Hey, There's A Dead Guy in the Living Room

Banned Books Week: Three Lessons

By Erin Mitchell

As Banned Books Week draws to a close tomorrow, I wanted to throw in three cents, in the hopes of inciting discussion that endures through to Banned Books Week 2012.

Here goes:

1. Controversy can be a valuable marketing tool
Through the ages, many books have gotten more attention—and even sales—because they’ve attracted controversy. Does this mean you should try to attract book burners with your tale? No. But if your story is perceived as controversial, be prepared to defend it.

2. Book advocates are the keepers of our cultural landscape
Without librarians, teachers, booksellers and readers lending their voices to the need to treasure rather than quash voices with which we might not always agree, we would all be worse off.

 3. Book Banning is sometimes more complex than it appears
I got into something of an online fray last year when Amazon decided it was a-ok to sell The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct. Turned out I was not alone and Amazon pulled the book from its virtual shelves, but not before I was accused of being an advocate for book banning and/or censorship. But here’s the rub: I believe it is Amazon’s right to publish and sell whatever they choose, and it is also my right to choose not to shop there for any reason at all, including their providing a platform for this book.

I don’t think the book should be banned. I just will not shop at any store that sells it. And if Amazon was going to choose to publish and sell it, I was going to shop elsewhere. For the record, in the almost year since this happened, I have adjusted my buying habits, shopping only with Amazon on those rare occasions when I have no other viable option.

“Do you think Lolita should be banned?” I was asked. The answer is no. Why not? Several reasons, really, but the most important is that Lolita is a work of fiction, and does not purport to be anything else. It’s not a guide or a manual. “What about Huckleberry Finn? Are you ok with promoting racism?” Again, no. In my opinion (the one to which, at least as of this writing, I’m still entitled), Huckleberry Finn is a fictional story told in the regional vernacular of the time in which it is set. It is not The Racist’s Guide to Stringing Up Anyone We Dislike.

To me, there is a difference between fiction and nonfiction, between a story and a guide. Between propaganda and information. I’m not saying the author of the Pedophile's Guide should have been legally prevented from publishing his work, but I do wish he had chosen not to. Free will and all that.

“Ok, then,” one person asked, “what about Mein Kampf?” It’s not fiction. It is, by all accounts (I’ve never read it), horribly written. It is used as propaganda by hate- and violence-mongering groups the world over. I understand the argument that it is disrespectful to not ban it. But the fact is that this book’s author had an enormous impact on the world we inhabit. Understanding him gives us a chance to recognize that which is vile within human nature in the hopes that we will choose to turn toward light rather than darkness. So I’m ok with not banning it. I can tell you, though, that the indie bookshops I frequent don’t stock it, and I’m good with that too.

Someone else asked about the Koran. That was easy. The Koran is a holy text, one that is followed by something on the order of one fifth of the planet’s population. It should no more be banned than any other holy text.

Which leads us where, exactly?

When it comes to banning or censoring books, I believe it’s important that we understand why it happens. If we simply put every case of a book being removed from a library down to stupidity, ignorance, or something in the water in a particular locale, this will forever be a part of our society. If instead we can understand the point of view—whether based in fear, unawareness, or a foreign belief structure—that leads to banning, censoring or burning books, we have some hope of one day not having to celebrate Banned Books Week at all.

 

Banned Books But Why

I need your help.

I’ve seen a lot of space dedicated to Banned Books Week in the last few days. Most of the titles I’ve seen mentioned were classics like the Grapes of Wrath or Huck Finn. And while I’m glad that those books have survived the times, I’m curious to know—what has been banned lately?

To be clear, I’m not interested in stories of Harry Potter being pulled from a school library. I’d like to know about books that are current and edgy and for whatever reason, have been yanked from shelves.

Also, lest this be mistaken for something it isn’t—I’m asking out of genuine curiosity, because as I work on things around the Tyrus compound, I am, unfortunately, more oblivious to the things going on in the larger publishing world. I’m a headline skimmer and a fill-the-story-in kind of guy. I’m not proud about it.

If we can’t generate a significant list of recent releases getting thrown into a fire, I think we need to ask—Are fewer titles being banned because we’ve become more permissive as a society? Or is it because publishing houses aren’t willing to risk putting out edgy books?

(And by edgy, I don’t mean manufactured controversy.)

I can already hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the folks who are going to tell me that there are dozens if not hundreds of small presses putting out the edgy books I want to know about. But the unfortunate reality of things is that those books will never have to be officially banned, they can simply fall victim to financial  and logistical restrictions. Translated—they aren’t being bought because the shelf space is better occupied by the ninth James Patterson novel of the year.

If, as one theory might go, bannable books aren’t being published by large publishing, why is that? Is it a question of fear regarding the material? Is there something inherent in the editorial make-up of the publishing world that stops the gatekeepers from recognizing the necessary but controversial voices of the folks on the fringes? Or do people who could get it, get it, but don’t know how to market a book, or if there even is a large enough market to support the book?

As I think about these questions, I’m left asking myself what we mean by “ban” and as a follow up question--who has the power to do it. And what books haven’t been given a chance to be banned because they never were published due to lack of editorial vision?

 

A tricky question

Lynne Patrick

Something’s been niggling at the back of my mind this past week, for reasons which may or may not become apparent.

We hear a lot about agents and publishers needing to fall in love with a book before they’ll take it on. Conversely, most writers will have received that rejection letter – heck, I’ve written that rejection letter – which assures the author that the manuscript is perfectly sound, a good idea well developed, but ‘somehow it just didn’t get me excited and enthused’.

I understand that. If you’re about to invest time, effort and potentially a large sum of money in something, it should excite and enthuse you; in any walk of life you need a certain measure of belief in what you’re doing, and where books are concerned the emotions are, in general, more than usually engaged.

But what about further into the process? The people who pick up the ball when the decision-makers have sent it into play?

A small explanatory digression, in case I’m not making myself clear. In one of my many lives, I review theatre. I see a lot of it, some bad, some indifferent, some OK, some brilliant. Last week I saw a brilliant show, and I hated it. And that is not a paradox, an oxymoron, or any other part of speech that designates the simultaneous existence of opposites. It was a modern ballet: not my favourite theatrical form, but the paid critic goes where she’s sent, and I do usually enjoy this particular company’s work. They were every bit as brilliant as usual: the dancing was flawless, the storytelling clear as daylight, the visuals perfectly in keeping with the mood of the piece. And I still hated it. I had no problem appreciating the skill, emotional depth and all the other qualities they brought to it; they were doing it wonderfully. I just couldn’t enjoy what they were doing.

In publishing terms, my position that night equated to that of an editor who is given a book to work on which s/he hasn’t had any part in commissioning. What if that editor completely fails to see what other people find wonderful about it – doesn’t fall in love with it, in fact? Is it enough simply to appreciate the good qualities? What if, to push the analogy further, s/he (OK, she – it is a she, more often than not) actively dislikes the book? Can she still be fair to the author and make a decent fist of editing it?

In an ideal world, of course, the editor would turn the job down. But in the current climate – actually in any economic climate – not many editors are in a position to do that. A freelance editor can’t afford to make waves; acquire a reputation for being picky and ‘difficult’ and the work dries up faster than Death Valley in a drought. And a junior-ish editor employed by a publishing house doesn’t want to find her name on the next list of redundancies, so she does as she’s asked.

I suppose it all comes down to professionalism. In my case, the authors I edit for publication are all familiar; I used to publish them myself, which should tell everything you need to know; a one-person publishing house has more than the usual need to fall in love with the books it takes on. But wearing a different earning-a-living hat, I’m sometimes asked for editorial input on work I simply can’t connect with. That’s when it gets problematic.

Occasionally I can ask someone else to take it on. But mostly it’s down to me, and I can’t sack myself for being ‘difficult’. But if I don’t provide intelligent, dispassionate feedback, the word-of-mouth recommendations I rely on don’t happen, and the work dries up as surely as if some higher power was handing it out.
It’s a conundrum.

Middle Grade Boys and the Internet

Josh Getzler

Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of walking three blocks up Hudson Street to the Penguin offices to sit in on a marketing meeting for Geoff Rodkey’s wonderful Princess-Bride-with-13-year-olds middle grade adventure novel, The Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise. The book, which is the first of a trilogy, sold to Putnam in April and has gained some wonderful momentum. We had an interesting, exciting conversation, with members of the various divisions discussing what the plans for the book could be.

One element, though, which I thought was extremely interesting and brought about several minutes of discussion, centered around the particular topic of What do Middle Grade Boys Do on the Internet? Geoff and I both have middle grade sons (I also have middle grade daughters, but they were not our target there), so we were able to give anecdotal testimony, which we all thought was pretty interesting.  It also made me think in a new way about my son’s internet habits.

The first thing is that neither of our tweens was on Facebook. They’re certainly aware of it, and have looked at different pages—my son has seen mine, and I’ve let him go on assorted Muppet-related FB pages at times. But he doesn’t have an account. His school has a closed network through Moodle, which he uses to discuss homework with his classmates. But he does spend every possible minute online.

Most of the time, he’s on Youtube, which was not at all intuitive to me. But when I think about it, it’s the equivalent of so many kids growing  up in front of the TV. Only now, he gets to choose what to watch, and has it delivered in bit-sized chunks and by himself. He watches Loony Tunes clips, Muppet Show excerpts, and when he thinks we’re not looking, Family Guy. (We’re not yet in the danger zone of puberty, so we haven’t had him looking at THOSE sites yet.) He spends the majority of his time, though, being on a social network different from Moodle and different from FB: a much larger than I thought could be possible group of people who create video mash-ups of cartoon characters performing pop songs. 

I had to really hold my breath before allowing him to be part of this. He’d been creating these mash-ups (Phineus and Ferb doing Tik Tok, for example), with pretty great creativity, for months, and was begging me to allow him to upload them. I was, reasonably, apprehensive, since there is really very little in the way of possible monitoring of this kind of user group. But we agreed that I would have complete access to his account and would monitor occasionally. If I saw anything I didn’t like, I’d take him off it, he agreed, and also said he’d give no true personal information.

He’s now been on this group for several months. He feels like he has a real (if ephemeral) group of friends, who are also creative and—from what I can see—unthreatening. He has a bunch of followers, and it’s been terrific for his self-esteem to have people see his work and compliment his artistry. And it hasn’t (yet) even had a whiff of creepy.

Geoff’s son’s experience, while also Youtube-centered, was different, but it also indicated that there are an awful lot of kids lurking around Youtube. It certainly gave the folks at Penguin—who’d been thinking more in the way of Poptropica—pause. It’ll be interesting to see what they end up deciding to do.

I’d be fascinated to hear what you, who are reading this, think of these habits. Do you have kids? What do they tend to do? Have you had any issues with any sites? I’d love to hear what you think.

 

Elly May Clampett? Happy birthday!

 
Jeff Cohen

Born on this date (different years): Olivia Newton-John, T.S. Eliot, Jack LaLanne, George Gershwin, George Raft, Linda Hamilton, Donna Douglas (Elly May Clampett), Johnny Appleseed.

   

 



If I were suddenly (or even gradually) elected Emperor of the Publishing Business (can you be elected emperor?), I would:

1. Eliminate the phrase "literary fiction." What book fiction ISN'T literary?

2. Require that novels without any sense of humor be published with a warning label: "May Cause Depression. Read something funny first."

3. Ensure that all e-books cost less than paper books. At least a little. You're not paying for paper.

4. Pass legislation requiring every book to come with a recording of a theme song composed exclusively for that book. Mine would be written by Adam Schlesinger or A.J. Croce.

5. Insist that no film based on a book ever follow the book precisely. Read the book if you want the book; movies are a different medium.

6. Allow every author the right to publicly rebut with impunity one review of each book s/he has published.

7. Require all self-publishers to pass a literacy exam. Misuse of your/you're would result in the denial of a literary license.

8. Have copies of every book sent to every library. The hell with overcrowding. This is America.

9. Bar school boards or civic bodies from banning any literary work. Yes, even pornography. At the very least, I'd require that anyone who wants to ban a book prove they've read it. 

