Crime Fiction Dossier

Caveat emptor

Readers of blogs are consumers of information. There are blogs on virtually every subject known to man -- and plenty that you wouldn't want to know about. A few of them are interesting and/or useful, most of them are filled with nonsense. Included among that nonsense is a lot of bad advice, especially with regards to writing and publishing.

So here's a friendly reminder; a little something to keep in mind when wasting time on the blogosphere:

• If a person offers you advice on how to get published, find out if that person is published. If not, does he offer some other legitimate credentials? (E.g., he's an agent or editor.) If not, you might want to look at his advice with a skeptical eye.
• If a person offers you advice on how to have success in your writing career, try to find out how much success they've had in their writing career. How many books have they published? Who published them? Are they still in print? Have they made any of the bestseller lists? Have they gotten significant reviews? Have they won any awards? If you've never heard of the writer, never heard of their books, perhaps their strategies are not as effective as they reckon.
• If a person offers you advice on how to become a bestselling writer, first determine if that advice has worked for him. If he's not a bestselling writer, perhaps it's because his advice doesn't work.
• If a person offers you advice on how to become a better writer, read some of that person's writing. Is it any good? If not, reconsider how much credence you want to give that advice.
• If a person offers you advice on how to break into Hollywood, find out if that person has broken into Hollywood.
• If a person recommends publisher XYZ or literary agency ABC, do some research. Find out who those companies publish or represent. If you've never heard of any of their books or authors, ask yourself if these are the right people for you to be in business with.
• If a person recommends you pay them or anyone else for publishing, representation, editorial services, a review, reading your manuscript, or anything else, be very, very wary. Chances are better than good that you're being conned.
• Yes, that's right: even those very nice people who promise to make your every dream come true. Them too.

A person does not necessarily have to have done something in order to provide sound, useful information on the subject. However, before you go taking advice from some random person on the internet, it would behoove you to discover if that person has a legitimate basis from which to offer that advice. If they don't, you're probably better off clicking onward and finding something else to occupy your time.

(Note: I'm writing this with masculine pronouns because the first time through I tried using a lot of he/shes, etc. and it just looked clunky. So feel free to substitute feminine pronouns where appropriate.)

Ask the Critic: What is an ARC?

Chris in the UK asks:

What on earth are ARCs?

I sometimes forget that readers of this blog might not be hip to all the publishing lingo. So let me explain...

An ARC is an Advanced Reading Copy (also known as a bound galley or uncorrected proof). It's a pre-publication edition of a book that is printed by the publisher to send out to reviewers, producers, booksellers and other trade people in hopes of generating reviews, word-of-mouth and orders.

ARCs are softcover editions, printed in limited quantities and usually sent out 3-6 months before the book is available in stores. They are generally 99% the same as the finished product, although sometimes they are edited slightly -- either for content or, more typically, for typos, grammar, etc. -- before publication.

Advice I heard at ThrillerFest

One of the best parts of attending a conference like ThrillerFest is the opportunity to sit in on workshops and sessions where people discuss the business of writing and publishing in an open and honest manner. And then, if you hang around the bar long enough, you'll really get the scoop.

Not all of this advice is applicable to every author -- and not all of it is stuff that I necessarily agree with. But it's all worth thinking about and considering.

Communication:

• Establish a good relationship with your editor, publicist and other people at the publishing house. (This sounds obvious, but apparently a lot of people still don't do it.)
• Tell your editor what your expectations are and ask them what their expectations are. (This is also information it's essential that you relate to your agent.) Make sure that all of you are on the same page.

Internet:

• Have a dynamic website.
• Have a blog. (I'm dubious about this one, largely because of the time involved versus the payoff, but some people swear by it.)
• Use MySpace and other social networking sites. (I have similar hesitations about this one.)
• Web advertising is relatively cheap and can be very effective. Consider using a service like AuthorBuzz.com.

Reviews:

• Know who the reviewers are. Know which outlets review books like yours.
• Get to know the reviewers on a personal basis.
• Make sure those people get a copy of your book in a timely fashion.

Networking:

• Get to know other writers -- they can give you advice, contacts and blurbs.
• Get to know reviewers, magazine writers, their editors and other assorted media people.
• (For example: at ThrillerFest, there were two producers from the Glen Beck Show talking to people.)
• Conferences (whether ThrillerFest, Bouchercon, Left Coast Crime, Love Is Murder, Romantic Times or whatever) are a great way to do this.

