Crime Fiction Dossier

Pitching books

I get scores of pitches from publicists, asking me to review their books. (I must get at least 5-10 solicitations most days.) Sometimes these pitches are effective, making me interested in the book. More often, though, they're not.

In the past week or so I've gotten two that take the form of the clichéd Hollywood style of pitching. (I don't know that anyone in Hollywood actually does this... I should ask Guyot. But I suspect they don't.)

Try these on for size:

• First book: A new international thriller is like "Thomas Harris meets Dan Brown." What does that mean exactly? A psychopath eats the Mona Lisa?

• Second book: "It's like CSI meets Medium on Survivor!"

I don't know about you, but neither of those pitches made me even remotely interested in reading the book. I would not watch Medium and I certainly wouldn't watch Survivor, so why on earth would I be interested in reading a book that was like them in any way? (The first pitch, at least, didn't put me off as much as it bored me.)

How about you? Does that grab your attention?

Advice for the aspiring book reviewer

One of the questions I get asked the most often is "How do I break into the business as a book reviewer?" The idea of getting paid to read books and write about them – coupled with all the free books you receive – is clearly something that interests a lot of people.

Unfortunately, the truth is that it's damn near impossible to get one of these gigs. Even once you do, there's not much work available and the pay ain't that great. (Typical pay for a book review is around $150-$200, unless you're writing for one of the largest papers.)

This is a very odd business. The smaller newspapers – which would be easier to break into – don't run book reviews. Only the larger newspapers – which have the most competition – run reviews. So the whole set-up is bass-ackwards.  (In my case, the first newspaper review I ever wrote was for the Washington Post.)

So if you're thinking about book reviewing as a job, you should probably think again. But it can still be a fun and rewarding pursuit (hobby? avocation?), assuming you've got the talent to make it work.

The first thing you need is some top-quality clips of reviews that you can show editors. These need to be well-written, insightful, professional and written in a journalistic style. Basically, they need to be of the same quality and nature as the majority of the reviews you read in the publication you hope to write for. You should have a handful of different reviews, including both raves and pans.

(Most of the reviews I read online would never hack it in a print publication. In order to succeed as a print reviewer, you have to demonstrate that you're as good as the people already doing the job, so your clips have to be excellent. Work on them until they're as fine as you can make them.)

It would also be helpful to have a compelling hook to get people interested in the first place. Something that you can set you apart, like you're a well-known blogger (some of the more-prominent bloggers have had success breaking into reviewing lately) or you're a published novelist or a professor of literature or an expert on medieval France. (Your hook, of course, should be related to the type of books you want to write about.)

When I started out, I didn't have much of a hook. I ran a mystery book review site (Mystery Ink), and I used those clips as samples of my work when talking to editors. Frankly, it seems like a miracle that anyone was interested – so maybe there's hope for others yet.

Once you've got your clips, here's what I recommend you do: Find out who the book review editor for the publication you're interested in is. Email him/her saying briefly who you are and what you do, and what your credentials are. Tell him/her you're interested in writing book reviews and ask if you can send some clips. Be prepared to hear no, or, even more likely, to hear nothing.

There might be a better way, but that's what I've always done. Chances of success are very low. Most of the time I get turned down, too, even with my track record. But it is possible. I see new names popping up all the time. You've got to be good, though, and you've got to be persistent.

On the other hand, if all you're interested in is reviewing books, you can start your own website or blog, or join up with one of the existing ones, and contribute that way. Granted, you're only going to be one quiet voice in the midst of the cacophony of crappy reviews that fill the internet. But if you're good, and if you have something interesting to say, people will pay attention. There is always a shortage of quality book reviews.

Tip of the day

If you come across a blog that offers to tell you how to write or how to get published, and that person is "published" by iUniverse or Publish America or some other vanity press, I suggest you look elsewhere for advice.

It's shocking, the bad information that's out there in the blogosphere. Browsers should be issued with warning labels: "Caution: Contents may be full of shit."

Belated Chicago Sun-Times column

For some reason, my last Chicago Sun-Times column (which ran 1/21) never showed up on the Books page of the paper's website. This morning I was checking around, though, and found it in the archives. (Good thing, too, or else I'd never know that it ran. It was already wayyy behind schedule, thus the older books it contains.)

In order to save you from having to hunt it down -- in case you're interested -- I'll copy it in below.

------

Latest thrillers place intrigue all over the map
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Date: January 21, 2007
Author: David J. Montgomery Special to The Chicago Sun-Times 
Section: Books
Page: B8

One of the things that makes the crime fiction genre so rich and vibrant is the wide variety of stories, characters and settings that it includes. From thriller to mystery, cops to crooks and Chinatown to Omaha, there's a book out there for every reader.

No one demonstrates that better than I.J. Parker, a writer who has flown under the radar the past several years with her excellent series set in ancient Japan. Her detective is a true original, a nobleman in the emperor's court with a penchant for solving mysteries.

