That Magic Moment...

To start with, today one of you will be our 25,000^th visitor. So let me say a big THANK YOU! to all of our readers. And indulge me for a moment while I thank my fellow Murderati – Pari, Deni, Naomi, Simon, Elaine and Jeff, who bring so much to this blog, day after day, constantly writing ingenious, inventive and informative posts. Bravo, blogmates!

The success of Murderati became a launching pad of sorts for me. As I developed confidence in my essay abilities (I still feel they are woefully lacking, just look at Pari's  and Naomi’s posts this week to see why) I starting venturing into areas where I wasn’t as comfortable. I don’t have the expertise that my blog mates bring to the table. Let’s face it, I won’t even be in print until late next year. As a result, I’m finding that my blog entries are becoming more of a journal for what’s happening that week in my writing process.

When I started with Murderati back on April 7^th, I had no idea what was coming down the train tracks. I was struggling, trying to figure out the system, doing this blog, gleaning as much information as I could from my fellow writers, working on short stories, getting my name out, doing all the things I told all of you to do in my first column.

Then the world exploded. My agent took my manuscript out, I signed with MIRA, got involved with KillerYear, and went to ThrillerFest, all in a brief two-month period.

Things are getting back to normal now. I’m beginning to catch my breath. I actually go for long stretches at a time not thinking about the fact that I’m finally realizing my dreams of being published. The summer stretches before me. I haven’t received my edits on ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, so I’m moving forward on my next book.

There are moments when I’m working on a book, mile markers, if you will, that let me know how well I’m doing. My first major hurdle is the 20,000 word count. Until a new manuscript hits that point, it doesn’t feel like it’s ever going to be a real book. I broke 20K yesterday, so now I’m 80 pages into my 350 page journey and feeling like maybe, just maybe, I can salvage a book from this mess. My next big goal is the 100 page mark. Then I’ll feel like something substantial has been accomplished.

By setting and achieving small goals, I find that writing a book is that much easier. I try for 1,000 words a day. Sometimes I get on a roll and write 3000. Some days I struggle getting 500 down. But I continue to slog away, day after day, trying to just get the story down and not worrying as much about the perfect turn of phrase, or whether I’ve tied up that loose end. It’s the best advice I can give. Just get the story down. A draft is called that for a reason.

I love the moment that first draft is finished. It’s a time for celebration, to treat myself with something, a new book, an afternoon off. Because rewriting and editing are a lot easier than getting the story down in the first place.

Let me suggest something for anyone who struggles with getting that manuscript finished. There’s a contest in November called NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. Go to the site. Think about the goal – 50,000 words in 30 days. Think that’s impossible? It’s only 2600 words a day. The goal is to write. Write, write, write, like your hair is on fire. No looking back, no worrying about style, voice or point of view. That's all for your rewrite. It’s a great exercise in getting something major done on your manuscript.

Start now. Think about what you’re going to write, how the story will go, who your characters are, and when November 1^st rolls around, go for it. You have absolutely nothing to lose!

A Late PS: Jason Pinter has an excellent Do/Don't list at his blog today -- Check it out...

Wine of the Week: I discovered a new varietal this week that I really enjoyed and plan to add to the meager collection. It’s a Greek based Italian red grape called Aglianico, (ahn-LAHN-ico) from the Basilicata region. Try the Ars Poetica Vulcano, or the Re Manfredi Aglianico del Vulture.

Break Out!

I can finally announce it.  Ink has dried.  Hands have been shaken.  Checks have been cut.  The deal is done.  I’ve signed a contract with New York publisher, Dorchester Publishing.  They will be publishing my novel, Accidents Waiting To Happen, next March in paperback under their Leisure imprint.

