KN Magazine: Articles

3/7/16 3/7/16

Self-Publishing: Gone Fishing

When you self-publish, you often don't have the good fortune of having an all-powerful, brilliant editor who's going to turn each of your caffeine-fueled lines into a polished gem. Rather, the onus falls on you, dear writer (brilliant in your own right), to keep the reader in the forefront of your mind and make each word, each scene, fraught with tension.

In this month's "Self-Publishing," author Tom Wood gives insight into how he builds suspense and how you, too, can become a fisher of men, so to speak.

Gone Fishing
By Tom Wood

When’s the last time you went fishing? It’s been years, maybe decades, since I wet a line (that’s fishin’ talk).

If like me — always behind the keyboard and busy writing, writing, writing, trying to meet a deadline — then it’s probably been a while for you, too.

Right now, I’ve got another Word document open and am hard at work on the sequel to my debut novel Vendetta Stone, a fictional true-crime thriller. So when my Killer Nashville Online Magazine editor e-mailed a request for me to contribute a column about literary suspense, I said, sure, no problem. What’s one more deadline?

As a journalist/author, I’ve lived a lifetime meeting deadlines.

But actually, I would rather be down at the ol’ fishing hole, gentle waters lapping at my feet and introducing Mister Minnow to Mister Bass.

That got me to thinking.

Building literary suspense is a lot like going fishing.

I mean, isn’t that what we are all trying to accomplish with our stories? Author Joe Fisherman wants to catch as many fish, er, readers as he can—no limits—and in doing so, he want to catch them off-guard.

All genre writers know the basic definition of literary suspense, though we may approach it from different angles—which makes us anglers, another synonym that fishermen use to describe themselves.

My quest in building literary suspense is to create enough compelling tension in the story and enough obstacles for the main characters that readers feel an empathy for them and concern for their safety and well-being. I want them hanging on every word, and when they get to the end of the chapter, I want them to breathlessly flip to the next page to find out what happens next.

In fishing parlance, that’s called playing the line. Get the reader hooked, let them run with the story going in one direction and then the other, a few tugs at the heartstrings and then worn out from holding their collective breaths, you slowly reel the reader back in.

One reader emailed how much they enjoyed Vendetta Stone, but complained that I made him late to work because he stayed up reading. I smiled, knowing I had done my job.

You need the right bait, the right lure, if you’re gonna reel in readers. That’s the compelling action of your story and what the stakes are for your protagonist versus his/her antagonist.

What’s your story hook? Figure that out, and you have them.

Patience is a virtue when you cast that line, but you must learn how to play it just right. You don’t want to lose the reader to sloppy writing, a boring story, a lack of action or any other number of things that lets them wiggle off the hook.

Some of the best writing advice I learned was at 2011 Killer Nashville during a session on story structure hosted by guest of honor Robert Dugoni. It wasn’t about fishing, but it would’ve been a good analogy.

Bob talked about the importance of the first sentence/paragraph of a chapter being so good that it compels readers to continue. The second-most important sentence/paragraph, Bob said, must close that chapter—the object being to compel the reader to quickly turn to the next chapter. And it didn’t matter how long—or short—the chapter was to get from Point A to Point B, just whatever it took.

That excellent advice helped me hone my story and take it from a good story to a publishable work of fiction.

When everything comes together, you’ve caught the reader—hook, line and sinker.

A veteran sports writer and copy editor, Tom Wood has covered a variety of events ranging from the Iroquois Memorial Steeplechase to the Atlanta Olympic Games for The Tennessean in Nashville. After retirement, he continues his passion for writing, contributing to the Civil War-based anthology, Filtered Through Time and conducting an interview with Stephen King for Feast of Fear: Conversations with Stephen King. In the last year, Tom has begun writing Western fiction short stories, two of which have been published by Western Trail Blazer. “Tennesseans West” is his next project with four other authors involved. He is also an actor and can be seen in several episodes of the ABC series “Nashville”. He also coordinates the Killer Nashville guest blog series. Vendetta Stone is his first novel and he is working on the sequel.

Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.

3/4/16 3/4/16

Live From Bangalore: A Book's Journey

It’s no secret that the world is shrinking; globalization, social media, and widespread availability of the internet has made the exchange of information between distant locales easier and faster than ever before. But what effect does this brave new world have on publishing.

Author and Bangalore-based businessman Vasudev Murthy recounts his own publishing experiences and how this global market has allowed his works to take minds, and journies, of their own.

