Find Your Hook

Many business writers don't take advantage of using effective hooks to start each chapter of their book.

A hook's job is exactly what it sounds like. It catches the reader's attention. It also gives the reader a clear indication of the subject of the chapter they're about to read.

Hooks come in many forms.

• An anecdote, particularly a personal one, that engages the reader and makes them want to know what happens next:
"When my team leader called me into her office, I had no idea that the meeting would change my life."
• A striking quotation that sparks the reader's curiosity about how it fits your argument:
"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." Thomas Jefferson's words should be written on every founder's wall…
• A remarkable statistic that takes the reader by surprise:
"53 percent of business writers don't take advantage of this trick." (Tip: This works better if the statistic is real.)
• A controversial statement that either confirms or challenges the reader's ideas:
"Being miserable is an unavoidable part of being an entrepreneur."
• A random fact that stops the reader in their tracks:
"In 2010 a British goldsmith engraved the Lord's Prayer on the head of a pin."

The hook doesn't need to be long. It has to do three things:
• Get the reader's attention
• Introduce the rest of the chapter
• Get out of the way and let the chapter start

Finding a hook isn't always easy … but once you find it, you're halfway to planning a great chapter.