10. Require publishers to pay all travel expenses for any author wanting to do a publicity tour who can independently book at least three events.

11. Increase salaries to editors, publicists, cover artists and did I mention editors?

12. Send hard sales numbers hourly to authors on every title they've published.

13. Pay educational expenses to authors wishing to get advanced degrees. Right now, I'd be lobbying to get authors' children's educations paid for, too. I can't tell you what two college tuitions are costing me this year. Not without weeping, anyway.

14. Require that Oprah Winfrey endorse at least one book a year that will make most people laugh at least twice.

15. Get dental insurance for authors written into every book contract. I just had a $1700 crown put on a tooth, and it's not even a royal tooth.

16. Insist that book prices never exceed $10. Nobody should have to pay more than $10 to read a book.

17. Require Stephen King to read one book from every author, and then email that author personally with his reaction. If nothing else, it might make Mr. King consider writing a book under 1000 pages.

18. Lobby Congress heavily for legislation that would make it illegal for any town in America not to have an independent bookstore. They can have chain bookstores, too.

19. Insist that if Wal-mart wants to carry books, they carry ALL books. Lord knows they have the room.

20. Require that any celebrity who appears on a talk show pushing the book they "wrote" bring the ghostwriter along to be on camera as well.

21. Prohibit Snooki from ever pretending to have written a book again.

22. Prohibit anyone from continuing a series begun by a deceased author until at least 50 years after the author's death. Yes, Sherlock Holmes; no, Spenser.

23. Have mystery authors moderate Presidential candidates' debates: "So, Senator, how would you murder a rival? Poison? Scorpions? Hacksaw?"

24. Require a "Funniest Book of the Year" award to be given out annually, on television. Not C-SPAN, either. A REAL network.

25. Revoke the absurd "returns" clause in bookseller contracts. What other business lets retailers buy the merchandise, and then send it back for a refund if it doesn't sell?

26. Prohibit book conferences and conventions from charging authors--who are the draw for attendees--to attend. Yeah, I know that would be a financial burden for the convention committees. Consider what it costs authors to go to more than one a year. Free hotel room, too, now that I think of it. I'll pay for my meals.

27. Make the Emperor of Publishing a lifetime position.

Brooklyn Book Festival, 2011

    The only proof anyone needs  that Brooklyn is  cooler than New Jersey is to consider that Brooklyn has a book festival and New Jersey doesn't.     Check out  Brooklyn Book Festival  and draw your own conclusions.

     I blogged about the Brooklyn Book Festival last year, had similarly high expectations for this year's festival  and I wasn't disappointed.   The offerings were again so enormous, with so many wonderful authors scheduled simultaneously, that I was  only  able to experience a tiny sliver of what was going on.   I traveled with a larger group this year - Kathleen and I were joined by fellow library staff member Robin and Donna, a long-time friend of mine.  Catching the 8:06 AM bus and then taking the A train at Port Authority in Manhattan got us to BBF in about an hour and a half.  This gave us some time to browse a few of the many booths set up by various publishers, small pressess and other literary organizations, including the very friendly people at the Mystery Writers of America booth; I received an especially warm welcome after I identified myself as a blogger for Dead Guy. 

    The rest of the day went something like this:

10:00 - 11:00    Kids on the Skids, featuring readings by Kevin Holohan, Tayari Jones and Justin Torres.  We were especially interested in Justin because he  is a relative of one of the members of our  library's book discussion group.   We were off to a good start.

11:00 - 12:00    The Good, the Bad, and the Family with readings by Elizabeth Nunez, Tom Perrotta and Sergio Troncoso.  The acoustics in the room where this reading was held were atrocious - these authors deserved to be situated in a much better venue.

12:00 - 1:00     Lunch from gourmet trucks ( Desi Food Truck for Indian food, Frites 'N' Meats with kobe burgers, and Rickshaw Dumpling Truck), the likes of which I have never seen in New Jersey.

1:00 - 2:00    Waiting in line for tickets for one of the handful of events which was not open seating

2:00 - 3:00    World of Personal, with readings by Jonathan Safran Foer, Joyce Carol Oates, and Nina Revoyr.  As always, Jonathan was awesome.

3:00 - 4:00    Gumshoes, with readings followed by  excellent discussion  and Q&A by Eoin Colfer and Walter Mosley.   This time slot presented a particular dilemma for me because it also gave me the choice of going to  The Urban Underbelly with Pete Hamill, Mikoma Wa Ngugi and Persia Walker.   How did I make this decision?   Although I very much wanted to see Pete Hamill, his presentation was scheduled for the crowded outdoor main stage while Colfer and Mosley were holding court in the magnificent (but also crowded) St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church. Being seated on a pew won out over standing in a crowd on the steps of the Brooklyn Court House.  (During this hour,my friends decided to use this time to wander around some more by the booths. )

    Interesting comments by Mosley included his understanding that crime fiction taps into an existential understanding of the "where and why" and which satisfies the reader's need for a distinction between what's right and wrong.  He also said that the extreme popularity of crime fiction gives the author the opportunity to reach a  much larger audience and vicariously take these readers into worlds that they might not otherwise get to see. He also pointed out that in writing a series, character development is extremely important while in a stand alone novel the subject matter requires that there be a definitive ending.  I was also somewhat surprised to hear Mosley say that he considered his recent book, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey to be a literary rather than  mystery novel.

   Colfer humorously pointed out that one of the main differences between writing for adults and children was that in his books for younger readers he is required to avoid the use of a particular four syllable profanity.  Like Mosley, he stressed that when a stand alone novel is done properly, there is no need to go back and revisit those same characters.  Colfer also talked about the need for an author to make sure that his setting for a novel is authentic and brought up the fact that he chose New Jersey as the setting for Plugged, his latest novel, because he has been to New Jersey and therefore could write about it accurately.   I found this comment to be very amusing since  my September 11 blog criticized Colfer for getting the New Jersey setting of  Plugged all wrong.   It turns out that I was not the  only one to feel this way - a book review of Plugged that appeared in the September 11 Star Ledger essentially said the same thing.

4:00 - 5:00    Defining the Moment: USA 2011: Where Are We?  featuring some very left of center (this was Brooklyn, after all)   discussion by Deborah Eisenberg, Fran Lebowitz (who was absolutely hilarious) and Wallace Shawn ( who, you may remember, played Annie Hall's ex-husband Jeremiah).   I was in fear for my safety as I tried (only partially successfully) to hold seats for my friends who were meeting up with me for this program.

If this all sounds great, here's a very abbreviated list of some of the other authors who were there who we didn't get to see: Mary Karr, Colson Whitehead, Lawrence Block, Jonathan Santlofer, Arthur Phillips, Cory Doctorow,  Adam Mansbach, Lynne Tillman, Jhumpa Lahiri, Nicole Krauss, Jules Feiffer, Larry McMurtry, Jennifer Egan, plus a whole bunch of children's authors.

Those of you out there who are writing crime novels should be heartened to know that the programs featuring mystery authors were scheduled for the larger venues and attracted a large number of people. 

 Oh, did I forget to mention that all of these programs were free?

 

Report from St. Louis

Bouchercon is always a blast and this year was no exception - reconnecting with old freinds and new ones, and hearing intelligent and thoughtful people discuss our favorite genre.  My husband and I brought along our friend Aline and we also got out into St. Louis - ate some wonderful food, went to the Arch, and made it to the museum (where there was a stunningly moving 9/11 memorial).  But of course most of what we were there for were panels, and I'm handing it over to writers far more talented than I to give you a slice of Bouchercon.

I moderated a panel on Thursday, the first official conference day, and I was nervous about it - my panel consisted of Deborah Crombie, Erin Hart, Jan Burke and Hank Phillippi Ryan, an unlikely combo but a thoughtful and dynamic one.  The panel was over before I knew it (it never hurts to over-prpare!)  and we were all stuck on the question, "Do women write differently from men?"  I say yes but it was a pretty lively discussion.  Two of my favorite quotes from the panel:

"It's really easy to get people to shoot each other, it's really hard to make them kiss." - Erin Hart

"If I can get you to stop doing housework and stay up all night reading, I've done my job." - Jan Burke

In the case of Jan Burke, mission accomplished!  It was a real pleasure to meet one of the great women writers of our genre, and a complete delight to meet Hank Ryan who is funny, smart and entertaining.

From other panels - this one on the "Nature of Evil" with Reed Farrell Coleman, John Connelly, Laura Lippman, Thomas Cook, Peter James and Daniel Woodrell.  This panel was almost overpopulated - I could have listened to each author seperately for an hour.  Daniel Woodrell, should the name not ring a bell, is the author of Winter's Bone, and boy is he impressive.  Sadly much of what he writes about - meth dealing in Appalachia - is knowledge he gained from looking out his front window.

"(Evil is) small levels of willful ignorance." - John Connelly

"I often get evil confused with plain old mean." - Daniel Woodrell

"To be a sociopath is the best qualification to get to the top, and the worst qualification once you're there." - Peter James

"I don't want to read a book where 20 prostitutes are killed so the detective can go home and hug his daughter." - Laura Lippman

"I think sometimes they are just words on a page but they are real to the reader." - Reed Farrell Coleman

"It (evil) is mundane, it's just right outside the window." - Daniel Woodrell

From "No Way to Treat a Body" with Michael Black, Neal Baer, Kathryn Casey, Connie Dial, Matt Hilton, and Morley Swingle.

We went because we are huge fans of Kathryn Casey's true crime writing (though she now writes fiction), but I was star struck by Neal Baer, who wrote much of ER and LAW & ORDER: SVU.  He says he is responsible for 500 hours of TV - I may have seen all of them!

Kathryn Casey, on why it's nice to write fiction instead of true crime:  "I don't have to worry about the bad guys getting out of prison and showing up at my front door which is a nice thing."

"In the US it's stop or I'll shoot, in the UK it's stop or I'll shout stop again." - Matt Hilton, former British Bobby

"Small things can escalate into huge problems if left unchecked." - Matt Hilton

From "Passengers" which was basically all the guests of honor - Charlaine Harris, Colin Cotterill, Val McDermid and Robert Crais.

"I see the world as a big cartoon." - Colin Cotterill

Robert Crais, on why he reads his manuscripts out loud:  "The eye is very forgiving but if you then read aloud your tongue is unforgiving, and so is your ear."

"I always start with something that breaks my heart." - Robert Crais, on how a book begins for him.

"Storytelling is something I really enjoy a lot, maybe because I have a really boring life." - Charlaine Harris

"The characters have taken over my series." -Colin Cotterill

"I have a feeling if the characters took over my books all they'd be doing would be going to the pub." - Val McDermid

"She couldn't be stupid because I don't write stupid women." - Charlaine Harris, on Sookie S.

"Writers are at their heart vampires, we suck the life out of everyone we know." - Val McDermid

My favorite panel may have been "Trouble", moderated by Hank Ryan (who did a great job), with Steve Hamilton, Harlan Coben, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder and Jeff Abbott.

Tapes in the car during first book tour taken by Harlan Coben and Jeff Abbott: The Lion King & Blue Oyster Cult

"Would you kill someone? No.  Would you kill someone to save your child? Yes." - Harlan Coben

"Everyone tells you to do research, I'm here to give you the other side of that, write the damn book." - Harlan Coben

"All we really mean when we say research is tax-deductible travel." - Ridley Pearson

"If you chase the reader's heart, the dollars will eventually come anyway." - Harlan Coben

What they read as kids:

Ridley Pearson:  Kipling & Poe

Jeff Abbott:  Hardy Boys

Steve Hamilton:  Hardy Boys, Agatha Christie

From the interview with Robert Crais (he is a very pithy and funny speaker, unsurprisingly):

"I took a left turn toward hell because I developed this obsession with writing."

Desert Island book: The Old Man and the Sea (I'd take L.A. Requiem before Old Man and the Sea,  personally)

"I'm a 15 year overnight success - it was a long night."

