My best reads for ‘24

by Dietrich

At this time of year, it’s kind of a tradition here at Criminal Minds to list our favorite books of the year. I hope our suggestions give you some ideas for your own reading list, or better yet, for gift-giving ideas — because who doesn’t love getting a book, right? You might also consider the fine novels by our own talented authors right here at Criminal Minds. 

Topping my own list of favorite reads this year is Clete (2024). It’s #24 in the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke, a series that I’ve been reading for years, and for the first time the story’s told from sidekick Clete’s point of view. He makes a seriously flawed protagonist, an often funny yet odd character who’s been around since 1987’s The Neon Rain. This time out Burke pitches him against one big wall of evil. And as usual Dave Robicheaux’s there to back his play. Not so usual, is the ghost of Joan of Arc who comes to help Clete out, just to even the odds a bit. It’s one of those novels you could just sit down with and finish in one reading — it’s that good.

I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive (2011) was the debut novel from Steve Earle, the multi-talented singer-songwriter who has no trouble shifting gears from a three minute song to writing a three hundred page novel. The title for this one’s borrowed from Hank William’s posthumously released hit record, and also the title of Earle’s fourteenth studio album. It’s a saints and sinners story centering on Earle’s protagonist, Doc, an unlicensed medic with a heroin habit which he feeds by performing illegal abortions and stitching up knife wounds in San Antonio’s red-light district. Doc’s haunted by the ghost of the late Hank Williams who he may have been responsible for having accidentally killed by giving him a fatal morphine shot. Earle puts a lot of heart into his skillful telling of a great tale, and I sure hope he writes another one sometime.

The Graveyard Book (2008) by Neil Gaiman is a YA story, and it’s a delightful mix of spooky and charming, perfect for anyone who’s young at heart. It goes like this: After a baby boy’s family is brutally murdered, he escapes by crawling into a graveyard that’s full of danger and adventure. The baby called Bod becomes adopted by a cast of otherworldly misfits who call the graveyard home. The book went on to win both a Carnegie and a Newbery Medal — the only time a book has won both. Touted as the year’s best children's story, it also won a Hugo Award for Best Novel and a Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book.

The Mighty Red (2024) by Louise Erdrich is sensational and takes place in her fictional North Dakota town of Argus — a story of life, love and tragedy on a beet farm. At times it’s funny, at other times it’s touching and dramatic. Filled with realistic characters and sharp dialog, it’s a skillfully written tale that won’t disappoint.

You Like it Darker (2024) by Stephen King is a collection of short stories, showing once again King’s zest for all things weird. And it proves that he’s still at the top of his game going on for over fifty years. Although the twelve short stories are all good, I have to say “The Answer Man” is my personal favorite among this fine collection. 

Edsel (1995) is the fourth installment in Loren D. Estleman Detroit series, which was originally called a trilogy, but hey, who’s counting. It’s set in Detroit in the 50s and follows an ex-journalist hired to promote Henry Ford II’s dream car which was destined for colossal failure. Estleman takes readers on a fun ride through a very colorful decade. It reads like a crime novel without the crime, unless you count the Edsel’s design which Time magazine once described as looking “like a midwife's view of labor and delivery.”

Masters of the Air (2006) by Donald L. Miller was the jumping off point for the TV series of the same name. It’s a war story chronicling the Eighth Air Force bomber squads who flew their missions through the flak-filled skies over Europe. It’s moving account, detailing one of World War II’s most dangerous jobs, and it’s brilliantly told and highly recommended.

I hope at least one of these titles peaks your interest. 

I'd like to say so long to our departing Minds Josh Stallings and Susan Shea, who will both be missed very much around here. I'm sure our paths again. And I'd like to welcome our new Minds Poppy Gee and Angela Crook and I'm looking forward to their posts in the coming year. And I wish all of you the very best for the holidays and the most prosperous times ahead in the coming New Year.

