| After seeing your book cover or hearing your book | | | | When John Rochon was found dead Sunday morning |
| title, the first thing readers do is pick up the book | | | | on his front lawn, his neighbors were not |
| and flip it over to read the back cover, or if they are | | | | surprised-only they had always somehow suspected |
| online, they will look for the product description, also | | | | his timid wife Beth would die first. For years, the |
| called a summary or synopsis (not to be confused | | | | police had come to settle John and Beth's domestic |
| with a chapter by chapter summary a writer would | | | | disputes after neighbors got tired of hearing their |
| submit to a potential literary agent or publisher). We'll | | | | arguments followed by Beth's screams of terror. Yet |
| refer to it as a "summary" here because it needs to | | | | Beth had always refused to press charges. "He had it |
| be a description of your book that is relatively short. | | | | coming," was the general consent among the |
| About 250 words or less. | | | | neighbors over John's death, but what the police |
| The problem with too many books is that they don't | | | | couldn't figure out was how Beth could have done it |
| have proper summaries on the back. Many authors | | | | when she had gone to the next state to visit her |
| make the mistake of putting solely their biographies | | | | dying mother. The investigation isn't made any easier |
| on their back covers. For example, I have seen crime | | | | since the neighbors are keeping their mouths shut |
| novels where the back cover tells us how the author | | | | about whether they saw or heard anything that |
| was a lawyer, a criminal prosecutor, etc. That might | | | | night. |
| mean the author has some qualifications for writing | | | | Did someone else break into the house and shoot |
| about crime, but it doesn't tell me what the book is | | | | John Rochon with his own rifle? And who but his wife |
| about. I've seen other books by authors writing | | | | would have wanted him dead? Although the town |
| about marginal history and while their photos on the | | | | drunk claims he saw Beth drive through town just |
| back might make it clear they are Native American or | | | | minutes before the murder, her mother claims to be |
| African American followed by their biographies, it | | | | her alibi. When all clues still seem to lead to Beth as |
| doesn't tell me why I would want to read their | | | | the primary suspect, New York lawyer, Mark |
| books. Believe it or not, I've even seen books with | | | | Radcliffe, recently retired to the sleepy town of Bear |
| blank back covers or listed at Amazon with no | | | | Dunes, decides to take one last case and defend |
| product description. The other day, I actually saw a | | | | Beth, but can even a big city lawyer create a |
| copy of the bestselling book, "The Chosen" by Chaim | | | | reasonable defense in what seems like a highly |
| Potok. I've never read it, but it's a book I've heard | | | | calculated case of revenge? With thousands of |
| mentioned many times although I couldn't remember | | | | women battered by their husbands every year, and |
| what it was about. I picked it up only to find the | | | | dozens who retaliate, what jury member wouldn't |
| back cover and several inside front cover pages | | | | think Beth guilty? |
| loaded with praise blurbs, but none told me what the | | | | The Hook here is the difficulty of pinning the murder |
| book was about. It's probably a great book, but I | | | | on Beth because she was out of town, yet the twist |
| didn't buy that copy-even a bestseller needs a | | | | is that she was seen in town, although by an |
| summary. I bet a summary on earlier editions helped | | | | unreliable witness. Throw in a big city lawyer in a |
| to make it a bestseller. | | | | small town for unusual dynamics to get the reader |
| Let's take the two examples above of crime and | | | | interested. The setting builds atmosphere because it's |
| history novels and help these authors out by giving | | | | a sleepy little town where apparently everyone |
| examples of what would be good summaries for | | | | knows everyone else's business-all the neighbors |
| them. We'll call the crime novel, "He Had It Coming" | | | | know John has been abusing Beth-but that the |
| and the marginal history book, "African on the Rez." | | | | neighbors are keeping quiet leaves open the |
| Both titles hopefully invoke a little curiosity that would | | | | possibility that many people know things they may |
| encourage readers to pick up the books and read | | | | not be telling. |
| the back covers. | | | | "African on the Rez" - Creating the Hook |
| A few key words to keep in mind while writing your | | | | - Relevance: New discussions into race and DNA |
| summary are to make sure it has: | | | | research reflect the question of whether race truly |
| - Relevancy: Why should readers care? What makes | | | | exists. Today we pride ourselves on diversity and |
| the book relevant to a reader's life, concerns, wants, | | | | multi-culturalism, but diversity, tolerance, and |
| needs, interests? | | | | acceptance of others has been part of American |
| - Credibility: Is the book believable? Even fantasy and | | | | history in surprising ways since its early years. |
| science fiction needs to be plausible by setting up | | | | - Credibility: Author Jane Hartwell is a professor of |
