Paperback Writer...by Cathy Ace

WILDCARD: This being an “extra” week in our schedule, we’re all taking the chance to talk about what’s on our “Criminal Minds” at the moment. 

 

For me, that’s paperbacks!

 

On November 1^st the paperback edition of my fourth WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery THE CASE OF THE UNSUITABLE SUITOR is released. The book was first published in the UK as a hardcover in October 2017, then as a hardcover and e-book in Canada and the USA in January 2018. The paperback has been available in the UK for a couple of months, and now it’s finally available in Canada and the USA. 

What does this mean to me – and to you? Well, it’s inevitable that buying a hardcover isn’t for everyone; the format is expensive, and I am a reader as well as an author and realize only too well how we all try to get maximum bang for our hard-earned bucks, even when it comes to book purchasing. 

My well-traveled Kindle!

I like printed books. But I am also practical and, when I travel, I enjoy the freedom of being able to have dozens of books with me on my Kindle. I also have a Kobo reader because that’s how I can access e-books from the Canadian library system, where books are only available in e-pub format, not as .mobis that can be sent to a Kindle. Yes, this means carrying two devices, but needs must. And, yes, I also read on my phone.

When a hardcover is in the market, a publisher will keep the price of the digital version of the book high – that’s because they want eager readers to pay top dollar, quite literally, to be able to read the book as soon as it’s published. 

Both I, and every other author, is delighted when avid readers do this, but we also know there are some for whom this stage of purchasing isn’t a reality. That’s where libraries come in; they can buy a few copies of a hardcover, which will have a longer usage life than a paperback, and those who want to read a book when it’s first published – and are able to access a library – have the chance to do so through that channel.

When the paperback is published it is made available at a lower price point than the hardcover, AND the price of the digital versions of the book usually also drop; that’s because the publisher realizes readers will now be comparing the price of the digital version with that of the paperback, not the hardcover. 

With Mum, at my childhood library in Brynhyfryd in 2018, with a display of some of my hardcovers and paperbacks

 

So tomorrow’s a Big Day for THE CASE OF THE UNSUITABLE SUITOR; it’s the day when those who haven’t been able to stretch to the hardcover, or the higher initial price of the digital version, will now find lower price points available to allow them to buy the book and read it. Paperbacks and the paperback-phase e-version sales are critical for authors – it’s these sales figures which greatly impact the likelihood of a publisher being prepared to sign a contract for another book in a series. So yes, it’s also a Big Day for me, as an author. 

Mum in Swansea library with my first ever paperback - in 2012

 But I’m not nervous – I keep reminding myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and that readers will find my work through word of mouth recommendations, reviews and rating on amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and Kobo. And that means all I can do is to tell you the book’s now available at more affordable price points, to whet your appetite with a few of the reviews it’s received, and to remind you that it was shortlisted for the 2018 Bony Blithe Award for Best Canadian Light Mystery. Oh - and beg you for reviews! Please.

Now comes the blatant promotion of this particular book...

“The four women of the WISE Enquiries Agency return in a modern-day British whodunit that’s as charming as it is entertaining…Good fun, with memorable characters, an imaginative plot, and a satisfying ending.” Booklist

“Ace’s amiable fourth mystery featuring the four women of the WISE Enquiries Agency…cozy fans will find plenty to like…” Publishers’ Weekly

“Ace spiffs up the standard village cozy with a set of sleuths worth a second look.” Kirkus Reviews

“I very much enjoyed this novel; the people here felt like old friends I was catching up with after having been apart for a while. And the mystery itself was intriguing – I enjoyed watching the women pick it apart and put the clues together.” Amanda Bishop, Reviewer (Net Galley)

“British atmosphere aplenty, croquet, village life, investigations, and intrigue, all balled up in a beautifully presented cozy-plus novel.” Ellie Reads

“...as with each book in this series, threaded among the murder and thugs and racing against the next disaster is the witty dialogue and humor that makes reading these books so much fun.” K. Reel

I'd be honored if you'd consider reading my work! Find out all about it by clicking on the link: http://www.cathyace.com/