TOUCHY TOPICS TUESDAYS: they've heard it all before, part 2

I've been asked some interesting questions by fellow writers in the past couple of weeks. Here's the one of them, and my thoughts on the subject.

In response to my Touchy Topics Tuesday post They've heard it all before,  author Dianne Lininger, whose books The Kingdom of Cydinah and The Valley of Shadows and Shame are from Crosam Press, wrote this: " To be honest, your clever poem for HOME LIFE would have sold me on the manuscript had I been your agent. I thought it displayed noticeable talent! I don't understand why being different, original, or unique doesn't work for pitching manuscripts when it's amazing successful at marketing detergent, insurance, hair plugs, or laxatives."

First, let me thank Dianne for her kind words about my poetry!

Beyond that, her question about why quirkiness and gimmicky "hooks" don't work as well selling a manuscript as it does when selling some other "products" is a good one.

One important reason is that the publisher who buys a book is making a much more significant investment. Given overhead, printing, shipping, advertising and other costs, even a low-advance, small-print-run book will cost its publisher ten thousand dollars or more, take space in their list away from any other book, and commit them for several years at least. That's a serious and tangible investment, and demands a more serious approach—and much more solid information—than is involved in a single small retail purchase. Too often, tricky or innovative pitches stop with the clever hook, and fail to go on to demonstrate the salability and professionalism needed to justify this investment.

I would also underscore the point that most good agents scan hundreds if not thousands of query letters a year. The hook that seems so unique and compelling to us as writers crafting a single query letter probably doesn't seem anywhere near as cute to them. They've heard it all, and what they really want is to be able to assess the quality and economics of our project quickly.

Finally, there's the issue of risk. The problem with attention-getting hooks in everything--singles gatherings, keynote speeches, sales pitches generally—is that they either work perfectly or fall completely flat. Sure, an agent may love your weird and dramatic hook. But they may also find it silly or cliched or exaggerated enough to question your writing and your common sense. In contrast, a smart, savvy, and lively opening that doesn't try too hard to impress the recipient with novelty will work well in most situations.

All that said, here's some basic advice.

Tailor the "hook" in your query letters to the genre of your book. A mass-market suspense novel or book of humor may warrant a clever hook. A literary novel, a history of your town or memoir of loss probably don't. Your opening lines and your query letter generally should sound like the "you" that wrote the book you're pitching, not like a door to door salesman on crack.

If you can't come up with a hook that is startling, novel, or unique, don't worry for even a minute. Work to create something that is really smart, really concise, really informative and just plain interesting instead. Meeting even those criteria is difficult enough.

Remember that a query letter is, at heart, a business letter: a communication from one professional to another. Be professional enough to give your fellow professional the information he or she needs to make a decision on your book.

Last but not least, don't overemphasize the importance of having a unique or exciting hook. Agents are very smart people. They're more than capable of scanning below the hook for a second or two of further assessment. I've never known, or even heard of, one who threw queries away because their hooks weren't original enough. (I can just hear it now. "Hmmm. This book could be the Silence of the Lambs of 2012! Too bad the author can't write a hook. Next!") Conversely, I've never heard of any who ask to see lousy books just because the hook is clever. (Here again: "Hmmm. This book has a market of about four people. But that is one clever, clever hook. Get Random House on the phone!")

Or, to end this post with the same bad verse that closed out the last one on this subject:
My dear authors and friends, this small rule I will share:
Of cute gimmicks and tricks please devote not one care.
Be smart and be lively, be clear and be brief
And your letters of query shall come to no grief.