On being told that Lee Child claims Jack Reacher could beat up Joe Pike, after a long moment's thought: "Jack Reacher is Joe Pike's bitch."

Quality he most likes in a woman:  Strength

Quality he most likes in a man:  "Deference to my superiority."

We both enjoyed meeting Kathryn Casey, reconnecting with Jim Huang, Steve Hamilton, Kent Krueger and Sharon Fiffer, and in general just getting away for a few days. See you in Cleveland in 2012!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons from Bouchercon

By Erin Mitchell

This time last week I was lucky enough to be at Bouchercon, the world’s largest gathering of crime fiction fans and authors, in St. Louis. This was my first foray to the annual assembly affectionately known as Bcon, and I am imminently grateful to Ruth and Jon Jordan of Crimespree magazine fame and Judy Bobalik for making it an experience more than worthy of all the buzz it generates throughout the crime fiction community.

I could babble—a lot—about the excitement in meeting and spending time with some of my favorite authors. Suffice to say that there’s nothing like having lunch with a couple of award-winning authors (Hilary Davidson and Brad Parks) in a dingy St. Louis pool hall, getting coffee and talking stories with a new author who comes by his storytelling skill more than honestly (Daniel Palmer), and spending even a brief time with Karin Slaughter, Lisa Unger, Gregg Hurwitz, Jonathan Hayes, and Megan Abbott, who never cease to amaze me with their intelligence, humor, and insight. This is far from a complete list, and I could go on, but you get the idea.

In the midst of four days of non-stop book energy, I was reminded of three things:

1. We must remain vigilant in making sure The Kids are reading

I lost count, but there were about 1,500 people at Bouchercon. Figure about 400 of them were authors and industry types, and there were roughly 1,000 crime fiction fans—readers—who are passionate enough to have journeyed to the heartland. The thing is, I didn’t see many 20-somethings. A function of the economy, perhaps, but it reminded me how important it is that we think about these folks when we consider book marketing especially. If we tell them about great books, they will read. If we do not, they won’t. Simple, but oh-so important.

2. Paper books aren’t going anywhere. Neither are ebooks.

As my plane began its final approach to Lambert International Airport, people all around me turned off their Kindles and Nooks, and I didn’t see another one all weekend. But I know they were there (I asked). And iPads? They were everywhere, even in the absence of free wifi in the conference hotel. I was surprised—to say the least—Indiebound didn’t have a presence in the book room, but I loved chatting with the indie booksellers who were there. I’ll be curious to see whether a savvy ebook marketer figures out how to have a respectful and contributory presence at Bouchercon next year. It’s possible.

3. Non-American books can succeed here, and American books can do well on foreign shores.

Included in the legendary Bouchercon bags—the big tote bag stuffed with books that each attendee receives—were two “bestsellers” that caught my eye, one from France and the other from Italy. Both are published in the US by Penguin, and kudos to them for recognizing that this audience is exactly the right one to build buzz for foreign titles. I was also lucky to moderate a panel about Irish crime fiction with the impressive line-up of John Connolly, Eoin Colfer, Stuart Neville and Erin Hart. The room was just about SRO—and these were BIG rooms—and I spoke with several readers who are excited to read new authors. I hope someone grabs the American rights for Niamh O'Connor’s books soon, but in the meantime, I directed them to the fine anthology, DOWN THESE GREEN STREETS and Declan Burke’s new novel, ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL. Publishing generally still thinks in a very 1980s manner about foreign rights, but readers are much more sophisticated than they get credit for. Maybe the marketing departments can play a role in moving things forward in this regard.

There was oh-so much more that I heard and learned, but I wanted to share some hopefully relevant bits here. Next year, Bouchercon will be in Cleveland. Hope to see you there.

 

The Stop and the Break

Ben LeRoy

When I sat down tonight, I planned on writing a brief and lighthearted recap of last weekend’s Bouchercon in St. Louis. But then things happened, my mood turned, and now I’m in no position to trade on small talk.

Last week, after a month of tweaks and fixes, we went live with a new Tyrus Books website. Included on the site were brand new submission guidelines. I tried to be more detailed than I’d been in the past, because no matter how hard I try to let people know who we are and what we do, I inevitably get submissions that aren’t right for us.

Those of you who have heard me speak at a conference or follow me on Twitter know that, even though we publish what is often called “crime fiction,” I’m not big on fast-paced thrillers, books about serial killers, or anything else with an inflated body count.

And it’s not that I’m squeamish. I’ve grown up on a steady diet of heavy metal, gangsta rap, video games, and pro wrestling. I own guns. I’ve talked to real-life bad guys who have done real-life bad things.

Back to the whole crime fiction thing.

In books, like in real life, murder is never just about the victim and the killer. There is always the shockwave that follows, that blows out from the scene to destroy families and senses of normalcy and to rearrange what we know about things in ways we could have never understood before.

I can’t—even when reading fiction—ignore the emotional impact of murder. The author may very well be ready to move on to the next page, but I get caught up in the “what if…” and “how would I…” questions that I’m sure would plague me in real life.

Sometimes I am the victim.

Sometimes I am the killer.

But the older I get, the more I approach it from the perspective of a son. Or a brother.

Not just the son or brother of the victim, but I often wonder what it would be like to be kin to the monster. What hell comes down on the family of the killer?

Sure, there is the horror of the crime. But there is also the horror of knowing that somebody who is close to you, who appears in family photographs, who laughed with you before things derailed is guilty of the transgression.

One of the most meaningful books to me as a publisher, as a writer, and as a human being is Mikal Gilmore’s stunning family biography, Shot in the Heart. In the book, Gilmore traces the history of his family, including that of his infamous brother Gary, who was convicted of murdering two men, hotel clerk Ben Bushnell and gas station attendant Max Jensen, in the Provo, Utah area during the summer of 1976.

In a testament to his writing ability, but also to the sometimes inconvenient complexity of human beings, Mikal Gilmore paints a detailed portrait of his brother that goes far deeper than the understanding anybody reading a newspaper could have gotten. Gilmore discusses the tragic roots of his family tree, the power of familial legend, and the fight to keep his brother alive, even after Gary accepted his sentence of death by firing squad. He talks about how hard it is to have a regular existence when everybody knows who you are. He gives some explanation for how it’s possible to be closer to the murderer than the murdered, but still end up a victim of the situation.

(Last year, in what I think was an attempt to understand better what happened with Gary Gilmore, I went to the scene of the Bushnell murder. I wrote about it for the Huffington Post here. )

A little over an hour ago the State of Georgia executed Troy Davis, a man convicted of murdering Mark MacPhail, an off-duty Savannah police officer working as a bus station security guard during the summer of 1989.

Davis’ pending execution generated spirited debate on the Internet. Doubts over his guilt were raised.  Political and religious leaders called for a stay of execution. Vigils were held. But in the end, needles broke skin, pentobarbital was injected, and a few minutes later, Davis, like MacPhail 22 years before him, was dead at the hands of others.

Words like “justice” and “closure” were thrown around. 

I make no claims about the guilt or innocence of Troy Davis. I wasn’t there. I didn’t sit through the trial. I, however, don’t believe in state sanctioned killing.

My opinions on the matter at this point are excess shouting in an already loud public square. But when I try to do the math of the situation—adding up two dead men, a lost father, a lost son, and all of the implications of being passive and active bystanders, I’m left with a painful conclusion.

We are all the victim.

We are all the killer.

And this is not a book.

What I did on my holidays

Lynne Patrick

Well, kind of. Not really. At least not blow by blow, Gothic cathedral by Gothic cathedral, delicious French meal by delicious French meal.

What I do on all my holidays, when I’m not absorbing the ambience or sampling local cuisine, is read. Even more than I do at home.

And since I don’t have a lot – or anything, really – to say about editing this week, I thought I’d resort to what I’ve been reading lately. Mainly on my holidays, when there’s more time and self-indulgence is actually what it’s all about.

It also occurred to me that Dead Guy doesn’t have a full-time book reviewer on the team at the moment; we all fill that role from time to time. So maybe you won’t mind this digression.

First up was Nicholas Evans. Sorry, Nick. You’re not going to like this.

Don’t get me wrong; this is an author I’ve always found hard to put down. The Horse Whisperer was magical, The Loop was better. I read The Divide a few years ago, when we were travelling through Wyoming and kept seeing the sign indicating that we were crossing the very Divide that gives the book its name. I loved that too. Until now he has brought the American West to life right there in my living room. Or motel room. Or rented cottage in France. Whatever.

But I’m afraid The Brave didn’t give me quite the same glow. The characters felt as if they came from Central Casting, and so did the 1950s Hollywood part of the setting. The big plot revelation was too obvious for words. And generally the whole thing left me with the impression that someone had said, go away and write a big, highly coloured bestseller, Nick, there’s a good chap.

OK, enough. The poor guy’s been to hell and back this last year or so, what with poisoned mushrooms, twice-weekly dialysis and a kidney transplant. It’s a small miracle he wrote a book at all, and I’m sure he’ll be back on form for the next one. And I don’t suppose it matters what I say; he’s popular enough to ride out a disappointed reader or two. But it’s always sad when someone at the top of his game loses his form.

And so to more cheerful matters. Who’s heard of R S Downie? Possibly known as Ruth Downie in the USA?

If you haven’t, you will. You definitely should.

Ruth is a brilliant writer, witty and vivid, with a keen eye for a neat turn of phrase and a cast of characters whose real-life counterparts I’d love to meet but never will because a couple of millennia separate us. She’s one I’d have been proud to publish if someone else hadn’t jumped in first and offered her more serious money than I could dream of.

She writes about Gaius Petreius Ruso, a doctor in the Roman army when they were occupying Britain. He accidentally becomes an investigator in the first book, Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls (Medicus in the USA) and it all goes on from there.
I was reading the fourth, Ruso and the River of Darkness (aka Caveat Emptor). Suffice to say they get better all the time. For some reason they’re more popular in the USA than at home. Someone needs to spread the word over here.

Other persons in the rented cottage in France were reading other things. My daughter, for instance, devoured the first E J Copperman haunted guesthouse mystery at a single sitting, which tells you all you need to know, since she applies the first-twenty-pages rule rigorously. When’s the next one out, Jeff? There’s a whole family champing for it here!

St. Louis Toodle-oo

Josh Getzler

One of my favorite weeks of the year is the Bouchercon mystery/thriller conference, held each fall in rotating cities. Like summer’s Thrillerfest, Bouchercon is different from most of the conferences I attend because it is really a meeting of industry folks—agents, editors, already-published authors—and their fans, rather than (largely) writers looking for representation or publication. As a result, the business I do is very different. Let me back up and it’ll be clear.

At a typical conference, I spend part of my time on panels; typically one general agent panel about the state of the industry, and one where I give a certain amount of advice on how to write a pitch letter (or somesuch). I then spend a number of hours each day taking pitches from authors looking for me to represent them. The rest of the time I’m schmoozing with attendees, whether at meals or at the bar, talking about publishing (or baseball, or whatever they want) as the invited professional. I enjoy it greatly, and get a new client out of these conferences every so often.

Bouchercon, though, is very different. Because the panels are packed with published authors of all stripes (from mega-sellers to small press cozy authors), and because the Anthony and McCavity Awards are given out, it’s kind of become Old Home Week for folks in the industry, and the majority of business takes place in restaurants and bars—most particularly in the hotel bar. I look several weeks in advance at the posted list of who is attending, and justify my plane ticket and four nights away from the family by scheduling my days full of catch-up meetings with editors and writers and other agents. My joke is that I had around 15 meetings over three days halfway across the country with people who work an average of 12 blocks from my office in Soho.