In Black Arrow (Penguin, 368 pages, $14), Sugawara Akitada has been sent to the north of Japan to serve as governor of a rebellious province. He encounters resistance and outright contempt from the locals who are used to doing things their own way.

Sugawara is used to difficult situations, however, and with a deft combination of intelligence, cunning and bravery, he and his men are able to overcome that resistance and bring order to the troubled province -- and solve a series of murders in the process.

In Parker's hands, 11th century Japan comes alive in radiant fashion. Black Arrow is an exquisite book, suspenseful and action-packed, but also beautiful in its evocative descriptions and loving rendering of its subject.

Henry Chang's Chinatown Beat (Soho Crime, 204 pages, $22) is another Asian-themed crime novel, a worthy debut that introduces Chinese-American Detective Jack Yu. Hopefully we'll be seeing more of him in the future.

Yu works Chinatown for the NYPD, protecting and policing the people he's known all his life. Although he was born and raised in Chinatown, he's an outsider now; isolated to the fringes of the community by the gun and badge he carries.

Chang writes with stark power and authority, covering the territory as only an insider can. He evokes the spirit, sights, smells and language of his setting in compelling and original fashion. Although there is little action or suspense in Chinatown Beat, there is still much that thrills.

Sean Doolittle, today's finest writer of Midwestern noir, returns with The Cleanup (Dell, 336 pages, $6.99), another standout effort from this relatively unknown author.

Matt Worth is just an ordinary schlub, an average guy working as a cop in Omaha. He's smart enough, but he doesn't use very good judgment. His rash actions have seen him busted down to the lowest post on the force: guarding an all-night supermarket.

There he meets an attractive woman with an abusive boyfriend. He likes her, but he tries not to get involved. That changes when she calls to tell him that she's just killed her boyfriend and needs help disposing of the body.

Doolittle doesn't get the attention that many of the bigger names in the crime genre do, but he should. His understated novels are real gems, fine examples of timeless crime writing that hold up the rich traditions of the genre while also breaking new ground.

Mark Arsenault's Gravewriter (St. Martin's Minotaur, 288 pages, $23.95) is another mystery with a noir edge, but also a touch of dark humor. Billy Povich used to be a hotshot reporter on the crime beat in Providence, R.I., until his ex-wife died and he found himself up to his ears in debt to the local shylocks.

Now he's been busted down to writing obituaries. He's still gambling and regularly gets beat up for not paying his debts. But when Billy is called to serve on the jury in a murder case, his old investigative instincts are awoken, and he can't help but poke around in the case.

Gravewriter is a little slow-moving at times, but the well-drawn characters and the touching relationship between Billy and his son overcome the limited suspense. The off-the-beaten path setting of Rhode Island is also used to good effect.

Barbara Parker takes a break from her popular series to bring readers a mostly satisfying stand-alone thriller, The Perfect Fake (Dutton, 352 pages, $25.95). Tom Fairchild, an ex-con trying to get his life back together (aren't they all?), is hired to duplicate a rare old map that was destroyed when its owner was murdered.

It seems unlikely that Fairchild would be able to pull off this feat, but Parker does a halfway convincing job of explaining how he might. Along the way, Fairchild rushes from Miami to London and on to Florence, usually in the company of the alluring daughter of the man who hired him.

Although the characters and the story's improbable twists seem more like fodder from a daytime soap opera than a thriller novel, The Perfect Fake still does a reasonable job of keeping the reader's interest, due mostly to the subplot involving cartography.

THRILLERS WRITERS CONTEST

International Thriller Writers is giving one lucky winner autographed copies of 150 novels by some of the biggest and best thriller authors in the business, including Joseph Finder, Tess Gerritsen, John Lescroart, Gayle Lynds and David Baldacci.

To enter the contest, visit www.150Thrillers.com before Feb. 15 and sign up to get the free ITW newsletter. Apparently, that's all there is to it.

David J. Montgomery is the editor of Mystery Ink (www.mysteryinkonline.com).

In honor of Barbara Seranella

M.J. Rose has started a linking campaign in honor of Barbara Seranella, who passed away recently from liver failure, and the Crime Fiction Dossier backs her all the way.

Please consider signing up to be an organ donor. There is no better way to give meaning to the end of one's own life than to give a new start to another's.

Books I'm looking forward to this year

Philip Hawley Jr.'s Stigma -- I read this in manuscript form 2 years ago and have been waiting eagerly for the book ever since.

Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble -- I always look forward to a new Reacher book. They never disappoint.

Barry Eisler's Requiem for an Assassin -- The last book in the John Rain series (unless something changes). I think this is going to be a killer and hopefully be the book that really breaks Eisler out to a larger audience. 

M.J. Rose's The Reincarnationist -- Another book I read in manuscript form. This is going to blow a lot of people away.