Wow.  I’ve finally cracked the big leagues.  It only took me just under eight years.  And it only seems like an eternity.  J

And I almost blew it.  Like all adventures in my life, nothing happens without a little drama.  In publishing, good news arrives by phone.  Bad news arrives by self-addressed envelope.  The editor called--but I was in the shower.  I didn’t hear the call, and my answering machine didn’t feel like recording it either.  When I got home that evening, the message light was flashing.  I hit play and got:

“Hi, Simon, it’s Don.  I’m calling about the b--”

He was calling.  That meant good news, right?  But he’d only had the manuscript a few days.  He might be calling because he spilt coffee over it and needed another copy.  Or maybe it was so monumentally bad, he wanted to break protocol to call me personally to tell me how much it sucked and how he wished he could have those hours back that he’d burned up reading it.  I wanted to call, but it was nine o’clock on the east coast.  I don’t think he would have appreciated me calling information to get his home number.  But if he had good news, I figured I should return his call, otherwise, what would he think?  Hey, that Simon Wood guy didn’t return my call.  He sounds like a bit of a dilettante.  We don’t need his kind here at Dorchester Publishing.  Worse still, his message could have come with a time limit. 

“Hi, Simon, it’s Don.  I’m calling about the book.  I love it, I want it, but you have to return this call in the next hour or the deal is off.”

How bad would that be?

At this point, I might have begun obsessing, but don’t quote me.  I think Julie may have punched me too.  I think she got a little bored with my theories--or craziness, as she liked to call it.  I went to bed and decided to lay awake thinking about what he would say when I called him back.  Who needs sleep when faced with the important phone call of their writing career?

So I called early the next morning and got the good news that Dorchester did want the book and none of my imagined scenarios applied. 

Don hit me with, “So what do you think?”

I was so out of emotion at this point that all I could muster was “sounds good.” Yeah, I know, but it was the best I could come up with.

Now I understand why authors have agents.  We shouldn’t be allowed outside without a handler.

After all that, Dorchester still wanted to give me a contract.

It goes without saying that this is a huge writing career boost for me that will propel me out of the small press world.  Leisure books have great distribution.  All the major chains carry their titles prominently.  It will no longer be an issue for my readers to obtain my books, and it will be easy for new readers to discover me.  This is what I’ve always wanted.  Journey’s end.

This doesn’t mean I can slack off.  No way.  All that has changed is that my work will be more available and more affordable.  Writing a damn good story and getting the word out is just as tough. 

While having a book coming out in mass paperback is a great opportunity, it’s also a burden.  My book and I will be in the spotlight.  No longer will I have the excuse that my book just isn’t seen.  My publishing reputation is mine to lose.  It’s a worry, but it’s also a challenge and it’s a challenge that I relish.  I can’t wait for this book to get out there and see how far it will go.

Does this mean I’ll forget those people I’ve worked with in the small press?  No.  I owe my reputation to the small press.  I’m hoping that the wider net Accidents Waiting To Happen will cast will draw new readers to my small press titles.  The reason for this is twofold.  First, I want to repay the faith those small press publishers had in my work.  Second, I’m not finished with the small press.  I have plenty of other projects that will appeal more to small press than NY publishing, because of their subject matter, word length, genre, etc.  For me, this will be the best of both worlds.  I want to have venues where I can tell all my stories.

I’m not sure what will happen from now on.  Hopefully, it will lead to foreign rights sales or something nice like that.  I’ve always wanted to see my work and not understand a bloody word of it.  I just hope that this is the start of a beautiful relationship. 

See you on the bookshelves,

Simon Wood

A Traitor in Our Midst

NAOMI HIRAHARA

I’m a traitor, that’s what some of the hardcores are going to say. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

What am I talking about? Well, brace yourself–the book I’m currently writing is not a mystery.

I didn’t train to be a mystery writer. So I was unaware of the requirements of the genre until, well, I received my first mystery book contract in 2003.

Rule #1:

If you write a mystery series, you need to produce at least a book a year.

Imagine my naivete. Before getting published, I had no idea of the required annual output. I read mystery series, but often out of order, and never bothered to check the publication date.

Rule #2:

You write five or six mysteries in a series, and then you can write a standalone–and that should also be a mystery, preferably a thriller.

My response: I’ve never been that good with rules.

I’ve only done three in my Mas Arai mystery series–and they all have been trade paperback originals. I guess my goal should be to get a book in the series in hardback before I go out and strike it out in another genre.