But it’s easy and efficient to do it this way—it would probably take me three months to set up lunches and drinks with all of the people I saw in St. Louis. And since I was particularly discussing a few specific projects, the face-to-face time was useful as well to convey my enthusiasm. (With one exception: I was scheduled to meet with the redoubtable Otto Penzler, who’s just relaunched Mysterious Press with Grove Atlantic. I walked up to him in the bar, where he was having a drink with an author, and he turns to the other fellow—who turned out to be Jonathan Santlofer—and says “Oh Christ, it’s Getzler. He probably wants to pitch me a fucking BOOK!” Without batting an eye, I said “Of course not, Otto, I’m just here to have a glass of wine with you and catch up.” Which I did, and ended up in one of the more fascinating conversations of the weekend, made all the more interesting when Irish novelist Stuart Neville joined us. I’ll pitch him the novel this afternoon.)

It is of course moments like that, where people from all over, with differing experiences but the common ground of crime fiction, get together, that make Bouchercon special. Another was watching the First Novel panel—at 8:30 in the morning when nobody is truly awake (including the writers, three of whom I’d seen long after my conversation with Otto the night before!). But it was a terrific panel, partly because moderator Joelle Charbonneau was well prepared with pithy and interesting questions, and partly because the authors themselves were so different. There was a British writer with a DaVinci Code thriller getting a lot of buzz, a Minnesota humorous cozy writer, a dark Pittsburg noir author…you get the idea. They had very different—and all very appropriate—experiences. They’re all pretty savvy with respect to social media, and all terribly excited to have a book out.

Another difference between Bouchercon and other conferences has to do with size. There were enough publishing professionals in St. Louis that the organizers were able to put together a bowling tournament on Friday with 13 five-person teams with proceeds benefitting the St. Louis Public Library system. The team I played on, with my marvelous (and newly signed!) client Linda Hull; her editor, Midnight Ink’s Terri Bischoff; Dead Guy contributor and Tyrus Books head Ben Leroy; and author Dan Krokos, came in second to Brad Parks’ Minotaur team by 1 ½ points (meaning approximately one not-made spare by one bowler out of five over the course of three games). Devastating! But fun. (Photos on FB—I think every team posted their team photos somewhere.)

Finally, as I looked around the bar on Saturday night, I marveled once again at how consistently supportive crime fiction writers are of each other. There is a spirit of help and support and cooperation in this community that’s different from what I’ve seen in other genres. There’s a sense that there are enough readers to go around, that the writers are also readers and fans of each other. They admire each other and honestly applaud each other’s success.

So when I left very early on Sunday morning, tired, loaded down with new books, filled with information and gossip, I was exhilarated. I didn’t feel so much that I had any brilliant insights into the future of electronic editions or distribution streams. Rather, I felt happy that with all the instability and uncertainty  in the publishing industry, there is still such a smart, constructive, excited group of professionals working through this new paradigm into a future suddenly more worthy of optimism. 

 

The Professional (Revised)

Jeff Cohen

Without having changed the headline, because it's way too apropos: Congratulations to the classiest guy in any sport, for setting the record that everybody has known he would set, and doing it in classic fashion. There isn't anybody as good, there never has been, and it's not likely there will be for a very, very long time.

No, I wasn't at Bouchercon this weekend (and thanks for reminding me! Geez!), so we'll have to wait for Josh's report (and perhaps those from other DEAD GUYs) later this week. Next year in Cleveland, for sure. Now, then (which is a contradictory phrase)...

This is a parable: When my daughter was only five or six, I was reading one of her current favorite bedtime books, The Salamander Room, to her. We'd read a number of books a night, which sounds impressive until you realize that books for six-year-olds don't have so many words as pictures. The plots were, let's say, uncomplicated.

This one was about a kid who found a salamander and brought it home. The book consists of a dialogue between the kid and his mother about how to best treat the salamander. Mom, oddly, argues against keeping the salamander in the house, saying it's cruel to the animal, which would need the environment of the forest where it grew to survive.

The child keeps suggesting that, instead, changes should be made to the house in which they live to accommodate the salamander. This includes such minor touches as removing the roof so the rain and sunshine can get in. 

As I recall, Mom prevails. It's been at least 12 years, so I might be wrong. But since adults write most children's books, it's a decent bet Mom won out.

When we had finished reading, Eve and I discussed the book, and I said I thought it was silly for the kid to want to make such huge changes to the family's home when he could have brought the salamander back to the forest and visited him/her/it whenever the urge arose.

Eve, her mischievous eye gleam glowing, said she thought it would have been a better idea to simply move the family's house to the forest to make a homey environment for their new pet.

I balked. "Do you realize how hard it would be to move a whole house?" I asked my six-year-old.

Without so much as a giveaway grin, she replied, "Daddy. You call a professional."

I'm a professional writer. I get paid. Almost all the time. And if you think that doesn't matter, you're wrong. It pays tuition and it pays utilities and occasionally it even pays the mortgage (that only happens about once a year--the rest of the time my wife and her thankfully steady paycheck do the honors). I take pride in what I do, and I do it as well as I know how.

So when someone says they're a writer because they once had an op ed piece printed in the local newspaper or they won a poetry contest in the seventh grade or they write a killer memo for the sales VP in their company, I have to bite my tongue just a little bit.

Writing is a passion and a calling. It is a craft and an art. It is a trust between writer and reader. It is a strange way to spend one's spare time. It can be torture or ecstasy.

But make no mistake--it's also a job. If you're looking for something to read and you can only spend a limited amount of money on such entertainment, take my daughter's sage advice.

You call a professional.

And by that, I'm not simply saying, "Buy my book." I'm saying if you've never heard of an author before, pay attention. Of course you should give new writers a chance, but not blindly. See if the story sounds interesting, if the first couple of pages indicate a writing style you'll find enjoyable. I don't place a lot of weight on blurbs (although I love getting them for my books; I won't lie), but take a look at them. Not so much for who's doing the blurbing, but what information you can get from them.

If the book (particularly, these days, an e-book) seems badly edited or unedited, if there are tons of typos, if the writing seems especially crude (as in unpolished), you're not in the hands of a professional. I won't get into the argument about whether a publisher's imprint on the book indicates quality. But I can tell you that it definitely indicates at least two editors and a copy editor have looked it over very carefully. Plot holes have been questioned, if not filled. Inconsistencies have been smoothed. 

And typos have been, with rare exceptions, eliminated. (Nobody's perfect.)

In these days when literally anyone can publish a book, we are confronted with countless reading choices. Some of them are marvelous. Some of them, let's face it, aren't. And the word "professional" has taken on a somewhat negative quality, as if the experience one might encounter reading the work of a pro would be somehow less creative and more soulless than that of a driven, striving amateur.

All I'm saying is: If your pipes are broken, do you call a plumber, or a guy you know who owns a wrench?

My money would be on the professional. Because he'd probably talk you out of moving that house into the forest just to accommodate a salamander. He'd know better.

Daddy. You call a professional.

Pete Hamill, Mystery Writer

    I was browsing through my library's audiobook section, looking for my next mystery and reading the brief book descriptions that appear on the  audiobook boxes when my eye passed longingly over Pete Hamill's recently released novel,Tabloid City; I have not read much of Hamill's oeuvre, but I loved both Snow in August  and  Forever and the reviews of Tabloid City were pretty enticing.  I picked up the box and happily noted the phrase "double murder" - I was good to go.

    Nobody does New York City quite like Pete Hamill; it is fair to say that in his books about New York, Hamill treats the city as an "uber- character," one that exerts an extraordinary influence over the motivations and behaviors of the other players in the story.   And no one is left out of the action which takes place over the course of one extraordinary day - Hamill has created an exceptionally rich blend of characters and accomplishes the impressive feat of telling a story in which the sequence of events is more or less equally divided  between characters who are very wealthy, those who are merely "well off,"  those who are solidly middle class, the working poor, and those who lurk at the fringes of society.    New York is not only a city of extremes but also a city of great complexity and from Gewanas in Brooklyn,to Greenwich Village,  the meat packing District , and the Upper East Side,  Hamill captures it all perfectly.

    This novel is  literary fiction at its best but it is also a great mystery story: a wealthy widow and her administrative secretary have been murdered, a dishonest financier has failed to show up in court for his trial, an American born Muslim extremist feels nothing but rage toward those who don't share his views, and an angry disabled veteran of Iraq has his own ideas about how to exact payback for the losses he has suffered.   The nexus between these social extremes is literally the middle class, the law enforcement officers and journalists who are trying to find the killer or killers before more damage is done.    Hamill introduces a few red herrings and enough initial ambiguity to keep the reader guessng but as the story proceeds, the identity of the perpetrator  gradually comes into focus.  At this point, the book takes on the aspects of a thriller, with the tension shifting from trying to identify the killer  to trying to stop him before the killing escalates.

    Hamill  possesses an uncanny  ability to describe his characters in  a way that permits me to easily conjure up a mental image of each one in my mind's eye.   Hamill's characters, in the hands of a lesser author, could easily have turned into a collection of stereotypes but what sets  Hamill apart is his ability to provide a sort of psychological profile for each of his  main characters that includes enough details from their backstories so that I, as the reader, was made to feel that I really knew who these people were.

    Tabloid City, focusing as it does  on the last day of the fictional "New York World" serves as a loving eulogy for the world of the printed newspaper; Hamill appears to grudgingly accept the fact that it cannot last forever.  He also sends out  a  few valentines to that other potentially endangered bastion of the printed word, the public library.  He even creates a female character who, at age 60,  men  of a variety of ages still find attractive.

     Is it any wonder that I love this guy?

White Silk Horses Step In Time

Denise Dietz

(Substituting for Robin Agnew)

My name is Mary Ellen Dennis (aka Denise Dietz). I’m addicted to writing books. Reading them, too. Writing and reading and true love and chocolate—life doesn’t get much better than that. Well, maybe watching The Princess Bride or reading a Jeff Cohen mystery while munching crème donuts.

 

My history-mystery-romance, The Greatest Love on Earth, just made its debut. Despite its romance-y title, there’s a viable mystery within its pages, and, as you may have guessed, it revolves around a circus—an 1875 circus. Here’s a brief description:

 

Calliope Kelley, star equestrian, has always wanted to be a lady, or, as she calls a lady, a “Mary.” When her circus is torched by a mysterious evildoer, Calliope manages to save the 7-year-old granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope. She is told that her fiancé, cat tamer Brian O’Connor, was trampled and killed during the fire, so she assumes a new identity: Mary O’Connor. As a ward of the affluent Stanhopes, she becomes engaged to their son, the charismatic black sheep of the family. But she soon discovers the brutality—and vindictiveness—that lurks behind his handsome façade. She is trapped by a deceit of her own making, until she is rescued by Bret Johnson, a.k.a. Jocko the clown, a circus attraction from her past. Bret now owns a gambling establishment, the Cirque de Delices. Unfortunately, Calliope is certain that Bret, as Jocko, was the “evil leprechaun” who torched her circus. Despite that assertion, she agrees to play Cirque Hostess and chair the poker games. Then Brian O’Connor reappears. . .

 

I can hear you say, “What gave you the idea for a circus historical?”

 

First, my dad knew famous clown, Emmett Kelley. Emmett would appear with a broom and dustpan in the middle of a huge spotlight. He'd step outside the spotlight and start sweeping it into a smaller circle. Then, smaller. When the spotlight was no bigger than a dinner plate, he'd sweep it into his dustpan. To me, a little kid, it was magic! My heroine, Calliope Kelley, is named for Emmett Kelley.

 

However, the seed for my circus theme was planted when I researched my saga, Heaven's Thunder (1893 – 1923), and learned that the circus had visited Colorado. A big circus. With elephants! And what was then called a cameleopard (giraffe). Curiosity piqued, I ferreted out background data and found a book with circus dialect. I learned that audience members were called “gillys” and a wee piggy danced a figure eight to the song “Root, Hog or Die.”

 

During my research I discovered that one circus’s animal act included lions and tigers. I built a whole scene around that. Brian is injured rescuing horses from a train wreck and Calliope is determined to “pirate his act” and perform his role as cat tamer. Later we find out that the perp who killed Calliope’s mum and now wants Calliope dead has pushed a baby carriage—with the circus’s performing pig!—near the cat cage, agitating the cats. Here’s a brief excerpt:

 

Calliope tucked her shirt more securely into her breeches and her pant legs into her boots. She had bound her breasts and her hair had been stuffed into one of Brian’s caps. Her best idea was to invade Clown Alley and fashion a handlebar mustache beneath her nose. Maybe it wasn’t her best idea. She kept stifling the urge to sneeze.