A Book's Journey

By Vasudev Murthy

They say that every book finds its reader. In 2016, that could well mean someone in a tiny town in Brazil or in Seoul in Korea.

I live in Bangalore, a city in southern India. I write on a variety of subjects—Music, Crime, Humour, Management . . . I have a lot to say and I shall keep writing. I’ve been published by Rupa, Sage, Bloomsbury, HarperCollins, Poisoned Pen Press and a few more. I realize that I’ve been very fortunate.

But this is not about my fortune but the interesting experience of suddenly finding my books being read in far-away places. Much happens by serendipity as I shall show.

I wrote Sherlock Holmes in Japan in 2012-13. It was published by HarperCollins India and was then showcased by them at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Robert Rosenwald, the CEO of Poisoned Pen Press bumped into someone at the HarperCollins stall and decided to acquire the US rights. PPP renamed the book Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Japan and did an additional round of editing and launched it in the US in March 2015 with a gorgeous cover.

Things became even more interesting. Shortly thereafter, HarperCollins sold the Portuguese language rights to Editora Vestigio in Brazil. It was translated with a great deal of finesse by Ana Oliviera and appears to have become very popular. The book’s production was quite wonderful and the cover design daring and different. What a pity I can’t read the language!

I developed a positive relationship with PPP (in distant Arizona) and worked with them on planning my next book. And soon, I signed a contract with PPP for Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Timbuktu. The book was published in January 2016.

Meanwhile, a Korean publisher called Gamesman reached out to HarperCollins and acquired the Korean language rights. Their particular speciality is the sale of one e-chapter at a time; Korea has apparently adopted e-Books in a very big way. Along with that has come new business models which allows readers to decide on moving ahead chapter by chapter; that’s pressure on a writer to keep things interesting throughout or lose the reader!

A friend in Japan introduced a major publisher Kokusho-Kankokai to HarperCollins India which resulted in the sale of the Japanese language rights, something that I was hoping for at the back of my mind.

But what has all this taught me?

One: the world is truly shrinking. Deals are made faster than ever before and publishers are unafraid of placing their bets on a relatively unknown writer if the theme is compelling enough.

Two: the book you write has a life of its own. I can no longer control its destination and I have no way of knowing how true the translation is. It’s a risk worth taking. One never knows what may happen. For instance, a reader in Brazil made a video about it!

Three: your neighbour in Bangalore does not know who you are, except as the guy with the barking dogs, but people in tiny towns in Brazil and the US do and often write in. I find it slightly surreal. The books have made me an international citizen in a way.

Four: it’s very exhilarating working with publishers and editors overseas and seeing how they think. It’s enriching for the writing process. For example, Timbuktu needed a great deal of research. The publisher worked with me from concept to completion. That’s a wonderful example of how the writing process need not be solitary in this age, and can call upon well-wishers from across vast distances.

Five: speed and responsiveness is king. The quick exchange of information, photographs and graphics ensures that a book is out faster than ever before. That means both publishers and writers need to have a great sense of urgency. And communication needs to be crisp and clear.

Six: Marketing has changed. Book launches don’t happen for me because it’s not possible to travel vast distances. I have to support my publisher in whichever way they think best, which these days may include video interviews or blog submissions. I am fairly active on twitter and that does help.

Seven: you may write for a certain audience and include unusual cultural references; the reader is liberal and prepared to find out what you mean. However, there is an additional responsibility placed on us to be rigorous in our research or risk criticism. And what about the poor translator who must be so precise in conveying the syntax as well as the nuance?

This is the journey my book has taken. I hope you find it self-explanatory. Who knows how this picture will look after the Timbuktu book gathers steam?

Vasudev Murthy has authored books on a variety of subjects including music, crime, management and humor. His publishers include Sage, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Poisoned Pen Press, Editora Vestigio, Gamesman, LiFi, Kokusho-Kankokai and Rupa, and his book Sherlock Holmes in Japan (Harper Collins, India) has been translated into Portuguese, Korean and Japanese.

Vasudev lives in Bangalore, India where he runs a consulting firm. When he's not knee deep in researching or writing his next book, he can be found teaching, conducting animal welfare seminars, playing the violin, or twisting his aging body into improbable yoga asanas. He has been rescued by six dogs who highly recommend his books as an excellent source of dietary fiber.

3/4/16 3/4/16

Live From Bangalore: A Book's Journey

Author and Bangalore-based businessman Vasudev Murthy recounts his own publishing experiences and how this global market has allowed his works to take minds, and journies, of their own.

