Promo Puzzle

 

Terry here, with our doozy of a question for this week: What is the best money you ever spent on promotion and marketing? Travel for bookstore reading events? Advertising? (If so, where—in a conference program book? Newspaper? Social media? Amazon)? Giveaways? A “discovery” website like BookBub or Fresh Fiction? 

 Promotion is so hit and miss that it hardly seems possible to figure it out. Gone are the days when publishers routinely promoted their authors—maybe by helping pay for an ad or buying bookmarks. Or even, heaven forbid, helping to arrange a book tour. I look on with envy at those top tier authors whose publishers organize a book tour. And with absolute raging jealousy at those whose publishers actually pay for the expense of the tour. Not that I begrudge them, mind you. I mean I just wish we all could get those perks. 

Still, I have had some enjoyable promotional experiences. Probably my all-time favorite was when I stopped in at a local wine store and started chatting with the owner. She found out I was an author and asked if I might like to do an event at the store. I wrote a proposal, she accepted and it was a rousing success. I had a local bookseller come to sell the books and she sold out the forty copies she’d brought. I had arranged to give a ticket to each attendee for one glass of wine each. The store sold so many cases of wine that she simply opened up the bar for “seconds.” Not only was it a rousing commercial success, but it was great fun. 

On the other end of the spectrum, an Eileen Fisher clothing store asked if I’d like to do an afternoon “stop by and talk to the author” event. It was a dud. People came in to buy clothes and seemed confused about why an author was standing there with a pile of books. Not that they minded partaking of the wine and cheese the store had provided! 

So, it’s really hard to tell what’s going to work. 

The most common events, of course, are bookstore readings. And Covid threw a big wrench in those. Before Covid, I routinely went to bookstores not only in Texas and California, but in other states in between where I knew people who could help by bringing in readers and book buyers. 

It was a grand old time, even though occasionally no one would show up. I knew that was always a possible. 

When I was a new author, it seemed like anything I spent on promo was “worth it.” Hop on a plane and go from place to place reading at bookstores? Great! Buying promotional items like pens, little flashlights, bookmarks? Yes! Buying ads on Amazon or Facebook? Sounds good to me. BookBub? You bet! Fresh Fiction? Sure. I loved talking in front of people. Giving away swag was fun! Ads seemed smart. I was selling books, I was welcomed by bookstores, I arranged to read with other authors. I was invited to be on panels at Book Festivals. I was flying high. 

It barely entered my excited “new author brain” that most of the money I spent was going in to the pocket of my publisher. And that I was spending a lot more on promotion than I was getting back in royalties. And I was a little spoiled because although my first publisher didn’t spend money on my travel, they paid for bookmarks, they promoted my appearances, and they brainstormed with me about how to promote the books. Plus, my books were carried by Penguin-Random House, and their local rep got me all kinds of gigs I might never have gotten into.

My first inkling that I was spending a lot more than I was getting back happened in the dead of winter. At a bookstore event in Austin, even though it was sleeting outside, I had a good audience, including people who had driven well over an hour to attend.

The next day I was to go to Dallas, but I heard that the weather was going to be awful there. So I called the bookstore to make sure they were still going to have the event. They assured me that I should come despite the weather. Expenses: A plane trip. A hotel. A car. No one showed up. No one. Turned out that people in Dallas didn’t go out much when it was 15 degrees. 

And then Covid happened and for those of us who are firmly mid-list, the bookstore events because harder to book. I began to find that only if I arranged to speak with other authors would bookstores welcome me. And other authors lamented the same thing. The other issue was that I moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. In the Bay Area I had wide range of bookstores that were happy to host me, knowing I’d bring in a good audience. In LA I know some people, but they are all spread out geographically, and it was hard to get them to drive an hour in the evening. I actually feel like a poor country cousin, depending on long-established LA authors for invitations to join them. And those are few and far between. But there are people like fellow "mind" Eric Beetner, who beats the drum for authors all over LA. 

So I’m left these days wondering where the promotional money should be spent. I take out ads in mystery magazines and conference programs. I have run a few Amazon ads that seem to go nowhere, and Facebook ads simply baffle me. I think the writers who are most successful with those ads hire book promoters to run ad campaigns, and from what I’ve heard, those are expensive and authors rarely make their money back. Which leaves word of mouth. Always the best. Friends and family. Newsletter friends. Old fans. Golden. People who buy books for their relatives, who tell their book clubs, who tell friends. 

So…if you’re reading this, first….BUY MY BOOKS.

And then tell your friends.

