A Close Call, by Catriona

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I recently heard a comment that the big publishers are trying to hold onto an old model of publishing that doesn’t work so well anymore. Is this true?

As so often happens, I am going to refer you back to Cathy's magisterial answer from yesterday for a wealth of infomarion and clarity.

And when you come back . . . here's what I've got to say.

A few days ago, someone on Twitter sent me this: 

"I appreciate your work very much. Thank you for writing! Q: Is there any explanation, comprehensible to a publishing outsider like me, why some of your books are out of print / hard to get in the US, while others are ready to go (at least via print-on-demand)?"

And I replied: 

"Ooft. The US publisher of books 1 and 2 in the historical series went bust. (The new publisher started with book 5.) That kind of thing. In the UK the series is easy and there are missing contemporaries, although that's about to change. There's always Book Depository. Thanks, btw!"

The first word says it all, though. My feelings about traditional publishing and my place in it are summed up perfectly by "Ooft".

I've had eight publishers (not including large print and audio) and not because I keep flouncing off. (I've only flounced off once (for more money)). The rest of the fun and games has been publishers either going out of business or deciding they don't want to publish something I've written, meaning I need to take it elsewhere. I don't think that is the old model of publishing - at least not the version I've got in my mind, where a publishing house took an author on and nurtured their career, through thick and thin, until decades later either an elderly editor was at an author's memorial or an elderly author was at an editor's.

To be fair, I have written four different kinds of books, so eight publishers - four in the UK and four in the US - might have happened anyway, but it hasn't felt that measured while it's been playing out. Fun for my agent, though; she loves a challenge.

At various points as imprints folded and books were rejected, I have considered going indie. In fact, right now I've got rights to two early non-crime novels. Very recently, I seriously considered putting out four standalone novels that were with Midnight Ink in the US but have never been published in the UK. I didn't approach it with relish, but I did approach it. Think of a dog at the vet, being dragged into the examination room, toenails leaving deep gouges in the lino.

However, at the last minute, when I was facing up to the reality of going on a course and learning to do the kind of thing I was pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy knowing how to do, an offer came from Joffe Books, (2020 Independent Publisher of the Year) for all four of them!

I have seen one of the jackets and it's beautiful. But it's not shareable yet. So instead I'm illustrating this blog with a last look at those gorgeous Midnight Ink designs. Here's the last one. 

Cx

Big Question = Big Girl Panties... by Cathy Ace

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I recently heard a comment that the big publishers are trying to hold onto an old model of publishing that doesn’t work so well anymore. Is this true? Why doesn’t it work, and how could the model be changed?

Yikes! Pulls up Big Girl Panties to try to give a serious response…

The “old” model of publishing boils down to this: writer – agent – publisher – bookseller/library. The writer puts in the months of sweat and tears to create a manuscript; the agent punts that about amongst potential purchasers (traditional publishers); the publisher invests in editing/polishing the manuscript, cover art, printing books, warehousing books, distributing books, promoting books; the bookseller invests in a shop where readers come to buy the book.

Please choose MY books!!!

This model has been disrupted in several ways. The most obvious way would be the arrival of e-books (negating the requirement for print, physical distribution, bricks-and-mortar stores). Another disruptor was the advent of technology that allowed for books to be printed on demand (ie a few at a time, rather than by the thousand) thus allowing for individual/small order to be placed by authors, Indie publishers, individuals (readers) using an online storefront, or even traditional bookstores. Also, the rise of social media means that we’re well past the days when a publisher could simply advertise a new book via “traditional” media, because readers increasingly find out about what they want to read via media they self-select (usually online sources).

These disrupting factors have given rise to a wide range of ways for readers to get the books they want to read, and for writers to publish the books they write. Nowadays, every single stage of the write, edit, polish, cover art, e-book production, print-production, promotion, and even physical distribution of a book is available either for the writer to do it themselves – by purchasing each service individually from different suppliers, or for the writer to use one of the many companies which offer all those services for a fee, or to try to attract an agent, who will try to sell the book to a traditional publisher; the writer must choose.

The traditional publishing model has been around for a long, long time. These days the “BIG PUBLISHERS” seem to be consolidating into one amorphous mass, with a nod to various imprints along the way; to be perfectly honest, I no longer know which company owns which imprints…but that’s a moot point anyway, as far as I am concerned, as I have walked away from the only two publishers I ever had to become an Indie Author.