But the publishing industry is more cutthroat than ever, and there’s less time to make your mark. Some of my readers are not necessarily mystery fans–a number are more likely to pick up Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan or Cynthia Kadohata’s Kira-Kira before Janet Evanovich or James Patterson. I’ve been itching to write from a woman’s point of view and not necessarily in the context of a standard mystery. So here I go.

I should be scared, but I’m exhilarated. Cut off all the safety lines and jump.

Getting that first contract does change you, and many things have been lost along the way. Just as spirituality needs to be cultivated on a regular basis, so does the art of writing. The risk of it. Entering new territory and not knowing really how you and your work are going to be transformed.

I do plan to return to the mystery series, fully refreshed. In addition to this nonmystery novel, I have an idea for a mystery standalone, so it may be two books before I return to my crusty protagonist Mas.

I wish that I could tell you the next episode in this writing story. Show you some teasers–perhaps of a small band of Mas Arai fans in revolt or me rotting away in the corner of my office, spider webs stretching from my head to the ceiling.

But there are no signs of the future.

I just jump.

WEDNESDAY’S WORD: abunai (SUMMER OF THE BIG BACHI, page 22)

Definition: dangerous, risky, perilous. Abunai, Will Robinson, abunai. Enough said.

QUIBBLES & BITS

Deni Dietz

I was going to sub-title this week's Quibbles & Bits: "Do Blogs Sell Books?" But I think I'll write that one next week and, instead, talk about a recent newspaper survey.

My local Canadian newspaper, The Times Columnist [based in Victoria, B.C.], has never reviewed my books. That's probably because my books aren't International bestsellers, nor lit'ry enough, nor are they written by someone named Dan Brown (note to self: use the pseudonym "Dani Brown" for future books).

A few weeks ago the paper had an article called "Sexes divided on literary loves." The article included a survey of 3000 Canadians. That's a lot of Canadians, folks---trust me. [Unless, of course, you're counting calls/votes for Canadian Idol; then it goes up to around 3 million.]

Asked by Indigo Books to name their favorite books, male readers strongly preferred action-packed titles.

And this is news because...?

The majority of males chose J.R.R. Tolkein, Dan Brown [sigh] and Chuck Palahniuk. [Note to self: Change name to non-gender-specific Denny Dietz; change title of half-written "Toe of Frog" to THE DA VINCI TOAD.]

Sonya Gaulin, a spokeswoman for Indigo, said, "The books that women chose are more sentimental, whereas the ones men chose tend to be a bit more in the fantasy, adventure and mystery-thriller genre."

Well, duh!

The top seven books chosen by men in order of preference were: Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (for some reason, that one made me laugh for approx five minutes straight), and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown [sigh].

Women chose Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, He's Not That Into you by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo [Is that a new erotica?], Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, Confessions of a Shopaholic [great title!] by Sophie Kinsella, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

I've actually read those last two, and, a long time ago, P and P [I didn't like it, so sue me].

According to the survey, only 8 titles overlapped as favorites of men and women alike: Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown [sigh], Tuesdays With Morey by Mitch Albon, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albon, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, and I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb.

Notice the lack of crime fiction. And of the 8 titles listed, I've read TDC [I didn't like it, so sue me] and Mockingbird.

How many have you read? And, for that matter, what books would YOU have chosen? Top three will do; 8 is a bit much.

Last Sunday's Times Columnist had an interview with Lee Child, cribbed from an Associated Press article. When talking about how he named his protagonist Jack Reacher, Lee said, "Every time I go to the supermarket -- without exception, every time -- because I'm tall and look approachable, a little old lady comes up to me and says, 'You're a nice tall gentleman. Will you reach and get me that can?' So my wife said, 'If this novelist thing doesn't work out, you can get a job as a reacher in a supermarket.' And I said, 'Good name!' So that's where it came from."

So now I'm curious, Lee. Where did the name "Jack" come from?

In conclusion...

Notes to self:
1 - Change Denise Dietz to the non-gender-specific Denny Dietz, or even
better, Dani Brown or Denny Brown.