Does Drinking with Fellow Authors Count as Marketing? - by Matthew Greene

 What is the best money you ever spent on promotion and marketing?

The rudest of rude awakenings I experienced as debut author was the realization that marketing was going to fall on my shoulders. Coming from the theatre and film worlds, I'd grown accustomed to fading into the background, letting my work speak for itself. Little did I know, the world of publishing doesn't take kindly to "vanishing" unless you're literally J.D. Salinger. And I, sadly, am not...yet! So, I had to get used to the subtle and not-so-subtle art of selling myself.

That being said...I'm not claiming to be good at this whole marketing thing. But I will get better. Watch this space.

To get back to the question, though, I will state proudly that I don't regret a single dollar spent on travel, events, or conferences. It may seem contradictory, since reading and writing are seemingly solitary acts, but nothing sells books (or authors!) quite community. So, of course, I leapt at every opportunity to connect in-person with readers and fellow authors at events like Malice Domestic and Bouchercon, as well as signing and events I planned myself.

More than the practical output of moving books and engaging with readers, these events offered the opportunity to build my network, which I'd argue is the most important thing a debut author can do. I happen to be working in a genre that is full of the kindest and most generous people I've ever met, which makes the "work" of networking a joy. Sharing drinks and meals, chatting between panels and signings, and staying up late for cocktails and disco dance parties (you know who you are)...it all adds up to the kinds of relationships that enrich your professional and personal life. 

This would be my strongest advice to new authors: find every possible chance to connect "irl" (as the kids say) with this fabulous community of new bookish friends. It will help get your books in front of people and feed your soul at the same time. And it's all tax-deductible!*

*Not legal financial advice. Please consult with an actual accountant. But...probably?

The Secrets We Keep by Poppy Gee

My husband can rest assured I'll never share our secrets!
(Maybe I shouldn't be sharing this funny photo either!)

How do you choose your characters? Do you base them off of people from real-life? If so, how you disguise your characters so their real-life counterparts don't recognize them?

Guilty as charged.

I used to deny this, and insist that all my characters are fictional. The truth is, they're an amalgam of people I know really well, people I've met briefly, people I've seen on television or in a movie, or have read about in the newspaper. The trick is to pinch details here and there, and then artfully disguise them within the character so you don't get sued or told off at a family reunion. 

When I start writing, it helps me to think of someone I know as the basis for the character. This is a compliment, because the person is someone who stands out to me: they're intriguing, complex and fascinating. By the time I've got the story up and running, the character has grown into themself, and are quite different to the real life inspiration.

In my novel Vanishing Falls, my protagonist Joelle was inspired by a newspaper report I read about a young teenage girl who got caught up in a heinous crime. I read everything I could get my hands on about this real girl, and there wasn't much. She had an intellectual impairment, she was a foster child, she was underprivileged, and she disappeared out of public records after the men who committed the crime were sent to jail. I believe she changed her name and hopefully, got on with her life. I was so intrigued with her that I decided to write a novel about a girl like her whose life had a happy ending. In my novel, Joelle is happily married, is the proud mother of twins, lives in quaint cottage beside a creek, and is a valued member of her community. I did a lot of research/interviews to shape the character, too. 

In my debut novel, Bay of Fires, I was intrigued by a childhood friend who is obsessed with ocean fishing. I grew up hearing his stories, watching him fish for fun and professionally. This is an industry/hobby that is very removed from my life, and I imagined a female character who has a similar environmental consciousness, a strong sense of autonomy, a person who doesn't feel particularly compelled to conform to social expectations, with loads of integrity. Apart from those things, my protagonist is very different to her muse - her back story is her own, and that's what shapes her decisions. No one except my friend has ever really questioned me about it. I interviewed him at length so he knew what was going on and he didn't mind. 

A mistake I see some writer friends making in early drafts is writing about the problems they have with their husbands, parents, siblings, or friends in an attempt to make sense of it, and not concealing the recognisable qualities of those people. I think it's an amateur mistake but I also think it's lazy, and, if it's unflattering or biased, it's potentially cruel. None of us as writers would want to be written about unfavourably in a published document. Change their job, the city they live in, the decor of their house, the sport they play, the school they went to and the restaurants the adore etc... it's easy to do, and will save much heartache and embarrassment later. 

Unless, the person has become an arch enemy or a nemesis. But that's a post for another day!

Inspiration for writing bad guys, with some pictures of good guys, by Catriona

How do you choose your characters? Do you base them off of people from real-life? If so, how you disguise your characters so their real-life counterparts don't recognize them?

I don't base characters on real people, generally.