Actually, I’m what’s called a Hybrid Author, to be exact, since the rights to publish the print version of one series is still held by a traditional publishing company, and my other series has rights still owned by a publishing house which was itself taken over, then sold the e-rights to another publishing house. Arrrggghhh...yes, it’s complicated, which might be why so many authors these days are finding their feet as Indie Authors, like me.

My experience with publishers/agents has been “not necessarily roses all the way”, but my experiences are just that – mine, so I don’t want to generalize, because that’s not useful, or fair. One thing I feel I CAN say, however, is this: every single person I have encountered working in publishing has been a dedicated professional – the business attracts people who love books, so they’ve got that going for them to start with! No, my disenchantment with the business of publishing isn’t because of the people, but because of the way of working. Every author who’s been published by a traditional house understands what I mean when I say we all have to “hurry up, and wait”: you spend months getting to the point where a manuscript is the best you can make it by your deadline date, you send it off…then wait for months before you get feedback, which you are given nanoseconds to turn around, then you wait months for more feedback, which you are given nanoseconds to turn around…and so it goes on. A writer may or may not have input about their cover art and the back-cover blurb about the book; they certainly have no input in terms of distribution; most of the promotional effort is their own, due to tiny promotional budgets for all but traditional publishers’ biggest-selling star authors and small promotional staffing levels.

Designing & creating my own covers these days...

No, I’m not going to turn this post into a whinge-fest, but I will tell you that I became completely exasperated so decided to go it alone. I don’t use a company offering a full range of publishing services because I can’t afford them. I pay an editor with whom I have a good understanding/relationship, and do the same for copy-editing; I design and create my own cover art using Canva; I publish e-books directly through amazon for Kindle, directly through Kobo for Kobo readers, and also use them for getting e-books to libraries via Overdrive – I format them all myself; I format and publish print books directly through amazon which are printed to order when a reader wants to buy them from there; I format and publish print books via Ingram to gain access to the online ordering systems in pretty much every bookstore and library around the world…they order the books they want when they want them and they are printed on demand by Ingram and shipped directly to them (so there’s no huge print-run costs upfront for me, nor any warehousing costs). The promotional effort is all my own.

How different is this than the “old way” I was published by the two traditional publishing houses I had contracts with? Not much. The editing is done at the same level (I know this because I met the editor I use now when she worked exclusively for one of my publishers…she’s now a freelance); both of my original publishers, like me, use Ingram to provide print-on-demand around the world, in order to mitigate their own upfront print-run costs and warehousing needs; neither publisher spent great gobs of money promoting my work (one of them allocated a $75 allowance for each of my book launches, that was about it). The one thing that’s tougher now? Getting traditional media (ie newspapers and magazines) to review my work, because they tend to not review Indie authors’ books. That said, my recent launch of the tenth Cait Morgan Mystery, The Corpse with the Iron Will, has been my most successful Indie-launch to date, and the income from book sales is in my bank account already – as opposed to my receiving a much smaller percentage of the cover price in about six months’ time.

So the “old model” is, in fact, changing (print on demand, online sales) about as much as I think it will. The lists of “bestselling books” are still there, but they’ve always been out of reach for most authors in any case, even if they are published by traditional publishing houses, unless they are the recipients of the huge investment each house chooses to make in a few, select names (a huge advance means a huge promotional budget, in the hopes sales will recoup the investment by the publisher).

I don’t know what else will change, but I just hope readers keep looking for, finding, and reading books they enjoy. While I am now hands-on with every stage in the publishing process, my desire is to write books people read…and I just hope I can keep a balance between the writing and the business to be able to continue to do that.

So, no real answer…but the best response I can muster.

You can find out all about my books here: http://www.cathyace.com/

Guest Blog - Vikki Carter

Instead of you listening to my ramblings today, I'm giving over my space to Vikki Carter. Vikki is one of those wonderful people out there who is not only on her own writing journey but is choosing to do as much as she possibily can to help other writers on theirs. Among other things, she has a wonderful podcast that I've been fortunate to be on more than once (I'll be returning the favor - she will be my featured guest in January 2022 on Wrong Place, Write Crime) and offers resources for writers. 

We should always reward kindness in this world, so give Vikki a read - here, and on her site.