Book Recommendations from 2024

It's the time of the year when gift-giving is being considered. Book suggestions please! 

Happy holidays, everyone!

Books make the best gift. I always spent time in the bookstore when my daughters were younger, choosing a selection for them to read over the break. I still love to give and receive a good book and believe this is one of the best presents one can give.

Looking back over 2024, I didn't read a great deal of crime fiction, which is unusual for me. I completed writing a manuscript, Who Lies in Wait, which will be released May 1st and began penning another book. As a result, my reading time was limited. However, I belong to a book club and have three recommendations based on our selections.

First up is Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. This is her first novel about the children of a family in Northern Ontario who try to stay together after their mother dies in a car accident. The writing is strong and the story is unforgettable. Here is part of the synopsis: "In this universal drama of family love and misunderstandings, of resentments harbored and driven underground, Lawson ratchets up the tension with heartbreaking humor and consummate control, continually overturning one’s expectations right to the very end."

Another book I really enjoyed is Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane. The protagonist May Attaway is a socially awkward botanist at a university who decides to visit four friends from her past to rediscover friendship. Again from the synopsis: "With simplicity and honesty, Jessica Francis Kane has crafted an exquisite story about a woman trying to find a new way to be in the world. This nourishing book, with its beautiful contemplation of travel, trees, family, and friendship, is the perfect antidote to our chaotic times."

And my favourite read of the year is Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Who knew a book about an octopus would charm and move me? Tova Sullivan's husband has died and she begins working the night shift in the Sowell Bay Aquarium where she forms a friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus that regularly escapes its tank to forge for food. Part of the story is told from his point of view, and he's more intelligent than anybody realizes. A quote from the synopsis: "Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible."

And, of course, you can't go wrong delving into a book from any of the wonderful authors on this blog site. We're sad to say goodbye to Susan Shea and Josh Stallings, whose words of wisdom and insights have inspired us these past years, but their books will continue to be there when we need to connect again. Welcome to new minds Poppy Gee and Angela Crook. We look forward to learning more about you, your work, and your perspectives on the craft of writing.

My New Year's resolution is to read more crime fiction! 

All the best to each of you in 2025.

Website: www.brendachapman.ca

Facebook & Instagram & Threads: BrendaChapmanAuthor

Bluesky: @brendachapman.bsky.social 

Farewell, Adiós, Kawsaypuni, 안녕히 가세요, by Josh Stallings

My first post with Criminal Minds was March 2021. That seems like a blink ago. When I I received the email from Catriona McPherson asking if I’d “consider joining the squad.” I went three steps beyond chuffed. I screamed “yes,” at my keyboard, not knowing how actually great working with this amazing group of writers would be. And it has been wonderful. Every one of these writers has taught me important lessons about the craft and business of writing. I’m sure many of our readers will agree Criminal Minds deliver weekly wisdom. 

“Hey, Josh, if these folks are so freaking good, why’re you leaving?” Asked No One.

“Solid question, No One.”

“Then give me a solid answer.”

I am right now typing my 69th post for Criminal Minds, give or take a couple. I, like all the writers here, take this task much more seriously than my sometimes silly or flippant tone would suggest. Once coming up with a proper response that either answers or doesn’t answer the question at hand, it takes three or four drafts for me and Erika to exorcize all the devilish dyslexia from the post/essay. None of this is to engender a poor lil’ dyslexic response. I love writing. I love thinking about life and writing. I have the greatest gig in the world. 

But… In the words of Pee Wee Herman, “All my friends have big butts.” 

As I watch the clock spin by with ever-increasing velocity, it becomes crystal clear that every project I say yes to is a no to something else. Time is my most valuable resource. I am in the middle of the most ambitious novel of my career. It has taken me into worlds both familiar and outlandishly foreign. It tastes like nothing I’ve read or written. It may be the book that burns my career to the ground or reinvents it. That sounds like a lot of hyperbole but it is the facts as I feel them. 

