This Book Is for Me
Readers can be so selfish, right? Me, me, me.
At first, it sounds super selfish but thinking about what’s in it for your reader will change how your audience connects with your writing.
When a reader engages with a book, they are making a choice because they believe something is in it for them. It could be as simple as entertainment or as deep as healing past trauma. No matter what the book is, there’s an expectation from the reader that there’s something in it for them.
That’s why we want to share with you The Reverse Hook move.
Nope, it’s not a wrestling move or a fishing lure. The Reverse Hook is really an easy way of flipping around the question we talked about before when it comes to crafting a book hook.
Remember: The hook of your book is a sentence or two that is meant to tease the reader to purchase your book. Check this out to learn more, "Give your Book a Hook".
A great way to sharpen or test your hook is to pretend to be your reader and ask yourself, What’s in it for me? Sometimes when authors stumble with creating a hook, flipping the question around can be the fastest way to refine your hook.
Feeding readers what they want is your job as an author.
You cannot presume that a reader is going to pick up and buy your book just because you tell them to. Or because you are teaching them. It’s like a teacher in a classroom, just because you are teaching a student, it doesn’t mean that student is paying attention. But you ask a compelling question, you captivate them, and they might sit up and take notice.
They’ve discovered there’s something in it for them.
------------------
“’What’s in it for me?’ is the reverse book hook.”
------------------
In a client's New York Times Bestseller, we took that a step further. We actually addressed exactly what’s in it for the reader in the back-cover copy with bullet points. Here, let me share them with you:
“In this runaway bestseller, she reveals how to:
- break free of guilt and shame by dismantling the unattainable Pinterest life,
- engage our culture’s controversial issued with a grace-first approach,
- be liberated to love and release the burden of always being right,
- identify the tools we already have to develop real-life, all-in, know-my-junk-but-love-me-anyway friendships,
- escape our impossible standards for parenting and marriage by accepting the standard of 'mostly good,’ and
- laugh our butts off.”
It’s a bold move that paid off. It’s easy to be bashful – “I don’t want to be too pushy” or to deny it – “It’s totally obvious what’s in it for readers” – but being intentional trumps both.
At least once a week we say what I’m going to say to you now: Readers are inherently selfish. What we mean by that is: Authors need to understand that they have to write something that people want to read AND can get something out of. Readers are not going around caring about your book. They aren’t even thinking about your book. They’re thinking about their own lives and what they’ve got going on. They’re distracted with real life, maybe even a little cynical or uncertain.
It’s so important that your book hook captures the attention of your reader. She’s disengaged. She’s not paying attention. You’ve got to grab her attention. You’ve got to earn her attention. You’ve got to tell her what’s in it for her.
Take Action: Find Out What’s Happening in Publishing Right Now
Did you know we have a FREE course on helping authors navigate publishing during uncertain times? If you would like to learn more about what to do, and more importantly, what not to do in a season of uncertainty, check out An Author’s Guide to Thriving During Uncertain Times. How are our current circumstances affecting authors and the publishing industry? How should you adapt, pivot, and adjust accordingly? This free 5-part e-course will help you navigate these unusual days so that you can make the best decisions about your book -- or future book! Click here to learn more!