From Frank

Resources Every Crime Fiction Author Needs

By Vikki J. Carter, The Author’s Librarian

As a writer and librarian, I am often asked questions about researching. Because of the number of questions, I wrote my first book, Research Like A Librarian, where I address issues relating to plagiarism and how to research beyond the internet by accessing library sources world-wide. However, I will let you in on one secret: I love genre specific questions. But because of the vast number of possible genre specific questions, I could not address them all in my book.

The questions that I get the most excited about are from mystery or crime fiction writers because there are so many useful sources available. I also love answering these questions because I have a fantasy of breaking into crime fiction someday.

What I believe most readers of this genre expect is authenticity, and authors can make their stories authentic by organizing excellent resources and relying upon experts. Here is how:

I have compiled a list of resources for the crime fiction writers over the years. From that list, I have found that crime fiction resources fall into three categories.

1.    Sources on events that inspire the crime fiction writer.

2.    Sources on criminal justice professions for character development.

3.    Sources on procedures that are common in criminal cases.

 Sources on events that inspire the crime fiction writer: Think about where to get information that outlines events, past or present, that could inspire your work. I encourage writers to focus on primary sources such as journals, first-hand accounts, and interviews to help build a that list. Most times, writers will be inspired by criminal cases found in the news, but the news does not have to be the only resource that can inspire the next thriller.

Here are five sources to explore:

1.      https://www.crimemuseum.org: An educational resource on law enforcement, crime history, and forensic science. A repository of America’s most notable crime cases and artifacts.

2.      https://www.refdesk.com/crime.html: An encyclopedia list of forty-two crime and law enforcement related websites. Each list has a short description for quick reference.

3.      https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/pages/NACJD/index.html: a database to help guide exploration of topics connected to criminology. This database includes special data topics such as guns & weapons, gangs, and homicide.

4.      https://www.officer.com: a dedicated resource website with up-to-date reports on police officer procedures, training, careers, investigations, and tactical equipment.

5.      https://www.apbonline.com: a website dedicated to daily crime news aggregated from multiple news channels. The latest breaking news articles are highlighted as “new” for quick reference.

Sources on criminal justice professions for character development: Research should include information about the people who may develop as characters in a story: police officers, witnesses, or lawyers to name a few. Within writing crime fiction, these characters have to be authentic. With competition for readers coming from TV and live action films, authenticity of characters is imperative to keep readers coming back for more. Many writers will ask me questions about how to find information about the day-to-day procedures of the criminal profession. By learning about the criminal line of work writers can start to add authenticity to their stories that will captivate their readers. I like to remind writers to not forget about interviews with individuals who work in the profession as research. I encourage writers to reach out to local organizations and make friends with people in the field. It’s okay to tell them you are conducting research for a book. And it’s even better to tell them you will mention their help in the book’s acknowledgements.

 

Here are two good starting points for reference on criminal justice professions:

1.      https://guides.libraries.uc.edu/c.php?g=222212&p=1470996:  University of Cincinnati’s library guide of global professional organizations in criminal justice.

2.      https://www.careerprofiles.info/criminal-justice-careers.html: a website dedicated to the criminal justice career with links to career descriptions, definitions, programs, and job outlook.

Sources on procedures that are common in criminal cases: Once again, I encourage writers to seek out the professional. This can be done in many ways. One example is if you need to write about a court room procedure, go to an open court proceeding. Recently, many municipal court cases have been moved online giving access to these types of events to writers to explore for their procedure research.

Here are several good starting points:

1.      https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/types-cases/criminal-cases: a website that helps to define the terms and procedures for American criminal cases. This site offers a free eBook titled Understating the Federal Courts.

2.      https://guides.library.harvard.edu/c.php?g=310516&p=2826979#s-lg-page-section-2072141: Harvard Law School Library Criminal Justice Resource guide is created to be the starting point for researching criminal justice and criminal law issues. This website is regularly updated but is primarily focused on the United States.

3.      https://backgroundchecks.org/11-alternatives-to-crimelibrary-com-and-courttv-com.html: A list of alternative websites that are similar to Crimelibrary.com (which stopped being updated in 2014,) and CourtTV.com.

Another excellent website to add to your resources that expands on information about equipment, weapons, types of crimes, and forensics is The Internet Writing Journal:

https://www.writerswrite.com/journal/research-resources-for-mystery-and-crime-writers-2994

As The Author’s Librarian, I will always encourage authors to move beyond internet researching by developing relationships with criminal justice professionals to gain real details that will enrich their stories. In my book, Research Like A Librarian, I call these types of sources “secret agents” for writers. The important key to developing a strong network of “secret agents” is to draw upon these professionals for details surrounding cases that a writer may miss.  By developing these relationships and using the information gained from discussions, writers can create realistic storylines.  And when you give the readers that type of story, they will keep coming back for more.