To write an unimaginable book demands I separate myself from thinking about craft and what other writers are doing and focus fully on my internal workings. I need to crawl into a metaphorical cave. Living in a national forest, a real cave is also a possibility. 

That is the why of the matter. I will miss sharing this space with these writers and our wonderful readers. But I know when I come up for air I can check back in to see what you're doing.

Thanks to every one of you for making this such a wonderful place and inviting me to hang out with the cool kids. 

It's not lying if you write it down, by Catriona

When you look back over your childhood and early life, can you see where being a writer, or indeed a crime writer, began for you? Were there definitive moments that sealed your fate?

I *am* going to look back today - briefly over the fate-sealing days of childhood - and then at the origins of the first book in the failed trilogy that is the Last Ditch Motel series. Failed because Book 7 is slipping off its chocks and into the open sea this week and that's not how trilogies are meant to go. 

Yes, I was always going to be a writer, even though I didn't start till I was thirty-five. Before that it was just long - I mean months - daydreams of such complexity and detail that some of it still feels familar decades later. I could draw a floorplan of the house I was going to live in with John Travolta after our marriage. I remember the lyrics to the break-out hit from the musical I was going to star in on the West End stage. And I shared my daydreams a lot too. They call that "lying". When I did write something down, there was a fair chance it would get read out to the rest of the class in that squirm-inducing way that teachers used to subject you to, as if being a head taller than everyone else and wearing hand-knitted jumpers wasn't enough of a playground challenge.

When bad hair day + front tooth fell out day = school photo day
(poor wee scone)

Crime writer? Probably. I don't remember much of what we read at school but I do recall Terry the 'Tec and the ker-LUNK of the clue that was supposed to bamboozle us in every story. I was convinced I could do better. Then I found Agatha Christie and was equally convinced that I couldn't do it at all. 

I'm away from my bookshelves so I'm having to be
quite resourceful with these pictures. 

I was right that I couldn't do what she did, but thankfully there's a whole career to be had between the Dame and the Tec. And six (out of thirty-five) books in that career got a new addition on Tuesday. I've been blogging relentlessly about it though, which is why today I'm going to think back to the start. 

I was asked for a trilogy in addition to Dandy Gilver and the standalones. (Still think that sounds like a band). Here's what I pitched (copied and pasted from the email to the editor):

Idea 1 Doris Day meets the X-Files

Genre SF mystery (urban fantasy mystery?)

Time 1950

Place California

Tone medium-boiled/funny

Protag Scottish female

Like         Sookie Stackhouse, Dana Cameron’s Fangborn

Stories 1. Protag comes to CA and learns the secret while investigating her own husband

         2. Small-town vs. big threat

        3. Protag discovers own history while protecting secret

Idea 2 Book Town 

Genre cozy

Time present

Place Wigtown, Galloway, South-west Scotland = Scotland’s book town

Tone soft-boiled/funny

Protag housekeeper to a rare-books dealer

Like         If I could write like Blaize and John I’d be very happy/Sheila Connelly

Stories 1. The Last novel of Jane Austen (fake) discovered in attic. Fight to the death among dealers.

        2. Writer of  roman a clef murdered at literary festival

        3. Wickerman festival (it’s about 30 miles away)

Idea 3 Calamity Jane Investigates

Genre Historical

Time 1870

Place Wyoming

Tone Medium boiled/funny

Protag Calamity Jane

Like         Laurie King/Alan Bradley/Little House On the Prairie not Deadwood

Stories 1. Jane avenges the death of her best friend with permission of sherrif and garrison

        2. Jane called in by respectable folks who heard of her avenging exploits 

        3. Back, tie-in story from Jane’s youth.

        4. Solving a murder among the local Indians.

"She came up from a very hardscrabble life, unacquainted with bourgeois notions of decorum; she probably never knew financial security, but even in poverty she was known for her helpfulness, generosity, and willingness to undertake demanding and even dangerous tasks to help others. She was afflicted with alcoholism and wanderlust (and, perhaps, promiscuity), but, as someone remembered her, "Her vices were the wide-open sins of a wide-open country – the sort that never carried a hurt.""

