Crafting Your Manuscript
Sales Hooks
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Are you an aspiring writer struggling to make your manuscript stand out to literary agents and traditional publishers? Are you a self-published author whose books receive traffic but don’t convert to purchases? Do you feel like your book idea is great, but you're not sure how to pitch it to a wider audience? Fear not, because in this article, you'll learn everything you need to know about sales hooks in writing and publishing. From how to identify them, to how to creatively pitch your idea, I’ve got you covered—as a former literary agent, I was heavily involved in crafting sales hooks for my clients, and I still do that work today as a freelance editor.
What are Sales Hooks?
Let's start with the basics: what are sales hooks? At their core, sales hooks are the unique and compelling aspects of your book idea that make it stand out from the crowd. These are the elements of your manuscript that will entice readers to pick it up and make them want to read more. Sales hooks are often specific to your genre and target audience—what’s a positive for a romance novel reader is not the same thing that will attract a nonfiction reader.
Identifying Sales Hooks
When it comes to fiction, identifying your book's sales hooks can be challenging. It's all about finding the aspects of your story that are both original and exciting. Perhaps it's a twist or adaptation of a classic plot line, or a unique character that readers will connect with. Whatever it is, it needs to be something that sets your story apart from the countless other comp titles on shelves.
Nonfiction works require a different approach altogether. Here, your sales hooks are often tied to the subject matter itself, as well as what else exists to serve your market. You need to figure out what it is about your topic that will make readers perk up and take notice. Is it a new perspective on a well-known subject? Is it a controversial take on a hot-button issue? Do you bring personal or professional experience in your author bio that makes you a credible authority on your topic? Whatever it is, it needs to be something that will make people want to read more. Remember, nonfiction readers are always wondering about the books they buy: What’s in it for me?
Children's books are another beast entirely. Here, your sales hooks need to be even more targeted, as you're often working with two audiences—your target readers, who may not even be reading yet, and the gatekeepers responsible for purchasing the books (parents, teachers, librarians). You need an idea that will capture their attention, be fun and engaging, and speak to their specific interests and needs. Nonfiction picture books, for example, also need to tie into core curriculum standards so that they can be taught in schools. Think about the books you loved as a child – what was it about those stories that made them so memorable and enjoyable?
How to Use Sales Hooks
So now that you understand what sales hooks are and how to identify them for your own work, the next step is to be creative and tease out the most commercial elements of your writing. If you're struggling to find the perfect sales hook for your manuscript, it might be time to shift your focus slightly. Maybe you need to target a different audience to better highlight your book's selling points. Sometimes, if you can’t find any sales hooks, that’s a signal that you should make a pivot. Perhaps you need to explore a different angle or theme within your story that will make it more attractive to readers. If you can’t find many comparative titles for your work, that’s a signal that you might have trouble placing it unless you add additional sales hooks or consider the project from another angle.
Finally, let's talk about how to pitch your book to literary agents and traditional publishers in terms of its sales hooks. When you're sending out query letters, it's essential to highlight the unique and compelling aspects of your manuscript. This means focusing on the sales hooks you've identified and putting them front and center in your pitch, usually as a logline. Tell agents and publishers why your book is different, why it's going to sell, why you’re the person to write it, and why this project matters.
If you can't find the sales hooks for your book, don't despair. It's likely a premise problem, and you might need to go back and refine your story idea further before attempting to get it published. But with the right mindset and approach, anyone can identify the unique and compelling aspects of their manuscript and use them to create a winning pitch.
Click here to purchase Writing Irresistible Kidlit, my book on fiction craft for MG and YA novels, out from Writer's Digest Books. This will show you my writing craft philosophy and give you lots of valuable advice, including tips for the novel revision process and self-editing. There are over 35 example novels cited and discussed throughout. It’s a valuable resource for any writer’s toolkit.
Click here to purchase Successful Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.