2 - Change titles of "diet club" mysteries THROW DARTS AT A CHEESECAKE, BEAT UP A COOKIE, and CHAIN A LAMB CHOP TO THE BED to:

THE MICHELANGELO MANIFESTO [after all, the Weight Winners diet club meetings take place in a church!]
IN SEARCH OF ALAN ALDA
INTENSITY [one-word titles seem to do well]

3 - I'm 5'2" and no one would ever ask me to reach for anything, but I am a free-lance editor, so name next protagonist "Freelance [Lance] Editor."

Over and Out,
Deni/Dani/Denny
author of the new Lance Editor mystery series, co-starring a vicious killer cat named Grateful Dead

Lampreys, Megamouths and Cane Toads: Overmarketing

by Pari Noskin Taichert

I've been thinking about sea lampreys this week. You see, I've been searching for animal images to embody my ideas about an often ignored subject: Overmarketing. Though books on promotion exhort us to use every trick we can, they rarely caution about overusing them. Yet, I'd bet all of us have met the author who overmarkets to the point of turning sweet to sour.

It comes down to this: there's a difference between telling people about your book and pummeling them with it.

At its best, overmarketing comes off as annoying and pathetically desperate. At its worst, it offends. It repels and turns potential allies into gossipy ennemies.

Here are the three types of overmarketers I can define easily.

Sea Lamprey
This parasite has a big mouth, too many teeth and sucks the joy of a purchase right out of you.

Picture yourself going into a bookstore. An author walks up to you and starts talking about his books. You nod politely, perhaps ask a question, smile and start to walk way. The author accompanies you, still working to engage in conversation, interpreting each of your sighs as a confirmation of interest. You try to escape behind a bookcase. He finds you. Finally, you buy his damn book just to get rid of him. Sure, he made the sale, but I bet that $15 won't cover the compounded negative stories customers will tell about him to other people.

Megamouth Shark
Though harmless enough, the megamouth inspires even the kindest person to hide -- ducking into convenient bathrooms or jumping off cliffs -- until this animal has cleared the waters.

This author has a mouth the size of Cuba. It's the sheer volume of information gushing from her maw that initially tranfixes, and then horrifies, the poor person in its path. She can -- and will -- recite every blurb and review her books have ever gotten . . . verbatim. She turns every conversation, no matter how far the stretch, right back to her work and accomplishments. When attacked by this animal, you're tempted to check if she has functioning ears; there appears to be no ability to listen.

Australian Cane Toad
Cane toads tend to be more experienced authors who've forgotten their beginnings, suffer from too much insecurity, or who think "humility" refers to the amount of moisture in the air.

Cane-toad authors sit on panels or in discussions and take them over in a poisonous way. This can be done by never answering the question asked (responding only about their books) or killing the competition through rudeness including clever insults, blathering and not listening. Within minutes of encountering a cane toad, the literary environment is out of balance and remains toxically so.

How do you avoid becoming one of these ugly animals?
It's about balance, baby. Well, that, and common courtesy.

Know your audience.
Yeah, this sounds simple. Believe me, it isn't. You have to work at it. Strive to be aware of the people with whom you hope to communicate. Know both their spoken and unspoken rules of etiquette no matter what the medium -- be it face-to-face, the phone, in print or online. If you don't take the time to understand your audience, you'll always blunder.

Listen.
Talk WITH, rather than AT, people. An upside to doing this is that you'll get unexpected ideas for your future marketing efforts. Also, you'll learn to avoid the mistakes that irritate your main allies. Guess how I started thinking about overmarketing in the first place? It was because of the comments I heard from readers -- and booksellers -- about this or that author's inappropriate behavior.

Watch (a.k.a. study).
A year before THE CLOVIS INCIDENT came out, I started going to mystery conventions and booksignings. Like a cultural anthropologist, I studied what worked and what didn't. I noticed behaviors that engaged potential readers -- and those that revolted them. In that first year, I encountered all of the human equivalents to the animals mentioned above.

Respect.
Today, audiences are far more marketing savvy than they used to be. Never forget that people can detect the sulphorous scent of condescension and the slimy textures of manipulation. Please, refuse to succumb to the temptation of arrogance.

In nature, lampreys, megamouths and cane toads can't help what they are.

In our business, authors can.

cheers,
Pari (who's feeling a bit like a brine shrimp today)