Obviously, I was most invested in Idea No.3. It's already a trilogy of four and I've got that final paragraph - did I write it? I must have or I would have attributed it. Anyway, given where I clearly wanted to go, it's typical that what I ended up writing was indeed a Scot-out-of-water in California - Leagsaidh Campbell at the Last Ditch Motel - albeit without the spookity-woo of Idea 1. (Also, Idea 2 ended up being Quiet Neighbors.)

Once the X-Files and Doris Day had been booted out, I was left with an idea for a book called Hang My Hat! and here is everything that I knew about it when I signed the contract:

• Huevos rancheros – delicious when deliberate and also a great excuse if your omelette goes wrong.
• Watermelon juice
• Police blotter

Now, that's a pantser, amirite? But eventually the book was finished - a comic crime caper that opened on 4th of July - and the title search began. I was joking when I said "Scot Free" and kind of aghast when the editor said "I love it". But if I've learned anything about the business of publishing (so different from the craft of writing) it's how to choose a battle, so I got onboard. 

Next came the the jacket. I sent a sketch:

  

They made a rough:

And we all agreed it was too soft for the book that had come out of me. So they sent another idea:

And I loved it! Althgough I did note:

Not that that was a deal-breaker in any way. And we were off!  Scot and Soda (Halloween), Scot on the Rocks (Valentine's Day), Scot Mist (Friday 13th April 2020), Scot in a Trap (Thanksgiving), Hop Scot (Christmas) and now Scotzilla (Wedding Day). 

The writing has been pretty smooth sailing. The publishing - really and truly not the same thing whatsoever - much less so. The series is now with Severn House and has been re-styled from Book 1 on:

Still gorgeous, eh? And I am in love with every single resident of the Last Ditch. That wasn't supposed to happen. They were all meant to be in Book 1 only and then move on. That was the whole point of a motel. I have stretched credulity farther than I thought I would ever get away with and pretzeled plausibility farther than I thought was possible, even in make-believe, and you know what? I don't care. I do know. I just don't care. Also, I think reality has caught up with me. Nothing about life at the Last Ditch feels as nuts as what's in the news and Cuento, Ca, is hella nicer for my happy band of LGBTQ+ people of colour and immigrants than even actual Davis, in actual CA, is looking, for the next few years anyway. I'm going to keep writing as long as anyone keeps reading.

Cx         

It's always been there by Eric Beetner

 When you look back over your childhood and early life, can you see where being a writer, or indeed a crime writer, began for you? Were there definitive moments that sealed your fate?

I never used to think I was one of those people who knew very early on I wanted to write. Certainly not crime novels. 

When I started writing anything, I started with screenplays because I loved movies and I knew I wanted to make it my career. I was an eclectic screenwriter, something I soon learned is not valued in Hollywood. If I wrote one genre, I’d want to switch it up for the next thing. So I wrote dark comedies, serious drama, action-adventure, horror, and one or two crime stories that veered into Noir.

However – like a character in a mystery novel, I uncovered a previously forgotten clue to my future quite unexpectedly.

My father used to keep old school work from my sister and I and once, when he moved houses, we had a chance to go through some of the old stuff to sort out what was worth keeping, if any of it. Amid the construction paper art projects, report cards better left forgotten and math worksheets, I found a curious artifact.

It was a story I had written. Judging by the handwriting, I had to be maybe 7 or 8, perhaps even younger (though I hate to admit my handwriting hasn’t improved a whole lot since then). It didn’t appear to be written for any school assignment. It was undated and came complete with an illustration in lines even more amateurish than my handwriting. 