Promotion:

• Play to your strengths; if you're not good at something, don't do it. You'll probably just end up hurting yourself.
• A big tour might not be feasible (or affordable), especially for a newer author. But you can visit booksellers in your town and those close to your town. If you've got friends or family who'll put you up, maybe you can venture further out as well.
• Consider writing a short story for an anthology. (For example, ITW is currently putting together two of them, both of which will be very high profile.)
• Consider writing by-lined articles or book reviews.
• Most importantly: get your name out there however you can.

ThrillerFest Panel: The Writer-Publisher Partnership

One of the more interesting panels I attended at ThrillerFest was on the Writer-Publisher Partnership, and it included some of the best people in the business: Simon Lipskar (agent, Writers House), Mark Tavani (editor, Ballantine), Meryl Moss (publicist), Linda McFall (editor, Mira), Roger Cooper (publisher, Vanguard) and moderator M.J. Rose (author and marketing guru).

The discussion was fast and in-depth and I didn't have the chance to take great notes. But here are some of the things I scribbled down:

Simon Lipskar: It's dangerous to assume that authors must be genius self-promoters. It's important to be a partner in the process, but you don't need to overdo it. Obviously it's great if you have the ability to attract 10,000 fans on MySpace or you can get TV attention or you're a glib public speaker or whatever. But you don't have to be able to do those things in order to be successful. Listen to what your publisher asks of you and be open to their needs -- and make sure you do what they ask.

Linda McFall: Authors need to do their homework before their first novel is published (and continue doing it afterward). You need to learn as much as you can about the process and the timeline of how things work. You need to talk to your publisher, have open and honest conversations, ask questions and listen to what they have to say.

Mark Tavani: Authors need to talk to their agents and prospective publishers about how each of them sees the book. Sometimes an editor will see the book in a very different way from how the author sees it -- and that's a recipe for trouble. (If you see the book as a breakout bestseller and they see it landing solidly on the midlist, neither one of you is going to be happy.) You need to be honest and upfront about your expectations, hopes and plans. And the editor should do the same. Communication is the best way to avoid problems.

Simon Lipskar: It's the agent's job to serve as an ambassador and diplomat for the author. The agent is the one who can ask the really tough questions and say the difficult things. It's not always best for the author to do those things him/herself. So don't be afraid to talk to your agent and tell him/her about your expectations.

(This notion of expectations, both on the part of the author and the publisher, came up a lot. Some of the biggest problems and bad feelings arise when the publisher and the author have different expectations of what the other is going to do. In order to avoid this -- in order for the writer-publisher partnership to work -- it's essential to have as open and honest of communication as you can.)

Meryl Moss: Although it wasn't always the case, publishers now generally welcome the participation of an outside publicist in the publishing process. (One paid by the author.) You should decide early on if you believe you need the services of an outside publicist. Talk to your agent and other authors and your editor to decide if it's best for you (and also who to hire). If you decide to use a publicist, bring him/her onboard early in the process and make sure your publisher supports what you're doing. (Without the support of the publisher, it's very difficult for an outside publicist to do her job.)

Roger Cooper: His company works with a different business model than the typical publisher. They are very selective and only publish one or two books per month -- and those books get their full attention. They don't pay advances. They pay a higher royalty rate, and they pay those royalties monthly. They outsource both editing and publicity. It's certainly not a model that would work for every author. But the publishing industry should be more open to trying new things, especially given how poorly the current model works.

Further thoughts:

• It is the book that counts most of all. The author's number one responsibility is to write the best book s/he possibly can. All subsequent discussions continue from the point at which we assume that the author has done his/her job.
• Most people seem to agree that there are too many books being published.
• It's impossible for every book to receive ideal publication (marketing, co-op, tours, reviews, etc.).
• If the author and the publisher are on the same page, it's likely that the experience will be better for both parties.
• If the author doesn't feel that his/her book is getting the support from the publisher that it deserves -- and virtually every authors feels this way -- there's very little that you can do about it.

(Note that I'm paraphrasing what everyone said. None of these statements should be construed as being direct quotes. But I think I got the sense of it down accurately.)

CraftFest Talk: What Editors Do After Your Book Is Perfect

Here are my notes on a second talk at CraftFest, part of the ThrillerFest conference put on by ITW. It was given by Neil Nyren, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Putnam. The topic of his discussion was "What Editors Do After Your Book Is Perfect."

Nyren broke down into three main areas what your editor will do for you: Timing, Packaging and Marketing.

