter. The Market Guides relay which method the publishers prefer. Send in what they prefer. Don’t stuff your whole proposal into an envelope if the publisher prefers queries initially.

A query letter is a single letter asking for permission to submit your full proposal.  A cover letter accompanies your proposal and briefly describes your proposal. Both may be the only item an editor reads, unless it’s good. This letter should do more than pique an editor’s interest. It should reflect your great writing skills and make them want to keep reading and ask for more. Both letters serve the same purposes of highlighting your book and making it something an editor will want to pursue.

It’s nice to start with a name of an editor as opposed to Dear Editor. If you can find the name of the editor, by all means, use it. If you have met the editor at a conference, make that the first item mentioned.

“It was a pleasure meeting you at the XXX conference on (state the date). I enjoyed dining with you that evening and discussing possible book titles with you, (or whatever you discussed to bring who you are to their mind). I have a manuscript I thought you might be interested in reading.”

Then start with a bang, a hook, a question, something to tap an editor’s interest and touch on the main idea of your book. If your book is about a girl who loves purses and can’t get enough, you might start with something like this:

What’s not to love about purses? What if you had one in every shape and size to match every pair of shoes you owned but didn’t have room enough to put them all? What would you do? I’ve written a story about a girl who can’t get enough purses…

I know you could make it stronger. Spend time on your hook. Make it playful, fun, interesting.

State the audience for whom you wrote it and get as specific as possible. Elementary age children is a bit general. Tell which age group and if there’s a specific market, highlight it here. Say for example, it’s a book for children having surgery, or a bed time story for preschool children, or for young girls 4-6 who love purses. Tell specifics, but not too specific to make your market too small.

Briefly state any special ideas in your book that will make yours stand out. Have you included an easy how-to-make-your-own purse template or an easy how to stack and store your purses chart? Mention this here.

Note the word count, projected page count, and a brief bio about yourself, especially if it would help shine on why you’re the right one to write that particular book. I wrote a book once for children to ease the stress and fear of surgery and mentioned that I’m a Nurse Anesthetist. It relayed the fact that I’m a professional and might know a little about the topic. (I still don’t have a contract on the book, but hopefully it’s not because I’m not qualified to write it…)

Mention why you think this is the perfect publisher for your book, why you chose them. Why you think your book might complement other books they’ve published. If you’re sending it to more than one publisher, mention that it is a simultaneous submission.

Keep your cover/query letter one page or less. Keep your writing tight. This is not a letter to your best friend, so keep it short, simple, to the point, but enticing.

End with something like, Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, XXX and sign it.

Before you send it, make it perfect. This letter reflects your writing skills. Don’t let them find grammatical errors, typos, wrong use of commas, etc. or they may not pursue your book further, even if the idea sounds great. Spend time on your query/cover letter and make it shine.