For instance, I've never written a villain who's utterly and completely without a single redeeming feature. A man who is not only stupid, but also ignorant; not only ignorant but proudly so. Too uninformed to know how uninformed he is and too lazy to amend it.

I've never written a character whose greed is both oceanic and petty, who is so shallow that the greed for trinkets is his entire raison d'etre, whose very shallowness prevents him from understanding the worthlessness, so that he can't comprehend the scorn his obsessions attract from others.

I've never written a character whose cynicism about goodness, kindness and honesty have rotted him from crumbling bone to pitted skin, so that he's blind to what he's missing, but instead blunders about convinced that what he sees in others' eyes is envy.

I've never written a character so self-regarding that he ranks people only in terms of how much they flatter him, while his self-absorption stops him ever seeing the contempt behind the pandering words, even while he has to invent extra, imaginary people stroking his bloated and revolting ego because there aren't enough toadies in the real world to keep the stinking fantasy afloat.

I've never written someone absolutely without humour, who can't delight in anything, whose closest dim approach to joy is a kind of rancid glee in his own perceived triumphs, in others' supposed weakness as they live their lives based on, and bound by, values he is incapable of recognising for the wondous things they are.

I've never written a man drawling, sneering, mocking, mimicking, putting spoiled infant tantrums to shame with his jibes, endlessly embarrassing himself with pitiful attacks on his betters, while being so thin-skinned and insecure, so fragile and patchwork and rickety, that any slight, glancing however lightly against his poor, pathetic vision of himself, sends him shrieking into hysteria, thrashing and squealing like an eel trapped in a bucket, until because of the very humanity he doesn't share and cannot see, we all, from helpless pity, look away.

Cx

Is that you? by Eric Beetner

 How you you choose your characters? Do you base them off of people from real-life? If so, how you disguise your characters so their real-life counterparts don't recognize them?

I’ve taken names, verbal tics, physical attributes from people I know, but never a whole person. Part of that comes from not wanting them to take offense if I kill them off, but also I feel like if I’m writing about someone I know then I’m shortcutting the creative process for myself.

Also, I write about a lot of bad people doing bad things and I’m fortunate enough to only know nice people, I guess. I don’t even have a weird uncle in prison somewhere I can draw from. My extended family is midwestern nice and would be very boring in a book. The closest I came was using my Grandfather’s first name for a character who was a boxer, as he was in real life. Even that came with too many explanations that he, in fact, never killed anyone like the character, even in self defense like the character. It got exhausting to keep clarifying that the only thing the two people shared was a name and an occupation.  

If people want to choose to see themselves in a book of mine I always find that curious. And it’s fascinating to find out how they see themselves. “You though that might be based off of you, huh? This guy who killed three people?”

There are also a few names I’ve kept a ban on, like my wife’s. No matter how far removed from her I would write someone, sharing a name would invite some awkward conversations and assumptions about how she thinks I see her. Is she a femme fatale? A victim? A shrill, hard-boiled matron? I want to avoid that at all costs. Same thing with my kids. I can live without those three names in my fiction.

Characters come to me when I find the right person to plug into a plot who would give it the maximum friction. Someone outside of their comfort zone. Someone not used to dealing with an extreme situation of life and death. Someone you might not expect to be involved in a crime novel.

I like writing older characters, and often dislike writing children. I like writing outside of my gender and race, but always worry I’m getting it wrong. 

Mostly, I like making up people from out of thin air. I like nothing beholden to impressions of someone I know in real life. I like the total freedom with a person I’ve invented. And when they begin to feel fleshed out and fully formed to the point that certain reactions or feelings they have make sense and what they wouldn’t do or say are apparent, then I know I have a three-dimensional character. 

If I ever did use a real person as inspiration or placed a person I know in a story and didn’t change a thing about them, I would never try to hide it. If I ever do it, it will be an homage. I’d want them to know. I’d want them to see it on the page and hopefully get excited and not embarrassed or question what I think of them in real life. It could be an honorific, a tribute or a payback for some kindness they paid to me. But if you end up in one of my books, trust me, you’ll know it. 

The Shape of What Remains in Character

How do you choose your characters? Do you base them on people from real life? If so, how do you disguise your characters so their real-life counterparts don’t recognize them?

 

The characters in my Shane series are composites and amalgams. They were part of my ecosystem. They’re all dead, which is convenient. As for The Company Files, my characters are part of a narrative strategy. For you to understand me, I need to provide context.

I didn’t do writing right. I wasn’t the child who knew he wanted to be a writer at seven, Crayola in hand, the plot outlined in cursive, back when they taught Penmanship and Geography. I was seven in 1975. For those who remember Arithmetic, I was born in 1968.