Timing:

• It's the responsibility of the editor to ensure that the book is published at the right time.
• A book must be published at the right time in order to be successful.
• For example: a lot of books by big name authors are released in September-November in order to capitalize on the Christmas buying season. As a result, many books are moved up to August or back to January to avoid the juggernauts.
• Timing affects how many books are likely to be bought, how much co-op space is available and how much review space is available.

Packaging:

• Packaging includes the book's size, title, jacket (including color, image, size and style of the author's name and the book's title, author photo, etc.), etc.
• The editor oversees all of these.
• (Note: Neil discussed this point using a lot of visual examples, showing different jacket covers and explaining the different aspects of them and why they were done that way. But you'll just have to trust me on that one, as I can't replicate what he said.)

Marketing:

• The marketing for an author can't be allowed to grow stale. The formula must be updated with every book. What you did last time isn't necessarily what you should do this time.
• Some considerations are things like: the book tour (bigger or smaller), the type of media opportunities that you pursue, the types of advertising, the outreach to online booksellers or B&M booksellers.
• If you did it one way last time, you should do it a different way this time.
• The goal is to make the author appear fresh; make it new/different each time.
• Co-op (co-operative advertising, where publishers pay bookstores to promote their books) is the great "hidden" cost of publishing. It is very expensive and it is also essential to the success of a book.

Further thoughts:

• The dark secret of publishing is that even the professionals are surprised every day. Great books fail while crap succeeds and there's no way to tell when that will happen. Conversely, some sure bestsellers flop while real art flourishes.
• Book sales are tepid. The current state of publishing is described by the quip: "Flat is the new up."

Advice to authors:

• Work with your editor. Your editor is your connection to the rest of the publishing company and you need to work on having a good relationship with him/her.
• Do your homework, learn the business. Educate yourself.
• Then ask questions. Inform yourself and always communicate with your editor.
• But don't be neurotic. Don't be a pain in the ass. And don't harass your beleaguered publicist.

What do you bring to the table? (factors that influence what a publisher can do for you and your book)

• Do you or the book have an interesting hook? (E.g., FBI agent, topical story)
• Do you have an in with a magazine or newspaper or book review editor or media people?
• Do you know any booksellers?
• Are you TV friendly?
• Are you outgoing and a good speaker?
• What's your sales history like?

(I know this is disjointed -- my notes weren't great and Neil's talk was complicated. But maybe you'll find some of this interesting.)

Book reviews still matter

Random House and Zogby did a poll of the reading and book-buying habits of over 8,000 adults. They generated some interesting results -- for example, only 11% of respondents said they are comfortable reading books in non-traditional formats, such as online or with an e-book reader or PDA -- so it's worth taking a look at.

Here's one stat that I found especially interesting: "When asked what makes them want to buy a book, 60% said suggestions from friends and family members, while nearly half (49%) said they are influenced by book reviews." (emphasis mine)

So reviews are definitely still having an impact. If only the people running newspapers and magazines would listen.

Interview with literary agent Simon Lipskar

Simon Lipskar, a literary agent at Writers House, is one of the top agents in the business. He represents a wide range of writers, including major authors in literary and commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction and young adult fiction. He graciously agreed to answer some questions.

Q. What's the best way for an unpublished writer to get an agent?

This is going to sound agonizingly reductive, but the answer is to worry less about finding an agent and more about writing the best possible book.  If the book is great, old-fashioned queries (though hopefully with less paper waste via email submission) are the best way to garner interest.  But don't bother looking until you're confident your book is as good as it can be.  I guess part of the question you're asking is if going to conferences and meeting agents on the prowl will help; my basic feeling is usually not.  What you're selling is on the page: if it's there, it's there, if it's not, it's not.

Q.  What do you look for in a prospective client?

More reductiveness: a great writer.  A determined writer.  A writer who's willing to work as hard on her craft as her career (and vice versa).  Recognizing that writing is a solo act but publishing is a team effort is helpful, but I'll represent a raging egomaniac who is a brilliant writer -- the work always comes first, period.

Q. What are publishers buying right now?

The further adventures of reductiveness: books they can sell.  What that is precisely changes from time to time, of course.  In terms of thrillers, which are your primary area of interest, editors are looking for thrillers that aren't like all the others.  Sure, there's still money to be made writing Da Vinci Code knockoffs, but that's growing staler by the moment.  Originality and freshness seem to be the watchwords on everyone's lips.  I should also add that there's a pretty sour vibe in publishing these days about the marketplace, even more so than usual; nobody is feeling all that great about the health of the bookselling market, and that makes for nervousness all around.