When I read it I was shocked to find that it was a crime story. There was a kidnapping, a car chase, a gun! I have no idea why I wrote the story or what inspired me to write my first short story about a crime. I had forgotten it entirely and I didn’t find any others. I assume I knew even then that it was dreadfully bad and I held off writing more until I knew what the hell I was doing.

But it showed me that crime writing was always in there. It may have lain dormant for a few decades, but I had set my path as a crime writer long before I could punctuate dialogue or spell ambulance correctly.

Sometimes the writing chooses you, I guess.

THE CROSSOVER: 1+2= 3 AND SOLVED, by BJ Magnani

 

Today,  I welcome author BJ Magnani, who is also internationally recognized for her expertise in clinical chemistry and toxicology.  Check out her blog on poisons. The floor is yours, BJ.

I remember how much fun it was when characters from one TV show crossed over into another. Think CSI: Trilogy, where the team from CSI: Miami worked with those from CSI: NY and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation to track down a lost girl found to be the victim of a human trafficking ring. That feeling of “so happy they finally meet and are working together to solve the case” percolates throughout DEATH on OUT-to-SEA ISLAND. Two of my favorite authors agreed that we should write a story where our protagonists collectively solve a murder mystery.

For Maine’s Matt Cost, a prolific author of several series, including the Mainely Mysteries, the Clay Wolf/Port Essex Mysteries, the Brooklyn 8 Ballo Series, and more, and Wyoming’s C.M. Wendelboe known for gritty westerns and multiple series, such as the Spirit Road Mysteries, the Bitter Wind Mysteries, the Nelson Land Frontier Mysteries and more, it was a difficult choice to decide which of their detectives would play a part in the story.

For me, it was easy. I only write one series with Dr. Lily Robinson—a Boston physician recruited by the U.S. Government as a covert assassin. So, how and where would these characters cross paths?

Two years ago, Matt Cost and I met with Curt Wendelboe, who was in Maine spending time on Monhegan Island, a spot of land located just off the coast of Tenants Harbor. After lunch, we talked about having our characters—Arn Anderson from the Bitter Wind series and Clay Wolfe from the Clay Wolfe series—come together at a private investigator’s refresher course held on Monhegan Island, where Lily Robinson would teach the basics of homicidal poisonings. When one of the lecturers turns up dead, who better than a couple of detectives and a doctor to figure out what happened? Of course, they are isolated from the mainland during a raging storm and take matters into their own hands. In a tongue-in-cheek Agatha Christie-like fashion, they track down the murderer using their wits and know-how.

Curt Wendelboe started the story by creating colorful character names and setting the scene. Curt: “Folks might think it difficult working with two other people to solve a homicide, and it was. My protagonist, Arn Anderson, was used to working alone—like me as an author. I struggled with it until I closed my eyes and visualized BJ as Lily and Matt as Clay. Along the way I kept asking myself: what would Clay do? What would Lily do to help solve this murder and things started flowing naturally. I felt confident handing the investigation off to Clay and Lily. I knew—when we huddled in the end—that we would have the killer in our sights.”

The story was then given to me to write the dreaded “middle bits,” and I used the opportunity to create more context before getting Lily involved in the case. Once confronted with the body, she uses her knowledge of medicine and poisons to determine the manner and cause of death. But with no medical facilities and forensic help, she has to improvise.

Next, the story was handed off to Matt Cost, the anchor in the relay. Perhaps he had the hardest task of all—wrapping up a tale with the clues left by two other writers. How do you do that? Matt: “The task of a writer is to get into the heads of the characters in the book and let them tell you what is going to happen next. Understanding Lily and Arn, as well as BJ and Curt, was essential for tying the murder mystery together in a fashion that was both shocking and believable. The plethora of clues, fully fleshed out characters, and strong plot creation made the task quite simple, really.”