I’ll spare you the stereotype of Gen X as feral latchkey kids who learned self-reliance. My childhood was starker and stranger than that. I had a room that wasn’t mine. My clothes were elsewhere, in two parts of the house. A bedside table held a .357.

Home was not where I wanted to be.

If asked who I was then, I might say: listen to the opening of Billy Joel’s Vienna. That was me. Ambitious. Afraid. Moving too fast without knowing why.

By twenty-one, I had lived and experienced more than most, and internalized trauma.

Reviews and readers say I write hard-boiled crime fiction tinged with a quirky sense of humor, or that I write intelligent historical fiction.

Yes and No.

What I write isn’t trying to look like 1975; it’s that I learned something from 1975. A reader can take the work at face value, or read between the lines and see it as metaphor—for society, and for trauma normalized.

Walker, from The Company Files, survived World War II. He floats, unmoored, and slowly learns that he is a writer. That’s me. I survived things most people don’t, and I didn’t come to writing until my early forties—after cancer, after learning how to live with what remained.

Shane Cleary, in my series set in 1970s Boston, is displaced. He doesn’t belong.
He navigates dangerous systems because he has no faith in benign ones.

I was betrayed by every institutional authority figure there was.

I was the cub fed to the wolf as a child. Those who should have offered sanctuary provided betrayal—psychological and physical violence. Shane’s long arc is learning to live with the violence he committed in Vietnam and recognizing Bonnie as home. His cat, Delilah, is his conscience and the one living thing he trusts. I’ve spent years trying to reconcile the violence visited upon me and what I did in self-defense.

I was an inquisitive kid—call it intelligent or precocious—but I saw patterns early and asked questions. Too many questions. I was told, explicitly, to shut up. Nobody cared what I thought. Nobody wanted to hear it.

I write spare and compressed because fear is an efficient teacher.

Some contradictions I observed at a young age:

• We say separation of Church and State, but recite the Pledge of Allegiance and mention God.
• If we don’t know geography, “conflict” is out of sight and out of mind.
• If you’re bombarded with media nonstop, you don’t think—you react.
• If you don’t know how to write cursive, thought and connection are lost.
• We buy stuff we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.

Style for me isn’t about being current. It’s about being coherent.

I write between categories, which makes me a challenge to agents. I write what I know and what I knew. I know the Seventies because I lived them as a child. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s integrity. The decade has been labeled the Me Decade, but it’s really the graveyard of Sixties idealism. The Eighties, for me, were Conservatism, Consumerism, and Cocaine. After that, the pattern repeats—same impulses, new packaging.

Are my characters based on people I knew?

Yes and No.

Composites and amalgams, like I said earlier. I won’t name-drop because the dead can’t defend themselves. I didn’t write them to exploit them. I write to work through trauma. Catharsis. I write to reveal uncomfortable truths. All my fiction is about pattern recognition.

A reviewer once declined to cover my work because I write about organized crime. I found that ironic and unfortunate. My protagonists are anti-heroes. They live at the intersection of personal history and History with a capital H. Nuance is lost these days. I’d like to think I write about living in the Upside Down. My “bad” guys have ethics. My “good” guys and the ‘System’ are corrupt and amoral.

Look outside your window and tell me it isn’t a mafia democracy.

 

And now, coming to the stage…

 

 

How do you choose your characters?

 

Long before I ever attempted to write or publish a word, this was the question I heard asked to every writer I’ve ever heard speak. Whether it was an experienced journalist doing a professional interview, or me, timidly raising my hand from a fold-up chair in a room full of aspiring writers like myself. We all want to know the same thing, where do these strange people living in our heads come from?

 

The simple answer is, I don’t know. They simply appear. Sometimes they rush into the creative waiting room in my brain, quietly take a seat, and wait politely for me to build their world giving me little more than a name and a desire to tell their story.

 

Other times, they come charging in, their whole story already intact, refusing to be still until I’ve written down every single word. But whether they slink in as quiet as a ghost or kick in the door. There is nothing more exciting than meeting or finding a new character.

 

I once sat behind a lady with a thick white rope of a braid hanging all the way down the middle of her back. I shuffled her write into my waiting room, where her story is still percolating today. One day I hope to bring her to life on the page. And when someone asks, how did you come up with that wild character, maybe I’ll tell the boring truth, or maybe I’ll have written her a whole new backstory by then.  