My final advice is to not neglect the one source that could be your best bet for finding the information you need: the public, state, or university librarian. Many authors are surprised when I coach them to reach out to librarians to get access to data or high-level documents that would help them with their fiction work. But I am convinced that librarians are an author’s best resource for researching.

For example, during a Facebook meeting I was asked to present at for historical fiction authors several weeks ago, I encouraged the authors to email a librarian with a question they may have been stuck on during their researching process.

One author reported back the next morning that she was surprised to have an answer within a day from a state librarian regarding data that she had been hunting down for a few months.

Another example can be heard on my podcast. In episode one hundred and five, Kim Taylor Blakemore and I talked about her working with an out of state librarian.  This librarian helped Kim gain access to historical records about an asylum that ended up being the inspiration to many aspects of Kim’s award-winning historical thriller novels.

As a librarian, I encourage you to organize your list of sources based on events that inspire, criminal justice professions, and procedures. As a writer, I challenge you to interview expert witness in the field. And as reader, I encourage you to ask a librarian for help when you are stuck. By incorporating these techniques into your writing, you will be able to write your next thrilling with excellent sources that will give your book the authenticity your readers expect.   

Get a copy of the links and descriptions listed in this article in a free eBook titled: 

Resources Every Crime Fiction Author Needs.

 

About Vikki J. Carter, The Author's Librarian:

As a professional librarian and author, Vikki J. Carter, The Author's Librarian, reveals the techniques that librarians use to help writers effectively find valuable sources. Vikki’s book, Research Like A Librarian is available in eBook and in print.

Since the publication of her book in March 2021, Vikki has scheduled a fall appearance on The Creative Penn Podcast and she will be presenting at The 2021 Self-Publishing Advice Conference.

You can learn more about The Author’s Librarian, future online courses, listen to her podcast, gain access to the free Author’s Librarian Checklist: Avoiding Plagiarism, or watch her YouTube channel by visit the website at https://www.theauthorslibrarian.com.

Summer Vacation

 Q: I recently heard a comment that the big publishers are trying to hold onto an old model of publishing that doesn’t work so well anymore. Is this true? Why doesn’t it work, and how could the model be changed?

- from Susan

Good question. I have no answers. As someone who’s always been traditionally published and bears some scars from that model, I hope someone comes up with solutions. I have an agent who believes in it, and friends who are doing quite well – some astonishingly well – so it can work. I plan to venture into self-publishing with a series now out of print but the project isn’t ready for launch yet so I have no lessons learned to share. 

So, instead, let me indulge myself and maybe give you a moment to breathe deeply and relish summer with a couple photos from a tiny slice of paradise: the Hawaiian island of Kauai. 

 

 

Rip It Up and Start Again

Have you reread any of your books since they were published? How did you feel about them? Did you like them? Do you think you have improved as a writer? If you haven’t read any of them, is there a particular reason? What do you think you would discover if you did?

by Abir

Morning. Abir here. This is my first post on here for over a month. My last two slots were admirably tackled by my good friends Imran Mahmood and AA Dhand. If you get a chance to read their books, please take it, because they’re both fantastic writers.

 

So what have I been doing in the interim? Firstly I got comments back from my editors on the first draft of the new standalone novel I’m writing. Let’s just say it felt like being hit by an elephant driving a truck at high speed. At least that’s what it felt like at first. I was about to throw myself out of a window when I remembered that a) I live on the ground floor, and b) the only way I’m going to grow as a writer is if I’m challenged to do better. Well these editors have certainly thrown down the gauntlet, (after having slapped me in the face with it first).

 

Rather than wallow in a slough of self-pity, I did what any self-respecting writer would do, I left home and went on a three day bender with some friends on the remote Scottish island of Islay. Now Islay is a strange place. Back in the day, it was rather religious in an austere, Presbyterian way; the sort of place where the churches are circular so that there are no corners for the devil to hide in. In three days of looking, we didn’t find a single pub or bar that wasn’t inside a hotel. But that didn’t matter, because what Islay lacks in pubs, it makes up for in whisky distilleries. 