One of the challenges in writing a story like this is understanding the other author’s character—how they act and how they speak.  Lily Robinson approaches problems logically with a scientific mind, while Arn Anderson, a retired Denver Metro Homicide investigator now living in Cheyenne, uses his knowledge of hunting killers to point Lily and Clay in the right direction. It takes Clay Wolfe’s knowledge of Maine and its people and a basic understanding of human nature to tie all of these pieces together into a solution. Editing is important, too, because each writer has a style, and each character has a personality that needs to be preserved when making the story come together.

We could have used a pen name when creating the eBook but instead chose to use our three last names as the first, middle, and last name when submitting the story. And East Meets West Press made sense since we were two New Englanders and one Westerner author.

A piece like DEATH on OUT-to-SEA ISLAND has the advantage of having fans of one author be exposed to the writing and characters of another author. It’s an experience of fun, creativity, and friendship that more writers and readers should consider. And it’s only a one-hour read.

 

For more information about the authors, see

BJ Magnani  https://www.bjmagnani.com/

Matt Cost https://www.mattcost.net/

C.M. Wendelboe  https://cmwendelboe.com/  

 

 

 

Au revoir!

 Q: When you look back over your childhood and early life, can you see where being a writer, or indeed a crime writer, began for you? Were there definitive moments that sealed your fate? 

from Susan

 

It’s hard to pinpoint something other than that my stepfather was a writer (films) and he and my mother were voracious, educated, and adventurous readers. I had full, uncensored access to their great library from forever, as high as the library ladder could take me. I knew who Man Ray was when I was six and was self-educated about human anatomy at nine.

 

My first defined project was to produce a carbon-copied newspaper, The Wolff Weekly, circulation limited to parents, in third grade. I emulated the best: headlines, decks, images and captions, breaking and investigative stories. I wish now I’d saved a copy but, alas, like all newspapers, today’s headlines are tomorrow’s fish wrappings.

 

Today's news: While I still will be writing and reading, this is my last regular post here. (I’ll have a juicy list of books to recommend on this blog's holiday edition later this month.) I am a writer, an author, a voracious reader, and, I hope, a supportive colleague and friend to other writers, including the Minds I’ve blogged with here for many years. I’ve been at it so long I’m sure I’m repeating myself at times, and am turning my spot over to someone fresh chosen by the Minds. 

 

Meanwhile, we’re all operating in a publishing universe that is in the midst of more changes than at any time in its history. If you read Minds, you’ve heard about our experiences navigating new and still changing industry practices. As if we didn’t have enough to make us dizzy, AI has jumped in and our published books are being hoovered up to make programs designed to mimic our creative work but without acknowledging the sources, much less paying for them. So, know that anytime you buy a book, or ask your library to buy it, you are carrying the flag for originality, creativity, and the hard work of real writers. We thank you!

 

I can’t wait to share my list of highly recommended new crime fiction, books I’ve read and loved this year, when I do my last post in mid-December. And then, I hope to see you online, at bookstore events, in the library and at conventions. Please keep in touch.

 

Write on! Read on!

 

www.susancshea.com

Facebook: Susan C Shea

FB alt: Susan C Shea, Author

Instagram: susanwrit

 

Author of 4 French village mysteries, the most recent MURDER AND THE MISSING DOG (2024) and 3 Dani O’Rourke Mysteries (New editions 2023)

Readers, Bookstores and Social Media - The Joys and Sorrows of Book Promotion, by Harini Nagendra

As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers’ promo influencing you?

I was told this for a long time. And I do believe that publicity and marketing play a major role in the success of books. But now that I've been writing and publishing books, both fiction and non-fiction, since 2016 - I've come to realise that as an author, one has very little control over the kind of publicity that is needed to really push book sales. That kind of publicity and marketing requires either big budgets (of the kind that only publishers can pull off, or authors with very deep pockets) - or networks - with major bookstore chains, magazines, influencers (it's rare that an author can do this on their own). Either you get lucky with this, i.e. find a publisher that is willing and able to take this on for you - or you don't. An author can burn themselves out pushing social media, and have very little to show for it in terms of concrete sales.  