Q. Does it make any sense for writers to try to write to the market or is that a futile enterprise?

Almost invariably futile.  I know one or two cases in which writers wrote books specifically to catch a particular wave in which this gambit worked, but usually this just serves to waste vast amounts of precious time.  Writers should write the books they love.  That way, no matter what the market says, their time wasn't wasted.

Q. What's the one thing that you think all writers should know about the publishing business but don't?

That most of us (publishing folks) really love books.  That most of us really care about publishing books well, that we take it personally. This is not a business for folks who are just looking for a job to pass the time -- it's well beyond 9-5 for most of us, and it usually doesn't compensate the average editor or agent nearly well enough given the amount of time, dedication and passion he or she gives.  So often I get the sense that writers think we really couldn't give a damn about books and publishing them well -- and that's just a profound misreading of this business and the people who work in it.

Are you sure you want to be a writer?

Poets & Writers magazine has an excellent interview with agent Nat Sobel. Everyone should definitely read the whole thing -- it's full of great stories and information and observations about the world of publishing. (The material about working with James Ellroy is fascinating.)

I wanted to highlight one particular part of the interview. Sobel talks about how difficult it is to sell fiction, especially by new authors, and especially by male authors (unless it's a thriller):

Five of us in the agency read submissions...We generally read partial manuscripts, or complete manuscripts. Everyone averages about two of those per week. So, in an average year, that's more than five hundred manuscripts. Last year, from those five hundred books, we took on three new writers. And we were only able to sell one of them.

You sure you want to be a writer still?

How not to run a small press

If you're a publisher, this is an example of how not to do business. The following is a real exchange I had recently with the representative of a small press. The name of the company and the author have been changed to avoid embarrassing them.

Email received on 12/20/07:

Dear David:

I was glad to find your site!

As a small press, we'd really appreciate a review or interview of Author X's upcoming novel XYZ. The novel is not available until mid to late January but information on it is posted on our site at [website] under novels.

[Plot summary omitted.]

Please, let me know if you'd consider interviewing Author X or reviewing her book.

I replied on 12/20/07:

I can try to take a look.

Ordinarily in situations like this I decline...But I suppose I was feeling generous due to the Christmas spirit.

Well, I never heard anything. (And, of course, immediately forgot all about it.) Until this email arrived on 3/29/08:

I'd love to send you a copy, however, if I don't know for sure there's going to be a review (either good or bad), I don't send them out. We're a small press.  Can you let me know if you are for sure interested in reviewing it and posting it?

Let's set aside for the moment the fact that it took them 3 months to reply -- by which time the book had zero chance of getting reviewed anyway. (I'm currently reading May books for possible review -- not January books.) The notion that a reviewer is going to promise to review a book before they've even seen it is so ludicrous that it boggles the mind.

So I replied:

Chances are, at best, 1 in 20 for a review. It's the same with all the books I receive.

I can understand where you're coming from, but no legitimate critic can guarantee a review. The business just doesn't work that way.

Sorry.

The publisher replied back:

Thanks anyway.

This exchange just goes to show that anyone can call themselves a publisher these days without actually learning how the business works. As I said in my reply above, no legitimate book reviewer is going to guarantee a publisher a review. It doesn't work like that. Publishers send the books and take their chances. It doesn't matter if you're Random House or Dave's Fly-by-Night Press -- the rules are the same.

The sad part is, people are entrusting this company with the fate of their books -- and clearly they have very little idea what they're doing.

Speaking of promotion: James Patterson

ABC News has a piece on James Patterson that I found interesting. It contains some eye-opening stats -- he's sold 150 million books; an incredible 1 out of every 35 books sold last year was one of his -- along with the usual stuff about co-writers, his marketing background, etc.

Here's a quote from Patterson that I loved:

"There are thousands of people around the country who don't like what I do," he said. "Fortunately, there are millions who like it a lot."

Most of the time when Patterson's name comes up in conversation with other writers, he's referred to with derision.

I always shake my head when I hear people make those kinds of statements, because I think they just don't get it. We should be learning from what Patterson is doing. We should be studying his methods and strategies, and figuring out how we can apply his lessons to our own work.

I don't care if people think the books are lousy -- many of them are not very good, but so what? That's not the point. What matters is that he's selling books. And that's something we all need to learn to do better.

(hat tip)