The Lagavulin distillery - Ron Swanson's favourite place on earth

There are eight or nine distilleries on the island, soon to be joined by a few more, and they are world famous – Laphroaig, Lagavullin, Bowmore, Arbeg, the list goes on. Our plane landed on the island at 9.30 in the morning and we were all drunk as a skunk by 11am. I don’t remember too much after that.

That dram in the middle looks pretty serious.

Having returned from Islay with my ‘chi ‘very much back in balance, I got back to the task of writing, which is to say that I stared at the editorial notes and started crying again. What I needed to do was take my mind off things, and when I need to do that, I read books. I read a lot of them. In the last month I’ve read six novels, which is a bit of a record for me. Some for the first time, others I’m returning to because they’re brilliant books. 

 

The books I got through were:

 - The Cut, by Christopher Brookmyre;

 - I Know What I Saw, by Imran Mahmood;

 - Money in the Morgue, by Dame Ngaio Marsh and Stella Duffy;

 - The Less Dead, by Denise Mina;

 - The City and the City, by China Meiville; and currently

 - Razorblade Tears, by SA Cosby.

 

I admire the writers of each of them and feel that they all had something to teach me. 

 

Right. On to the business of this week’s question. The answer is I can’t stand to read my old books. Whenever I’m forced to read parts of them, either for a book event or simply to remember what the hell it is my characters did in them, it fills me with dread. I hate reading my own work. It makes me cringe. And the reason why, I think, is because I really have no belief in my ability as a writer. I read the works of others such as the authors listed above, and I feel their work sings, their prose flows, their characters are deep, their stories taut and thrilling. When I read my own work, I never get that feeling. I always think of how far I still have to go as a writer, so much I still have to learn. 

In honesty, the older the book, the harder it is to read. I find the first book I ever wrote, A Rising Man, especially difficult. There’s so much in it that I would change: from simple turns of phrase, to descriptions, to characters. And yet, that was the book that started everything for me. It’s won awards and been a best-seller. It would be wrong to change it.

 

Do I think I’ve improved as a writer? I hope so. Otherwise what would be the point? I hope I always continue to improve - heaven knows there’s plenty of room for it. I hope each book is better than the last, better written, more interesting, more complex. Because to stand still is boring. It’s painting by numbers. It’s going through the motions. I want the pain and the challenge of an editor’s critical comments, because that, I hope will push me to write better. And even though there may be some dark nights of the soul, some days when I just feel I’m not good enough, those moments will pass. Especially with the help of some good whisky.

 

Have a great weekend, friends, and stay safe.

 

Carrot or Stick? From James W. Ziskin

Have you reread any of your books since they were published? How did you feel about them? Did you like them? Do you think you have improved as a writer? If you haven’t read any of them, is there a particular reason? What do you think you would discover if you did?

From time to time, I re-read parts of my books after they’ve been published. Sometimes it’s to find a suitable passage for a public reading, and, other times, it’s to check on details I need for consistency in the series. But I also re-read to see if the books—or the writing—have held up, at least to my own standards.

I’ve found errors—minor—and stylistic issues I wished I’d noticed before publication. Things like repetition of words in the same paragraph, or overuse of adverbs and adjectives. I even discover the odd misused word here and there. “Burr” instead of “bur” in one book. Ouch. All of these make me cringe, of course, even if most readers don’t notice or might not care. I often say that I wouldn’t throw a book against the wall if the author writes “he shrugged his shoulders” or “I blinked my eyes.” I have good editor friends who would… In fact, I found one of those examples in my first book not too long ago. Not much I can do about it now.

But, in my defense, I will point out that the expression “in the blink of an eye” is legitimate and acceptable usage. Why, then, can’t we say, “He blinked his eyes”? One can blink a flashlight or a turn signal, after all. Not just eyes.

My point is that such irregularities inevitably creep into even the best written and edited books and stories. We shouldn’t beat ourselves up if we fall prey to them, too. Yes, I believe it’s better to say “He blinked” than “He blinked his eyes.” But that doesn’t ruin a story for me.