What can an author do to influence readership? The best way to get readers is the authentic way - write a good story, hope that someone chances upon it through serendipity, and then tells others about the book - and so the word spreads. I absolutely love it when readers write in from far flung parts of the world to tell me that my books speak to them, and all writers love getting messages like that - that's what keeps us going. Independent bookstores and libraries are the keystone to getting readers like this to know about your book, and I am incredibly thankful to all the bookstores in Bangalore, and other cities across the world who have spread the word about The Bangalore Detectives Club series, as well as my non-fiction ecology books. 

Libraries have been another amazing source of support for me, and I couldn't be more grateful. Dozens of libraries across the US and Canada who have featured my books on their reading lists and at book club events, and it's always a thrill to come across one of these, either through a photograph sent by a reader, or an online event listing. But there's little I can do to influence this proactively, especially since I don't live in either of these two countries - I can only track it and be grateful that the word is spreading, organically.

Am I aware that of other writers' promos? Yes of course - especially on social media. I used to track a lot of writers and see what strategies they deployed - which magazines featured their work, what podcasts they spoke on, and what strategies they used - newsletters, Medium, Substack, youtube videos etc. But I'm also now well aware that social media fads come and go. Facebook, once used by so many authors to communicate with readers, seems to be less popular these days, at least with certain demographics. X is an emptying space. Bluesky seems popular now, but who knows how things will go there. I use LinkedIn for my academic work, but it's certainly not a social media space for fiction writers to connect with readers. Bookstagram seems as popular as ever, but also increasingly getting consolidated in the hands of a few, and more commercialized than before. So... what's a writer going to do?

I can't remember where I read this, and it's certainly not my quote - so please forgive me for mentioning it without proper attribution. But I read this on a popular author's site some time back, and it's stayed with me - the best way for a writer to get more readers is to write more books! 

It makes sense - but also, more importantly, it's the path I want to take. I came to writing, as most of us do, because something inside compelled me to put words onto paper, and I had to write, otherwise I would implode with the weight of the words within me pressing down on my mind. I write because I want to, but also because I have to. I didn't come to writing because I was thrilled at the idea of book promotion - few of us are. I'd much rather write books - and the occasional blog post, like this one!

 

A Pipe, Patches on My Blazer, and an Ascot from James W. Ziskin

As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers’ promo influencing you?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I may have a defective memory, but I don’t recall many of the biggest-name authors facing the challenges we of the hoi polloi do to promote our books. Sure, they fly around the country and appear at pre-arranged, publisher-sponsored events, glad-handing and suffering through long interviews and autograph sessions. And they do spots on network morning shows. While that’s hard work, I’m sure most mid-list and aspiring authors would jump at the chance for gigs like that.

But does that mean well-know writers don’t work hard on promotion? Far from it. It’s just that they have some powerful machinery behind them greasing the skids. I wish my publishers had such deep pockets and faith in me.

Does that smack of sour grapes? Possibly. But I don’t resent the big names. I envy them, sure. But I don’t resent them.

Take an author like Harlen Coben. Aside from his obvious talent as a writer, his bestsellers, and his hit TV show adaptations, he works incredibly hard at building his brand. A brand that isn’t just as a writer. He’s forged an identity as an arbiter of taste and an expert promoter of our genre. He wields his unique celebrity brilliantly and generously. By promoting others’ work on outlets such as The Today Show, he also accomplishes what my fellow Criminal Minds have been saying for the past week and a half: “Don’t approach promotion with a buy-my-book attitude.” Instead, spread the wealth and pay it forward (cliché, I know). Talk about others’ books, and you’ll reap the benefits while—and by—sharing the spotlight with others. Plus you’ll feel like a good guy. You’ll be a good guy.

But enough about me. Tell me why YOU love my books.

We all know that guy!

