After participating (relatively unsuccessfully) in the recent query hook "contest" hosted by the Fangs, Fur, & Fey blog. http://community.livejournal.com/fangs_fur_fey/ I came up with an idea that I think might help alot of us here at Hatrack.
What if we added a new section, similar to the "short story" and "novel" feedback sections, but one specifically for query letter hooks. No need to include the paragraphs about your publishing history / word count, etc, but essentially your hook should be self-enclosed, describe your novel's world and characters, and do so in such a way that is crystal clear, well phrased, and intriguing.
Since a hook isn't actually something that is going to be published, but rather is just a way of describing your novel to a prospective agent, there is no real reason to even limit them by the 13 line rule. Possibly even more important than the first 13 lines, as far as getting an agent to look at your work, the query-hook is something that, IMHO, would be much easier to perfect with a large amount of feedback from our fellow writers. And if, after getting feedback, each author continues to post the newest version of their hook for further feedback, we can actually watch our hooks improve over time, and get a feeling for what the difference is between a "good" and "bad" one.
Any thoughts?
Posted by Balthasar (Member # 5399) on :
Aren't you putting the cart before the horse?
Here's a crazy ideas. Why not focus on mastering the craft of fiction first? Get some short story credits in some reputable magazines. Then write a novel. Hell, maybe even revise it. Then focus on selling the damn thing.
Posted by Dubshack (Member # 5262) on :
I could be deft but whats the risk someone will come along and steal someones hook for their own submission letter? And at what point would everyones query letters from here begin to look the same?
I dunno. Those are my thoughts. Other than that, It's probably not a terrible idea.
Posted by AstroStewart (Member # 2597) on :
Well, any time you share your world, your characters, and your novel with anyone you always risk someone stealing your ideas. But, honestly, I think people worry about this far more often than it actually happens. After all, there's no way that one person's very specifically crafted hook for their novel will fit to your own story, unless you set out from the get go to completely copy this person's story.
The only thing you can really copy from reading someone's hook (besides, say, a character name you like, or some gimick unique to that world) is the *way* in which they successfully hook you. This is the entire point. There's something very difficult to pinpoint as to what makes a very good hook, but after reading a few dozen, or helping a few dozen people polish theirs, I think we will all begin to better know how to write a good hook.
And Balthasar, if you think it takes the same writing "muscle" to write a good novel, revise your craft and edit it a hundred times, etc, as it takes to condense your 100,000 word masterpiece into 300 words and still make it seem unique and brilliant, you're kidding yourself. And why do you assume that, because I think a hook feedback forum would be helpful to many of us, that I haven't already mastered the craft (as if anyone ever truly "masters" it with their first novel) written a novel, and revised it? There DOES come a point where it is the correct time to worry about things like "how do I write a 300 word description of my novel that will entice an agent/editor to want more?"
Posted by Balthasar (Member # 5399) on :
I never said that writing a query letter isn't a skill unto itself. But if you don't have a novel ready to send out, you're working in a vacuum. You don't worry about your query letter until you have something to query.
Oh yeah, if you had a novel ready to market, you would've said, "Hey, I have a novel ready to market and need some help with my query letter."
Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
I think a forum for querry letters would be helpful and insightful. Though I don't have a need for posting on it yet, I would like to see what a letter starts out looking like, and then a successful one. I would like to see the refining process and know that the sample is valid.
I don't have a novel finished, yet, but I still have the will to learn.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited April 24, 2007).]
Posted by Dubshack (Member # 5262) on :
I have a novel that, well at the rate I'm going will be ready very soon. I started this weekend, I'm about four chapters in on my revision and that included a complete re-write of chapter one. So I'm seeing progress.
Point being, query letters are going to be something I need to face very soon, and I don't have the slightest clue where to begin on that. I had a hard enough time doing my cover letter for my job. (In fact I don't even recall if I sent one...)
Posted by arriki (Member # 3079) on :
What I would find interesting would be query letters that actually sold. If you sold the novel, let us see the query so we can learn from your success?
Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :
I think it's a hell of a good idea.
Posted by kings_falcon (Member # 3261) on :
I think it's a good idea that way the queries are in one place rather than scattered throughout the Novel section. Although as we currently have it works well too.
Query writing is an art and a darned hard one. There are lots of books out there on it but so far I've found the best help in writing mine from the feedback here, Evil Editor, Agent X's Got Hook contest and such. Fangs Fur and fey closed the submissions before mine got in.
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
I like the idea of having a query/synopsis/outline type of area. I think this is different from the craft of writing, uses different skills, and because you're doing a synopsis of a larger work, can have near limitless permutations.
Posted by JamieFord (Member # 3112) on :
The key is to sum up your novel in one short sentence. If you can't do that, you're in trouble. The rest of the query is just window dressing. (I just sent out 16 queries, and have 3 requests for a partial and 1 request for the full, with one rejection so far).
Posted by kings_falcon (Member # 3261) on :
Great job Jamie!
Sounds so easy but how long did it take you to fine tune the query letter?
Posted by NoTimeToThink (Member # 5174) on :
Just casting my vote for a new area for query/synopsis/outline.
Posted by AstroStewart (Member # 2597) on :
Incedentally, for those of you who are just about to start tackling the dreaded query letter, but haven't started yet, I found this spectacular thread over at the absolutewrite forums, where someone takes the time to research dozens of agent/editor/etc blog post info about what makes a good/bad query letter.
If you're just getting started, this is a great resource. Also try looking at AgentQuery.com under the "writer" sections -> how to write a query letter.
Mostly I think the forum/feedback from fellow writers helps at the stage where you know what a good query letter *should* look like, and you think yours is getting relatively good, but now you need outside opinion, from someone who's not already intimitely knowledgable about your world.
Posted by JamieFord (Member # 3112) on :
It didn't take me too long to get my query down, just a few days of tinkering. But I work in advertising, it sorta came naturally.