 

This is one writer’s way, not the only way. I know this all too well. I’ve heard that some writers actually plan their entire stories before ever writing a word, including their characters. They sketch them out, get to know them, and build their story around the character. Far be it for me to judge, but I’m judging, but not really. Everyone’s process is different. And for that reason, I’ve come to believe that is an impossible question to answer.

 

But we’ll keep trying, because characters are the most important part of the story, right?

 RIP Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and Keith Porter Jr. 

 

Staying Connected Across Continents - by Harini Nagendra

In-person conferences are great for socialization and building a community and increasing motivation. But if you're not in the position to make it to one of these conferences, what are some good way to stay involved in the writing community?

This week's question felt very personal - as most of you know, I'm based in India, and write for an international readership. Most of my readers are in India or North America (USA and Canada) - and while I do go to a number of in-person literature festivals and other writers' events in India, I've made it to just one writer conference in Canada, and one in the US, over the past 5 years and 4 historical mysteries.

I'd love to do more in-person events - the energy and camaraderie that comes from meeting other writers over meals and drinks, and the high of meeting readers face-to-face, can't quite be captured online. And yet the barriers are steep - flight distances, costs, visas, and complex logistics.

Writer networks have been a great boon for me. I'm a member of three terrific writer organizations - Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America - through these, I've made so many friends, despite having never met most of them in person, including James Ziskin, Catriona McPherson and Gigi Pandian, just to name a few. When I was struggling to find time and mind space to complete my latest book, I reached out to writers I've known only on email for advice, and based on years of their own experience with writing, through good times and bad, they offered suggestions that helped me push through and cross the finish line. 

I've also coordinated online conversations with some of the writers I first met through these writer communities - like Sujata Massey, with whom I did an Instagram conversation, and whom I later had the joy of meeting in Bangalore. A shoutout to all my writer friends reading this - if you make it to my city, let me know! 

And of course, there are ways now to participate in writer conferences online too - a couple of years back, I participated in the Surrey International Writer's Conference in Canada and gave three workshops, meeting other writers there too, all thanks to the magic of online conference platforms like Zoom.

With a little ingenuity and a lot of persistence, there are many ways in this age of internet to stay connected with your writing tribe - it's not quite the same as an in-person conference, but can come quite close!     

     

Sow What You Reap from James W. Ziskin

In person conferences are great for socialization and building a community and increasing motivation. But if you're not in the position to make it to one of these conferences. What are some good way to stay involved in the writing community? 

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to have made many friends in the writing community. I advise all writers, aspiring, new, and old hands to do the same. The benefits of belonging are undeniable. But be sure to sow or you will not reap.

Ways to belong:

When my first novel (Styx & Stone) was published in 2013, I didn’t know anyone in the writing biz. My editor suggested I attend conferences to get to know people, so I started with Bouchercon (Albany). I’ve written in this space before that many in our community have less-than-fond memories of that conference, but I had a blast. For me, it opened up a brand-new world of ideas, possibilities, and dreams. During those four days back in 2013, I made lots of new, fast friends. But along with the camaraderie, I embarked on a long journey of learning and enrichment, thanks in great part to the many conferences I attended in the years that followed. I quickly came to consider Bouchercon, Left Coast Crime, ThrillerFest, Malice Domestic, New England Crime Bake, California Crime, and other industry gatherings as priceless opportunities to improve my craft. I tried to attend as many panels as I could and introduced myself to other authors and readers whenever they stood still. Yes, I made the most of my time by listening and socializing. But I also paid it back to the community. How? I invited countless others into the conversations I was having, introduced newbies and wallflowers to my acquaintances, and tried to be a good citizen. An author unwilling to lend a hand—or ear—to an aspiring writer or eager reader is an author who should have stayed home.

If, however, you’re unable to attend conferences as often as you’d like, there are other ways to get involved. You can join professional organizations such as Sisters in Crime (SinC), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and local writers groups. Want to meet some fine, generous writers? Offer to judge some of the juried award competitions such as the MWA’s Edgars and Thrillerfest’s Thriller Awards. It’s a ton of reading, but that’s a good thing!

You should also make productive use of social media. We all know social media can be a cesspool of…well…sewage. But we can at least attempt to water down the sewage with some positivity. Make friends on Facebook, promote yourself but also others. If you only toot your own horn, you’ll end up in a one-man band. There’s also Instagram and Bluesky, but I find that writers tend to gravitate toward Facebook. Don’t be afraid to reach out and request friendships! But be careful whom you accept. Avoid the bots and trolls.

What will you get out of it?

So what benefits can you expect to receive from all this hard work and socializing? That’s easy.

1. Emotional support—ears to bend, encouragement, care.

2. Editorial support—e.g. beta readers, subject-matter experts, etc.

3. Promotional support—ideas for publicity, brand development.

4. Friendship

5. Resources—research, questions, networking.

6. Hive mind—get advice and answers.

7. Blurbs—Be polite and realize it’s a big ask. Pay it forward and backward.

8. Introductions—you might be able to make important contacts with agents, editors, writers you admire.

9. Help in burying bodies—This goes without saying.

682

Ldslhjsdlgjh

Stay Connected

In person conferences are great for socialization and building a community and increasing motivation. But if you're not in the position to make it to one of these conferences, what are some good way to stay involved in the writing community?

by Dietrich

Writing conferences can be pure magic. There’s that electric buzz in the air, the random hallway chats that turn into lifelong friendships, those spontaneous coffee runs where you network or brainstorm a plot twist with someone who just gets it. Hearing a favorite author on a panel or sharing a quick word can light a fire like nothing else. And being there is a reminder that we’re part of this wonderful tribe of storytellers.

But life doesn’t always make it easy. Travel costs add up in a hurry. Work and family obligations pull us in a dozen directions. Distance can be a real barrier. Hopping to the next big event can mean setting aside work and spending a chunk of time away. 

And for those of us who lean introverted, the crowded hallways, endless small talk, and noisy conference bars can feel more draining than energizing. I’ve come home from great events feeling both exhilarated and completely overstimulated, needing a full day to recharge.

The good news is we don’t have to miss out on the community, motivation, feedback or networking. The online writing world offers plenty of ways to stay plugged in—right from the home office, the couch, or wherever we write best. No suitcase, no sensory overload, and we can engage at our own pace.

There are dedicated online communities and forums like Absolute Write Water Cooler year-round. Virtual workshops, panel discussions and courses are everywhere — sites like Writer’s Digest University and MasterClass, and many more. There are organizations that offer on-line support too: Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, International Association of Crime Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and so on.

Social media has become the modern-day water cooler. Facebook groups, X, Bluesky, Instagram and similar platforms let us share snippets, celebrate wins, vent about rejections, and swap advice. We can join genre-specific groups or follow authors we admire. Okay, it’s not the same as shaking hands in person (not even close), but those quick daily interactions keep the momentum going and can lead to real friendships and collaborations.

Marketing has moved online too. We can build a newsletter, promote on social platforms, host virtual launches, and join online book clubs—all low-pressure ways to grow an audience and connect with readers.

The bottom line: whether we’re dealing with budget, health, introversion, or simply prefer our own space, the writing community is wide open online. We can build meaningful relationships, get thoughtful feedback, stay fired up, and promote our work—all without getting off the couch.

Release date: March 31, 2026

Connections without Cons

 

January 20 Hi! Terry here with our question of the week: In person conferences are great for socialization and building a community and increasing motivation. But if you're not in the position to make it to one of these conferences. What are some good way to stay involved in the writing community? 

 Long before I was published, I read a book called Making a Literary Life, by Carolyn See. She suggested that if you wanted to live a literary life, besides writing every day, you should write to authors you admire. She said doing so accomplishes the following: 

-It salutes the writer 

-It says, “I exist in the same world as you.” In other words, it announces to yourself that you are seriously pursuing the business of writing. 

-It invites the author to come out and play. The author may not respond, but they may. 

 I had a good friend who wrote short stories and who corresponded for years with the eminent science fiction writer Gene Wolfe. When he started out, he didn’t ask Wolfe for a favor. He didn’t gush about how wonderful a writer he was. He simply told him he admired his work, and why. And he asked questions. They “socialized” through long, rambling letters. 

 When I read See’s book, I decided to write an email to Attica Locke, who had just published her first book, Black Water Rising. I admired the novel, and told her why. And she answered! At the time I had no idea she was already well-known as a screen-writer. We corresponded several times—which made me feel like I was somehow getting a peek into the community of successful crime writers. 

 Now? All that letter-writing seems quaint. It may have satisfied the protagonist of The Correspondent, the breakout best-seller by Virginia Evans, but in today’s world, not so much. Besides the old-fashioned way of writing letters or emails, though, there are plenty of ways to stay involved without going to the expense in time and money of attending conferences. 

The best way to get connected is to join Sisters in Crime and/or Mystery Writers of America. Both groups have local chapters that host monthly meetings of interest to crime writers—interviews with authors, publishers, editors, screen-writers, publicists, and agents. Presentations by lawyers, doctors, forensic experts, psychologists, police detectives, members of federal law enforcement groups (CIA, FBI, etc). I attended one meeting where a hand-writing expert told us how she examined hand-writing to aid investigators. 