Re-reading my past work is also a good way to sharpen my current style. When I find a passage I think I could have written better, I remember it. It bothers me. It’s a sting that remains with me as I dive into new work. Perhaps that’s why most writers improve their craft as they write more. Repetition should produce better quality over time. And, for the writer, introspection and critical honesty should help. Self-loathing is an excellent tool as well. That’s why, despite the cringes and the regrets, I will surely continue to read my earlier work, for guidance and instruction, not to mention the hard-to-swallow errors I’ve made. Sometimes I’ll smile and think a turn of phrase was well done. Other times, I might slap my own wrist and vow never to write such treacle again. I look at re-reading my own work as offering myself a carrot or a stick. The carrot, in theory, is the reward. Mind you, I don’t much like carrots, but they’re better than sticks.

In my latest book, Bombay Monsoon, coming in December 2022 from Oceanview Publishing, I’ve used a similar attitude toward my writing in the editing of the manuscript. Several beta readers, including my agent and editor, suggested that the action needed to get up and go more quickly at the start of the book. I had taken my time with the development of my characters and location, but clearly at the expense of the pace. So I’ve been slashing repetition and wordiness—two things I fear I’m guilty of in my Ellie Stone books—in favor of more economy and speed. I’m trying not to lose the flavor and style of my narrator’s voice, but the book will still weigh in at about 95,000 words, even with my edits.

If I manage the job well, I won’t have to cringe when I re-read the book years from now. In this case, I’m putting the stick to use now so I can enjoy my carrot down the road. (Blech.)

Going forward while looking back

Have you reread any of your books since they were published? How did you feel about them? Did you like them? Do you think you have improved as a writer? If you haven’t read any of them, is there a particular reason? What do you think you would discover if you did?

by Dietrich 

I stayed with relatives a few years back, and the only reading material in the house was To Kill a Mockingbird, a dusty old Reader’s Digest, and my first novel, Ride the Lightning (God bless them for having a copy). I finished the Crumley I brought along on the flight, and I was saving the Willeford for the return flight. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorites, so while I was up late alone anyway, I reread it for the umpteenth time. A couple of nights later I polished off the Reader’s Digest, liking most of the vintage stories. I hesitated reading my own, not because I read it so many times during the writing process. And although I enjoyed writing every minute of it, I knew the story and characters inside out, and since it wasn’t a sequel, I was done with it. I never considered that I would find it awful, I think the only other hesitation came from not wanting to turn a page and stumble onto a typo, blunder, or gaffe staring like an angry pimple — something that snuck past my own eyes through numerous drafts, and past the eyes of editors, copy editors and proofreaders. Funny, I did enjoy reading it, and there were details that I’d forgotten about.

These days of digital printing, it’s possible to correct minor flubs that sneak past all the eyes, and catch it on a reprint. And it can be done without the publisher incurring the cost of tossing out film and plates. I suppose, if there isn’t a second printing, then the author likely has bigger problems than a mere typo, depending on how you look at.

Anytime I reread something I’ve written, I check for mistakes, but also for the rhythm of my own words. Having read that first novel, I was also curious to see that the voice and rhythm hadn’t changed much from book to book.

Like most writers, when I’ve got a new release, I read from it on a tour or at various events, going over the same passages or chapters several times. I never tire of it, in fact, with Covid restrictions lifting, I’m really looking forward to some live events. Who knows maybe I’ll get a chance to plan a live Noir at the Bar event later this year.

In addition to reading my own books, I also enjoy listening to my audiobooks, and it’s a treat when the narrator nails the rhythm and pace. My latest one, Cradle of the Deep, was read by Keith McKechnie, a talented actor who absolutely nailed the rhythm of the words. You can sample it or listen to the entire unabridged novel on Spotify here.  

So, while I have reread my own stories, and enjoyed it, I’d rather focus on what I’m currently working on, and just stick to reading or listening to somebody else’s book in hopes of discovering a new favorite author, a great story that’s unpredictable, inspiring, and entertaining. 

Digging for the Magic

 

Terry Shames here, answering our question of the week. Have you reread any of your books since they were published? Do you think you have improved as a writer? 

 I haven’t read any of my published books in their entirety, although I read them at least a thousand times when I was editing (okay, I exaggerate, but it seemed like a thousand). But I have read chunks of them. I usually have one of two responses: “Wow, this isn’t bad,” or “Wow, how did this even get published?”

There’s more than one reason I don’t read them all the way through. First, having read them so many times, I feel like I remember every word. It turns out that isn’t true. 

I recently was invited to a book club that had just read my first book, A Killing at Cotton Hill. They didn’t want me to give a talk; they wanted to quiz me. And quiz me they did! About halfway through the hour I spent with them I realized there were many things I didn’t remember at all. They wanted to know the psychology behind some characters’ actions. It seemed ungrateful for me to say, “How the hell do I know? I can’t even remember the scene you’re talking about.” So I tried to wing it. Of course, there’s always the old, “What do YOU think was the psychology?” That at least gave me something to swing off of. 