| rules for their fantasy worlds. For crime novels, the | | | | African American Studies at the University of |
| facts of an investigation and the protocol of court | | | | Alabama. She is part-Lakota Sioux, part |
| trials need to be accurate. History books rely upon | | | | African-American, and part Caucasian. She spent |
| facts. | | | | many hours researching African slave history and |
| - Uniqueness: How is your crime novel special or | | | | visiting the reservations discussed in this book. |
| different? What makes it more intriguing than the | | | | - Uniqueness: A story that hasn't been told before |
| other one million crime novels? What about your | | | | about American history. Relies upon many primary |
| history book makes it stand out? Has this story been | | | | and previously unpublished sources. |
| forgotten, ignored, repressed? How does knowing | | | | New Summary of "African on the Rez" |
| this lost history change our perspective of people | | | | In the decades following slavery's abolition, African |
| today as well as in the past? | | | | Americans were still outsiders in a white man's world. |
| - A Hook: The Hook is really the theme of the | | | | As minority members of society, many found |
| summary. The points above combine to create it. | | | | acceptance among other marginal cultures, including |
| The Hook creates interest to make the reader want | | | | Native Americans. Dr. Jane Hartwell, professor of |
| to read the book. | | | | African Studies at the University of Alabama, first |
| First, let's give a couple of examples for our two | | | | became interested in the relationships of African and |
| books, "He Had It Coming" and "African on the Rez" | | | | Native Americans from stories she heard growing up |
| of what not to write for summaries-these are | | | | on a reservation in South Dakota where her African |
| summaries without hooks. | | | | great-grandfather had married into the tribe. As she |
| He Had It Coming | | | | explored her family history, she discovered other |
| A battered wife is on trial when her husband is found | | | | stories of Africans who were adopted by Native |
| murdered on their front lawn. | | | | American tribes. These stories-of African-American |
| African on the Rez | | | | acceptance by marginal cultures in an America of |
| Many escaped and former slaves, not welcomed into | | | | prejudice and bigotry-speak to the human spirit and |
| white society, found acceptance in Native American | | | | have long deserved to be told. |
| Tribes. | | | | Hear the stories of such fascinating people as Jonas |
| Don't laugh. I've seen way too many summaries like | | | | Brown, who after fighting for the Union in the Civil |
| these-short and telling us next to nothing. These | | | | War, went West to find a home after the nation he |
| types of summaries don't move the dial on the | | | | fought for would not accept him as anything more |
| "who-gives-a-crap" meter. Haven't we heard enough | | | | than a servant. Adopted as a member of the Lakota |
| stories about women who kill their abusive husbands? | | | | Sioux tribe, Joseph rose to become a tribe elder. |
| Do we really want to read one more? As for the | | | | Brown's experience is just one of several stories told |
| history book, I admit it's a bit more interesting, but | | | | in "African on the Rez" as Hartmann explores how |
| still, why do I care? What does this have to do with | | | | many Africans allied themselves with Native |
| me? I'm not descended from slaves and I'm not | | | | Americans in their quest for survival and acceptance |
| Native American. | | | | in an otherwise white man's world. Raising questions |
| Let's apply our criteria now to show how we can | | | | about race and what it means to be an American, |
| create a summary for each book that does have a | | | | "African on the Rez" recaptures a missing and integral |
| Hook. | | | | piece of the fascinating puzzle that is American |
| He Had It Coming - Creating the Hook | | | | history. |
| - Relevance: Statistics of battered women; it's based | | | | The Hook here includes that this story hasn't been |
| on a true story | | | | told before. It mentions one specific person's story. It |
| - Credibility: Realistic portrayal of the defense of a | | | | is relevant to issues of race today and sheds new |
| woman on trial for her husband's murder, including the | | | | light upon them. The author is also clearly an authority |
| ins and outs of courtroom protocol. Based on a true | | | | with first-hand knowledge of the subject. |
| story of a murder and written by the lawyer who | | | | Conclusion |
| defended the murder suspect. Names have been | | | | Be sure to write several versions of your summary |
| changed to protect the innocent. | | | | and try different hooks. Look at similar books to |
| - Uniqueness: The novel is set in a remote and quirky | | | | yours and decide which summaries work. Look at |
| backcountry town. The murder weapon was unique. | | | | books you own and try to recall what made you buy |
| Surprising evidence came out at the trial. | | | | them-did the summary on the back cover help you |
| You may not use everything you list here, but it | | | | make the decision? |
| doesn't hurt to think of everything that might hook | | | | In the end, selling books boils down to one thing: |
| the reader. | | | | People won't bite (buy your book) unless there's a |
| New Summary of "He Had It Coming" | | | | Hook to reel them in. |