No, seriously, I echo my colleagues’ sentiments on selling yourself instead of your book. “BUY MY BOOK,” no matter how loud you say it, probably won’t work. Few book pitches bowl people over. Rather, readers look for buzz—difficult to create and extremely rare, so let’s put that to one side for now—or they want to be seduced, figuratively speaking. I don’t know of many people who buy a book because they find the author dull. Or unlikable. But if there’s a spark of some kind, they might be tempted. Maybe they like the way the author comes across as smart or likable or funny. Maybe they like their humility and aw-shucks folksiness. Their shyness, even. Maybe they like that the author loves cats! Who wants to buy a book from the humorless, self-aggrandizing poseur smoking a pipe and wearing patches on the sleeves of his tweed blazer? Or better yet, an ascot knotted around his pencil neck? Forget that guy and give us the one who loves cats!

Be this guy…

NOT this guy with the ascot…

(Actually, it’s a longtime aspiration of mine to wear an ascot, but my wife assures me she’ll divorce me if I do.)

Look, you’re not going to appeal to everyone with your promotion, and being subtle in your sales pitches might not make you a bestseller. But as with so many other things in life, while you won’t necessarily score any points by not being a bore, you won’t lose any either.

Instead, be like Harlen Coben. Charming, witty, and likable. Generous, too. And do all that on national TV. That always helps.

L

The other half of the game

As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers' promo influencing you?

by Dietrich

Writing fiction requires a creative spark, a curious and vivid imagination, a badger-like dedication for the countless hours of research, plotting, writing and rewriting that goes into shaping a novel. How many of us really put the same oompf into the marketing and promotion side? It’s a head-scratching thing, and I admit I’m often perplexed by it. I could say I’m saved by my publisher’s capable publicists and marketing team, but to rely on that alone would be a cop-out.

I’m inspired by writers whose determination and efforts to promote themselves and their own work are unstoppable. Margaret Atwood, for instance, started out by self-publishing a series of poems entitled Double Persephone and even designed the cover and pressed the book herself. She got it out there and the collection received recognition and went on to win the E.J.Pratt medal. After which Atwood’s talent was recognized and she easily found a publisher. Needless to say, her career took off and the rest is history. That kind of effort is important in traditional publishing, and it’s absolutely crucial in self-publishing.

And say what you will about EL James’ skills as a writer, but her self-driven efforts took Fifty Shades of Gray from self-published posts to fan-fiction sites to become a runaway success, eventually selling over 150 million copies worldwide.

When Beatrix Potter got fed up with the sea of rejection letters filling her mailbox, she self-published Peter Rabbit, did a print-run of 250 and sent copies to every influential person she knew, taking control of her own future.

I’m inspired when any writer does something more than just print up the usual batch of bookmarks or the same old swag to promote a book. Way back in 1887, author Guy de Maupassant paid for a hot-air balloon to be sent up over Paris, emblazoned with the name of his new short story, “Le Horla.” Now that’s promotion!

With upwards of a million books being published every year, what author doesn’t want to get their books to stand out in the crowd? A great story followed by an eye-catching cover is a good start. I’m impressed by any author who takes every opportunity to connect with an audience and focus on building a following. They plan their book launch or tour, tirelessly give readings at book stores, libraries, and just about anyplace with a microphone. They sign up for conferences and festivals and get on as many panels as they can, and they take advantage of the growing number of online opportunities that keep popping up. 

And I’m impressed by authors with eye-catching websites, with links to the books, with constant updates about new releases, reviews, events and exclusive content. And I’m drawn to terrific book trailers that make me want to check out the book.

One thing that I’ve learned about promoting my own novels is to have a strong elevator pitch ready for when someone asks what the new one’s about. It doesn’t help to fumble and start with “Uh uhm, well uh …” So, I have a pitch ready that doesn’t sound like I’m just reciting the synopsis. Catriona had some good advice about this on her post last week.

dietrichkalteis.com