Laura Lippman's What the Dead Know -- Lippman is at the top of the mystery genre in terms of talent and execution. Every book she writes is an event to look forward to.

Joseph Finder's Power Play -- Finder is writing some of the best thrillers of anyone right now, so this should be another winner.

Robert Crais' The Watchman -- The first Joe Pike novel has the potential to be very good. This is a series that once had real magic. Let's hope it's back.

Jason Starr and Ken Bruen's Slide -- The sequel to Bust, one of the best crime novels of 2006. I'm also looking forward to Bruen's Priest. The Jack Taylor novels are probably the best thing going in the PI genre today.

Harlan Coben's The Woods -- I don't know anything about this book, but Harlan can write a page-turner with the best of them. 

New books from Michael Connelly, George Pelecanos, Lawrence Block, Robert Ferrigno, Denise Hamilton, Thomas Perry...whenever they have them. These are all must reads for me. They may not have books out this year, though.

(Now that I think about it, Connelly is coming out with The Overlook, the serial novel he wrote for the Times coming out. I don't know if you count that as "new" or not.)

These are the books I was able to think of off the top of my head. There are, of course, many others that I'll read as soon as I lay my hands on them. Here's hoping 2007 will be a great year for crime fiction.

What about you? Which books are on your must-read list for 2007?

Mail call

I've mentioned often on this blog that I get a lot of books. Well, yesterday was a banner day here at Crime Reviewing Central. I got packages from the USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL. Here's the breakdown:

Hardcover books -- 10
ARCs for hardcovers -- 4
ARCs for trade paperbacks -- 1
ARCs for paperbacks -- 2
Manuscript -- 1
Total books: 18

Here's what I plan to read:

Hardcovers -- 3 (Including 1 I've already read)
ARCs -- 2 (Including 1 I've already got)
Manuscript -- 1 (If I have time)
Total books planning to read: 6

That's actually a fairly high percentage of good stuff for this batch. The book I'm most looking forward to reading of these is Lee Child's new one, Bad Luck and Trouble.

2006 Statistics

As regular readers of this blog know, I'm a compulsive list keeper. So here are my collected stats for 2006.

Books read: 150
Most books by 1 author (Lawrence Block): 7
Second-most books by 1 author (Rex Stout): 5

Book reviews written (including multi-book columns): 26
Books reviewed: 59
Books reviewed more than once: 7
Total books reviewed: 66
(Note: The above stats include only my print work, not online-only.)

Newspapers reviewed for: 5
Chicago Sun-Times reviews (including columns): 12
Philadelphia Inquirer reviews: 8
Boston Globe reviews: 2
South Florida Sun-Sentinel reviews: 2
Philadelphia City Paper reviews: 2

I can do the breakdown by publisher, too, in case anyone's interested.

Not bad output overall. It appears that this year my review output will increase substantially, too. By the end of 2007, you're going to be sick of me!

Reviewers over-praising books, Pt. 2

In response to my post below about "Why reviewers over-praise books" there were two comments I wanted to highlight and address.

Brian F. asked:

Do you think gushing reviews come from a "need" to create a pull quote? When you're writing a review, do you ever say to yourself "If they decide to use this to publicize the book, how will this sentence look?"

Alexandra Sokoloff wrote:

Maybe this is just a Hollywood thing, but there are film reviewers who are known to hyperbolically praise everything because that guarantees they'll get their name and quote in the ads. Is there maybe some similar motivation with some book reviewers?

I'm cynical, but practical: a lot of reviewers also aspire to writing careers, and widely-read reviews are a good way for them to build a name and connections.

I think this might come into play to a certain extent. But I'm not sure it's a predominant cause, since pull quotes from book reviews almost never mention the reviewer's name. I get blurbed all the time, but the quotes always just say "Chicago Sun-Times" or "Philadelphia Inquirer" or whatever.

My name has only appeared on blurbs a few times that I can remember, and that's out of dozens and dozens of quotes of mine that have been used.

There is still an ego boost that comes from seeing one's review quoted, even if it's not attributed by name. No doubt. But I do think that the anonymous quality of them lessens the motivation.

Pull quotes are something that I do warn myself about in the back of my mind when I'm writing reviews, and I try not to write anything that would be an obvious blurb.

On the other hand, I do try to write active, engaging reviews with positive, punchy phrasing in them (assuming, of course, it's a positive review). That's what my readers are looking for, I think, so that's what I give them. But I am aware of how it can be used for promotional purposes.

I still think that the best way to get attention as a reviewer is to write thoughtful, sincere, quality reviews. That's what you build a career on, not heaping unwarranted praise. Granted, some folks might not be savvy enough to realize this.

Review of John Lescroart's "The Suspect"

My latest review ran this morning in the Philadelphia Inquirer: John Lescroart's The Suspect.

Good book. I enjoyed this the most out of Lescroart's recent work.