“I don’t anticipate trouble,” she said. “I’ve known these cats since they were cubs. I’ve fed and watered them.” She wrinkled her nose and adjusted her mustache again. “I’ve even cleaned their cages.”

“It’s different inside the ring,” Brian said.

“I’ve watched you hundreds of times and memorized your every move. I’m not scared.”

“Tigers are the most cunning. Lions give warning, since they have a slow way of turning before they strike. The black panther is a killer.”

“We don’t have a panther. You only mention the word ‘killer’ to frighten me.”

“Will you not agree to either lions or tigers? It’s far less dangerous.”

“No. The posters announced both together.”

Calliope strutted into the ring-sized cage and slammed the door behind her. The chute’s wooden entrance panel opened. The first tawny lion appeared, followed by another. Leo and Duchess. Six tigers entered the cage. Although Calliope had played with them all, even petted their smooth coats, she felt her stomach tighten. The knuckles of the fingers that held her whipstock and hickory club stretched white. She snapped her whip and the beasts settled.

So far, so good.

Not so good. One of the tigers was slinking toward her, his ears flattened, his tail swishing softly. Plato. Sweet, lovable Plato, whose lips were now curled in a nasty snarl.

She snapped her whip.

Plato’s ears twitched forward. His muzzle seemed to expand in a tiger smile as he mounted his pedestal. Calliope could almost hear him purr. Triumphantly, she tossed her head. The cap flew free and her hair tumbled down. At the same time, she sneezed, losing her mustache.

“It’s a girl!” screamed a woman.

Calliope slanted a glance toward the seats. Movement surged like a tidal wave as some women pitched forward in faints while others stood, trying to get a better view. Swooning women outnumbered the avidly curious ones. Clowns climbed the guardrail, carrying vinegar and salts. Damn and blast!

She returned her gaze to the cats. Plato chased his tail, exciting the lions. Calliope could sense the old lion-tiger jungle hatred flare. Sure enough, Leo sprang from his high pedestal, landing within inches of Plato. They both locked together, struggling fiercely for tooth-and-claw advantage.

Calliope brandished her club at the flailing cats then gave Leo a generous clout on the top of his head. The lion let go the tiger’s neck, and Plato scampered through the chute.

Eyes smoldering, Leo turned, glared, and growled.

If you could join a circus, what would your role be?

 

 

This Book is Rated PG

By Erin Mitchell

A new book from Harlan Coben is always cause for celebration. The one that is just out, SHELTER, is his first YA novel, appropriate for kids 12 and up.

Huh.

When he mentioned the “12 and up” designation on Twitter, it got me thinking. When I was growing up, there was far less specificity in kids’ books than there is today. The library had a section that was subdivided into little-kid books (picture books) and older-kid books (including everything from Daniel Defoe to Judy Blume). If there was a “YA” designation, I was unaware of it. Of course, neither I nor anyone I knew worked in book marketing (yet).

And truth be told, I started reading adult books when I was younger than 12. Agatha Christie. Ed McBain. Thomas Hardy. Not a one of them wrote a single YA novel. And yet, read them I did. Did it harm me? Only if you consider being an avid reader harmful. Was my dad irresponsible? Given that he constantly asked me about what I was reading—that is to say, we talked about books all the time—I don’t think so.

So, getting back to SHELTER: Let’s say an appropriately-aged 12 year-old reads it. And enjoys it. And wants to read more of Harlan Coben’s books. What’s a parent to do? That’s each parent’s choice, of course. Personally, I would encourage it. But maybe that’s just me. Do some of his books contain disturbing imagery and story lines? Um, yeah. That’s kind of the point. But so do some comics. And songs. And TV shows. And billboards. And don’t even get me started about games and apps.

I understand the YA designation from a marketing perspective. There’s nothing wrong with it. I would, however, love to see a publisher create some kind of information for parents of kids who want to read adult books, or parents of younger kids who prefer stories bearing the somewhat arbitrary “12 and older” designation.

So…where does this leave authors vis-à-vis marketing their books to kids? Your book being targeted to a specific audience doesn’t preclude other groups from wanting to read it. Don’t shut them out. Just because I love police procedurals doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy an occasional cozy. And just because a reader is 9-and-three-quarters, she shouldn’t (necessarily) be denied SHELTER. 

I believe that many kids are turned off reading because they’re forced to read stuff they don’t enjoy. Imagine, just for a moment, that we let kids read any book. That we paid attention and talked to them about what they’re reading. That we helped them find books they enjoy. Wouldn’t that be neat? Librarians do it all the time. We adults often underestimate the youngsters among us; I think that’s part of what encourages them to think we’re all idiots.

So if you happen to be 9-and-three-quarters and reading this and you enjoy thriller-type stories, I encourage you to get a hold of a copy of SHELTER. I haven’t read it yet, but I expect you might enjoy it.

 

What's Hot in the Words Department

Benjamin LeRoy

Firstly—thank you everybody for the warm welcome to Dead Guy. I look forward to adding what I can.

Secondly—let’s jump right into the fire. Let’s talk what’s hot. Let’s talk trends.

I spent last weekend in Denver at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference, rubbing elbows with agents, editors, and authors alike. And, as it always does at some point, the question was raised by one curious party—“So, what do you see as the next big trend in books?”

Are vampires still the thing? Are we finally ready for the resurgence of the Da Vinci Code milieu? Is 2012 the year that the Western rides back onto the scene, white-hatted and triumphant?

My answer was the same as it always is. I have no idea.

I don’t have my finger on the pulse of anything. But let’s say hypothetically that I knew what was hot today or I knew what was going to be booming business in a year—I still wouldn’t say it out loud.

That’s not because I’m cruel. Nor is it because I plan on strategically shoving a bunch of Tyrus titles into the marketplace before anybody else can get there.

It’s because I’m not confident in the quality of books that are written to cash in on a trend. As such, I’d never ask an author to jump on a literary bandwagon.

My advice is to pursue the book that means something to you. I want to see the author’s guts on the page (not literally of course). In the most pretentious way I can possibly frame this (so that you don’t have to), I want to know that the author genuinely suffered and pained to write a novel. I want to know that the author walked through his or her life carrying emotional baggage for two—his own and that of his protagonist.

But! you might protest, “I happen to be very passionate about the coming trend.”

Fine. Write that book. As long as you’re passionate about it, you’ll get a pat on the back from me and a “Go get’em, Sport!” from the bleachers. My role in life isn’t to be an obstacle in yours.

It also isn’t to be an exploiter and perpetuator of things I don’t believe in.

You know that point when a new subgenre of music has evolved from fringe culture to begrudging mainstream acceptance and then finally is used in a McDonald’s commercial (because even Ronald knows that a gangsta version of the Hamburgler can slang two beef patties, special sauce, blah blah)? It kills me when I see the literary version of that on bookshelves, or being pushed aggressively on Twitter, or being pitched to me in the men’s room of one more conference hotel somewhere along the Interstate.

Yes, I know, publishing is a business, and yes, somebody is probably making good money off that, and yes, that’s the product people want right now. You’re right.

You’re right.

But I don’t want to participate or endorse or leave its half-baked legacy on my half-etched tombstone.

There are few things in life that mean more to me than the written word. I am a true believer in its power to educate, to illuminate, to bring us all together in some greater human connection that I can’t readily articulate. I know its magic when I feel it.

I also know that the most meaningful part of it is not cranked out on an assembly line or planned in a board room. It happens, organically and authentically. Sometimes out of nowhere. It hits like Holyfield and bites like Tyson.

Starting in the next few days, Tyrus Books is giving away Nathan Singer’s novel, In the Light of You. For free. For your Kindle, NOOK, etc. You can leave this one on my tombstone.

My favourite hat

Editing was, as regular blog-followers will know, always the part of publishing which made me want to go to work every day. It’s also the part I’ve taken away with me; after selling my mini-publishing house just over a year ago (omigod, is it really more than a year? Where is my life disappearing to?), I seem to have edited upwards of a dozen books, not to mention offered feedback on twice as many extracts and short stories.
And you know what? It still gives me a buzz. So it’s good that the little world that is Dead Guy now has a functioning publisher on board again (hi, Ben) and I can slip quietly into my comfort zone, after twelve months of something I can only describe as roving commission.
So where do I begin?
A few years ago... yes, that’s a good start. A few years ago, before I jumped into the big, deep pool called publishing, I became aware of the various layers of editorial input that go into a book – not unlike the long list of people in the credits of a movie. This awareness was heightened by a good friend who worked as a proofreader for a couple of large publishing houses, and had also pursued an eclectic career in the media. Along the way he’d become conversant with the way things happen in a TV studio where different forms of drama are made; most relevantly to this story, he knew the difference between a soap and a sitcom. Not the content: the way they’re produced.
He was sent a novel to proofread: the latest by a very well-known and equally well-respected literary figure, who had better remain nameless to save him from embarrassment and me from lawsuits.
The novel involved – you guessed – a TV studio. And the well-respected author had got it wrong. Totally, hopelessly wrong, in a way that a development editor, a copy editor and a fact-checker really should have spotted long before the proofreading stage, which, for the benefit of people who are new to the business, comes right at the end of the process, just before (sometimes just a few days before) the book goes to print.
What was the poor proofreader to do?
A lot of people in that position might have thought, not my problem, chum, you’re not paying me to do someone else’s job. And who could blame them? But my friend liked to get things right. What’s more, he admired the author’s work and was one of the many who well-respected him, so he didn’t want him to look like a complete prat. (Translation: jerk.) And there are always – always – readers who pick up on these things and write ten-page letters to both author and publisher pointing out the error of their ways.
The story ended happily. The publisher was suitably horrified, and no doubt editorial knuckles further up the line were soundly rapped. Publication date was put back so amendments – actually major rewrites – could be made. My friend got a generous consultancy fee, a grateful phone call from the author, a credit in the acknowledgements and lots more proofreading work. And the book was a bestseller. You’ve probably read it.
The reason this long-ago incident is so fresh in my mind is that I’ve just hit a similar hurdle in a book I’m editing. Fortunately editing, not proofreading, so there’s time to sort the problem. Again, no names, no embarrassment or lawsuits, and it will require compromise, not major rewrites. We’re part way to resolving it. I just hope the author, who is less well-known and certainly not a literary figure, agrees with the solution.
I’ve just remembered: I was away on holiday last week, and had planned to write a What I Did... post. Isn’t it funny how real life crowds in? Maybe next week. Oh, and thanks a million to Sharon; the seat was lovely and warm.

First Day of School

Josh Getzler

I realized on reflection that my insights into the state of British publishing after my trip a few weeks ago were pretty pedestrian. So I will spare you. Instead, in honor of the beginning of the school year, with all of its optimism among the newly-sharpened pencils and slightly too-big uniforms (which will be too small by June), even amidst the trepidation of new teachers and different classrooms, I will give a bit of an update on the first four months of Hannigan Salky Getzler. Hopefully it will give some kind of an idea as to the way I work and how a startup agency revs itself up (certainly not to be completely extrapolated out into the general agent population; but on the other hand I don’t think I’m terribly far out of the mainstream).

 

1)      Setup of office and systems: When Carrie, Jess and I moved over to HSG from Russell & Volkening, we’d all been part of established agencies with systems in place for many years. Starting anew gave us the opportunity to explore fresh ways of doing things, particularly technologically. It’s been something of a mixed-bag so far. On one hand, our internal administrative flow has been pretty efficient, particularly once Jess finished the bar exam and we all began to have a little continuity of time together in the office. On the other, we decided to run our email system through gmail on the Cloud, rather than using a server, and that’s been spotty. The interface with Outlook can be unstable, and if you are a pack rat like I am, and also have several devices running mail simultaneously (I regularly use my desktop at work, my Blackberry and my iPad over the course of a day), it can be hinky. Always fine if you use the basic gmail website. Less good if you try to use the device’s interface. Our indispensable fourth wheel, Maddie, has  MacGyver-ing things with patience and genius for the last two months, but I more than occasionally want to throw my Blackberry against a wall. 

 

2)      Design: We spent a bit of time working on image, both within our little piece of the incubator space we have on Spring St, and in terms of logo and web design. On one hand, it sometimes felt like we were taking time away from constructive work to decide on things like which curlicues looked best on the sides of our logo, or even to take real pictures. But we do want to show ourselves as professionals who care how we present ourselves. Hopefully if we do so in the right way, then authors will have confidence that we will present them appropriately. So within the next short period of time we will be launching our new HSG website and debuting the logo. One thing I also learned was that it’s time to retire the photo I use in all my social media and admit that the hair is grayer and shorter and the glasses are a presence. In a related note, I received in the mail yesterday my invitation to my 25^th high school reunion.

 

3)      Social Media: I realized this summer that if I’m going to tell my clients that they need to be “active in social media” then I’d better learn more about it and expand my own usage. And while I still believe that many people clutter up FB and Twitter with bad jokes and updates from the bathroom, I see clearly the business and marketing value (as well as the reconnection-with-old-friends upside) in being aboard. There is a direct marketing power to putting out information that can be reshared and retweeted well beyond your own circle of friends. And even though there can be a lot of misinformation out there, there have been a number of long, wide Twitter conversations about elements of publishing (not to mention politics, entertainment, and fantasy baseball) that I’ve found fascinating. It IS where some of the smartest agents, editors, publicists, and authors meet in virtual round tables, and you can really get a feel for their personalities a lot of the time.

 

4)      The pace: While nowhere near as relaxed as 20 years ago, this was the first year in at least three or four where I didn’t feel that everyone in an agency or publishing house was tied to their desks, wide-eyed, feeling that if they went to Fire Island for a weekend they’d find their job eliminated by Monday. (Booksellers were not as sanguine…) It has meant that turnaround time has been a bit slower all the way down the line, from getting reads on submissions to comments on contracts to in fact being able to read submissions in as timely a fashion as we have wanted. But the wheels have been grinding, and business has certainly continued to be done. And it’s not that everyone isn’t always swamped—everyone has WAY more work than they can do. It’s just that there was a feeling that, even though it is looking different every day—there is still a book business.

 

5)      Sales: I don’t want to sound like everyone was sitting around fat and happy this summer. It was a season of change, where independent publishing went beyond early adaptors and agents started to explore their roles. At HSG we made our first foray into working with a client on editing, converting, designing and producing a book independently, and were very proud to see that book (The First Secret of Edwin Hoff by A.B. Bourne) released into the world in an organized, professional, and (we hope) successful fashion. That process alone will be the subject of another week’s blog. But we were able as well to complete sales of a number of projects, some of which were new and got done relatively quickly (within six weeks of submission, start to finish); and two of which—Sheila Boneham’s mystery series and James Phelan’s YA post-apocalyptic trilogy—I’ve had out on submission for more than a year (two?). Those sales were incredibly satisfying, since I tell my clients, and authors in general, that when we take you on we really do keep at it and try to sell. And I’m grateful to Sheila and James—and to the other clients I’m still out with over a long time—for sticking with us as we press and prod, trying to find the right fit, the next editor, the unanticipatedly correct house, even when it’s long and frustrating and seemingly hopeless.

So there is a bit of an update. There’s more to come of course. Now it’s off to St. Louis for Bouchercon, one of my favorite weeks of the year, to see authors, other agents, and travel four hours by plane to have meetings with editors who work an average of 15 blocks from my office. Full report next week.

 

Naming Rights are Going Fast!

Jeff Cohen

I can't believe I've never thought of this before.

For years I've been a fan of the documentarian Morgan Spurlock. With an easy ingratiating charm, Spurlock has created films about the fast-food plague in America (and everywhere else) by eating nothing but McDonald's food in SuperSize Me; he's looked (obviously, before this year) for Osama bin Laden; he's created a very good docu-TV series, 30 Days, in which a person tests his or her belief system by living with someone of very opposite views, for a month. Of course, 30 Days has been cancelled. That's TV.

Last year, Spurlock made a movie about product placement in the entertainment business and financed it entirely through--you guessed it--product placement. He called it Pom Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold. And the pre-mise was that by draw-ing atten-tion to the "subtle" ways in which companies get their products noticed in movies, perhaps he could best educate people to what they are seeing, even if they usually don't notice it.

At around the same time, it was reported that the New Meadowlands Stadium (a name that was destined to test truth-in-advertising laws in only a few years), the home of the New York Giants and Jets--yes, they play in New Jersey, which makes you wonder how they're the New York Giants and Jets--had sold "naming rights" to MetLife for a cool $400-million. So it gets to be the MetLife Stadium for the next 25 years (or so).

I got the point, in spades.

In fact, I did everything but smite myself in the forehead. I should have considered this years ago. If the one thing that holds a writer back is the financial end of the business--and it is--then there's one way to eliminate the unpredictability of publishing and guarantee artistic freedom and a steady income.

That's right--I'm selling the naming rights to my next book.

Now, I should be clear about this, for many legal and ethical reasons. My REAL next book, OLD HAUNTS, is already named (it's called OLD HAUNTS) and will be on a bookshelf hopefully near you in February, which isn't nearly as far off as it used to be. So start saving your pennies, all 799 of them. (That's $7.99, and only if you're paying full retail.) I'll do the math for you--if you start now, that's a little over a nickel a day. But that's not the book we're discussing here.

And no, it's not even the book I'm writing at the moment, um, along with my dear friend E.J. Copperman (oh, we're the same person--there, I said it!). That book is #4 in the Haunted Guesthouse series, to be followed by--you guessed it!--#5 in the Haunted Guesthouse series. Since those are already contracted with Berkley Prime Crime, I'm sure they'd have some say in the naming rights and--the nerve!--expect some of the money. Good luck with that.

If you or your multinational corporation is interested in having its name plastered all over the cover of a bona fide Jeff Cohen novel (and who wouldn't be?), you'll be talking about a project not yet contracted to a publisher. There are two such works currently extant, and my agent Josh Getzler will be thrilled to discuss the naming rights with you. If you don't like either of those, don't worry; I'll write more.

I have a few ethical standards (not many, but a few), so tobacco companies, weapons manufacturers and Tea Party candidates will not be considered. Wait. Maybe the Tea Party people can name the book. What the hell; by the time it comes out, the election will be over anyway.

Companies that I believe are a perfect fit (since I already use their products):Apple, Coca-Cola (Caffeine-free Diet Coke--no spokesperson yet!), Toyota, the New York Times, the New York Yankees, Disney (both Land and World), Takamine (look it up), NBC/Universal (distributors of Marx Brothers DVDs), Hershey's, Nintendo (I work out with the help of the Wii every day and have lost 30 lbs--an endorsement opportunity if ever I saw one!), and more locally, Thomas Sweets ice cream and Sonny's Bagels (those last two were two reasons I had initially gained the 30 lbs.).

But I'll discuss any company you'd like to promote on the cover of my novel. Following Spurlock's lead, if you'd like me to mention the product inside the book, we can talk about it, but that will be extra. If a character suddenly settles down behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Jetta and happens to mention the 15.5 cubic feet of cargo space, you'll know why, dear reader.

I'll be happy to appear as a spokesauthor for your product, if you like. I can drive your car (assuming you comp me out one), wear your clothes (that is, your company's; not your own--that'd be creepy), eat your ice cream, play your guitar or write my next novel on your computer, assuming you work for Apple. That Windows stuff simply doesn't make any sense.

Now, I know what you're thinking--this seems too good to be true! Authors only make a couple of bucks for each book; they're used to living on cereal (I can endorse your cereal!) and huddling around a trash-can fire for warmth. You think you can place your product on my next book for peanuts. Well, not in the new Naming Rights economy.

Consider this: I have two kids in college AT THE SAME TIME. I expect the naming company to at least cover that. So cough up. Money.

Josh will be entertaining bidders (and by that, I mean sitting eagerly by his phone; he doesn't tap dance or anything--do you, Josh?). Imagine: (Your Company's Name) Presents: A Novel by Jeff Cohen.

It doesn't get better than that. Get bidding!

More on Jersey cool... and wet

Dale Spindel

    Compliments of Hurricane Irene, we had two feet of water in our basement, were without power for three and a half days and spent an additional day without  Internet  so first off,  I want to thank Jeff for taking over for me last Sunday on very short notice.  It's been a messy and frustrating week and a half but  there were a lot of people affected by the storm  far more seriously than we were, so I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining.  Irene did exhibit terribly bad manners, but let's not forget that she came from out of state and  was only traveling through New Jersey;  any resemblances between Irene and certain New Jersey reality show personalities (flipping trees rather than tables, passing water in public) were purely coincidental.

    So now, back to Jersey cool.   Several weeks ago, in an attempt to bring some levity into my life, I decided to read the ARC  that I had picked up at Book Expo  of Plugged, by Eoin Colfer.    Set in the fictional north Jersey town of Cloisters, the novel is narrated by Daniel McEvoy, an Irish expat and former military man currently working as a bouncer at a dump of a casino called Slotz.  Daniel's friends and associates are what  popular culture currently considers to be a typical Jersey cast of characters: Connie, the obligatory single mother cocktail waitress; Victor, the sleazy casino boss; and Zeb, an Israeli expat physician who runs a distinctly unorthodox medical practice.   Joining the fun are some colorfully unsavory bad guys, a young and very attractive (of course) African-American policewoman and  telephone appearances by Dr. Simon Moriarity,  Daniel's  shrink from his days as part of the international peace keeping force in Lebanon.

    Beginning with the double entendre of the title, the fact that Colfer is one funny guy is never in question.  Daniel's Irish  speech patterns play off nicely against the typical "low Jersey" dialect and the different foreign accents of the other characters; there were occasional turns of phrase and bits of dialogue that actually had me laughing out loud.  Also, because many of the  action sequences were so outlandish,I never lost sight of the fact that Colfer's goal was to keep me - the reader - entertained amd amused rather than depressed  and disturbed by the depravities of human behavior.  

    I found the plotting of the crime elements to be the weakest part of the novel; there were several interlocking mysteries that needed to be solved but I felt  no real sense of satisfaction as the various perpetrators  were revealed.   It was as if Colfer put most of his creative energy into crafting characters who readers would want to revisit, with  the plot  being worked out almost  as an afterthought.  It was obvious that Colfer left one loose end dangling in anticipation of one or more sequels.     With his zany cast of misfits and New Jersey setting, I couldn't help but wonder if Colfer isn't hoping to accomplish for a male audience what Janet Evanovich has already so successfully achieved  for her overwhelmingly female readership.  

    A couple of additional thoughts: if Colfer intends to cash in on New Jersey cachet, someone needs to do a little more editing as his version of New Jersey just didn't completely ring true.   In spite of the fact that in real life, gambling casinos in New Jersey  are permitted only in Atlantic City, I could suspend my disbelief  enough to allow for the presence of casinos  located in the  north Jersey suburbs. What I could not accept was a casino so small that it  had only a dozen employees.   Also, if Colfer intends to  write for an American audience, he needs to remember not to include references to public health clinics.  

    Hey, Eoin, come visit us - there are a lot of people in New Jersey right now who could use some cheering up and we'll make sure you get the Jersey details right for Daniel's next adventure.

    I also do not want to let today go by without somehow acknowledging the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  If you have not already read it, I highly recommend Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer.  It is an extremely and incredibly moving piece of literature about the events of that day.

A couple of working writers

Robin Agnew

Rececntly we hosted a gathering of the midwest chapter of Mystery Writers of America - set up by the ever efficient Tony Perona, the event featured Kelly Nichols (one half of PJ Parrish) and Doug Allyn.  They had never met, but as it turns out, Doug is a big fan of Kelly's and had lots of questions for her.

Both writers have been hard at work for a long time.  Doug, best known as a short story writer (though he's also published several novels) has won two Edgars and countless other awards for his stories.  The Parrish sisters are award winning as well - they in fact are up for a Shamus this year, the only women nominated in their category (paperback original).

Both writers have a work ethic and sensibility that would be familiar to old school workhorses like Rex Stout, John D. MacDonald, and Erle Stanley Gardner, all of whom reliably and quickly churned out book after book, all of them leaving behind a voluminous body of work.  Doug insisted that the best advice he ever got - from Loren Estleman - was "there's no such thing as writer's block."  (Estleman, of course, is another writer with an old school work ethic - at last count, he's written over sixty novels).

Both insisted that no matter what - whether the work comes easy or hard - you just get down to it.  Both also said that some of the hardest things for them to write have turned out to also be some of their best work.  As their conversation went on, their mutual admiration seemed to increase.  It was particularly interesting to hear Kelly talk about her writing process.  She and her sister Kristy now Skype each other but they don't look at each other's faces (making it easier, Kelly pointed out, to work in pajamas) but at the page of the manuscript they are working on.  This type of collaboration takes longer (previously they e-mailed back and forth, one of them writing "descriptions", one "action") but Kelly said requires less revision.

Doug also talked about his recent Edgar win for best short story - he said he was so sure he would lose that he was nice and comfortable.  He was ready to applaud Jeffrey Deaver (who incredibly has never won) and was actually speechless - something his wife says was a first - for a few moments before accepting the award.

These writers are the worker bees of crime fiction.  Parrish's relaiable output of top level crime fiction on our paperback table is always a sure sign of a quick sale.  And there aren't too many issues of Ellery Queen or Alfred Hitchcock that aren't graced by a Doug Allyn story.  It was one of the more enlightening evenings I've spent at the store, one which truly gave a look inside the process of a hard working writer - emphasis on "work".  These two are welcome back any time.

 

The 99 Cent Book

By Erin Mitchell

Before I start: The following is not based on any kind of statistical research. Nothing quantitative at all. It’s my opinion as a marketeer and reader, and is influenced only by my observations and conversations with others.

Before the Interwebs, there was a simple marketing axiom by which most abided:

If you charge nothing for a product, those to whom it is targeted will perceive it as worthless.

And in the days before big-box stores, we were accustomed to paying for books. Hardcover new releases were pretty expensive—but libraries worked just fine, thanks—and paperbacks were readily available, too.

In all the discussion of book formats and pricing and self-publishing (oh my!) in the last few years, we seem to have lost track of one simple truth:

Books are valuable.

Just because it is transmitted electronically or mailed from an anonymous warehouse or grabbed off a shelf at Sam’s Club does not mean a book should be free. I don’t think a 99-cent book makes sense either. Of course, I’m assuming that even if said book is self-published, the author has put a great deal of work into it. It didn’t just fall willy-nilly from brain to screen. But if it’s worth a buck, isn’t it worth more than that? Whatever your opinion of his books, back in 2009 John Grisham spoke eloquently about book pricing in this TODAY Show interview. Among other things he said, “If a new book is worth $9, we have seriously devalued that book.”

I’ve seen a lot of economic models and arguments for and against charging less and more for books. In the end, though, it comes down to reading.

Let’s say a publisher charges $0.99 for an e-book. And let’s say 10,000 people buy it. Hooray! I made 10 grand! Drinks for everyone!

But hang on… How many of those people do you really think are going to read the book? That’s right…9.3% of them. That’s only 930 people. If you’re lucky.

If your sole purpose is to make a quick $10,000, then well done. If, however, the book was written by an author who has another book (or ten) in him, you made $10k, but lost the opportunity to have an audience for future books. Because by charging so little you didn’t make readers feel they’d acquired anything of value, and anyone who reads will tell you that especially now, there’s never a shortage on the TBR pile.

There are far more creative and effective ways to use pricing to your advantage. Giving away a particular book—yes, for FREE—for a specific and limited period of time is a good idea, providing you get the word out about what you’re doing and why. For example, if you have a book coming out that you want people to buy, giving away some quantity of copies of your previous book can work well.

Or if you really want to sell something cheap ($2-3), make it a short story.

If you must give books away—and there is a time and place to do so—give them to influencers to rally the troops and create positive word-of-mouth. To book bloggers, readers…you know, people who talk to other people about books.

Ultimately, remember: Books have value. Let’s treat them as such.

 

You say Goodbye, and I say Hello

 

by Alison Dasho

 

The time has come, my blog-reading friends, to talk of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings.

 

However, I must now take my leave, bowing out of leading any more blog discussions here at Dead Guy. It's been a fantastic two and a half (er, two and three quarters, I guess?) years, and I will always be grateful to Jeff and the other Dead Guys (and Gals) for letting me be part of this wonderful online gathering.

I'll still be around the internet, and you can of course find me at my website, or over on twitter, or occasionally on tumblr. I'm sure I'll pop into Dead Guy often to say hi and leave my two cents in the comments.

 

But! You guys! Since I'm on my way out, I have the honor of writing the introduction post for the new Dead Guy. And just wait until I tell you who it is.

First I'll tell you that the incoming Dead Guy is actually going to take over posting from the Publisher point of view -- and our own Lynne Patrick will shift from the Publisher perspective to that of Editor.

 

That was kindof a hint, then. Since the new Dead Guy is a Publisher, and a man I've known well over the years.

 

Okay, but first, go here and play the Sgt. Pepper's video, because I want this to be read as if sung to that tune:

 

So May I Introduce To You ... The One-and-Only Ben LeRoy ...

of Tyrus Books (and F+W Crime, and Prologue Books) an F+W Media Inc. Company!

 

In case any of you are unfamilar with Ben, let me share a little bit about the man I worked with for almost eight years, first at Bleak House, then at Bleak House under Big Earth Publishing, then as a part of Tyrus Books.

[And if we stick the Ben = Billy Shears analogy from Sgt. Pepper's (can you tell what's on my iTunes today?), then that makes him Ringo, too. And if he's Ringo, I hope that maybe makes me George.]

 

Ten Things You May Not Know About Ben LeRoy, the new Dead Guy blogger

1. He doesn't really like The Beatles, so the analogies above are perhaps moot.

2. I once watched him eat a burger called The MidWesterner, and I was terrified he'd die of a coronary right there. It was a 1/2 pound beef patty, topped by a 1/2 brat patty, topped by a mound of fried onions and three kinds of cheese.

3. He loves baseball more than anyone else I know. Ask him about Ty Cobb. (And then think about how Ty Cobb's full first name was Tyrus. Coincidence?!)

4. He has written a couple books himself.

5. He travels a lot, and loves it. Adventure 'Til Death is one of his many mottos.

6. He tweets under the Tyrus Books handle.

7. He also blogs over here and over here.

8. He counts among his favorite books Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour, an Introduction; Shot in the Heart; Deer Hunting with Jesus; and A Prayer for Dawn

9. If it weren't for Ben, I wouldn't be an editor. When I was just an intern, he talked me into quitting my two other jobs to work for Bleak House full time. I got on-the-job publishing grad school for 8 years, and it was great.

10. He used to joke that I was "the brains of the operation," back when we worked together at BHB and Tyrus. Well, if it was in any way true that I was the head, then he was the heart.

Ben is the kind of guy who feels everything, and feels it intensely. He is so full of emotion and passion and earnestness that he fills up and projects it all outward. He's like Deanna Troi in reverse (and without the teal bodysuits) -- rather than being empathic and taking in the emotions of others, he produces within himself the kind of passion about literature and the written (or spoken) word so intense that it emanates from him in deep, resonant waves, suspending those around him in a kind of magical ocean of YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO READ THIS.

His belief in his work and the world is astounding and captivating.

He builds around himself wonderful communities of readers, writers, and thinkers, and the connections he makes between people tend to lead to lasting, fruitful, fulfilling collaborations. He's doing that right now with F+W Crime, and I'm sure it'll be a success.

 

 And with that, dead Dead Guy readers, I will bid you adeiu! You're in good hands with Benjamin M. LeRoy -- go ahead and get swept up in his passion for reading and stories.

 

 

Tweeting twits

Sharon Wheeler (keeping Lynne Patrick's seat warm)

When I got a Twitter account, I was a tad surprised by all the buzz among people I knew about what celebrities they followed. It hadn't particularly occurred to me that I might want to do this. But hey, I'm a journalist – I'm paid to be nosy.

Stephen Fry was getting all the publicity at the time as the top celebrity Tweeter. I followed him for about a day before deciding it was a definite case of 'so what?' (and I'm generally an admirer of Fry as a rule). Simon Pegg (well, he's a Gloucester boy and I adored Hot Fuzz) lasted a couple of months, mainly because I was enjoying the saga of him walking his dog (OK, so I like off-beat …)

I still follow Claire Balding, the TV presenter, simply because she seems incredibly sane, clearly loves her job and I'm genuinely interested in what she has to say. And a couple of crime writers – Stephen Booth and Val McDermid – have survived various culls. Both of them are low on BSP and high on engaging their followers with interesting articles or snippets.

What always intrigues me is how people view and use Twitter. Whatever some of my students seem to think, it's not constant news stories at the drop of a hat, or a quick way of getting an interview with your favourite actor. And why does it suddenly validate your life if an actor tweets back to you? Hanging around celebrities won't get you stories – it makes you look like some sad git who thinks they're in with the cool guys.

I use Twitter pretty much for work purposes, so it's largely journalism-based, with occasional forays into crime fiction, sport, music and general ranting. I've found a reliable core of media commentators who I trust and who provide me with up-to-date industry news. Twitter works best if you keep it simple and don't treat people like idiots or ram homilies and your business down your followers' throats.

The indefatigable @Bloggerheads has the ghastly MP Nadine Dorries in his sights and does a fine job of highlighting her outrageous claims. The wonderfully eccentric @Loveandgarbage combines law, Scottish politics, cult TV and a well-developed sense of the absurd – this is the man fixated on finding out how Barack Obama pronounces the word 'scone.' My awesome former colleague @PaulBradshaw is the go-to guy for everything on social media and probably deserves royalties from me for the number of times I direct students to his links! The sane and sensible @newsmary has her finger on the social media pulse.

For a textbook way on how to use Twitter, though, you can't beat @Pompeyccupolice, who are rapidly developing a cult following, even among people who live nowhere near the UK's south coast island city. For those who haven't been keeping up with the escapades of the boys and girls in blue as they chase Portsmouth's scrotes through Gunwharf Quays and down Commercial Road, you've missed a treat.

SARGE (always in capitals) and his team (not forgetting Ni-Nah, their transit van) are more entertaining than The Bill and all the Law and Order franchises put together. Their Tweets combine action, humour and serious messages. They were the well-deserved winners this week of the award for the top police Tweeters in the UK.

In the words of the splendid @LurcherBoy, who thinks they're #bestpoliceever, they deserve a #biglurchersnog!

One from the Road

Josh Getzler

Ok, so I know I was supposed to do another London post today, and talk about some book-related lessons learned from my trip a couple of weeks ago, but a) I'm on a train to DC today for a meeting, so this will be a bit shorter than usual, and b) I want to talk about Jeff Cohen's post from Sunday.

No, Jeff, you're not in trouble--and I don't have the right to put you in detention until I sell your next book!--but I think I have a bit of an explanation that could go toward relieving some of your frustration regarding craft/dog/cooking etc cozies.

I think, first of all, that you are correct, that the primary concern of a reader is the quality of the book, and not simply the hook. Yes, there are a lot of people who like crafts and dogs and cooking--and haunted guest houses! But I believe that they will only invest in one (or perhaps two) in a series if the quality of the book isn't strong. That's for two reasons--a) people don't want to waste their time, and b) there are a lot of examples of those kinds of books. So if a reader doesn't like your craft mystery, there are seven other series to try out.

But it is important to mention that the initial hook isn't irrelevant. I know that I'm very willing to give a chance to a thriller with a picture of St Peter's on it, or the Dome of the Rock or the Houses of Parliament. If a mystery has a knight Templar or a Centurion or a sepia drawing of a Victorian alleyway, I'll read it. At least one of them!

My wife says that when she was growing up and in an airport, if there was a hammer and sickle or a swastika on the cover, she'd buy it. Are these instincts really any different from the craft buyer or the recipe club sleuth aficionado? Ok, I'm off the soapbox. One last thing--greetings Ben! Dead Guy readers are in for a treat. Have fun, Champ! And see you at Bouchercon.

Labor and Its Day

Jeff Cohen

Today is Labor Day in the United States. So let's think about labor (not the kind that ends with a baby).

Perhaps it's important for us to remember that Labor Day is not simply meant to be the "unofficial end of summer" or a day to have a cookout (where it's not raining) and a day off from work. Labor Day is meant to honor those who work for a living and also--this is important--to note the importance of those who struggled to help win the right for labor to organize.

That's right. Labor unions. Remember those?

Today's political climate is especially hostile to working people. And politicians like Our Beloved Governor Chris Christie (whose name is being whispered as a Republican presidential candidate again!) are clearly at war with unions, which they consider obstacles to economic progress and just too, you know, democratic (small "D") for comfort.

Labor unions began as a means to improve hideous working conditions for America's workers. To ban sweatshops, child labor and other lovely "traditions" that had characterized the workplace even into the early 20th century. Have some of them gotten a little out of hand? Certainly. Is there sometimes corruption within a union? Sure. Find me any organization that has none. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Does that mean we should "go after" (Our Beloved Governor's words) unions of teachers, public employees, and others? 

We are meant to honor labor and laborers today. Let's do so by defending them against hostile forces.

It's More Than the Gimmick

Jeff Cohen

Filling in for Dale Spindel (and staying through Monday):

 

I'm about to get myself into a LOT of trouble, so pay close attention.

It irritates me when (particularly on mystery lists, where I see most of my reader comments) readers say something on the order of, "I'll read anything with cats (or dogs, or pigs, or wildebeests) in it; I know those will always be good." Now, I know for a fact that those readers don't mean such statements literally; they would probably admit under sodium pentathol that there has been, in history, a lousy book with a cat in it.

But it ticks me off. It's like saying, "I know I'll love this new book; it has people in it." Or "this one's about folks who live on land. That's always a good read." It's just way too all-encompassing, and in my ego-inflated author's mind, anyway, it insinuates that a writer need not sweat over plot, character, words or any of that other stuff--just stick a coyote (or whatever) into the story, and your work here is done.

The same applies to craft cozies. You know: books in which everybody's quilting, or making cute little baskets, or knitting a new distributor cap for the Mustang, or something, and what do you know, a dead body shows up and the main character's knowledge of how to needlepoint solves the crime. Uh-huh.

Again, I wouldn't ever suggest--mostly because I'd be dead wrong--that there is no such thing as a well-written, well-plotted novel in which a character can use her knowledge of needlepoint to solve a crime. I think a very good book could be written with that very feature. (I don't actually know of one, but I'm willing to bet it's out there already.)

But I do bristle (that's right, Operator, I bristle) at the blanket statement that, for example, "A needlepoint book is very good; that's all I need to know to be sure I'm going to enjoy the story." Because it's just as likely--if not moreso--that the author writing the needlepoint mystery is going to botch the story and write a stinker. Not because it's a needlepoint book--because it's really hard to write a good story of any kind. 

In my time (which is 2:46 p.m., by the way), I have written mystery series about a work-at-home dad who was a freelance reporter, about a guy who owned an all-comedy movie theatre and about a woman trying to run a Jersey Shore guesthouse inhabited by two ghosts. And I'm positive beyond any doubt that some readers picked up the books because they had an interest in parenting, classic comedy films, the Jersey Shore or ghosts. I'm honored by their choice and grateful for each eye that has glanced at a word I've keyed into my hard drive.

But if that was their only interest, and I wrote a bad story, I like to think those readers would stop reading, or at least not move on to the next book in the series, and would likely tell their friends (and anyone else within Internet range) that they shouldn't read my work. I'd hate to think they were reading the book, not getting a decent story and interesting characters, and then posting on a list somewhere that "I always love books set at the Jersey Shore, so this one was clearly wonderful."

I'm sorry, but there has to be more to it than that, or else the classic "infinite-number-of-chimpanzees-will-write-Shakespeare" argument could apply.

Or an infinite number of cats. Or dogs. Or wildebeests.

Event Anxiety

Robin Agnew

I suffer from event anxiety.  Not frequently, and much less than I did when we first opened, but still it occasionally it pops up.  I imagine it's something like stage fright. When we first opened, my husband and I felt compelled to attend every single event - big, small, in between.  Once Loren Estelman and Doug Allyn sent him out for coffee, "or just walk around the block", so he could calm down.  His event anxiety has disapated, while mine sometimes still flares up.

Over the years, there are certain events that are no brainers.  We don't worry about Steve Hamilton, for example (except where to squeeze everyone in), but there are all kinds of factors that play into a successful event, some of them beyond your control, some within it.

The morning of an event I usually have a "feeling" if it will go well or not.  This far along I am often right.  An excellent indicator of events that go right are phone calls (or better, pre-sells) in advance of the event, or questions on facebook confirming the time.

I have a big event coming up and I'm filled with anxiety, anxiety I know is irrational.  I'm talking about the book festival I help to run, and that I program.  Since I am the one who tracks down and secures the authors, I am the one who worries that people will show up, that the experience of both author and audience will be a good one, that sales will be strong.  

Hoping sales will be strong for 56 people (the number of folks we have scheduled, though not all are writers) is exhausting!  Last night I became irrational and was sure our event - which usually draws between 4,000 - 5,000 people for the day - would be deserted. Empty.  

Our centerpiece this year (for me at least)is Louise Penny.  Now, we've been handing out the date of the festival and telling people about her appearance for close to nine months.  There are folks coming from Wisconsin and Long Island to see her.  So I know in my rational mind that people will be there.  And I know that we'll sell some books.

Part of my anxiety comes from wondering if we will sell the massive quantity of books I've ordered for this event.  It takes place at the Farmer's Market, just a few blocks from the store, but we fill two cars full of "product" (as I've fondly come to call heavy boxes of books) before the festival.

Part of my anxiety comes from wanting to please the publisher, who after all is sending us one of their marquee authors.  I'd like them to continue to share in this way.  For this event we even became a store that reports bestsellers to the New York Times (a mysterious and arcane process in itself).  

So I guess my anxiety is both well founded and unfounded.  The past eight years of success should give me some hope, and I do feel the event will go well.  If any of you readers live in Southeastern Michigan, I hope you'll join us next Sunday!  See if you can relieve my anxiety...

 

Location, Location, Location

by Erin Mitchell

We all know that with crime fiction particularly, location is an important character in all great stories. As a reader, there are few things I love more than reading a book set in a city with which I’m familiar and/or supporting a local author. Luckily for me, I live in an area replete with incredible storytellers…Lisa Unger, Michael Connelly, Michael Koryta, Tim Dorsey…you get the idea.

Location also plays a crucial role in successful marketing—yes, even in our shrinking, over-connected world. Maybe even especially in our shrinking over-connected world.

Modern culture embraces moving. It’s sometimes hard to find a person who has not moved in his or her lifetime, and often great distances. Oddly, though, we tend to retain an affinity—often a fierce one—for the places we leave. This translates to our reading. For example, point me toward a book set in Spokane Washington and I’m on it like white on rice (even though I lived there only during the first two years of my life). Chicago or Honolulu? Same deal. Dublin, too. We like stories set in places to which we have a connection, even if that connection is somewhat tenuous.

This translates to marketing because it is a strong touchpoint between authors (or publishers) and readers. It’s a connection. And just as no book is for everyone, no marketing tactic can reach everyone either. So location affinity gives us a way to be specific, targeting people who share something concrete (a place).

The glory here, too, is that you don’t necessarily need to physically be in the place about which you’re writing. If you are (or can be), that’s fantastic. But for authors who write about far-away locales, connecting with “expat” communities fosters strong advocates.

Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t about hyper-local check-ins. It’s about connecting with people who have a stated affinity for a place and the culture connected with it. For example, I just read a book set in Denver, a city I’ve never so much as visited (unless you count the airport). In THE PERFECT SUSPECT, Margaret Coel includes cultural references to everything from specific buildings and neighborhoods (like LoDo, which I had to look up) to the Arapaho people.  These references create ties to people who live in, have lived in, or have an affinity for Denver, in addition to supporting a heckuva story.

So…what if your story’s locale is fictional? Even better. Ask me about neighborhoods in Isola and I won’t tell you what they equate to in Manhattan because for me, Isola is a place of itself. Same with The Hollows. I have no connection to suburban New York so I can know The Hollows through Lisa Unger’s stories alone.

Finding the readers who have a connection to your location characters is not hard. If it’s a real city, independent bookstores are a great place to start. If it’s fictional, give readers extras like maybe a map on your website or an essay about how you created your place.

Just remember: Great stories transport the reader to wherever they’re set. Those who are most comfortable in your story’s place will be your best advocates.

Repost: Dress Up In You

 

by Alison Dasho

 

Scene:
The soup aisle, at the co-op near my house
Time:
Evening, just about dinner time
Cast of Characters:
Me, dressed for the cold in my winter coat (a leather jacket) and a pink scarf
Little boy, about 7 years old, wearing a Land's End coat and boots with fox faces on the feet

 

ME
(Stares at rows of soup, deep in decision-making.)

LITTLE BOY
Do you ride a motorcycle?

ME
Me? No, unfortunately I don't.

LITTLE BOY
Then why do you wear that jacket?

ME
To stay warm!

LITTLE BOY
Does it have a puffy part zipped inside?

ME
No, it doesn't.

LITTLE BOY
A puffy part? Does it? Mine does.
(He unzips his coat, shows the puffy lining, and demonstrates that it can zip out.)
It keeps me warm. How do you stay warm?

ME
Well, I wear a scarf.

LITTLE BOY
Why do you wear a scarf?

ME
To keep warm.

LITTLE BOY
But there's no puffy part?

ME
(Unzips jacket from the bottom, shows plain, non-puffy lining.)
Nope.

LITTLE BOY
I don't wear a scarf. Do you need help shopping?

ME
Well, I'm trying to pick out some soup for tonight.

LITTLE BOY
Oh. I have a list.
(Holds up mini-clipboard and pencil, which the co-op provides, along with mini-carts, for the kids.)

ME
I like your boots. Are those foxes?

LITTLE BOY
Yes. Do you have foxes on your shoes?

ME
No, but I have cats, kindof. See these little things? They're Pumas. Pumas are cats.

LITTLE BOY
I have foxes.

ME
Yes. Foxes are part of the dog family, I think.

LITTLE BOY
You're picking out soup?

LITTLE BOY'S MOM
You have to let her shop, now.

[End Scene]

How are you dressing your main character these days? While I don't generally like long passages of outfit description (unless it's a movie montage makeover, a la Clueless), I do like to have some idea of the way a character looks. Rumpled or pressed, leather or lace, flannel pjs or sweatpants, how you dress your main character can tell me something about him/her.

It can also tell your secondary/tertiary characters something -- it can influence how they treat your main character. They can make wrong assumptions based on appearance, like the little boy in the co-op did with me. In his mind, I was a badass who rode a motorcycle, deciding what badass soup I would heat up on the stove in my badass Harley garage to satisfy my badass appetite. (Well, until he asked, and I opened my mouth and revealed myself to be a big nerd who isn't smart enough to wear a warm puffy coat nor foxes on my feet.)

Remember that small details can add tons of depth -- and remember that each small detail will be interpreted differently by each inhabitant of your world. Unique, individual people have unique, individual perspectives, and while to me my leather jacket means a comfortable, warm garment that I've had since one Christmas in high school when I picked it out myself because I admired my Mustang-driving friend Nilay's studded, painted, punk rock leather jacket, to others it simply means motorcycle.

Give your character one red shoe. See what happens.