Other reasons I haven’t read them in their entirety? It’s complicated. My agent recently suggested that I read all of the books again to remind myself of what I’ve written. Shudder. I don’t want to do that because even in small doses, I intimidate myself. I always worry that I’ll never be able to come up with the clever lines, the interesting characters, and the plots that seemed to flow so easily in the first books. It all seemed to happen by the magic of the sub-conscious. What if my sub-conscious decides it has had enough and it prefers to go to the beach? 

Oddly, as a character, Samuel Craddock, the protagonist of the series, always seems within reach for me. It’s all the other characters and the plots that seem slippery. My worry about “losing traction” with them became a self-fulfilling prophecy last year (I know, I know, you can’t judge yourself by Covid Time, but still…). I wrote a Samuel Craddock book that belly-flopped. Big time. My writers group hated it, my agent hated it, and I hated it. Time to jettison it and move on. When I sat down to start over, I was able to salvage one character from it. Eventually, I got in the groove, but it was touch and go for a while. 

The thing that always surprises me when I’m reading the manuscripts is the little moments of humor. I’ve been known to laugh out loud when reading a section. And humor, I’ve found, is something that can’t be forced. It seems to pop up most when I’m deeply immersed in the characters’ lives. 

 As to whether I’ve improved as a writer, I think I’ve improved in terms of craft. I know how the arc of a story works. I can settle into a pace easily. I recognize if the plot starts to veer off course--unlike book three, where I had to write the whole thing before I realized I’d done that. I now recognize if a character needs pumping up (or dialing back, not to mix metaphors). I’ve become familiar enough with my process to know that about 20,000 words in, I need to step back and figure out where I’m going. And I’ve learned the most valuable lesson for me—when something isn’t working, the devil is in the details. I need to settle my characters more firmly into their setting; look at things from their points of view; dig deeper into their relationships with each other; their goals, their fears, what makes them unique. It’s all part of what in the end makes the “magic” happen. 

 But there is still that indefinable “something” that bubbles up from deep inside and makes the book begin to take shape. If I thought rereading my books would help me identify and replicate that, I’d probably do it.

The Rereads

Have you reread any of your books since they were published? How did you feel about them? Did you like them? Do you think you have improved as a writer? If you haven’t read any of them, is there a particular reason? What do you think you would discover if you did? 

Brenda Chapman

By the time I finish with a book, I've spent so much time on the editing that I can't stand to read it through again. This doesn't mean I haven't tried. After each Stonechild and Rouleau book, I've started to read the book as a final edit to make sure there are no errors. Inevitably there are some, no matter that I, the editor, and copy editor have been through the manuscript about ten times. Partway through each reread of the published novel, I stop. All the time and sweat I've put into the book are too fresh. I need time and distance.

I'm always deep into a new manuscript by the time a book is released. When I was working on the series, I'd get confused going back and reading the previous book, often losing track of the sequence of events - what happened in the published book and what was I working on now? It's easier to set aside the published book and immerse myself in the new project. I always intend to go back and reread the published books, but have not as of yet. Perhaps now that the series is complete, I'll start from book one and work my way through. Soon, but not yet.

There was one exception to my rereading. I had a contract to write books seven and eight in the Anna Sweet mystery novellas for Grass Roots Press. In preparation, I reread the first six books and found myself enjoying them. Most impressively, I did not find one error, in large part due to my terrific editor Pam Robertson.

The last two books in the Anna Sweet mysteries

The second question asks if I like the books when I'm done. I've found that by the time I'm finished reading and rereading, editing and tweaking, I'm usually sick of the manuscript, unsure if it's any good, and have lost all perspective. It always feels as if I need to keep rewriting, and I don't think I'm alone in this. Can you simultaneously like and hate your work at the same time? I like the manuscript when I'm first done writing it and again after I've had some distance to regain my objectivity.

Finally, do I feel that I've improved as a writer? I honestly hope so. Writing is a craft and there is always something to be learned. Working with good editors is always an opportunity to grow. Trying new plot lines, developing characters, taking workshops, the act of writing itself ... all are important pursuits in progressing as a writer. After all, as in life, it's all about the journey.

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