 If you can’t attend chapter meetings in person, many of these are presented digitally through Zoom and other apps. It may not be as social as in-person meetings, but it gives you a sense that there are other writers out there asking the same questions you’re asking; having the same issues of craft, research, editing, finding an agent, finding a publisher or publishing on your own. You find that you aren’t the only one who is struggling with the processes of writing your story, shaping the story, and finding an audience for it. 

 Then there are courses you can take, some on-line, some in person. Just today author Peggy Lucke put out a call for people who might be interested in a course on writing genre fiction that she gives at UC Berkeley’s extension. Look at community college offerings, adult education classes, and in local newspapers for private classes. That’s where you’ll meet other writers. 

 I have a further suggestion. When you are around people—at parties, at work, any social situation, tell others that you are writing. A book. A short story. A memoir. A few ideas. Whatever. Not only do people love to hear about that, but you’ll be surprised at how many other people are holed up, secretly trying to put words to page. You may find a good writing buddy that way. 

 And finally, there is social media. Follow some of your favorite authors in Bluesky or Facebook, etc., and engage with them and their other followers.

It may require a little effort on your part, the connections are out there. So go for it!

And now for a little BSP (Blatant self-promotion): The paperback version of my second Jessie Madison book, Deep Dive is no out! 

Writerly Resolutions by Poppy Gee

A new year is upon us! How do you plan for your writing calendar? 

Drafting a few new year writing resolutions is a great way to bound into the new year with positivity and hopefulness... Here are some of mine:

Writing resolutions 2026:

• Finish unfinished manuscripts - ski lodge mystery, Cloudland suburban noir, Elm's Mansion thriller. They're all complete, they just need a final polish. Watch this space!
• Start a new manuscript (my favourite thing to do).
• Ensure finished manuscripts go out on submission (evidence suggests this is my least favourite thing to do!) 

Reflection: Last year was a bad year for me as far as writing went. I couldn't focus on anything. I wonder what I have to offer, as far as a published book goes. I'm not sharing this to garner sympathy. Truthfully, I think the world is burning, for a range of reasons depending on geography and history, and I ask myself, what will more stories written by middleclass white people like me do to help anyone, or anything, at this point? This doesn't mean I don't want to write. I really do. When I'm writing is when I feel my happiest. It's how I try to make sense of things, or, at least, write through my emotions. My feeling as I write this, is that perhaps I will write something this year that won't be for publication. I have an idea, and it's probably not commercially viable. That's okay. I'll keep it short, maybe 50,000 words. This particular idea gives me a strong sense of urgency, that feeling when you can't wait to sit at the desk and tap away. Writing something from the deepest, darkest, tenderest part of your heart is always worth doing, no matter the result.

Time management resolutions 2026:

Mindfulness and being intentional. I want to schedule time for joy. Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to cram so much into my day - work, writing, family commitments - that I don't take time to slow down and enjoy the simple things. So this year, I want to block time out for things such as meeting friends for a coffee or a walk, going to a museum or art gallery, even driving to the Gold Coast to have brunch at Kirra with my writing friend Allie. I resolve to see a movie once a month, spend regular time pottering in my garden, read for one hour a day, and consistently set aside time to make healthy, delicious meals for my family. Organisation is key. I thrive when I'm organised, so I'm going to set a timetable and stick to it. I might even monitor and reward my progress!

Bad habits to kick in 2026:

Social media. How to cut back? It's like giving up smoking. You know it's not good for you, you know you shouldn't do it. But there's a voice in your head that says, one quick scroll won't matter too much. Such a time-drain! I'm interested to hear anyone's rules/regulations/habits regarding managing their social media consumption. Please share!

Also, leaving my blog to the last minute. Every time I log in to upload my post, Dietrich's next piece is sitting there, contentedly waiting in the queue. I envy him his organisational prowess. Being well organised with a blog contribution is a worthy, and hopefully realistic, writerly goal for me.

Lose weight, get fit and guess what, by Catriona

 A new year is upon us! How do you plan for your writing calendar? 

I've not been seething exactly, but at least rippling, with envy reading Minds saying they're setting goals and taking stock. My writing calendar doesn't run January to December; it runs deadline to deadline. At the moment I've got two first drafts done and I'm fixing the first one, before fixing the second one, before deciding, over the summer, what to write next and then, in September, starting again. It'll be the autumn when I pretend that I'm going to start keeping character bios and stop having panics about the dark side of pantsing.

But - and luckily for this blog - I'm a great maker of New Year's resolution for life in general. And a fair to medium keeper of them too. E.g. two years ago, I resolved to work in the garden for an hour every morning and stone the crows but by the middle of last year the place was looking pretty good. (There's a reason I didn't nip out there and take a pic of right now, mind you.)

So all that's left is getting down to one bottle of vodka and forty roll-ups a day. Nah, I don't smoke or drink but this year's resolutions do include the time-honoured "lose weight and get fit". I know, I know, but hear me out. Last July, see, I was fit, then an injury put me in a wheelchair, leg brace, and physiotherapy, while self-pity suggested that cake and pizza were an important part of recovery. So my resolution is actually 'Lose the weight and get fit again". Is that different? We'll see. 

I've got another top ten resolution and I think this one is related to my writing life. (Wait - actually I think health and fitness is related to writing too. Strong necks and backs help us type, right? Good sleep and fresh air help us think.) But also, at the tail end of last year someone in a Q&A asked me how I stay positive and fill the tank. My answer was rambling (I started with "Positive? Are you kidding? I'm ready to kick things and scream until my voice runs out.") but the cause of any periods of full tank I do get seems to boil down to: don't consume short-form content chosen for me by an algorithm and served on a phone.

So, doubling down on the choice to repair and protect my attention span is my big aim for 2026. I'll read my current book whatever it is (right now it's Tayari Jones' Leaving Atlanta), go out to watch films (still haven't seen Hamnet; can't decide about Marty Supreme) and binge telly (Bookish looks good), but I won't lose time scrolling, won't click on anything I didn't search for, won't unmute the passing ads for revolutionary bras, all-in-one make-up sticks and meal-kit delivery subscriptions. Well, I already don't do that because: I will die in an underwire; I know that every lipstick in the world can be used as rouge and eyeshadow; and I can't imagine a life without chopping boards and leftovers.

It's mystifying why we scroll, isn't it? No one ever stops scrolling with a satisfied sigh and lifts their head to beam at the world from a well of benevolence. We scroll until we hate ourselves, until we've seen something so revolting or enraging we throw the phone away, until we're cold and hungry and the sun's gone down. But we don't have to.

Cx   

Planning Your Writing Year Without Losing It

A new year is upon us! How do you plan for your writing calendar? 

A new year shows up like a stranger at the end of the bar—attractive, mysterious and with questionable intentions. Between Christmas and New Year’s, people like to stare into that glass and make big vows. New body. New habits. New you. By February, most of those resolutions are face-down in a snowbank, clutching a color-coded planner.

Writers are no different. We’re just more articulate about failure.

Every January, someone decides that THIS is the year they’ll write every day, outline every chapter, follow a proven system, and emerge by next December with a novel that looks like it was written by Apollo and stolen by Prometheus. This is the literary version of following that Men’s Health 90-day Workout and thinking they’ll rise from the waters looking like Daniel Craig. [Women: insert your Ideal]. The plan is rooted in the best of intentions but unrealistic expectations will kill you.

F. Scott Fitzgerald gave us Gatsby, who followed Benjamin Franklin’s self-improvement program with religious devotion. We know how that worked out for him. Ambition is great. Blind faith in the system is how you end up floating in a pool, wondering where it all went wrong.

So here’s my low-rent, no-seminar version of planning a writing year. It comes from nursing, not publishing, which means it’s designed to work when things are messy, human, and bleeding a little: S.M.A.R.T. goals—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound. No PowerPoint necessary.

Specific means “finish a draft,” not “write a masterpiece.”
Measurable means pages, scenes, or hours—things that exist outside your feelings.
Attainable is you factor in that thing called Life, like a job, family, food, and don’t forget pets and spouses.
Time-bound means you give it a deadline, not a lifetime.

Personally, I plan the year like a small-time heist. I focus on one or two larger projects at a time. I write them hard and fast, then put them away. My experiences in Life have taught me to communicate with precision and efficiency, which is why my style is lean, compressed, and suggestive. While the Work rests, I work on short fiction—specifically for annual story calls for Bouchercon, Bridport, Fish, and Malice. Those deadlines are predictable and keep me honest. They also keep me sharp.

Later in the year, I come back to the Work with fresh eyes. Distance does what discipline can’t. It shows you what’s alive, what’s lying, and what needs to be buried quietly behind the shed.

That’s my calendar. No daily word-count commandments. No promises to become someone else. Just steady work, strategic pauses, and enough structure to keep me from lying to myself. I am the donkey who is not Eeyore, but persists without braying.

The new year doesn’t need a grand plan. It needs one foot in front of the other, a pawprint that survives contact with reality.