I have a weird fascination with the psychology of hooks. From the headlines you read in the news to email subject lines and, yes, hooks for books. 

How can a short string of words either suck you in or repel you? 

How and why do those words frame and shape your perception of what comes next?

These are the things I mull over on the school run. 
 

One thing I like to do is scroll through the Apple News on my phone. I note the headlines that catch my attention. Either I’ll bookmark the article or I’ll take a screenshot. 

John Caples was a top copywriter back in the 60s & 70s. He wrote a book called ‘Tested Advertising Methods.’ He writes that we are suckers for anything new and novel. 

Which is why news headlines are a great source of fresh inspiration for hooks. 

Here are a few examples:

“He got away with murder. Until an undercover officer moved into his street.”

“They cracked the code to a locked USB drive worth $235mn in Bitcoin. Then it got weird.”

“What I saw on the island where no one can give birth—or die.”

“The homeless handyman and the wealthy widow: Love or something darker?”

“Could China, the world's biggest polluter, be an eco-saviour?”

Any of these headlines could be tweaked into a hook for a book. Some of these examples are better suited to fiction and some lean more to non-fiction. 

For example, you could take the first one and tweak it for a psychological thriller…

“He got away with adultery. Until he tried it on with the wrong woman.”  

Or a non-fiction about communication…

“Could social media, the world’s biggest communication tool, be killing the art of conversation?” 

Ok, that last one needs work, but you get the idea. 

If you’re stuck trying to write a subject line or hook for your book, scroll through the news for some inspiration. 

You’ll be unstuck in no time. Pinky promise.

Angie

The Book Funnel Lady

If you spot any typos or run on sentences or dangling thingamies, please be kind and let it slide. Save your energy for something better.

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