Love it, Marie-Louise! So happy you’re enjoying the newsletter.
Here’s my quick stab at your hook based on what you’ve written:
“Our culture is at a crossroads where [insert a phrase here that encapsulates the problem your book will solve]. The antidote is not less idealism, but MORE. This book will offer 8 practical steps to reunite us with ourselves, remind us of our own basic goodness, and allow us to take inspired action toward the future we want most.”
Even if this isn’t “it,” perhaps it points you in the right direction. No more than 3 sentences, and it should cover the problem the book is solving and the assurance that the book will solve it in these specific ways.
I think the most interesting/unique angle I’m hearing here is to lean into idealism. The word has definitely taken on a pejorative meaning so it feels fresh that you would want to “take it back.” But I would also make sure the process sounds FUN and FREEING and EXCITING to the reader, rather than like “more work.”
As for Balboa, I know them well and really love their director Sandy Powell. We work with Balboa clients all the time, as some writers want a closer relationship with their editor than Balboa offers. If you’d like to have a chat with us, it’s totally free and we have a zero “hard sell” policy so it’s not awkward 🙂 You can just fill out our questionnaire and sign up for a call!
Wishing you the best Marie-Louise!
Kelly
