In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe speak with Kathleen Schmidt, a 30-year veteran of the publishing industry. As they critique three submissions, they discuss social media marketing; how to include enough of a hook in a query without spoiling the story; burying the lead; making it obvious how an author wants readers to feel about certain things; longer query letter word counts; personifying the antagonist; query advice from a publicity and marketing perspective; polished pages on a scene level; character personality and plot point clarity; how to show an imbalance of power in opening pages, writing a query letter based on the synopsis (and why this doesn’t work); the difference between explaining a book and pitching it; the importance of time stamps; and ensuring we know enough about the character on the first pages so there’s no confusion.After which, Bianca interviews Hannah Mary McKinnon, the author of The Christmas Wager (written under her pen name, Holly Cassidy). During their interview, they discuss Hannah's use of a pen name; the first chapter of The Christmas Wager as a master class in first chapters; the difference between writing a thriller first chapter and a romance first chapter; tips for balancing disposition and dialogue; setting up the stakes for the protagonist; how to approach back story opening pages; and how Hannah approaches negative reviews about her novels.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWKathleen can be found on Instagram @kathmschmidt, Twitter @kathmschmidt, and TikTok @kathmschmidt.Sign up for Kathleen’s newsletter, Publishing Confidential here! More information about Hannah can be found at: https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/home-holly-cassidy/ and https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/She's also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmarymckinnon/?hl=enAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy