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

On Books and Knickers

by Erin Mitchell

Many Americans are out among the zombie hordes of shoppers today, and as we become consumed with what to get for whom, I’m sure some—if not all—of you are going to be giving people books.

My confession: I’ve always found it difficult to gift books. Reading is a supremely personal experience, and as such, giving someone a book is a bit like giving them underwear. Especially for people you don’t know super-well…you have an idea of what you think might be comfortable for them to read, but what if you’re wrong? What if under that calm, cool, and collected exterior beats the heart of a warrior queen?

What if you’re gifting soft cotton when what she or he really wants is lace?

It’s a risk. But sure, aren’t all the best things in life at least a little risky?

Rather than give you a list of books I’d recommend as gifts this year, I went to the Facebook hive mind and asked: What's the best book gift you ever received?

Mine would be a tie between the atlas my dad gave me when I was about 6 and the encyclopedia of cats that Santa brought one year

The answers I received comprise a list that will definitely get you thinking! Here it is:

• Kurt Vonnegut box set...no doubt.
• A copy of A Firing Offense - still thanking my friend for that one.
• The Joy of Cooking from the mid-70s.
• Dorothy Parker collected poems....an old edition, small hardback my husband found in a used bookstore.
• The Thirteen Clocks, from a very kind boyfriend of my mom's for my tenth birthday. Still love it.
• The Collected Poetry of Dorothy Parker (1936 Modern Library) and a signed Louise Penny.
• The Complete New Yorker Cartoons.
• As a thank you gift, a friend gave me a rare copy of Sue Grafton's Kinsey and Me. This was before it was widely published, one of the limited editions. It's one of my most treasured things.
• The People's Almanac Vol. I by Irving Wallace and his son David Wallechinsky. I was in high school and the 1200 or so pages of arcane trivia enthralled me.
• The limited illustrated, boxed edition of THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS, with my name embossed on it. It was a wrap gift for the RTE documentary "Of Blood and Lost Things."
• The box set complete Calvin & Hobbes--every cartoon ever plus a long biography on Watterson.
• An 1878 edition of the Works of William Shakespeare, Macmillan and Co, London; from a friend as a wedding gift in 1976.
• The first four Harry Potter books were the gift I asked for from my husband for my birthday. He was baffled, but he got them for me. Turns out, he read them and the rest as they came out. It was the BEST gift for both of us.
• Was just recently gifted a two hardback set of graphic novels based on The Ring Cycle operas. LOVE IT.
• Tommy searched every used book store until he bought me the whole Ed McBain 87th precinct series. Best gift ever.
• A signed first edition of James Crumley's "Dancing Bear" given to me by Steven Hertzog.
• About ten years ago, a young man, who had graduated from high school with my daughter, worked at the grocery store where I shopped while he was going to college. He was an English major and a reader, so we would talk books whenever I saw him at the grocery. During one conversation, he learned that I hadn't read Catch-22. Well, he had great affection for that book, and showed up at my door a few days later with a newly bought copy for me. I was very touched that he wanted to share it with me that much.
• Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, when I was 6 I remember my dad reading it while I played with a Steiff bear on the rug.
• My Dad bought me a first edition of Carrie by Stephen King when I was 11, and the latest King has been a Christmas present ever since.
• A first printing of Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins.
• My parents bought me the Nancy Drew books. Big deal then, buying kids hardback books.
• Why Do Men Have Nipples.......it’s hysterical, my mom of all people bought for me to get me laughing. Lots of interesting facts in it that are really funny.
• When my birthmother and I first started talking, the first thing we had in common was books. And when she learned I had never read Chris Bohjalian, she gave me a signed copy of Midwives.
• Little Women when I was 12 was my first favorite. My second was The Pain and The Promise, the story of the civil rights movement in Tallahassee, written by a dear friend who mentioned me in the acknowledgements.
• Kate Douglas Wiggin: The Little School Teacher (part of that orange series), inscribed by my mom on my 8th birthday. It's on a shelf nearby.
• Grimm's Fairy Tales in the late 40's, I was probably 8, by my paternal grandmother...a reader...My maternal grandfather not to be outdone handed me his set of Myths and Legends ...the timing and gifting I treasure...
• I love getting books that I never would have bought for myself, like I have a huge book full of poetry having to do with London and a tiny book filled with poetry about New York City. I would never have gotten them for myself. I also have an interest in vaudeville and a friend gave me Donald Crisp's personal copy (signed to him) of a vaudeville biography. If you don't know who Donald Crisp is, he was in every wonderful movie made at MGM in the 40s (possible slight exaggeration!). I love getting books.
• My favorite gifted book was "Underwear from around the World and Through the Ages"
• A boyfriend in college gave me the Complete Works of Emily Dickinson. It was an incredibly thoughtful gift.
• I honestly don't have a good enough memory to pin this down, but I'm guessing as a kid it would have been one of the many dog/horse books I coveted. As an adult, I was gifted a second edition To Kill a Mockingbird that's pretty nifty.
• I always went to the library as a child so I didn't own a lot of books, but I was given a beautifully illustrated (by Sergio Rizzato) copy of Pinocchio for my seventh birthday by my parents that I still have.
• Captain Underpants.

So there you have it. I betcha have some ideas for gift books now, right? 

 

Bloody Murder at Bouchercon

by Erin Mitchell

My trip to Bouchercon was shorter than I had planned because of a death in the family, but despite missing the first couple of days, it included more than a few memorable moments. I’m going to limit myself here to talking about just two favorites.

On Saturday morning, I was honored to be part of the Bloody Murder: Voices from the Margin event. I’m calling it an “event” rather than a “panel” because it included 46 authors (plus me and Terri Bischoff) in a format that, to the best of my knowledge, was entirely new to Bouchercon.

I’m going to bypass a discussion of how this event came to happen (for the moment), and focus instead on what it was—and can be in future years.

While many of us attend Bouchercon for professional reasons, it is, always and above all else, a fan convention. A gathering of readers. A celebration of stories. It gives us the opportunity to discover new and new-to-us books and authors in the most dynamic ways possible. And it is exactly this that Bloody Murder: Voices from the Margin celebrated.

Each participant was asked to share an author whose work is less well-known than it could (should!) be or we might have forgotten. In this way, it touted the diversity and inclusion that is core to the crime fiction community we all love so much.

To say the room was electric does not adequately capture the excitement and enthusiasm present. Charlaine Harris and Sara Paretsky embraced their role as Fearless Leaders (click here to read Sara’s opening remarks) with gusto. There were cheers. There were laughs.

It was surely special.

I’m going to include the list of participants and recommendations at the end of this post, and I encourage you to check them out. I’ve already started doing exactly that. We could all do worse than to use this list for our holiday shopping.

I sincerely hope that this becomes an annual mainstay at Bouchercon. It would be a fantastic way to open the event, as the format and content would give attendees a quick introduction to a large group of authors, which would help them target their panel attendance. More importantly, though, it would set a tone for Bouchercon, reminding us that we, as readers, owe a great deal to an amazingly diverse group of storytellers, some of whom we have yet to discover.

Orchestrating the Bloody Murder: Voices from the Margin was an awesome feat that saw an ad-hoc team pull together in days what I would have easily expected to take weeks. In addition to Charlaine and Sara, here’s who you have to thank: Terri Bischoff, Lori Rader-Day, Catriona McPherson, Margery Flax, Dana Cameron, Clare O’Donohue, Jess Lourey, Jessie Chandler, and Jamie Freveletti.

Here’s a super photo of the event, by Kristopher Zgorski:

 

Saturday evening at the Anthony Awards, Judy Bobalik received the David Thompson Special Service Award, which “recognizes extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the mystery and crime fiction field.” I knew Judy was in the running (because the award is voted on by the Bcon board, of which I’m a member), but her winning was a surprise, and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving. Judy has been involved with Bouchercon for years, and her support of authors, readers, and the community as a whole is unmatched.

Here’s Judy giving the World’s Shortest Acceptance Speech (she was really surprised!):

We’ve wrapped up Bouchercon for another year, and I’m hearing lots of folks making plans for Raleigh next year. So I’ll leave you with this: If you want to be considered for a panel, the registration deadline for Raleigh is May 1, 2015.

As promised, here’s the list of recommendations from Bloody Murder: Voices from the Margin. You can also find it on the MWA and Sisters in Crime websites.

Kristi Belcamino: Sara Gran

Mark Billingham: Steve Mosby

Terri Bischoff: Barbara Neely

Allison Brennan: Deborah Coonts

Carla Buckley: Dennis Tafoya

Dana Cameron: Margaret Lawrence

Joelle Charbonneau: Tracy Kiely

Jessie Chandler: Amanda Kyle Williams

Reed Farrel Coleman: Wallace Stroby and Peter Spiegelman

Hilary Davidson: Todd Robinson

Jamie Freveletti: Charlotte Carter

Jim Fusilli: Penelope Fitzgerald

Alison Gaylin: Lauren Sanders

Joel Goldman: Barbara Neely

Heather Graham: Harley Jane Kozak

Andrew Grant: Charles McCarry

Daniel Hale: Harry Hunsicker

Rachel Howzell Hall: Paula L Woods

Charlaine Harris: Toni L. P. Kelner, Don Harstad, and Shirley Jackson

Sara J. Henry: Charlotte Armstrong and Carol O’Connell

Greg Herren: Sandra Scoppettone

Ted Hertel: Terrance Faherty

Naomi Hirahara: Hisaye Yamamoto

Linda Joffe Hull: John Galligan

Toni L. P. Kelner: Barbara Paul and Troy Soos

Harley Jane Kozak: Georgette Heyer

Katia Lief: Sarah Weinman

Elizabeth Little: Steph Cha

Jess Lourey: Margaret Millar and Daniel Woodrell

Alex Marwood: Sarah Hilary

Catriona McPherson: Carolyn Wall and Eleanor Taylor Bland

Erin Mitchell: Carolyn Keene, Martyn Waites, and Reba White Williams

Clare O’Donohue: Wendy Lyn Watson aka Annie Knox

Karen E Olson: Mary-Ann Tirone Smith

Sara Paretsky: Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Eleanor Taylor Bland, Valerie Wilson Wesley, and Alison Gordon

Ralph Pezzullo: Eduardo Manchado and Joe Trigoboff

Lori Rader-Day: Inger Ash Wolfe aka Michael Redhill

Lynne Raimondo: Joseph Hansen

Hank Phillippi Ryan: Shannon Kirk

Alex Segura: Steve Weddle and Kelly Braffett

Johnny Shaw: Anonymous 9, Matthew McBride, and Chester Himes

Daniel Stashower: Jan Marete Weiss

Wendy Corsi Staub: Tom Savage

Elaine Viets: Craig Rice, Jeffery Marks

Martyn Waites: Bill Loehfelm

Sarah Weinman: Jen Sacks

Jeri Westerson: Dorothy B Hughes

James Ziskin: Lynne Raimondo

 

Guest Post: Stacey Cochran

Today I'm handing the mic to Stacey Cohran, author and chair of Bouchercon 2015 in Raleigh.

If you guys are anything like me, you get asked quite a bit: “How do you publish a book?” This question is usually posed by a wide-eyed and eager writer at a bookstore or library event or at a conference, and you’re standing there thinking to yourself, How do I respond to this in a meaningful way, perhaps even an inspiring way, yet also let this person know the odds are about as great as getting hit by lightning twice on a cloudless day and winning the lottery?

The standard response we all give is: You need to get a literary agent.

Where do you get a literary agent? the would-be writer asks.

You spend ten years sending out query letter after query letter, novel after novel, attend dozens if not hundreds of writers’ conferences, perhaps even chairing one of these said conferences yourself after you’ve been at it for fifteen years or more, and eventually someone at a hotel bar will say to his/her agent, You know you really should read this guy’s material.

No one wants to hear that.

Yet, it’s the path so many of us have taken to find our agents and then we pray to God the agent can sell a novel to a publisher, and then we pray to God the book finds a way to navigate the sea of other novels and eventually finds an audience.

Miserable.

So, leave it to the good folks at Amazon to try and reinvent the wheel. Once again.

My novel Eddie & Sunny was selected a few weeks ago to be included in the very first wave of books in the Kindle Scout program. On launch day there were 58 other novels.

What the hell is Kindle Scout? you ask.

It’s a brand new program whose sole purpose is for writers to upload unpublished novels, create a 30-day Kindle Scout page for their book, and then spend 30 days getting as many reader nominations for as possible.

At the end of the 30 days, the books with the most nominations will be offered a publishing contract. The contract offers a modest advance ($1,500) and standard Amazon imprint royalty rate (50% on ebooks) for a five-year period.

While it’s not the biggest advance in town, it certainly is the most democratic approach I’ve ever seen to deciding what to publish. Readers have a direct voice in nominating the books they want to see published. And, at least for now, the field of competition is small.

In another year? There will be thousands of books in this program, and the competition will be steep.

So the purpose for my visiting here today is simple: I need your nominations.

If you live in the US and have an Amazon account, you can follow the link and nominate the book in about three seconds.

I’d be grateful if you did.

 

 

 

 

I’ll stick around throughout the day to answer questions you have about the novel, about Kindle Scout, about book marketing, Bouchercon, or anything else you would like to chat about. Thanks, guys.

The Vices of Bouchercon

by Erin Mitchell

As we gear up for Bouchercon in a couple of weeks, I’ve read a bunch of great “advice” posts. Alex Segura’s guide for cons at Do Some Damage is terrific. Kristopher at BOLO Books has a series of Countdown to Bouchercon posts that is invaluable. The Bouchercon 2014 blog is running posts from people on all different aspects of the event.

Except one, which I’m going to address today. Forgive me if I sound a little like the “you’ll shoot your eye out” mom in A Christmas Story—it’s not my intention to suggest you dampen your fun!

So here goes:

The Bar

If you’ve read anything or talked to anyone about Bouchercon, you’ve probably heard reference to The Bar. And for good reason: people hang out in The Bar, and it’s a great spot to relax and socialize. The Bar refers to the main saloon in the main hotel, so this year it will be in the Hyatt. The Bar will have some Bcon folks in it during every opening minute, but obviously it’s much busier at night, and there are always some who wear Closing Down the Bouchercon Bar as a badge of honor.

Every year, there are incidents of people behaving badly in The Bcon Bar. These stories take on a life of their own; I heard another just this week from way back in 2008. Believe me, you don’t want to be part of one of these tales. If there’s such a thing as bad publicity, this is it.

So…if you’re not a good drunk, consider limiting your intake in the bar. Don’t know whether you’re a good or bad drunk? If you have to ask, you’re a bad one. If you’re inclined to become an attention hog after five beers, have three in the bar and save the last two for your room. If you develop the need to badmouth anyone (see below) after that third martini, stop at two.

And don’t even get me started on hitting on people. You’ll probably meet lots of new people at the Bcon bar, but save your slimy seduction lines for elsewhere.

 

The Smoking Section

Perhaps because smokers share a common vice that so much of the world holds in utter disdain, the atmosphere in the smoking section is decidedly different from everywhere else at Bcon (this applies to every other convention or meeting I’ve ever attended, too). It’s more relaxed. It feels entirely non-judgmental. People laugh a lot. Discussions ranging from the serious to the absurd take place.

So if you can handle being around people smoking (and really, don’t even think about lecturing us), spend some time out here. You won’t regret it.

 

Food

Is good a vice? I dunno…I guess it can be. The only thing I want to emphasize about it is this: food can be hard to come by at Bouchercon, and it can also be expensive. If eating on a schedule is important to you, plan ahead. Scope out the locale of the hospitality suite early-on.

Also, the hospitality suite is an excellent spot to meet and chat with readers, particularly ones who might not be inclined to spend time in The Bar. Many authors miss this terrific opportunity!

 

Arrogance

It’s absolutely true that authors generally—and crime fiction authors specifically—are wonderful, humble people. It’s also true that events like Bcon can make you seem arrogant, even if you’re not. To avoid this…

Don't assume everyone will recognize you. I was 10 minutes into a lovely conversation with a guy at the above-mentioned smoking section before I realized I was talking with Lee Child (yes, he looks just like his author photo, but he was backlit by bright sun and I didn’t have my sunglasses).

Don't look past the person you're talking with to see if there's someone more important over there. This happens to me all the time, and I remember every single person who’s done it.

Don’t ever assume that someone isn’t worth your time. Us readers can be a weirdly bizarre group, and some of us are annoying as all hell. But every single one of us has spent good money to be a Bcon, and so chances are good that everyone you talk with has some level of influence when it comes to books. There is no such thing as “just” a reader.

Don’t think you have to be the Center of Attention all the time. If people aren’t talking to or about you, don’t feel you need to break into song or something. Try listening instead. If you tend to be a bit tone-deaf (be honest…if you are, you know it), pick someone who’s doing it right and follow her or his lead.

 

Classes and Cliques

Yes, there are both classes and cliques at Bouchercon. That’s just a fact. And yes, it’s much like high school. And yes, it’s stupid and frustrating, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

So knowing your tribe will be helpful. I’m not saying you shouldn’t interact with that table of hardcore noir folks if you write cozies, just that trying to pretend these lines don’t exist is pointless. Not all authors are created equal in the eyes of readers. There’s a reason Michael Connelly has a spotlight interview while the vast majority of authors are on panels of 4-5 people.

The thing is, if you ask, someone within your clique will probably introduce you to people in other cliques. I recommend this because it’s how I’ve met some of the most interesting people I know. Going to panels and signings is also an excellent way to cross class and clique lines. Ask someone about a comment. Buy a book and get it signed.

 

In the end, Bouchercon—and any con—is about doing unto others as you would like them to do unto you. Have fun. Just not at anyone else’s expense.

I’ll close the same way Alex did in his post, which is the best possible advice in so many scenarios: Don’t be a dick.

 

Ello…there

by Erin Mitchell

Some weeks back a new social network leapt onto the scene: Ello.

I did what I always do in these situations. I went over and grabbed my user name (I like it to be the same everywhere) and had a look around. Much like when Google+ launched to far more fanfare, it was…quiet. Nobody could quite figure out what to say or do. The search wasn’t working, so finding friends was difficult.

But I was intrigued, primarily because Ello’s shtick seems to be that they are not now accepting nor will they ever accept advertising.

I’ve been spending less time on Twitter lately precisely because of the deluge of adtweets, and so this is appealing to me. Ello says they will, at some point, charge for premium features. I’m not sure how that’s going to work out for them, but again, I’m curious to see.

Many folks in tech media especially have been skeptical about whether Ello will be able to stick with their no-advertising plan. Last night, Ello sent out a letter explaining that they’re so serious about doing just that, that they’ve converted themselves to a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC).

From the letter:

A PBC is a special for-profit company in the USA that operates to produce a benefit for society as a whole. As a PBC, Ello is legally obligated to take its impact on society into account in every decision it makes.

Ello’s PBC’s charter states that Ello shall not for pecuniary gain:

1. Sell user-specific data to a third party;

2. Enter into an agreement to display paid advertising on behalf of a third party; and

3. In the event of an acquisition or asset transfer, the Company shall require any acquiring entity to adopt these requirements with respect to the operation of Ello or its assets.

In other words, Ello exists for your benefit, not just to make money.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Ello still has (a lot of) kinks to work out, and it’s still pretty quiet over there, but at the very least, I’d recommend registering. It’s in beta, so you’ll need an invitation to do so…if you need one, drop a comment here and I’ll hook you up.

 

Three for Friday

by Erin Mitchell

I’ll say what we’re all thinking: October? Really? How did that happen? And when did stores start putting out Christmas stuff so damn early?

Ok. Now that that’s done with…

1. In case you missed it, Jeff Cohen has a new book out, called THE QUESTION OF THE MISSING HEAD. As part of the launch, he did a wonderful campaign (read about it here) to benefit ASPEN, the Autism Spectrum Education Network. If you’re not familiar with Jeff’s books and ASPEN, please get to know both.

2. Do you know what a bonkbuster is? Neither did I until Laura Lippman educated me (don’t get any weird ideas—she used the term on a panel). I’ve been spending a lot of time lately with Rebecca Chance’s books (I have the most wonderful clients)—some of you might know her as Lauren Henderson. Rebecca’s books will finally be available in the US next week, so keep an eye out!

3. Do you have plans on October 25? I hope they include the Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading. Every year, books editor extraordinaire Colette Bancroft assembles an amazing bunch of authors in St. Petersburg, Florida for this event. This year’s group includes Lisa Unger, Michael Kortya, Ace Atkins, Robert Olen Butler, Tim Dorsey, Paul (P.L.) Gaus, Carl Hiaasen, R.L. Stine…there are more, but you get the idea. You really should join us!

That’s it for today. Have a great weekend.

 

The Week that Was

by Erin Mitchell

Some relatively random thoughts/observations this week…

In case you missed it, the Bouchercon programming schedule has been posted. Click here to view/print/download it. There are nine panels at a time this year, so chances are good everyone will be able to find something of interest.

Last night, Scotland voted no to becoming an independent country. Voter turnout was 84.6%. I didn’t have a dog in this particular hunt, although I was hoping for a different outcome. But I’ve been fascinated with the role media (social and otherwise) and IRL events/discussion played in this process, because I think there’s a lot to be learned for the book world.

Because I am lucky to work with some of the best storytellers (not to mention publishers) out there, I have a couple of clients on the September 28 New York Times Best Sellers list. One of them is a brand new book, Robert B. Parker’s BLIND SPOT by Reed Farrel Coleman. It’s fair to say that Reed honors Mr. Parker’s legacy in a way that only he can, and readers are loving it. The other is a book first published some 22 years ago, Lawrence Block’s A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES. This has long been a favorite book of mine, and I’m looking forward to seeing the movie this afternoon. And Hard Case Crime has done an amazing job with the movie tie-in edition of the book!

The new iPhone and iOS8 are here. Or there. I mean, I don’t have a new iPhone, but lots of people do. I did upgrade to iOS8. I find it interesting that Apple has apparently abandoned any focus on selling books, particularly given that one of the new iPhones is big enough to be a pseudo-tablet.

Fall is upon us. Heck, it’s even snowed in South Dakota. The next few months will bring an abundance of amazing books, and now would be a swell time to preorder a few of them.

Have a great weekend!

 

Linked…In or Out?

by Erin Mitchell

I read an article a couple of weeks ago that discussed online venues that are “crucial” for authors. It covered the usual suspects—website, Facebook, Twitter—and…LinkedIn.

I should mention right up front that the article I read was not written by an American. For whatever reason, LinkedIn has a much better reputation outside the U.S. People take it more seriously as a viable venue for professionals to discuss matters of import.

Over here, though, it remains primarily for young people seeking jobs and misguided individuals sending spam.

As you might have guessed, I don’t see LinkedIn as a venue for authors, crucial or otherwise. (I’m talking about fiction. For nonfiction, it might be helpful, depending on the topic.)

If you already have a LinkedIn account, there’s no need to rush out and delete it. In fact, I recommend leaving it alone; deleting a LinkedIn account rates on a scale of difficulty right up with hacking into a bank. Which is hard.

LinkedIn has tried to reinvent itself more times than I can count, most recently as a sort of grown-up Facebook, where instead of wishing people happy birthday, you congratulate them on work anniversaries, promotions, or new jobs. You can also “endorse” specific skills people say they have.

But ultimately, LinkedIn is what it has always been: a way for people to look for new employment and contact people they don’t know but have some (often tenuous) connection to.

If you’re an author looking to contact people with expertise in a specific, narrow area, LinkedIn would have been your best bet once upon a time. Now, you’re better off with Google. (Again, unless that person is outside the U.S., in which case LinkedIn could be helpful. Maybe.)

If you’re looking for an agent or publisher, LinkedIn is of no use to you whatsoever. Anyone you contact through there won’t want to be contacted that way. Trust me.

And if, having read all of this, you are still compelled to sign up for LinkedIn, please, for the love of whatever you believe in, do not pay them money. Their cheapest “premium” subscription is $287.88 per year. If you have that much money to throw around, please give it to your favorite charity.

LinkedIn was a good idea when it started, but it has become utterly stagnant. Maybe they’ll reinvent themselves next week and become something useful for the book world. Stranger things have happened. If that does, I’ll be sure to let you know. 

 

Time for Some Fun

by Erin Mitchell

I was going to write a Very Serious Post this week about LinkedIn. But you know what? It’s my last post of August—so the last of unofficial summer—and most of you have already started your holiday weekend, so instead, I wanted to share some silly fun.

Not long ago, Facebook introduced “Trending Topics.” They added a heading called Trending on the right side of their home screen, under which stories about “popular topics or hashtags” are listed.

If they illustrate what the billion-plus people on Facebook are actually interested in, they’re pretty depressing.

To combat the sighing and eye-rolling in which I’m compelled to engage when I glance at the little Trending box, I started combining the stories—there are three displayed at a time—in my mind. And I found it hilarious. So I started sharing them. So here they are…

There’s a Snickers commercial about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt getting married because a senator was called fat by a male colleague.

Shakira is pregnant with Hello Kitty because a senator was called fat by a colleague!

Now Shakira is pregnant by Joan Rivers with Hello Kitty!

Michael Vick lied about saving drowning Shakira!

Joan Rivers is resting comfortably because Longmire was cancelled while Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married.

The UK terror threat has been raised because Netflix bought The Blacklist while a WWE legend is in intensive care with double pneumonia.

An attack in the UK is highly likely because Chelsea Clinton has quit CNN to join Tony Stewart at NASCAR!

I warned you they were silly.

And now, I wish all you Americans a lovely holiday weekend. If you’re drinking, please give your car keys to someone who isn’t.

Thank you.

Ice Bucket Challenge: Noble or Folly?

by Erin Mitchell

I have no problem admitting that when I first heard about the ice bucket challenge, I was skeptical. I figured it wouldn’t take off. I thought people would make videos rather than donate.

I was wholly and completely wrong.

But my point here is not to preach at you nor to address the multitude of concerns—both real and contrived—people have about the ice bucket challenge. I’m here to talk about marketing, and the ice bucket challenge is an ideal teachable moment for anyone wanting to market anything, especially books.

ALS is like a less-known book or author. It might have sounded familiar to some people because of Lou Gehrig, but far more had no idea what it is. It’s not cancer or diabetes, of which everyone is aware; I have Type I diabetes, and nobody has ever said, “Diabetes? What’s that?” I mean, there’s misunderstanding out there about well-known diseases, but for many, “awareness” is not a reasonable goal. That would be like Michael Connelly or Stephen King undertaking a brand-building campaign.

When anything “goes viral” (I hate that phrase), there’s talk about the “marketing genius” (and that one) behind it. The reality, though, is that no marketing person, genius or otherwise, can know with certainty when a campaign is going to work. I’ve seen brilliant ones fall flat more times than I can remember. But that doesn’t stop us trying.

The ice bucket challenge has certainly raised awareness—it’s gotten people talking about ALS and learning about it. But has it incited action beyond thousands of videos of people getting soaked with ice water? It has indeed. More than $53 million as I type this.

So what’s the lesson? First, that awareness and action are separate, and each has value. If, for example, you’re measuring your marketing activities only by book sales, you’re missing out. Likewise, if you’re not tracking marketing’s impact on sales, you’re doing it wrong. I think part of the reason the ice bucket challenge has worked so well is that it gave people a choice from the outset: donate $100 or dump ice water on yourself. It wasn’t set up to require one or the other for participation.

Compare this to pre-order promotional campaigns, most of which deliver minimal (if any) ROI. Those campaigns usually require readers to take one fairly complicated path: preorder the book, submit your proof of purchase, and wait to hear whether you’ve won. I’m much more a fan of recognizing that for the vast majority of consumers, books are an immediate-gratification purchase, and brand building in advance of a book launch is going to have a stronger impact on sales than a complicated preorder campaign.

There’s one more marketing lesson from the ice bucket challenge, too. Simply put, it’s that you need to be nimble in your marketing. If something isn’t working, stop doing it. In this case, if you’re still devoting time and energy to delineating all the reasons you think the ice bucket challenge is dumb and/or silly and/or stupid (It wastes water! It’s just people taking selfie videos! I just love being snarky!), you’re long past the point where you were doing yourself—or your brand—any favors. I’m not suggesting you participate, but don’t hold on to broadcasting your position to the point it drives readers—your customers—away.

Finally, if you haven't already, I suggest you read Ben LeRoy's post on this topic.

For the record, there is not now nor will there be a video of me involving ice water. I hate cold water. So I donated instead. If you would like to do so, you can at http://www.alsa.org/donate.

 

Do NY Times Reviews Matter?

by Erin Mitchell

When I was a kid living in Seattle, my dad subscribed to the New York Times Review of Books. It arrived a week late in the mail, and I remember reading it when I was as young as six or seven. My biggest takeaway was big words. I learned a lot of 3+ syllable words that way. And I was always surprised that the books I enjoyed reading were never reviewed. (Today, more of the books I read are reviewed there, but I still don’t agree with their bias against Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie.)

I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes people buy books. I read studies. I combine and examine data. I ask people. Recently, I’ve been wondering about whether NY Times book reviews actually impact sales, and so I decided to gather up some new data.

VERY IMPORTANT CAVEAT: This is in no way, shape, or form a scientific study. I’m going to tell you a bit about 95 people who responded, but I want to be super clear that I’m not presenting this as quantitative, statistically significant data. It is qualitative. It is anecdotal. I still find it informative, but I don’t give it any more weight than it’s due.

This is the question I asked on Facebook and Twitter: Have you ever bought (or not bought) a specific book because of a New York Times review?

The people in the sample pool are, by definition, bookish because they’re either friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and I talk about books a lot in both places. Here’s the world cloud of my Facebook posts:

They’re geographically biased toward the US and toward cities:

My Twitter followers are similarly biased toward cities (although they’re more country-diverse):

The nature of social media is such that it encourages comment (beyond just yes-or-no), and some of the comments I saw repeatedly were:

• It matters who wrote the review. People trust some reviewers more than others.
• People in New York and those who subscribe to the Times are more inclined to base purchases on their reviews.
• All the Non-Americans who responded said yes.
• Sometimes reviews seem designed to incite controversy, rather than review the book in question.

And the results? Here you go:

I was surprised…I expected, given the biases in the sample group explained above, that it would end up a more dramatic yes vote. But given the tiny sample size and built-in bias of the sample group, this can be considered a statistical tie.

So what does it mean?

• The New York Times is and will remain—through our lifetimes, at least—a recognizable brand that carries with it a degree of authority both within and outside the United States.
• Bookish people (authors and those who work in and around books) do give NYT reviews weight, even when they don’t influence purchasing decisions.
• NYT is no longer the only place to get reviews (like it was when my dad subscribed back in the day), nor is it necessarily the most trusted for many people.

I didn’t count myself in the survey results, but I would have been a No. I buy books for lots of different reasons, but I’ve never bought—or not bought—a book (or anything else, for that matter) based on a review in the New York Times.

How about you?

 

Recasting Literary Fiction

by Erin Mitchell

Before I begin, I should tell you that Andrew Lewis Conn, the author of O, AFRICA!, is my client. That fact hasn’t influenced what I’m about to say—this is an honest opinion—but I wanted to be all see-through about it.

I hate the term “literary fiction” for a number of reasons, not least of which is that I think it dissuades people from reading because the simple reality is that many people equate literary with boring. Are they right to do so? Nope. But they do.

Likewise, I’m not a big fan of the phrase “genre fiction,” because more often than not, it’s used in a derogatory context.

But despite what I think (apparently I don’t actually run the world!), these terms are key to the process of marketing and publicizing books. But what happens when a book is classified as literary fiction, but it is also genre fiction?

O, AFRICA! is set in 1928 and includes interwoven plot lines that cover topics such as race, sexuality, love, religion, movies, the mafia…to call it “sweeping” is accurate, if something of an understatement. Is it literary? Sure it is. Is it genre? Definitely. It is a big story, one that will be a different experience for each reader. For me as a reader, it was a historical crime fiction story.

O, AFRICA! has been classified by its publisher as literary fiction, and it has been presented to reviewers as such. It has received a lot of acclaim, so this was obviously a smart move. But I can’t help but think that without also sharing it with the genre communities, they’re missing an opportunity.

THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt was one of the best-positioned books I’ve seen recently in this regard. It was classified as crime fiction, yes, but also presented as literary. Having an established brand-name author, winning the Pulitzer, and receiving praise from Stephen King didn’t hurt the book’s success, but these alone didn’t put it on the NY Times list for more than 30 weeks; without its genre-friendly positioning and early endorsement from the crime fiction community, this wouldn’t have happened.

So who decides how a book is classified? That’s a group endeavor. The author plays a role (although probably a smaller one most of the time than s/he should), as does the agent (assuming there’s one involved), and a whole host of people at the publisher. I’m not sure whether this particular topic is usually specifically discussed, but I’m fairly certain that it should be.

I’m now in the process of introducing O, AFRICA! to genre communities—readers, bloggers and, well, you—and so far, the reception has been quite positive. We all love a great story, well told.

I’ll report back on how it goes. In the interim, I’d be curious to know what you think…are category classifications useful? Is literary fiction more valuable than a genre label?

Print and Ebook Bundles

Before I start, I want to offer a hearty welcome ot Terri Bischoff. Ben will absolutely be missed on these here pages, but we all will learn a lot from Terri, who is one of the smartest and best people I know. 

I love print books. And I love ebooks. I especially love having a print and electronic copy of the book I’m reading because this makes it easy for me to grab whichever format is suited to the circumstances…if I’m on the back porch during the day? I prefer print. But at night, I prefer electronic because the light on the reader is easier on my eyes. It’s just like maps; electronic maps are swell, but sometimes I want to get a bigger picture and/or more route options with a paper map.

For years now I’ve watched independent bookstores struggle with ebooks. I’ve mourned the loss of stores around the country just as I’ve hoped that there could be some kind of way that I could buy both the print and electronic editions at the same time. When Amazon introduced MatchBook, they confirmed that the market for this scenario extends far beyond just me.

I make no apologies for loving reading on the Kindle, nor for buying ebooks from it from Amazon. It is the best purpose-built device for my needs. While I do buy some print books from Amazon (those that aren’t released in the US, for example), I prefer to buy them from a bookstore.

Today, HarperCollins and BookShout announced a program whereby bookstores are selling bundles including the print book and ebook. Right now, this includes only certain titles and has 11 participating stores. But it’s a step in the right direction. Is it perfect? Nope. BookShout has its own app, and books can only be read within the app. So not on Kindles. But for folks who read on tablets or phones, it’s perfect.

To me, the question of bookstores selling ebooks is pretty simple: If you choose not to offer your customers ebooks, they’re going to buy them elsewhere.

Many bookstores reacted negatively to Amazon’s Source program, whereby bookstores can sell Kindle devices and then receive 10% of purchases through those selfsame devices. I understand why they did, but the reality is there are customers—like me—who are going to keep buying print and Kindle books. The assumption is that people read electronically will buy fewer print books. I think that’s probably true, but I also think the “fewer” percentage is negligible. If I knew of a store where I could have bought my last Kindle, I would have purchased it there. And that store would have made a packet from my purchases since. But I don’t (if there is one in St. Petersburg, Florida you’re aware of, please speak up!) so it didn’t.  

I don’t believe there’s a right or wrong format for books. I think the more formats, the merrier because ultimately, more people reading can’t be bad. I hope that more bookstores start looking at ebooks as less of a threat and more of an opportunity.

Because they’re not going anywhere.

How Much Should Books Cost?

by Erin Mitchell

I’ll tell you right now: I don’t know the answer to the question above. But that’s never stopped me from having some opinions…

Way back in 2009. John Grisham talked about changing book prices on the TODAY Show (video at the end of this post). He said something that has stayed with me:

A book is worth $24. It’s a fair price.

I agree with him. I also remember a time not a million years ago when all the book I read came from libraries and thrift stores, with the occasional new paperback purchase. This wasn’t because I didn’t want to buy new hardcover releases, but I wasn’t prepared to forego paying the electricity bill to do so. Then came ebooks. I figured ebooks had two primary benefits: First, they would be cheaper, making new releases accessible to more people. Second, they meant that I would never have to run out of book on a bus or plane again.

Well, I was right about the second.

A couple of years back I heard about a young woman who loved to read (yay!). And she would only read books that she got for free on Kindle (boo!). Look, I’m as much a fan of deals as anyone. I love saving money. I always check for coupons before buying anything online. I wait for sales.

Except when it comes to books.

When I get a galley of a book that I read and enjoy, I preorder at least one copy—usually more. I’m tickled that I can afford to do so, and sharing a good book is one of my greatest joys. But I know there are still a lot of people out there who can’t afford to pay $24 for a book, even though, yes, a book is worth that much. Definitely.

At the same time, I think we can all agree that publishing is not the single most efficient industry in the world. As such, the price of books is probably inflated somewhat, regardless of their form.

Back in 2009, Mr. Grisham was talking about the phenomenon of online retailers selling physical books as loss-leaders. Unfortunately, this seems to have become the norm. We, as a society, now seem to think that a book is worth $2.99.

Think about that for a second. That’s a fraction of a movie ticket—even if you get the Senior Citizen rate at the cheap show. And a movie only lasts 2 hours. People always compare stuff to the price of a cup of coffee…I have no idea whether Starbuck’s sells anything that costs $2.99. People Magazine has a cover price of $4.99. John Connolly recently got right to the point on Twitter:

Something has gone very wrong if we'll pay $5 for a greeting card, $3 for gift wrap, but resent paying more than $2.99 for a book.

— John Connolly (@jconnollybooks) July 4, 2014

So to get back to the original question: I think a hardcover book should cost about $15 and a paperback or ebook should be in the neighborhood of $10 (see…told you I’m cheap). I also think libraries should be properly funded and supported and books should never, ever be destroyed because there are plenty of thrift shops that would take them and make them available to people who want to read.

What do you think?

Here's the video I mentioned back at the start:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Happy 4th

I know many of you are busy celebrating, as an Irish friend called it, America Day today, so I'll be brief...

Have fun today. If you're drinking, please give your car keys to someone who is not. Speaking as someone whose mom was killed by a drunk driver when she was 3 years old, it's not worth the risk.

And if you're looking for a fun flash fiction challenge, take a look here.

Calling Aspiring Authors

In a few short weeks I'll be in Harrogate, England for Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival. This is one of my favo(u)rite festivals, one at which readers and authors minge with abandon, reveling in a genuine love of crime fiction.

Before the festival events get underway on Thursday night, the Creative Thursday workshops give aspiring authors practical information and opportunities. I know a few folks who have attended Creative Thursday and each can't speak highly enough of it.

If this sounds like your proverbial cup of tea and you're game for a visit to beautiful Yorkshire, it's not too late to sign up! Here are the particulars...

 

ASPIRING AUTHORS SEEKING LIFE OF CRIME

A few spaces are still available for the 2014 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s hotly anticipated creative writing workshop, Creative Thursday.

Aspiring authors will have the rare chance to pitch their works to some of crime fiction’s most influential names in publishing. ‘Dragons’ Pen’ is the culmination of the day-long creative writing workshop as part of Europe’s biggest celebration of crime fiction, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

The workshop offers the opportunity to pitch concepts to two powerhouse literary agents, Jane Gregory of Gregory and Company and Juliet Mushens of The Agency Group, and two highly esteemed publishing professionals, crime editor at Faber & Faber, Katherine Armstrong, and Publisher for Transworld Publishers, Bill Scott-Kerr.

The literary version of the popular TV show, the Dragons’ Den, is not for the faint-hearted. Attendees have two minutes to convince the panel their synopsis and first chapter are worth reading. Places to pitch to the Dragons are limited; participants need to register their interest when booking to be in with a chance to pitch.

Gemma Rowland, Literature Festivals Manager, said: “Everyone thinks they can write crime, it can be formulaic and it can be popular, but in fact to write crime well is a rare skill, which is why our Creative Thursday workshop is in such demand. It’s taught by authors and publishing professionals at the top of their game - so gives a valuable and rare insight into how to write successful crime fiction.”

Creative Thursday precedes the prestigious Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award hosted by broadcaster Mark Lawson and the official opening party for Europe’s biggest celebration of crime fiction.

Up to 80 authors gather from around the world at the annual celebration of the crime genre. This year’s Special Guests include JK Rowling as Robert Galbraith, Ann Cleeves, John Harvey, Sophie Hannah, Lynda La Plante, Laura Lippman, Belinda Bauer, Peter May, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, and S.J. Watson.

Attendees will be welcomed by the 2014 programming chair, Steve Mosby, before workshops begin with Guardian/ UEA Masterclass tutor and award-winning crime novelist, Laura Wilson. Her intensive writing workshop, ‘How to Create a Murder’ will outline how to create memorable, psychologically complex villains with plausible motives.

Bestselling novelist and Arvon creative writing tutor Melanie McGrath will focus on exercises to come up with original story scenarios, developing believable characters and classic story structure in ‘Getting Started’.  And leading detective trainer, Ian Sales, will give insight into police procedures to add edgy realism to your writing in his interactive session: Modern Day Detective.

Price – £109 per person. [That's about $185; in other words, an amazing bargain.] For more information or to book your place contact the festival office on +44 (0)1423 562 303 or email [email protected]

Adieu, Exhibit A

by Erin Mitchell

We woke this morning to the sad news that Angry Robot has shuttered the Exhibit A (crime) and Strange Chemistry (sci-fi) imprints. I’m focusing here on Exhibit A because I’m not familiar with Strange Chemistry (don’t read much sci-fi), but everything I’m about to say likely applies equally to both.

At first glance, this seemed like a bizarre move. But like many things, when we follow the money, there’s a logic. I’m no financier, so am not sure whether this makes real sense, but here’s what I’ve been able to figure out:

Angry Robot started as an imprint of Harper Collins UK in 2008; it started publishing books in the UK in 2009 (they added the US in 2010). Angry Robot was acquired by Osprey Group in 2010. Osprey specializes in niche publishing, with military history driving the bulk of its business; its primary shareholder is Alcuin Capital Partners. Today, Publishers Lunch reported that Osprey is actively seeking to sell itself, and this move is part of their cleaning up their spreadsheets toward this end.

In their statement, Angry Robot says that the imprints have been “unable to carve out their own niches with as much success.” This statement is telling indeed. Exhibit A had all the makings of tremendous success: a terrific catalog, editors and staff committed to the success of the books and their authors, robust distribution (via Random House in the US and Faber in the UK), simultaneous international multi-platform release schedule…so what happened?

I think the problem lies in the niche.

I understand the concept of narrow-marketing books. The idea is that the book market is vast, and so capturing just a small part of it can be enough to catapult a publisher to success. When marketing is narrow, it can also be specific and targeted, which, in theory, provides tremendous ROI. And readers tend to be loyal to a genre, so speaking to those avid about crime fiction sub-genres seems to make sense.

The problem, though, is that even—sometimes especially—readers who are genre-loyal are inundated with reading choices.  So capturing this niche is much harder than it seems in a Marketing Department PowerPoint. Which leaves the legions of casual readers, the 76% of American adults who read at least one book every year (that’s more than 150 million people, and the average number of books read per year is 12). And by most estimates, crime follows romance as the most popular type of book.

That’s a big enough market to make any company successful. But it requires a different kind of marketing.

First, it’s important to recognize that not every book is going to appeal to the great unwashed masses. But Exhibit A had at least one book—THE PROFESSOR by Robert Bailey—that I’m aware of which fell squarely into that category. Unfortunately, part of their narrow-marketing approach meant that they printed few paper galleys, and as such, some of the (indie) stores and reviewers who don’t do electronic galleys that would have embraced this title didn’t know about it.

Also, effective broad marketing requires some OOP investment in advertising. If there was any for THE PROFESSOR, I never saw it.

I was scratching my head recently when Exhibit A went to Phoenix ComicCon. Their explanation made sense—that they wanted to cross-pollinate with the Angry Robot audience—I just didn’t see their books as being ones that ComicCon attendees would embrace and advocate. (I could be wrong, of course…I’ve never been to a ComicCon nor have I read all their books.) It seemed an odd marketing choice to me, mostly because events of any stripe are expensive (more so when bringing attendees from overseas), and I didn’t see tangible ROI in this case.

I’m not saying every Exhibit A book could or should have been marketed broadly—and I don’t mean to Monday-morning quarterback the people who put their formidable hearts, souls, and brains into the company’s success. I’m just hoping we—as individuals involved in some form or fashion in publishing—can learn something from what is a terrible situation.

I don’t know what happens now for the books and authors under the Exhibit A umbrella, but I hope at very least that right revert quickly back to authors so they and their stories can find new homes. Because they deserve this much. Readers deserve to have access to these stories.

One last note: To those who are condemning the staff of Angry Robot (thanks, social media) for this development I say (pardon my language and all), shut the fuck up. I’m fairly certain (see above) that the decision to shutter Exhibit A and Strange Chemistry originated at a company that invests (and un-invests) in other companies, and I’m quite certain that if the Angry Robot folks could have stopped it from happening, they would have.

 

Reviewing Reviews

by Erin Mitchell

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about reviews in all their various forms…

I have favorite newspaper reviewers…or rather, a favorite. Colette Bancroft is the books editor at my local daily paper, the Tampa Bay Times, and as fate would have it, we have “separated at birth” tastes in books. Her reviews are always smart and considered. And often hilarious; her review of Tampa is an excellent example.

I have a bunch of favorite book blogs, among them (and this is far from a comprehensive list) Pop Culture Nerd, BOLO Books, Jen’s Book Thoughts, Jenn’s Bookshelves, Kellyvision, and S. Krishna’s Books. I don’t always agree with all of their reviews, but I do always enjoy reading them.

I read Crimespree Magazine and RT Book Reviews (which I don’t consider trade) religiously. And Mystery Scene.

I like listening to people talk about books on Facebook and Twitter, too.

I avoid Amazon reviews like the plague. The only time I read them is when an author posts an especially hilariously bad one on Facebook.

I read a lot of trade press reviews, but only because I need to in order to do my job properly. I’m always on the lookout for pull-quotes.

And from time to time, I write reviews on my own blog. (I’m woefully behind on this, but hoping to get caught up soon. Of course, now I’ve jinxed it.)

I believe that book reviews are often preaching to the choir. That is, they’re read by people who are avid readers, and who likely share the taste of the person reading the review and are therefore already likely to read the book being reviewed. But there are also at least a dozen books I decide to read each year because of the recommendation of a reviewer I trust.

I find that reviews have a much stronger impact on me when the book has been released. Yeah, I’ll admit it: I’m an immediate-gratification kind of gal. I generally schedule my reading a few books out, but I like to be able to read about a book and then acquire it immediately.

Because I’m supposed to be talking about marketing, I should mention that reviews in all their forms play a role—sometimes big, sometimes not—in all effective marketing programs. I am not a fan of “blog tours” because I generally (with some exceptions) find that the posts tend to be mostly taken up with jacket copy.

So…that’s what I think. What about you? Do you read reviews (of your own books and/or others)? Do you buy books based on reviews? Are you loyal to particular review outlets? Are there any at which you scoff?

I wouldn’t ask unless I really wanted answers, so help me out in the comments, please and thank you!

Observations

I've had the good fortune to spend a lot of IRL time with book people over the last couple of weeks, both at BEA and at a wonderful event at the Center for Fiction. And I've noticed a few things...

People are excited about books. Really excited. About different kinds of books and their varied roles in the broader book world. Lots of people want to help readers find books, and even more want to revel in stories and information.

The business of books is terribly complicated, and there are no simple answers. To anything. Pick any issue or task related to any aspect publishing, and I guarantee you will find multiple opinions--not to mention more facts than you can shake a stick at.

Even when we disagree, we share the same goal. There's been a lot of controversy swirling around lately (and I'm deliberately not discussing Hachette and Amazon, although this certainly remains the biggest controversy), but ultimately, everyone working in or near publishing in any form wants to get books into the hands of readers. I hope those wrangling over the spreadsheets remember this.

Librarians are doing God's work. Every day. They love what they do, and appreciate a little gratitude more than any group of people I've ever known.

Crime fiction authors are the most welcoming, kind, funny, smart people on the planet.

There are more, I'm sure. Mostly, this time has reminded me of how lucky I am to exist amongst you all.

Who Are You?

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation on Twitter with a new author. He’s pubbed by a small press, and I came across his book when one of his fans sent a, um, bizarre email to a friend who happens to also publish the most influential crime fiction magazine on the planet. I tweeted at him (because I couldn’t find an email address on his website), he responded, and all was right with the world.

Yesterday, I got a DM from this same author containing an invitation to an event in New York.

At which point I assumed that he was sending it because of our previous communication. It seemed like a personal communication because it said, “…if you’re in NY…” and my Twitter profile says quite clearly that I don’t live there, but anyone who knows me even a little knows I travel up to The Big City with some degree of regularity.

So I—perhaps egotistically—assumed this author had some idea of who I am, at least that I have a connection to the aforementioned magazine.

I responded to the invitation, saying that I wouldn’t be in New York on that particular date, but if he ever did a local event, to please let me know (because, while I couldn’t find his email address, I did find an article in my local newspaper that explained that he happens to live in the same small city that I do).

At which point the author asked me who I was.

Now, I know that most of the planet has no idea who I am and that’s just fine and dandy. But when I get a direct message from someone I’ve communicated with relatively recently, I tend to assume that person knows I’m not just some random Twitter follower.

And it occurred to me that the DM I thought was a legit personal message was anything but. Now I’m thinking he probably sent it via DM to every single one of his followers who follow him (there aren’t that many, so this wouldn’t have been a huge task).

The moral here? Bulk social media direct messages—particularly via Twitter and Facebook—aren’t appropriate communication vehicles for BUY MY BOOK or COME TO MY EVENT messages. That’s just kind of skeevy. Not as bad as the ones we all get from scantily clad women looking for credit card details, but almost. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re sending a direct message, you should know to whom you’re directing it.

And on a completely unrelated note: This week I learned that the Violent Femmes are on Twitter. At @violentfemmes. You’re welcome.

It’s All about Perspective

by Erin Mitchell

Sometimes just for kicks I click on over to Google News and type in marketing. The results are usually pretty boring. They’re all about studies and tactics and gurus. And lists. Plenty of lists.

What I don’t see people talking about is the single most important aspect of any marketing plan: perspective.

Because when it comes down to it, I can create the most snazzy marketing plan ever, but if customers—the people whose purchases The Plan is designed to attract—don’t respond to it, it’s nothing but a waste of energy.

Sometimes I see marketing that I know for a certain fact is aimed at me, and I’m sure it was created by Martians. Because there’s no way anyone could have ever thought I would respond to it…right? It happens with car advertising all the time. All I’ve ever done as a result of a car ad is to decide to avoid a particular brand or model of automobile. And yet I continue to purchase cars. So somebody is missing an opportunity, right?

Look, the fact is, car ad campaigns are created by talented people. People who think they know me because they read those reports about my demographic, while completely ignoring anecdotal tales that would be far more instructive to them. That’s OK. That’s their business. I don’t think anyone in LA or Detroit or Chicago is losing any sleep over the last car I bought or the next one I will purchase.

What does this have to do with books? Quite a lot, actually. Because if you don’t know the people who are reading and talking about your books, you’re missing the single most important opportunity you will ever have.

My point here…is a suggestion, really. And it’s simple: Set aside your assumptions and presumptions. Think middle-aged men don’t read cozies? Think again. Assume grizzly police procedurals are the domain of the afore-mentioned middle-aged men? Nope. Yeah, sure, certain generalizations exist because they’re true, but don’t neglect or exclude portions of your audience because a spreadsheet says to.

Anecdotal data has value. And every reader matters. Right?

Fake Facebook Fakery

by Erin Mitchell

“Did you send me a friend request?”

“No—we’re already friends.”

“Well, someone with your name sent me a friend request.”

I’ve been seeing this conversation on Facebook a lot lately. Sometimes it’s followed by announcements along the lines of, “I’ve been hacked!” with varying degrees of panic and outrage. Here’s what’s really happening:

Most people (and keep in mind that there are more than a billion of them) on Facebook don’t change their default privacy or account settings. This means that their email address is visible to their friends and friends of friends. If your business is delivering spam email, this is irresistible.

These spammers find a profile and set up a new profile with the same name and profile picture (remember, your profile picture is always public). Then, they send friend requests to all your friends, and presto! They have access to the email addresses of anyone who accepts.

It’s important to note here that your account has not been hacked. There is nothing wrong with your account. That said, if you’re using an insecure password, shame on you. But there’s no need to panic. There are, however, some steps you need to take.

It’s worth noting here that even if you have not experienced the above, you should do numbers 3 and 4 to prevent it happening.

Also, don’t bother trying to do any of this from a mobile device. Use a computer.

1. Change your profile picture

• In the upper-left corner (next to your profile picture), click Edit Profile
• Point at the little camera in the lower-left corner of your profile picture
• Click Update Profile Picture

2. Report the fake profile

• Type your name into the search box at the top of the page
• Click See more results for “your name here”
• Click People
• Find the profile with your name and picture and click the name
• Click the gear icon next to Message in the cover image (the big picture at the top)
• Click Report
• Click Report this account
• Click This timeline is pretending to be me or someone I know
• Click the appropriate buttons on the following screens until you get to Report

In my experience, these reports are acted on quickly; the fake profile is generally removed within a couple of hours, often sooner.

3. Adjust your privacy settings

• Click the down arrow in the very upper-right corner
• Select Settings
• Click Privacy (on the left)
• Pay attention to anything that’s not Friends. You probably want some of these to be Friends of Friends, but if you’ve never adjusted the default settings, there are likely changes you’ll want to make.

4. Hide your Friends list

• Go to your own profile page (click your name next to your profile picture in the upper-left corner)
• Click Friends (underneath the big cover photo)
• Click the little pencil icon on the right towards the top of the screen
• Select Edit Privacy
• Set each option to either Friends or Only Me (if the former, be sure to never accept a friend request from…yourself)

If you want to be really safe, you should also take your real e-mail address out of your profile and just use the Facebook one.

Now, back to browsing baby animal pictures…

Millennial Fever

I love infographics. Maybe it's because I'm more a words/pictures than a numbers person, but something about these little bundles of graphical joy blows my proverbial skirt up. I find this one particularly interesting for anyone who care about marketing books:

When I look at this, two aspects of it leap out at me. First, Millennials comprise a ton of people. More than I realized.

Second, these people care out shareable experiences. Oh, and they spend money. (I guess that's three things.)

Translation: Because reading is the ultimate shareable experience, one that can be had by anyone anywhere and shared through any and all available venues, this is an important group when thinking about book marketing.

Which makes sense. Most of the book bloggers I know fall into this age group. The readers I interact with online are most often in this group. The people I work with at publishers who toil in book marketing are also most often in this demographic.

Which is not to say us Olds aren't a crucial reader audience. Some of the most passionate readers I've met are well into their sixth or seventh decade on this planet.

Those of us who have moved into gitoffmylawn territory age-wise can sometimes be inclined to generalize about The Kids. To dismiss them, even. To figure we don't speak their language, nor they ours. But the reality is that we'll all get a lot further if we understand rather than dismiss them. 

Technology Update

by Erin Mitchell

I rely on the same tools as most authors—pens and notebooks, computers, and mobile devices. I recently upgraded a bunch of hardware, and I wanted to share my experiences in case they’re helpful to anyone.

For context, I should tell you that I’m a fan of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to most things. I’m also, um, value-conscious (yeah, that means cheap). As a result, I tend to use hardware for longer than most folks, but in my defense, I grew up in a world where the IBM Selectric was as fancy as it got, and those suckers lasted forever.

I use a laptop computer not because I ever bring it anywhere, but because it makes me feel more secure to know that I could if I needed to. The one I just replaced was about six years old, running Windows Vista and Office 2007. There was nothing wrong with it, but I’ve been doing more video editing lately, and wanted something with more horsepower.

The new laptop is a Dell Inspiron 17R - 5737, purchased as its predecessor was from the Dell Outlet. I’ve always had terrific luck with them, and I saved about $400 on a high-spec machine vs. buying it new. Also, I’ve never been able to tell an outlet machine wasn’t new. It’s running Windows 8.1 and Office 2013.

Before you start formulating your comment telling me that I should have gotten a Mac, let me say that I like Apple products. The second computer I ever used (after a DOS Zenith that quite literally went on fire, with flames and smoke and everything) was a Mac, and I used them for years. My time in corporate America had me shift to PCs, and they’re more comfortable for me now. Also, I frankly can’t justify paying 2-3 times as much for an equivalent hardware spec.

So far, the new computer is a dream. I like Windows 8, although I’m not using the apps. I’m not a fan of the Microsoft OneDrive business, but I’m able to ignore it with no hassle. I don’t miss the Start menu at all. I find it very intuitive. Office 2013 has a number of mostly minor changes, but they’re ones that have made me much more efficient. If you’re using an older version of Office, I would recommend upgrading.

Next up was the printer. I don’t print much; when I have large print jobs like a manuscript, I send them to Office Depot. I wanted a wireless printer because occasionally it would be helpful for me to be able to print from the iPad or phone. I needed it to be a scanner as well, and I wanted color inkjet.

I ordered an HP printer from Amazon. After a couple of hellish days, a sympathetic dude at HP told me I never should have been sold that particular printer because it was manufactured more than a year ago. I was so frustrated with the whole experience that I returned the printer post-haste (Amazon handled the return really well, by the by) and scampered over to Walmart (I know, I know) and bought an Epson XP-310. It took me about 5 minutes to set up and is working flawlessly. It also prints a helluva lot faster than the old printer.

Next up, the phone. I had an iPhone 4 whose battery was down to lasting 3-4 hours (maybe 5 if I didn’t actually use it). My first instinct was to get a new iPhone. I got a Galaxy S4 instead. I converted because my husband (who also had an iPhone 4) wanted a phone with a bigger screen. When I asked Facebook for recommendations, I learned about the Samsung phones. And get this: I upgraded both our phones (we use AT&T) and it cost us…nothing. Not one red cent. They even waived the upgrade fee. One new iPhone would have cost me a couple hundred bucks.

So far, there are a lot of things I already love about the Galaxy, and I’m still learning how to use it. It has been a little jarring changing from a device I was so comfy with, but I think it was absolutely the right thing to do.

And the iPad? I don’t have the latest model, but it’s only one back, and it’s working just fine for me. Having the lighter model is appealing, and I might change it before the year is out, but likely not until the new models are announced.

In the end, whatever technology tools you use need to work for you. I was helped tremendously through this process, though, by both friends and reporters. I think knowing how something works for a real person is always helpful.

Kinda like book recommendations.

The Comfort of Books

by Erin Mitchell

Earlier this week, I dropped a brick on my foot. Not an actual brick, but something roughly the size and shape of a brick. It hurt like hell, and my foot immediately got a nasty bruise and started swelling. My husband leapt into action, helping me to the bed and arranging the pillows so I was as comfortable as someone with an OhNoIThinkIBrokeItBecauseItHurtsSoBad foot can be. Before he went to get the ice, he paused and asked:

Where is your book?

I told him and he handed me the book (THE BLACK HOUR by Lori Rader Day) before heading for the kitchen.

After the pain subsided, it occurred to me that what he had actually handed me was my binky.

We all had a binky as kids, right? Mine was a ratty green and white blanket, without which I could not fall asleep. Heck, I couldn’t really even function at all. Whether it was a stuffed animal, a beloved toy, or a piece of cloth,  we each had a physical object that brought us comfort, gave us courage, soothed our tears, and accompanied us everywhere.

As an adult, my binky is whatever book I’m reading.

When the going gets tough—as the going sometimes does—I take refuge in a book. If I’m upset or scared, I read. When I’m frustrated to the point of madness, it is a book that keeps me among the (mostly) sane.

I wanted to share this story because it struck me that maybe sometimes, authors don’t realize how important your books are. If that happens to you, remember your binky. Know that your hard work, your story, is a reader’s binky.

And there is nothing more important than The Binky.

Facebook Advertising: Everyone Panic!

by Erin Mitchell

Every so often, an article is written by an “expert” that sends authors into a panic. It says some variation of:

Facebook only shows your page posts to a tiny percentage of people who like your page. You have to spend big bucks on advertising in order to get anything useful out of Facebook.

The latest of these articles hit this week. (I’m not linking to it deliberately.) It was followed by a bunch of alarm and yet more articles and posts, the content of which amounts to:

Facebook advertising didn’t work for me, and therefore it won’t work for you or anybody, unless you happen to be Nike or Coca-Cola.

I have said it before and I will reiterate: With more than a billion people having Facebook accounts, chances are good that at least a portion of your readers are there. Having a Facebook page is worthwhile—important, even.

Whether you choose to advertise on Facebook depends on your objectives. And how much you spend and whether you spend it wisely depends on too many factors to list, but I will say that Facebook advertising is not easy. That is, spending your money smartly requires an understanding of both marketing and the intricacies of Facebook targeting that not everybody has. It ain’t rocket science or brain surgery, but when I read about people spending upwards of $1.50 per page like on Facebook, I’m reminded how many are doing it wrong (and then presenting their experience as fact).

Facebook did make some changes to their advertising platform recently (in a nutshell, they added an additional organizational layer to campaigns), and more are coming on April 9 (including sunsetting sponsored stories). But the simple fact is that none of these changes are designed to prevent people seeing your posts.

So should you advertise on Facebook? That depends on your marketing goals. Will your posts be seen by everyone who likes your page? Nope, but this is nothing new. Think of it this way: if your posts engage people, they will be seen. If they don’t, they won’t.

And if you‘re ever inclined to panic about anything Facebook does or doesn’t do, take a breath. I bet you have better things to expend your panic-energy on.

Blurbbering

by Erin Mitchell

As a reader, I don’t pay blurbs much heed. Never have. A couple of years ago, though, a voracious reader I know told me that she bought a book because it had a Michael Connelly blurb on the cover, which caused me to reconsider the marketing value of blurbs.

Rightly or wrongly, many readers feel like authors are our friends. Y’all tell the stories that reach us, and as such, like it or not, we’re connected. So when an author recommends a book, we tend to make two assumptions:

First, we think the book being recommended is similar to the ones you write.

Second, we believe that your recommendation has value if for no other reason than we don’t see a quote from you on every book out there.

So in a nutshell, your endorsement has value to readers, which means it has commercial value. Which means both asking for and providing blurbs is not something to be taken lightly.

Some authors never blurb books. I understand why; as the old saying goes, refusal often offends…unless one refuses everybody as a matter of policy. Which leads me to suggestion number one: If you know an author doesn’t blurb, don’t ask her or him to make an exception for you. Respect that the person in question has made a deliberate choice and move on.

If you are going to ask for blurbs, make sure you make your queries well in advance of your book’s release. After all, you’re asking someone to read a book, and we all know that everyone’s TBR pile is enormous.

Assuming you get a blurb (or three), don’t make assumptions about where or how you can use it. Want to use it on the book’s cover? Your website? Your Facebook page? Make sure the person providing the blurb is cool with your plans.

If it’s feasible, getting blurbs that are both specific to a particular book and general about your immense skill as an author will serve your marketing efforts best. Yes, you’re asking for more than one sentence, but you’re also getting a marketing jewel that won’t dull when your next book comes out. (Bad analogy, but you know what I mean.)

Since I’ve adjusted my opinion of blurbs, I’ve read a few books because of their blurbs. Most recently, THE CUCKOO’S CALLING got to the top of my TBR pile well in advance of The Revelation in no small part because of blurbs from Mark Billingham and Val McDermid. My completely anecdotal and unscientific research tells me that most readers choose at least one book (and most more than one) each year because of blurbs.

What do you think? Are blurbs important? Do they matter?

Speaking Out

Marketing books and "author brands" (read: authors themselves) really can be a tricky business. You have a platform, and you have fans, which means people pay attention to what you say. You are, to a greater or lesser extent depending on the size of your audience, under a microscope. Whatever you say and wherever you say it, you can rest assured that it is recorded for posterity and will likely be shared at some point.

Yikes.

Many authors--most of them, even--tend to stay away from controversy. They don't talk politics, art, or religion. They keep their opinions to themselves because they don't want to alienate a single reader. They want to be judged on their books, not on their personal views.

And that's fine.

There are notable exceptions, though. Stephen King makes no secret of his political views. Hell, he named his kid Joe Hill. I get the impression that his opinions on social issues haven't changed much since he was a wee lad, and he expresses them with admirable eloquence. Has this ever hurt his book sales? I doubt it. By the time we lived in this media-everywhere world, his books were well familiar to readers, his brand firmly established. It certainly strengthened my King faniness. Would the Tea Party take him on? Well, they have yet to do so (to the best of my knowledge), so probably not.

There's another author whose political views are so repugnant to me that I will never purchase a book he's so much as breathed near. I've gone so far as to rearrange store shelves to make his books less visible. My opinions aside, though, his books sell. Still, I wouldn't like to try to market them.

When Allendegate broke (you knew I was going to mention it, right?) some authors, including Charlaine Harris, Mark Billingham, and Val McDermid, jumped in quite publicly. Others were vocal about it in social media venues. We found a wonderful spokesperson and advocate in McKenna Jordan of Murder By the Book. Most authors, though, stayed mum. Given some of the backlash I experienced for expressing strong opinions on the matter, it's hard to blame them.

Still other celebrity authors use their personal politics as some kind of bizarre performance art. James Ellroy is the best example. Whatever he's doing doesn't appeal to me personally, and makes me glad I don't like his books (I know, I know, shut up), but it seems to get him attention among the devoted particularly.

I was pleased a couple of weeks ago to see Margaret Maron supporting Clay Aiken's congressional campaign. Pleased, because I agree with her political views, and she obviously cares a great deal about her home state. Did she offend some (potential) readers? Maybe. But it was obviously a risk she was willing to take. It made this reader more likely to seek out her next book, though.

So where does this leave us? Should authors express opinions on controversial issues? On art and politics? As with most things, there's no one right answer. Most crime fiction includes some element of right vs. wrong, of good and evil, and as such, chances are good that your sense of justice and morality are already on view. Because reading is an intensely personal experience, we tend to feel like we know authors through your fiction. If you choose to talk about this stuff, you're inviting readers to agree or disagree with you personally, and possibly shattering their construct of you, which is a risky proposition.

On the other hand, if you feel strongly about something and you speak about in a way that's as unlikely as possible to incite offense, you might just find your loyalty quotient with readers rising. 

Holidays

by Erin Mitchell

Happy Valentine’s Day!

When I worked in corporate PR, we loved holidays. Man, did we ever love them. Twenty years ago, I worked on a campaign that introduced a new cereal (Sun Crunchers), which involved having National Sunflower Day declared via congressional decree.

Conventional wisdom says that holidays make for great marketing fodder. Like most CW, this is true sometimes…but not always. With books, especially crime fiction, I find that with the exception of the holidays falling in November-December, making fun of them is generally the only thing that’s going to get much attention.

Because, unfortunately, books are not a common gift for Secretaries Day. Or Talk Like A Pirate Day. Or Cherry Pie Day. (No, I didn’t make that up. Look.)

But we all like to giggle. You know that moment in an especially dark story where something a character says, does, or thinks makes you laugh out loud? That’s a wonderful moment. So if your cranky lead character decides that Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to use your blog to talk about her horrible first date with a boyfriend she later gruesomely murdered, all the better.

You could, of course, do a giveaway on Facebook because you loooove your readers. But if you’re gonna do that, you’re likely talking to an audience who has already bought your book. So the gift of a little story from one of your characters will likely be appreciated—and shared.

The ultimate goal of any marketing program is to sell whatever is being touted. To compel   the audience to buy whateveritis right now. Because holidays are, by definition, timely, they should work well to accomplish this. But we’ve made something of a mockery of them.

So my advice to you? Have fun with it.

 

Can One Reader Make a Difference?

by Erin Mitchell

It’s an eternal question. And by one reader I don’t mean a librarian or book reviewer or bookseller or Stephen King or Michael Connelly. I mean one ordinary, run-of-the-mill, casual reader.

Now, before I start, let me acknowledge that this question will never be conclusively, factually answered. But that doesn’t mean it’s not helpful to consider. I hope—and I believe—that the answer is a resounding yes. I believe that every reader matters. That the parts are greater than the sum, if you will.

In an attempt to prove myself right, I’ve been conducting something of an experiment. And as you read this, you’re now part of it (thank you!).

A few weeks ago, I finished reading an early copy of THE PROFESSOR by debut author Robert Bailey, published by the Exhibit A imprint of Angry Robot Books. Being a debut from a smaller publisher means it’s ideally positioned to do…ok. It could sell out a modest print run and do a bit better on the electronic front. But if we’re honest, we can’t reasonably expect to see it on any bestseller lists.

But the thing is, this book should be on all the lists. It is incredibly readable. It is—and apologies to those who hate the term—a true page-turner. It has appeal across demographics. It’s full of characters who are at once complex and accessible. Reading it is a singularly enjoyable experience.

So I decided to see whether this one reader could make a difference for this book that so richly deserves it.

I’m not the ideal candidate to test my theory because I’m not, strictly speaking, an average nor a casual reader. Because I work with authors and publishers in my professional life, I have a platform to talk about books that extends beyond the norm (like, um, right here). If surveys are to be believed, I read 10-20 times as many books each year as the average American. I talk about books pretty much constantly. But all of that said, I am still an ordinary unremarkable reader, too.

So I set about using all of the venues I have available to talk about THE PROFESSOR. I wrote a review on my blog. I talked about it on Facebook. I’ve tweeted about it to the point of nagging. I cross-posted my review on Amazon and Goodreads. I emailed some folks. And now I’m writing about it here.

Is it making a difference? In truth, I have no idea. The book’s Amazon ranking is not great—not terrible, but nothing to write home about. Three people on Twitter have told me they bought the book because of my nags. I like to think that there are people out there who might pick the book up in a store because they see it and recall my mentioning it.

And I will keep mentioning it. Because it really is a fantastic story.

The publisher of THE PROFESSOR is doing a good job with their marketing, but they are a small company with, presumably, limited resources. The company they hired to do the launch event seems to have done a terrific job with it, but I’m not seeing much online promotion, which is unfortunate (it might be there and I’m just not seeing it, but if so, it needs to be re-targeted).

So the marketing lesson? I’m sticking with my answer to the question with which I began: Yes, one reader can make a difference. Your marketing program would do well to remember this. I get goosebumps every time an author takes the time to thank me (me!) for writing a review. Because I’m a reader, first and always.

Dear Isabel Allende…

Update, February 10, 2014: I've just changed the first sentence of the post below, because I was informed--and rightly so--that a word I used could (easily) be construed as racist. I should have been (much) more careful about my word choice. I would have objected to Ms. Allende's statements just as strongly if she were a caucasian male.

by Erin Mitchell

I was going to title this post, “Why Being a Nasty Jerk to Readers is Not Good Marketing.” But that seems a little too long. Still, it’s true.

Yesterday on All Things Considered NPR did an interview with the author Isabel Allende. You can listen to it here. Go ahead; I’ll wait.

Ms. Allende’s new book, RIPPER, is some kind of thriller, which is a departure from her usual magical-realism-literary-fiction. Now that you’ve heard the interview, you know that she has what can only be described as disdain for crime fiction and those of us who read it.

I’m angry about this interview as a reader and a marketeer for a bunch of reasons. Among them:

“I’m not a fan of mysteries,” says Ms. Allende. What a shock. Perhaps that’s because your mind is too small, your world too narrow, to appreciate the genre.

Ms. Allende is “surrounded by young people” and her book hinges on the “online world,” and yet she doesn’t participate in anything online (she has a Twitter account she doesn't use). But she claims to be keen on accurate research. I’m sure someone with Ms. Allende’s enormous brain can figure out what’s wrong with this picture.

Ms. Allende attended a writers workshop at Book Passage, and this made her an expert. So much so that she was on the faculty of that conference last year, speaking about…herself.

I was gratified to learn that Ms. Allende’s book is, in a word, crap. Reviewers I trust, including Oline Cogdill and Jenn Lawrence read it, so I don’t have to.

Ms. Allende seems to think that using a teenage nerd as detective and setting a thriller in San Francisco are somehow innovative. She would think this since she doesn’t read the genre, save a couple of Steig Larsson and Jo Nesbo tomes. Had she bothered to do any, um, research, she would have known this is nothing new.

Look, if Ms. Allende wants to sneer down her nose from her stepstool at the rest of us, that’s her prerogative. But this interview insulted a lot of people, many of whom are influential when it comes to recommending books. I first heard about it from McKenna Jordan of Murder by the Book, who was so put out by Ms. Allende’s attitude that she has returned the store’s order of RIPPER, thereby saving the many readers who depend on her store for recommendations from it.

Is crime fiction formulaic? Yeah, some of it is. Is it violent, funny, beautiful, and insightful? Yep.

That All Things Considered gave Ms. Allende airtime is deeply disappointing to me. Yes, the show as a whole can at times revel in its pretentiousness, but the list of authors who would have contributed something to the general discourse is long…and Ms. Allende isn’t on it. I hope their producers consider (see what I did there?) their choices a bit more carefully in future.

Perhaps Ms. Allende’s agent should change her tack, as her attitudes are most obviously far past their sell-by date. Her snotty elitism has no place in the reading universe.

Book Marketing News

by Erin Mitchell

Just for kicks, every couple of weeks I plug “book marketing news” into the Google News machine to see what pops out…it’s always interesting, and often more than a little perplexing.

This week, most of the stories are coming out of presentations at the Digital Book World conference that took place on January 13-15. The revelations that come out of this conference always make me grin…because they’re always basically the same:

1. Digital marketing can help with book sales, both new and backlist titles.
2. Knowing one’s audience (readers!) when employing digital marketing tactics is important.
3. Ebooks aren’t going anywhere.

Don’t get me wrong…I’m sure some of the DBW presentations have interesting insights into tactics associated with one or all of the above revelations, but they all seem to be variations on a theme.

Also in the news has been the changes coming in April to Facebook advertising. In a nutshell, the changes are:

• Sponsored stories will no longer exist,
• Targeting will be more specific, using “and” instead of “or” when various categories are selected.

If you’d like a more detailed explanation of these changes, you can find one here.

Several recent articles have also discussed SEO (search engine optimization) and its importance in marketing books. To me, this is a no-brainer because rising to the highest possible spot in Google search results is never bad. This is why your website needs to be optimized and assuming you fit the requisite criteria of its definition of notable, you really should have a Wikipedia page.

And speaking of search results, you might have noticed some of Google’s recent changes, including giving everyone with a gmail address a G+ account and tying your G+ account to YouTube. The takeaways here? They’re pretty simple:

1. Have a G+ page (and, for that matter, YouTube channel).
2. Make sure G+ is integrated into your website (if you use Wordpress, Jetpack has this built in).

The Preorder Dilemma

by Erin Mitchell

I have Lisa Unger, Laura Lippman, and Alafair Burke to thank for the information and inspiration behind this post.

People who work in, around, or near the book business know that preorders are important. Assuming that most of you fit into that category, I’m not going to go into that here. Let’s just acknowledge that they are important. Often very important. For a bunch of reasons.

That said…

How to get consumers to preorder books is an ongoing conundrum for authors, publishers, and marketeers. We talk about it…we try different tactics…we look at the efficacy of things we try…but a conclusive answer is still elusive.

The only thing I know for sure works is having an author ask readers to preorder, but that seems…what? Too easy? Not snazzy enough? I’m not sure, but it definitely leaves me feeling like it’s not enough.

But when I look at it as a reader, one who preorders quite a few books each month, I’m left with one truth: No giveaway or contest has ever incited me to preorder a book. I don’t even both entering most of the preorder promotions for which I’m eligible. I preorder books when an author (or his or her marketing person) asks me to. I preorder when I want to support a particular author. And for the record, I preorder regardless of whether I get an advance copy of a book.

I’ve seen big contests—the prize for the preorder contest for IN THE BLOOD, Lisa Unger’s latest release, was an all-expenses paid trip to her release party in Florida and preorderers of Cara Black’s MURDER BELOW MONTPARNASSE could enter to win a trip to Paris—and smaller ones, with prizes like signed books. Character namings seem to be gaining in popularity as prizes too. I’ve seen unusual prizes, and contests that started long before a book’s release and those that lasted only the week or so before.

But I’ve never seen a preorder giveaway or contest that was a resounding success. (I’m not saying it hasn’t happened, just that if it has, I’m unaware of it.)

Which has led me to the conclusion that there is a relatively fixed group of people who preorder books, the size of which doesn’t change much over time, and reaching this group is as simple as making a request and providing links.

Don’t get me wrong; I think it’s important—crucial, even—to raise awareness of a title in advance of its release. I’m just not convinced that inciting preorders is the only or even most effective way to do this. I think asking your readers, via your website, newsletter, Facebook page and Twitter feed, to preorder is the most effective tactic you can employ to garner preorders.

The reality is that we live in an immediate-gratification society now more than ever, and people aren’t inclined to think so far ahead as to order a book months before its release. With one exception: ebooks.

Preordering ebooks is a different consumer experience, one that usually goes something like this: You click a button at the website of your vendor of choice, which costs you nothing more than a few seconds of your time. Then, you go on with your life, quite possibly forgetting completely that you ordered the book at all. On release day, the book magically appears on your reader, delivering with it a moment of delicious surprise (along with a deduction from your payment account, because this is the point at which you pay for the book).

That’s a neat moment for readers, that surprise of a new book from an author she likes enough to have bothered to preorder to begin with.

I think that moment is where the marketing key lies. Reminding folks who have experienced it, and telling those who haven’t about it.

How exactly one might go about doing that is the topic for another post…

Related articles

'Tis the Season

How to (Not) Win Awards

When I saw an author talking a couple of weeks ago about having received an email from an author she doesn’t know asking for a nomination for an award, my first thought was that someone, somewhere is giving people bad advice.

Because nobody would do that off her own bat, right? Send an email to a perfect stranger—a fellow author, no less—saying, “please nominate my book for WhateverAward”?

Apparently, someone would. More than one someone.

Am I surprised? Not really. Many authors are understandably desperate to get visibility for their books. You’re spending a bunch of money to attend a conference (say, Malice Domestic or Left Coast Crime), and you want to make the most of it. I get that.

Donna Andrews wrote an excellent in-depth post on the subject of awards etiquette. I agree with most of it (nothing is ever 100%, right?). You should click here to read it, and then come back.

In thinking of awards as a marketing tactic, etiquette is certainly crucial (more on this to follow), but it’s also important to first consider the actual value of these awards.

Will winning an award sell more of your books? Probably not; it depends very much on which award and event or conference we’re talking about. It’ll definitely get more drinks bought for you in the bar following the award ceremony, and so if that’s important to you, by all means, invest plenty of time/energy/money in awards. (That sounds completely sarcastic, but I only mean it to sound a wee bit sarcastic. Bar socializing can often be beneficial, particularly in terms of building relationships.)

Ok, ready for my guidelines? Here goes:

1. Know the Awards

My favorite list of crime fiction awards is at Omnimystery. It includes the year each award was first given and a list of winners. For a website for each, though, you’ll have to invoke your googlepowers.

2. Evaluate the Options

Your book will not qualify for every award. And for those it does, some might be worth your time and energy, while others will not. Be as objective as you can about this—or ask someone who is objective for help.

3. Learn the Rules

Some awards are decided in stages and/or by a committee. Some are voted on by all the attendees of a conference. Most require books to be published in a specific timeframe. Some are only for books in a particular style. It sounds like a duh, but apparently needs to be stated: Don’t waste time on awards for which your book isn’t qualified. If you are compelled to ask a question about the rules or request an exemption from them, do so politely, expect that the answer will be negative, and don’t bitch when it is.

4. Follow the Rules

Again, should be obvious, but apparently needs to be stated.

5. Campaign Correctly

Here, I have a slightly different perspective than Donna, but that makes sense because I’m a marketeer and a reader, not an author. I’ll keep it simple:

• Do Campaign: If you’ve invested the time/energy/cash to figure out that an award would be beneficial for you and said award is open to public or conference attendee voting, by all means DO campaign for it. If you’ve written a great book, just sitting around hoping it wins an award is a fruitless endeavor.

• Don’t Listserv: I don’t see marketing value in listserv discussions (because the audience is tiny), but they might well be helpful to you as an author, and if so, they’re well worth your time and effort. That said, these are not appropriate places to campaign for nominations or votes.

• Don’t Email: That conferences post lists of attendees on their websites bugs me tremendously. But they do. This is not, however, an invitation for you to look up each attendee’s email and send cold “please nominate me” emails.  Same with organization membership lists. And emails to people you do know? Also not appropriate.

• Do Facebook: Your Facebook page is absolutely an appropriate place to ask people to consider your book for an award nomination or vote. These folks should even be grateful to know you’re eligible!

• Do Newsletter: If you have a list of folks who have subscribed to your newsletter, including information about awards for which you’re eligible or nominated makes sense. I wouldn’t send a newsletter all about awards, though.

• Don’t Twitter: 140 characters isn’t enough to accomplish anything productive on this front.

Look, I know that if you publish (build) it and don’t tell anyone, nobody’s going to come. I’m all for telling people. Through multiple venues, even. But not every vehicle is appropriate for each message, and not every tactic will help sell your book.

I’ll leave you with three last thoughts:

Awards that are voted on by conference attendees are normally decided by a shockingly small number of people. (I do mean literally; you’d be shocked.) Most attendees don’t vote, and so each vote matters.

Within a relatively short period of time, people will have forgotten who won what. If your life depended on it, could you name the book or author who won an Agatha two years ago? Thought not—neither can I. And authors who go onandonandonandon about winning an award just end up seeming pathetic. Not fantastic for brand-building, that.

Whatever energy you were going to put into getting nominated for an award would be better spent elsewhere. Almost anywhere else, in fact.

Your 2014 Marketing Imperative

by Erin Mitchell 

Happy New Year! Are you all recovered from the celebrations? Ready to charge into 2014 with both barrels blazing?

Great. I’m a year older (perils of being almost a New Year baby), and much to my chagrin, don’t feel a whit wiser. But that’s ok. I still have a thought or three to share, and I’m grateful to the Dead Guy crew and you (yes, you) for allowing me to do so.

That said, I’ve been pondering priorities, and the one single marketing imperative I’d like to pass on for the year ahead. The thing is, it’s not peculiar to 2014, but without it, all marketing efforts are destined to fail miserably. So here goes:

Know your readers.

Seems simple, right? I mean, unless you’re writing for yourself alone—and if you’re publishing your writing, you’re not—you are thinking about your readers all the time.

Too often, though, when it comes to book marketing, one forgets his or her audience. Neglects to consider how readers hear about books these days. What motivates them to purchase one story over—or in addition to—another. This apparent transgression is easy to forgive, though, because there is no reliable or conclusive data to tell us why and how book consumers behave the ways that they do. No pie chart of bar graph that tells us the most important communication venues…or rather, far too many of them. Think Facebook is crucial? There’s a study to confirm you’re right. Certain that blogging is the key to book sales? Plenty of authoritative-sounding organizations agree with you. Convinced that without an active Twitter account, you’re sunk? Proof is easy to find.

But the truth is, the correct “marketing mix” for your book won’t be found in any formula. It lies only with your readers, both current fans and those who have yet to discover your stories.

And where are they? I can’t tell you that. I can tell you that you need to pay attention to all the places where people talk about and look for information on books to figure it out. You need a website, yes, and that website needs to be up to date, but you don’t necessarily need to blog regularly. Or maybe you do. I think every author should have a Facebook page, but how much attention you need to give it depends on how active your readers are there. Having a Wikipedia page is desirable, but you might or might not fit their draconian definition of notable. Twitter is a valuable traffic driver, but using it as more than that is time consuming indeed.

The only thing I can tell you for sure is that your readers are in more than one place. They’re getting marketing messages through multiple venues (including, gasp, ads). And chances are good that you have readers who would be happy to tell you where and how they heard about your books and what incited them to buy the first one. And if not, you can still find out, by testing different marketing tactics and doing more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Because, after all, 2014 is, just like every year before and after it, The Year of the Reader.

For Lisa

by Erin Mitchell

This is my last post before Christmas, and I had every intention of continuing the “put characters from my favorite books read this year into a Christmas carol” tradition. I had a song all picked out, and even had Rebus and Bernie Rehodenbarr sharing a drink while Parker makes trouble. 

But I’m going to forego the song this year, because I want to tell you about the power of books, and a woman I consider a dear friend.

Lisa Adams and I have little in common at face value…other than a love of reading. I met her on Twitter because of this shared interest. Lisa’s reading habits are more broad than mine are and we don’t necessarily read the same books, but the joy we get from reading and encouraging others to do so led to our having conversations on a lot of different topics, from the weather to the death of parents.

Lisa and I also talked quite a bit about healthcare. Lisa was first diagnosed with breast cancer in December, 2006. Following treatment that included a double mastectomy and chemotherapy (and much more; you can read about it here), in October, 2012 she learned that her cancer had metastasized to her bones, and she now had stage IV cancer.

Which is deadly.

This isn’t a case of Lisa being able to beat cancer. The goal of her treatment is to extend her life as long as possible. The nature of the disease, though, is such that the extension will not be indefinite. Her kids, who are 15, 11, and 7, and her husband and parents will eventually know life having lost their incredible mother, wife, and daughter.

When I learned of Lisa’s diagnosis, I was angry at The Universe. It’s so fucking unfair. She’s a good person. She makes a positive impact on the world around her (I’m a perfect example). As I’ve watched her share her experiences in the hope of educating those around her, I am in awe of her. I have referred many people to her blog—especially doctors—because while her specific experience is with cancer, much of it applies to any medical condition.

So why did I feel compelled to shift gears today from a Christmas Cheer Post to this one, which might be considered to be venturing into Debbie Downer territory? Two reasons:

First, I said above that I met Lisa online, and I did. Our conversations have been online, mostly on Twitter. But I did meet her in person once. Just for a minute, at BEA a couple of years ago. I was there in a professional capacity and was frazzled, and I will always deeply regret that I didn’t drop everything and follow Lisa around for a while. That I didn’t hug her a little longer. I think there’s an important lesson in this for us all and for always, particularly at this time of year.

Second, through her writings (which I encourage each of you to check out at http://lisabadams.com/), Lisa has made a difference to many, many people. A love of reading, of books, brought us together, and today, Lisa is part of my every day. In a world that is so often fraught with trials and tribulations, this is how Lisa starts her days, and I’ve found that joining her in this makes a difference in my days, too.

As many of you already know, my first tweet of each day is a mantra I’ve written: “Find a bit of beauty in the world today. Share it. If you can’t find it, create it. Some days this may be hard to do. Persevere.” I love to start my day with that saying each morning. It centers me. And so many have responded that they like it too.

The book community has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. Librarians contributed a great deal to raising me, and today, a love of reading has made my life rich beyond measure. I cannot adequately express my sadness, anger, and frustration that Lisa must travel down the road she’s on now. Nothing will make that OK. But I remain always and eternally grateful for knowing her.

Whatever you celebrate, please make it special. 

Email Me This

by Erin Mitchell

This morning I got the best of the season’s marketing emails so far. And by “best” I mean so laughably bad that it…well…it inspired this post.

Let’s start with the subject line: Give the Gift of E This Fall!

Really? E? Can I exchange it for heroin if E’s not my thing? And while it might technically be Fall, to all practical purposes, it’s Winter.

And the greeting line: Good morning erinfaye (at) gmail.com

When sending marketing emails, if you have a list that doesn’t have a field for “First Name,” just go with “Hi.” My email address is not my name.

The next paragraph explained to me that ebooks make “great gifts,” but “many holiday shoppers remain in the dark about the ebook gifting process.”

Way to insult your potential customers!

At which point it launched into a list of content that the sending company has produced about gifting ebooks. Aside from the fact that they used the Euro sign in lieu of regular bullet points, it was interesting content. But it was buried behind so much terribly delivery that I doubt anyone who received the email even noticed.

For a company whose business is producing and selling ebooks, there’s really no excuse for this.

My point? Just this: When sending marketing emails, take a moment to see them from the recipient’s point of view. Don’t be lazy. If you are offering content (a guest post or an excerpt, say), then make sure the content that delivers your offer isn’t pitiful. If you want to be artistic, fine. But € is not a bullet point.

If you’re an author or a publisher, don’t be afraid to send a personal message. Your brand, after all, is your stories. So don’t hesitate to tell them.

Do Good

by Erin Mitchell

I had every intention of writing this week about scams, stunts, and hoaxes, because between that reality TV producer on Twitter and Amazonian drones, the examples were almost irresistible.

Almost.

Then I recalled what my dad told me repeatedly when I was growing up:

If each person on earth just did right, there wouldn’t be any problems in the world.

Now, dad used to pull this one out to counter my immense angst at everything from the gas crisis to wars in far-off lands. What he meant, of course, is that I couldn’t control the actions of anyone else, but rather could only choose to do the right thing at any given moment myself.

Smart guy, my dad.

So instead of giving yet more airtime to hoaxes and stunts that are doing quite fine without my participation, I want to draw your attention to this.

I’ve known Ben LeRoy for a few years now, and he is one of the finest individuals I have the privilege to call a friend. Why? It’s simple. He cares. He acts. He makes this crazy old world make sense by spreading love. Not fear. Always.

Around the holidays, he springs into action, and this year he’s giving us all the opportunity to both avail of his kindness and participate in spreading it. It’s simple, really: he’s made a list of stuff. Anyone who needs something on list for themselves or as a gift has only to raise a virtual hand, and it will be sent to them, free of any charge or obligation.

Go read the post on Ben’s website. Read the comments. See that people need things for their families, and other people are raising their hands to help. This isn’t about judgment or empowerment or politics or religion or consumerism. It’s about humanity. It’s about the fact that every single one of us has the power to do right.

Please join me in following Ben’s lead. If you need something, speak up. If you can give, say the word.

Thank you.

'Tis the Season

When I woke up this morning I had 56 emails about Black Friday sales. I don't love crowds so I shop a lot online, and this time of year, the resulting volume of admail ramps up significantly. Still, 56 seemed like a lot. A lot of money spent on a lot of marketing. Money that could have been spent elsewhere.

But nobody asked me.

Now that the rush of holiday shopping is upon us, is there room to promote books, generally and specifically? Yeah, there is. Because books are still the most personal gift out there. The one that lets you share some of yourself with the person you're gifting. And now that's we have technology specifically related to books as well, there are even more opportunities for smart book marketing.

For example, if I'm buying someone an ereader, I can also gift that person a book. People tend to forget this, though. Which means you have the opportunity to remind them.

Tomorrow lots of authors are going to indie bookstores to sell books for a day. This initiative seems a lot like preaching to the choir to me, but it also underscores the importance of authors as a book marketing audience. (I'm assuming here that authors aren't going to just hawk their own books; the one author I know who is doing this certainly won't.)

Books are relatively inexpensive, and as such, they make for good "why not get yourself a gift" presents. Hey, we're all selfish to some extent, right?

If, like me, your giftees tend to live in far-flung lands, shipping presents is, at best, a PITA. Books, however, are easy to ship. Media mail and flat rate priority mail are your friends.

If you want to give your reader-advocates another reason to gift your books, consider creating a facility for them to acquire signed books. Whether you do this yourself or with the help of a local indie store or by offering signed bookplates through your website, it's not hard.

Remember that video of the kid who pitched a fit because he got books for Christmas? It's three years old now, but makes the rounds every year, and for good reason. My point is that there's plenty of content out there you can borrow to get some attention for your books among the gift cacophony.

My point? 'Tis the season to talk about books. To buy books, in all their forms. And to have fun doing it.

Be kind out there.

In the time it took me to write this, 16 more admails arrived. And not a one about books. Harrumph.

How To Twitter

The big marketing news this week was JP Morgan Chase’s spectacularly stupid foray into transparency and interaction on Twitter. They called it a “bad idea,” thereby employing perhaps the most dramatic understatement in the history of Twitter.

The “bad idea” assessment also illustrates how little they understand or have learned. Because as bad ideas coming out of the JPMC marketing department go, this one doesn’t even rate.

Why? Because they operate on two faulty assumptions:

First, they failed to realize that media—both traditional and less-so—use Twitter. A lot.

Second, they assumed that us 99%ers aren’t real people—we are, after all, but figures on a spreadsheet, and therefore couldn’t possible formulate in 140 characters any kind of commentary that would damage them.

Lesson learned? I seriously doubt it. But all is not lost…we can learn something from their folly.

Meanwhile, over in England, a bunch of big companies got together spontaneously on Twitter and did it exactly right. You can see that conversation here.

The differences? Well, let’s see…

1. The “Tesco et al” conversation wasn’t planned. It was spontaneous. Hell, it is still going on as I type this.

2. Which means that whomever handles the Twitter accounts for the (many!) companies involved is smart and on the ball. And doesn’t run away from his or her desk at 5 pm, Friday or not.

3. It didn’t force any artifice on those following along (read: no stupid hashtag), but rather invited participation by just…happening.

So what does all this mean for authors and publishers? I’ll be brief: If you’re not talking to people, paying attention to what the Twitterverse is saying in real time, and maintaining a sense of humor, then, well…

You’re no #SFBatKid.

Amazon Isn't Killing Indies

Amazon announced a program this week whereby independent bookstores can sell Kindle devices and get a 10% cut of Kindle book sales. It's called Amazon Source.

The (published) reaction of indie stores is best summed up in this headline from Publishers Lunch:

ABA Opposes Amazon Source Because, Well, It's From Amazon

Now, I understand that most indies hate Amazon because Amazon sells books cheaper than they can, thereby capturing customers that they think might otherwise be theirs. And they can't mimic the value that indie stores bring to their communities.

In this day and age--given that Amazon's not going anywhere--I have to think that for one to be a part of the indie book selling landscape, one must a) love reading and b) value the needs of readers.

So this reaction to Amazon Source is baffling me.

I mean, nobody made a law that indie stores have to sell Kindles. At least, I'm pretty sure no such law is on the books, unless it's in the healthcare.gov website, which I still can't access (don't get me started).

The ABA did a deal with Kobo to give member stores the option to sell those devices and ebooks, and they seem to think Amazon's offering somehow damages that, but have you tried buying something through that program? I have. It was a terrible experience, and I won't be doing it again. That program did all the damage in the world to its own self with no help whatsoever from Amazon.

And getting back to readers: Amazon provides me, as a reader, a few benefits. For example, I like to have the option of buying and reading books published outside of the US. Amazon lets me do this. My local indies don't.

Amazon makes it easy for me to give books to other people. My local indies could do this too, but they choose not to. I'm sure they have good reasons for this choice, but it is just that--a choice.

Amazon doesn't judge me. Yes, I bought and read the new John Grisham book. I liked it quite a lot, too. And I didn't have to endure scornful looks from anyone in acquiring it. I'm not saying all indie stores are snooty about books--they absolutely are not--but if we're honest, some of them really are, right?

Amazon's website works the vast majority of the time. I wish I could say the same for indie store sites. Or Indiebound, for that matter. When I downloaded the Indiebound app...oh, wait. I didn't download their app. Because they don't have one. And looking up a book on their site works for me about 60% of the time. Maybe they use the same contractors as the government did for healthcare.gov.

To be clear: I don't want to see independent bookstores disappear. For that matter, I'd rather not see Barnes & Noble stores disappear either. I'm going to keep shopping at both. And I'm going to keep shopping at Amazon, too. I suspect I'm not alone in this. If I can support an indie store by having it get 10% of my kindle purchases, keeping in mind that these purchases are distinct from and in addition to those I make in indie stores, I fail to see the problem.

Stop Reading

by Erin Mitchell

I like to advocate reading. I believe more reading makes the world a better place. That reading is the best and strongest hope for humanity. That reading matters.

There are, however, times when you need to stop reading. Specifically, any time you're more than 5 pages (or screens) into a book that you think is just...bad.

I don't care why you think it's bad nor what anyone else thinks of it. If to you, as a reader, it is bad, for the love of all that matters, put the damn thing down. Throw it, even. Whatever works for you. There are more books than any one of us will be able to read in a lifetime, and we need to use this time wisely.

Last week, I talked about the Festival of Reading. It more than lived up to all my hype, and one of my favorite moments was when Mark Billingham asked an audience of, oh, 100 or so folks, to raise their hands if they always finish books.

More than half of the people in the room did.

To which Mark yelled, "But WHY?"

This being Florida (what does that have to do with anything? I have no idea, but I needed a transition thingy there), a number of people shouted out answers. Mark's responses were far more eloquent and funny than mine could ever be here (or anywhere else), but I believe this to be of the utmost import, so here goes...

I owe it to the author to finish. 

You...what? Contrary to (apparently) popular belief, authors are not psychic. He or she won't know if you don't finish the book unless you take it upon yourself to tell him or her. If you have acquired a book through any means other than theft, you don't owe the author anything. 

It might get better. 

No, it won't. Authors want to hook readers from the start, and they begin as they intend to continue. If you don't like the start, you won't like the rest. 

I'm not a quitter. 

I didn't say you were. In fact, I'm sure you're not. This has nothing to do with quitting, but rather is about the fact that not every book and every reader are a good match. 

There's a good story in there somewhere. 

I'm one of the millions of poor souls who read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, all 5,438 extraneous pages of it. This is a perfect example of a good story hidden within page upon page upon page of crap. Did any of us need to know the detailed family history of every superfluous character? No, we didn't. And apparently, many people enjoyed leaning it more than I did, going on to read the whole trilogy. It obviously worked for them, but it sure didn't for me. If I had it to do over again, I would quit after five pages. 

I've read this far. I might as well finish. 

Well, that's awfully defeatist of you. What about all the books awaiting your attention that you will actually enjoy?

I'm not going to let this book beat me. 

...because, you know, if you stop reading, the book will tell all its friends what a wuss you are.

I know a lot of people--people I love and respect--who finish books they're not enjoying. When we talk about it, they agree that they should stop wasting their precious time. I wish I could send Mark to each of their homes, because I think he could convince them to stop. He told a story about changing part of one of his books in the paperback edition because after the hardcover came out, based on reader reaction, one aspect of the story didn't work. He said, "I had to change it because I hadn't done my job properly."

I love that. I know some authors are inclined to stand on artistry when they fail to tell a story well, and that just annoys me. I think if all authors and readers had Mark's attitudes as each, we'd have a world of avid readers.

I want to live in that world.

 

Festival Time

by Erin Mitchell

This Saturday (tomorrow), I’ll be reveling in the company of authors at the annual Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading in beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

This is one of many smaller local book events—Murder and Mayhem in Muskego being another favorite and the Brooklyn Book Festival one about which I’ve heard great reports—around the country each year. If you’re an author and you’ve never considered attending one, I recommend you do…here’s why:

While the attendance numbers are smaller than at, say a Bouchercon (or any other con), the people who attend are avid readers. They look forward to the event each year, and for many, it’s their primary or only opportunity to meet authors. I find that the attendees are incredibly engaged, with the authors, the organizers, and each other. They are among Their People, and it shows.

Many of these festivals aren’t just crime fiction focused, and so it’s an opportunity to expand your audience, to reach readers you might not otherwise. In St. Pete, we’re lucky enough to have a bunch of crime authors living amongst us and the driving force behind the festival programming, Book Editor Colette Bancroft, is a crime fiction fan, so the programming is always crime fiction-heavy, but I’ve also gotten to hear non-crime folks speak, which is a pleasure.

These days, everyone wants to be viral. And virtual. And social. Despite how it sometimes looks, none of these things just happen. They begin with interaction, and that interaction is often of the live-and-in-person variety. At these smaller events, readers discover new books and cement their support for authors they already love. Then, they tell their circles about their experience. Which is good for you.

I’m surprised every year at how many books are sold at the Festival. The vending of books is well organized, with the local B&N being the primary bookseller, and a small group of other vendors. This is no Miami Book Fair—it’s far from hectic—but rather consists of maybe 20 tables from everything from our local independent radio station to small publishers to individual authors. The main bookselling area is busy all day, and more attendees than not are toting bags of newly acquired books. Because these books are purchased based on experiences at the Festival, you can be damn sure they’re going to be read, and most likely talked about.

So tomorrow, I’ll be hanging out with authors including Mark Billingham, Marcia Clark, Lisa Unger, and Gilbert King. Ridley Pearson will be there too. And Susan Boyer, John Dufresne, Lori Roy, and Michael Lister.

(See—told ‘ya. It’s a terrific lineup.)

The weather will be gorgeous (it always is because the weather always smiles on reading), and readers and authors alike will have a fantastic time.

You should join us next year.

Advancing Books

by Erin Mitchell

Galleys. ARCs. Advance copies. Whatever term you use (and, yes, I know they don't all mean the same thing), it boils down to this: letting people read your book before it's published.

After a website, this, my friends, is the single most valuable marketing tool at your disposal.

So why is making advance copies available such a problematic tactic? As is usually the case, there are a bunch of reasons...

Printing advance copies is expensive, and it's a spend whose ROI is difficult to directly measure for publishers. And that's before you even get to the expense of mailing them.

If you do electronic advance copies, even through a service like NetGalley or Edelweiss, chances are pretty good that the book will end up on one or more pirate sites. This is a big concern for some publishers, and one I will never understand because the simple reality is that anyone who would download a pirated book was never going to buy it to begin with.

I spend a fair bit of my professional time pitching books to people who are influential about them and talk about them in traditional and online media, asking them to read advance copies. Sometimes I'm successful in these pitches and sometimes not (hey, pobody's nerfect). Recently, though, I've found myself about to be in the enviable position of pitching a book everybody's going to want, which has given me a slightly different perspective on advance copies.

The book in question is Lawrence Block's new novel. We're announcing it next week, and I am incredibly lucky to have read it, and so I can promise you it's fantastic. As good as anything LB has written so far, and, my innate fangirlness aside, you know that's saying a lot.

For a number of excellent and logical reasons, LB is publishing this book himself. Which means I don't have the luxury of just sending off a list of people who should get ARCs to a publisher and having them magically appear. Which means I've had to think carefully about who needs to get them. Which has led me to wish that every book got the same consideration.

I realize that publishers don't have the staff to be able to devote this much time and energy to every single title. At the same time, with some titles, it really feels like too often they take a "throw enough shit, some of it sticks" approach, which is unfortunate. In the spirit of offering what I hope is a constructive suggestion, here's what I'd love to see happen...

I am fortunate to get quite a lot of free books. The UPS truck delivers treasures on a regular basis, and opening these packages is an enduring joy, even when the books contained therein are not my cuppa. Sometimes, though, I seek out a particular book for any one of a variety of reasons, and set about asking for a copy. And most of the time, I don't get it.

Why? More often than not it's because I'm not on the right list for that book. Yet it's a book I'm excited enough about to ask for, so should I be on said list? Not to sound arrogant, but yeah. I should.

Side note: When I get a free/advance copy of a book I enjoy, I make a point of purchasing at least one copy.

The problem is not (just) the people--who, in reality, are usually quite junior--approving and denying requests. The (bigger) problem is the technology. The aforementioned NetGalley and Edelweiss are great insofar as they go, but they don't really go far enough.

And the solution is as simple as a form.

Every book has a web presence. Most authors have websites. All publishers do. And there's no reason said sites can't have a place where someone can request a review copy of a book. Such forms are simple to implement and make managing requests far more efficient. All it takes is a human to keep an eye on and respond to incoming requests.

Or at least, I think this is the case.

When I updated LB's website, I included such a form. I did so primarily because I know that despite my best efforts, I will miss some people on The List (see above regarding pobody) and I want to give the a user-friendly way to raise their hands. Also, when  an author has such a magnificent backlist as LB does, there are new people talking about older books all the time, and I want to do right by them.

The form is set to both email me when someone fills it in and keep all requests in a CSV-downloadable database. Which means keeping track of who's asked for and received what is simple and efficient.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Whew. This is a lot of text. If you've read this far, I hope I've convinced you that making free copies of your book readily available to people who influence readers' book purchases is important. And that it's not quite as difficult as it might seem.

 

 

 

Backlist Love

by Erin Mitchell

As a reader, I love backlists. As a marketeer, I love them even more.

Unfortunately, publishers love them less. Most authors might love them, but it’s often hard to tell based on their public communications. Understanding that there’s a limited amount of energy in the world and we all have to allocate what’s available, this is understandable. Still, you can help readers find and embrace your backlist without breaking the virtual (or tangible) bank.

Your Website

Yes, your website needs to feature your newest book. (Side note: I have seen a disturbing number of sites lately that are woefully out of date. There’s no excuse for this!) But don’t hide your backlist…and if it takes more than 10 seconds and two clicks to find it, it’s hidden.

Think of a bookstore or a library…they put all the books by any given author on the shelf. Why shouldn’t you?

Your Social Media

Apparently this has not yet been said enough: If your entire social media plan is to say “BUY MY [NEW] BOOK” as often and in as many venues as you can, you’re doing it wrong.

Take a moment to check out which of your books your readers are talking about. If you have more than two, I’ll bet it’s not just your newest. Ignoring those who are just discovering your work through a book published years ago is a mistake.

Give It Away

While your backlist might have less financial value to you, it is no less valuable to readers. Hey, some people (myself included) even prefer paperbacks (or, gasp!, ebooks). The more people who read and love your books, the more people will read and love your books, and the better your next new release will sell. So get your backlist books into readers’ hands through any means necessary, including enlisting the assistance of your local post office.

Remember Reality

Ah, the dreaded R word. Here’s the news flash: For many people, brand new, hot-of-the-presses books are a luxury. That’s not to say they don’t want to read new books, but they simply might not be able to afford them. By letting these folks know about your backlist, you give them a path to enduring fan-dom, which will, in turn, increase sales of your next new release (I promise).

So go ahead and write a blog post about a book in your backlist. Tweet a link to a review that ran years ago. Like a Facebook post from someone reading an oldie-but-goodie.

Your readers will thank you.

Bouchercon Tips for Authors

by Erin Mitchell

Every year, new attendees gather at Bouchercon, and, thankfully—since it can be overwhelming—there’s a fair bit of advice out there for these folks.

I wanted to take a minute, though, to offer some suggestions to authors attending Bouchercon, from the perspective of a reader (and, to a lesser extent, a marketeer).

To be clear: By writing the below, I don’t mean to imply that authors behave badly at Bouchercon; my experience has been quite the opposite. Yeah, I’ve seen some be jerks, but, hey, we’re all human. I’m just trying to share suggestions based on the folks I’ve seen make the very most of their Bouchercon experience.

Don’t Assume Everyone Knows You

At Bouchercon, we’re all equal. That is, authors don’t all wear day-glo t-shirts or walk around with their titles somehow floating above their heads. Some of you resemble your author photos and/or avatars, and some of you don’t. Some of us pay attention to these photos and some of us don’t.

The result is that even some of your reader fans might not recognize you by sight. So introducing yourself is never a bad idea.

Some of Us Are Nervous

To readers, many authors are celebrities. And some readers are nervous meeting celebrities, which can make us a little awkward. Putting us at ease can be as simple as offering a smile. Please don’t make us feel dumb if we stammer or say something stupid.

Some Readers Will Assume You Are Your Character

Yes, you write fiction (or non-fiction that’s not about you). We know that. But we’re readers, not authors, and as such, some folks will assume that you write about a hard-drinking, country music loving carouser because you are a hard-drinking, country music loving carouser, even if this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Regardless, many readers will want to ask you the eternal question: Where do you get the ideas for your stories/characters? Yes, you’ve answered the question a million times, but this is an environment where answering it just one more time will help solidify your support from readers.

Asking a Question Can Go a Long Way

By Sunday, you’ll probably be sick to death of answering questions. To break up the monotony, try asking some questions along the way. Ask a reader what she’s reading now. Or what first introduced her to crime fiction. Or what her favorite color is. Something as easy as a simple question can result in an interaction a reader will treasure and share.

Make New Friends

Like any gathering of lots of humans, there is a degree of cliqueishness that happens at Bouchercon. You might be inclined to hang out just with people you already know, but if you do so, you’re missing an opportunity. Remember that most of the readers in attendance have gone to some lengths—not to mention expense—to be there, and as such, chances are good that each of them has a degree of influence in their circles in which they travel. So walking over to a stranger and asking whether she’s having a good time might gain you a gaggle of new readers.

And last…

If someone asks you to sign a book, even if it’s outside the book room at your appointed time, for the love of Pete, don’t say no.

Be Good

by Erin Mitchell

In July, sci-fi author John Scalzi created a personal policy whereby he will not participate in conventions that don’t have a clear and articulated anti-sexual harassment policy. He felt this necessary following ongoing reports of harassment in various forms at sci-fi/fantasy/comic gatherings (I did a quick check and found detailed posts going back as far as 2008).

This week, someone asked on Twitter whether Bouchercon has an anti-harassment policy. I checked the bylaws and standing rules, and it does not. Which raises the question: does it need one?

I have no idea. I do know that I have never been harassed—not even close—at a Bouchercon (or any other crime fiction gathering). I’ve never seen anyone harassed, either. I have, however, heard stories that could fall into a definition of harassment, but they were dealt with between individuals, not requiring the intervention of organizers.

The fact is that Bouchercon is different from ComicCon. It has a completely different format, and the tone and tenor of events is vastly different. That said, there is a fair bit of consumption of adult beverages at Bouchercon, and any time there’s a group of grown-ups drinking copious amounts of booze, there’s a risk of inappropriate behavior.

Ultimately, though, I think it’s pretty simple: Be good. Treat people well. Have fun that’s not at the expense of someone else.

So, is the crime fiction community better than our sci-fi brethren? Nah. Is crime fiction less salacious than sci-fi? Definitely not. Do people wear fewer bikinis at Bouchercon than at, say, ComicCon? Yup. Should this make a difference? No, but here in the real world, it does.

Colleen Lindsay wrote a fantastic etiquette guide for people participating in ComicCon, and some of her advice applies to Bouchercon as well. Ultimately, I think it boils down to this:

We’re all going to Bouchercon for variations of the same reason. We all want to have fun, and we each define fun a little differently. We all know how to behave in ways that interfere with nobody else’s fun and that if we wonder whether something is appropriate, it probably isn’t.

I hope that a specific written policy for Bouchercon is unnecessary, but I realize I might be too Pollyanna about it. What do you think? Does Bouchercon need an anti- harassment policy? Do other crime fiction gatherings?

All About You

by Erin Mitchell

A few months back I accidentally agreed to help out with the social media for Bouchercon 2013. Mostly, this has meant managing the Facebook page...digging up answers to questions, sharing information, and trying to come up with interesting posts that will make attendees' and authors' Bcon experience better.

To that end, I've begun posting tidbits about some of the authors who will be on panels.

Side note: The above is "some" and not "all" because I'm one person doing this on a volunteer basis and it is a time-consuming endeavor. It is worth noting here, though, that Kris from BOLOBooks volunteered to help me gather stuff to post and has been a godsend.

So I've read a ton of author bios recently. Some of them are terrific. Some are, well, less-than. Your bio is probably the second most-important piece of content in your marketing arsenal, so here are a few of my observations...

Have One

Everything I'm about to say assumes that you have a website and said website includes a bio. If you're missing either of the two, you're doing it wrong.

Editing Matters

I am shocked at the number of author bios that contain grammatical errors. Stray commas are rampant, but this is not the only issue. Random capitalization, missing words, misspellings...I've seen 'em all. You guys are authors. You know that editing and proofreading matter, right?

I Don't Care

The group of people who care about things like who your publisher is and your book's ISBN number is specific and doesn't include the majority of your readers. When this information is needed, it can be easily found. But more often than not, it's not needed and it certainly doesn't belong in your bio. Same with book release dates.

We're All Bestsellers

The problems with the term "bestseller" are too numerous to detail here, but suffice to say that the word doesn't belong in your bio. If you're a bestseller, anyone reading your bio who cares will already know that you are. It's completely extraneous in this context (I do, for the record, think the term has a place in the marketing lexicon, but this isn't it).

It's Not A Novel

I'm all in favor of having a long, detailed bio providing it meets two criteria. First, the initial paragraph needs to be able to stand alone. Second, it doesn't include a bunch of extra, irrelevant crap (see above).

Awards

This is tricky. If you are a new, mid-list, or self-published author, mentioning awards you've won can work well in your bio. But they don't belong in the first paragraph.

Don't Bury the Lede

You are an author. The most important thing I care about in your bio, therefore, is what kind of books you write. If you write a series, give me a few words about your lead character. If you write gritty police procedurals, tell me that. Don't assume I already know.

Be Interesting

I'm reading your bio because I want to know a little bit about you. I don't really care where you went to college (if you need to include this for those who do, it also doesn't belong in the first 'graph), but if you were a body piercer before you became an author, I want to know that. If you published your first book as a first grader, shout it out.

Update

I'm amazed how many author bios I read that are out of date. The title of your latest book should be in the first paragraph. If you've had 10 books published and your bio says you're the author of 9, it's time for an update.

Be Safe

I hate to have to write this, but in this day and age, including your kids' names and ages is just not smart. Don't do it.

Now, all of that said, back to reading author bios...

Me and JK

Like the rest of the world, I was surprised last Saturday night to learn that Robert Galbraith, debut author of THE CUCKOO'S CALLING, is actually JK Rowling.

I case you've somehow missed the news, THE CUCKOO'S CALLING came out last April to little fanfare. It got some terrific (trade) reviews and a few tepid to negative ones. Exact numbers vary, but by any measure, it had not set the world on fire sales-wise.

THE CUCKOO'S CALLING introduces us to private investigator Cormoran Strike and his assistant/sidekick (she starts out as the former and becomes the latter), Robin. The case Strike and Robin investigate revolves around the apparent suicide of a supermodel.

Until Saturday night, I thought I had never read JK Rowling. I have nothing against her and I know many people I adore and respect love the Harry Potter books, but the whole kids-wizards fantasy was just never my thing. I considered reading THE CASUAL VACANCY, but didn't because with all the attention it received, it didn't need me as a reader, and I know with certainty that I will never be able to read all the books I'd like to in my lifetime.

So why did I read THE CUCKOO'S CALLING back in April? A few reasons. First, the book had compelling blurbs from a bunch of authors I respect, including Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, and Duane Swierczynski. Also, it was published by Mulholland (in the US) and Sphere (in the UK), and I like the books they publish more often than not. It had positive reviews from some UK bloggers I respect greatly, too. Then there was the fact that it was by a first-time author. This actually influenced my reading it quite a bit; as a reader, I like few things more than discovering a brand-new crime fiction talent.

And what did I think of the book? I thought it was...decent. I liked Strike and Robin a lot, so much that I had already decided to read the next book. I wasn't crazy about the plot of or characters around the case they investigate, though. I can't recall a single redeeming characteristic about them, and worse than not liking them, I was really indifferent about the case and characters other than Strike and Robin.

I expect readers who enjoy stories about celebrity culture and The Beautiful People would enjoy the book more than I did. For example, if you watch TMZ and read People or Hello magazines, you'll dig it. If you like a strong PI character and an even better kick-ass (in her own way) sidekick but don't cotton the aforementioned celebrity stuff, you might want to wait for the next in the series.

That said, the story absolutely moves along at a clip. I didn't notice the book's substantial length. At a couple of points I thought the editing could have been tighter, but I was ok with this because I figured being a first time author, this might well improve in subsequent books.

You might have read about the Latin phrases used throughout the book. These bugged me tremendously. They did not fit with the style, tone, pace, or content of the book. I didn't they belonged at all. In the last week, I've seen references to this being a Rowling "thing," but I've also read that she published under a pseudonym because she wanted honest feedback. So that's my honest tip for her: take the Latin out of the Strike books. It doesn't work.

I'm grateful to have read THE CUCKOO'S CALLING without know JK Rowling wrote it, because while I didn't love it to death, it was a good read, and had I known, I never would have chosen to read it. Not knowing also allowed me to reach a conclusion about the book and characters without being influenced by the author's fame, which I absolutely would have been.

I've read both positive and negative reaction to the Rowling Revelation. I was curious to know whether the blurbers knew when they read it, and so I asked them. They did not. I was also curious whether the marketing folks knew. Again, they did not.

Some people seem quite angry about the whole ruse and subsequent revelation, and frankly, I think this reaction is silly. This is not the first time a celebrity author has written under a pseudonym. Stephen King did it. Robert Ludlum did too. There are others. I don't feel duped for having read the book not knowing; as mentioned above, I'm glad I didn't know.

To JK Rowling I say: well played. To Robert Galbraith: keep writing. Your sophomore effort will likely be even better.

Fizzled Launches

If you’re old enough to recall mini CDs, then you know that there are some marketing problems dollars alone can’t solve. Occasionally, brains are required to connect consumers (readers) with products (books).

I’ve been watching closely the lead up to and launch of a particular book—which one isn’t important—that had all the elements to make for a best seller…big marketing budget, plenty of attention from the publisher, a committed and personable author, terrific early reviews, a story tailor-made for buzz-building and sales-driving marketing. This book has been out just over a month now, and so far, while it’s not fair to say it’s completely fizzled, it certainly hasn’t set the world on fire. No best seller lists, meager attendance at the book’s Facebook page… right now, it’s not even on Amazon’s list for its sub-genre.

So…what was missing? Simple. The missing element was—and remains—external vision.

The people doing the marketing have been obviously focused on how they look inside the four walls of their conference rooms. So those glowing early reviews got them plenty of kudos. Problem is, those reviews mean nothing to readers (especially this book’s audience).

When they unveiled the book’s Facebook page, there were more kudos to be had. But the author already had a page with a following, and there’s no content, community, or interaction on the book page that would encourage people to interact. There’s no “experience” for readers. It’s also not properly indexed, so it’s hard to find.

And most importantly, what content is there is not mobile friendly, thereby cutting out 751 million active Facebook users. To be clear: more than half of the people who use Facebook actively do so from a mobile device. So if your content is inaccessible via mobile, you’re doing it wrong.

(It’s worth noting that this book audience skews even more mobile than the rest of us so I find this especially aggravating.)

In the end, the (expensive) marketing around this book has fallen into a no-man’s land between readers and those who influence them, thereby connecting with few. It’s as if nobody took the time to think about the average Jane and Joe Schmo readers, how they find books, what gets them excited. And the thing is, great trade reviews + “it’s coming” messaging + “buy now” messaging simply isn’t it.

So what would have worked? Creating an engaging mobile experience. Rewarding people who spread the word to their friends (with something connected like, oh, say, books). Soliciting fan art. An appropriate celebrity endorsement. A guerilla t-shirt campaign. Carefully evaluated ad spends. In other words, a fully-formed marketing program that is focused first and foremost on the people who have the power to put a book on A List, the readers. Of course I’m completely biased, but I think someone from Outside the Hallowed Halls of Publishing could make a significant difference.

Here’s the thing: I don’t know what expectations the publisher had for this book, but whatever they were, it could be doing better. Much better. It is the first of a trilogy, and as such, I hope the folks pulling the strings don’t make it the book equivalent of the Sony D-88, because the story deserves better.

So the lesson for us all? Never, ever, forget to look around, outside your immediate environs. Test everything. Monitor your marketing activities, and when something isn’t working, change it.