I've been reading a TON of picture book submissions lately, from agents, Twitter pitches, conference attendees, etc. Easily 20 per day. One question that keeps nagging at me when I read them is: How is this story going to stand out? #PBChat
The polite way of stating this is: What is the hook? The blunt way of stating this is: What is the point?
A hook is something publishers & booksellers can get behind to propel your book into the hands of customers. And a hook can an be a HUGE variety of things. (To be clear, a book also has to be SO MUCH MORE than just a hook. It also has to be excellent in its own right.) Examples:
- A seasonal (say, back to school) or holiday theme, which opens the door for timely displays in book stores and/or holiday round-ups for publicity.
- Writing that is so blisteringly funny that we INSTANTLY know kids are going to go crazy for it. (Note "blisteringly". V. important.)
- An important book and/or a book with writing and/or art that is so transcendently excellent that it would be up for starred reviews and award consideration.
- A timely and in-demand theme.
- A unique, fresh new character that is strong enough to launch and carry an entire series.
- A very specific topic accompanied by an author who is a well-connected, proven expert and/or influencer in that area, and who you know will bring a huge amount of publicity muscle to the publication.
- An honestly ground-breaking idea/angle/theme that blows your socks off and you can't believe no one's published it before. (This is more vague, I know. This is a submission where the editor smacks her forehead and goes "Whaaaaaa?? How has this not been done yet???")
I often reject very pleasant stories that I fear will not stand out well in such a crowded media world. A nice story will always be a nice story, but for it to become a book, editors are looking for how to position it in the marketplace.
(And to reiterate: If your hook is, "I'm a truly, extraordinarily gifted writer and each sentence I write will make your heart sing", that is in fact a hook. Pure, profound, legend-making excellence is a hook.)
So, what's *your* hook?
