What is a hook?

I’m always curious what agents and editors are looking for and recently there is one thing that keeps coming up again and again.

They all want a strong hook.

A hook isn’t the same as an elevator pitch which is a short, one line summary of your work. It’s not the same as having a clear theme either, although both of those things are useful when submitting.

A hook is so important because it will help your work stand out in a crowded market. It will make it easier for agents to sell your work to editors, for editors to sell a manuscript to the rest of their publishing colleagues and for the sales team to sell it to bookshops.

So, what exactly is a hook and how do you find yours?

Well, a hook is…