A Book's Journey

By Vasudev Murthy

They say that every book finds its reader. In 2016, that could well mean someone in a tiny town in Brazil or in Seoul in Korea.

But this is not about my fortune but the interesting experience of suddenly finding my books being read in far-away places. Much happens by serendipity as I shall show.

But what has all this taught me?

One: the world is truly shrinking. Deals are made faster than ever before and publishers are unafraid of placing their bets on a relatively unknown writer if the theme is compelling enough.

This is the journey my book has taken. I hope you find it self-explanatory. Who knows how this picture will look after the Timbuktu book gathers steam?

murthygraphic

20160223Headshot_Murthy Vasudev Murthy has authored books on a variety of subjects including music, crime, management and humor. His publishers include Sage, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Poisoned Pen Press, Editora Vestigio, Gamesman, LiFi, Kokusho-Kankokai and Rupa, and his book Sherlock Holmes in Japan (Harper Collins, India) has been translated into Portuguese, Korean and Japanese.

3/4/16 3/4/16

Live From Bangalore: A Book's Journey

Author and Bangalore-based businessman Vasudev Murthy recounts his own publishing experiences and how this global market has allowed his works to take minds, and journies, of their own.

A Book's Journey

By Vasudev Murthy

They say that every book finds its reader. In 2016, that could well mean someone in a tiny town in Brazil or in Seoul in Korea.

But this is not about my fortune but the interesting experience of suddenly finding my books being read in far-away places. Much happens by serendipity as I shall show.

But what has all this taught me?

One: the world is truly shrinking. Deals are made faster than ever before and publishers are unafraid of placing their bets on a relatively unknown writer if the theme is compelling enough.

This is the journey my book has taken. I hope you find it self-explanatory. Who knows how this picture will look after the Timbuktu book gathers steam?

murthygraphic

3/4/16 3/4/16

Dying for Dinner: Michael's Mother's Killer Kugel & Pearl’s Tennessee Honey Corn Pudding

Dying for Dinner

Michael's Mother's Killer Kugel

By Debra H. Goldstein

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) pkg. medium egg noodles 1/2 tsp salt

1 Stick margarine 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup plus a little bit granulated sugar 6 eggs

1 1/2 cup sour cream

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 1/2 cup cottage cheese (nonfat - mah jongg players watch their weight)

3/4 to 1 cup white raisins, soaked in apple and/or orange juice

Instructions:
Soak raisins in apple and/or orange juice. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain noodles according to instructions on package. Put noodles back in pot and add margarine immediately. Add sugar and mix. Lightly beat eggs and add to noodles. Add vanilla, salt, sour cream and cottage cheese. Stir after adding each ingredient. Add pineapple. Drain raisins and add to mixture. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into 9x13 inch lightly greased (Pyrex) pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake approximately 1 hour, uncovered. Turn oven off and leave pan in oven for 5 minutes. Remove kugel from oven and allow it to cool before cutting Serves 12-16.

For an even lower fat version, use 2 cups nonfat cottage cheese and 1 cup fat free sour cream (but do you really care?)

Pearl’s Tennessee Honey Corn Pudding

By Don Winston

Ingredients:

5 large eggs

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s Whiskey

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 cup half/half

4 tablespoons cornstarch

2 (15.25-ounce) cans whole kernel white corn

2 (14.75-ounce) cans cream-style white corn

1 small green cayenne pepper, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions:
In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs; add half/half and beat. Stir in the remaining ingredients, adding the corn last. Blend well. Pour mixture into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for one hour or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

20160302Debra Headshot 20160302ShouldHavePlayedPokerFrontCover Judge Debra H. Goldstein is the author of Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery (Five Star Publishing – April 2016) and the 2012 IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus. She also writes short stories and non-fiction. Debra serves on the national Sisters in Crime, Guppy Chapter and Alabama Writers Conclave boards and is a MWA member. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, Joel, whose blood runs crimson.

Her website is: www.DebraHGoldstein.com .

20160302DonWinstonHeadshot 20160302S'WANEECover Don Winston grew up in Nashville and graduated from Princeton University. After a stint at Ralph Lauren headquarters in New York, he moved to Los Angeles to work in entertainment as an actor, writer, and producer.

S’wanee: A Paranoid Thriller was his debut novel and hit #3 in Kindle Suspense Fiction, followed by his second novel—The Union Club: A Subversive Thriller. His new thriller—The Gristmill Playhouse: A Nightmare in Three Acts—was released spring 2015.

He’s currently working on a paranormal thriller inspired by the Bell Witch legend.

He lives in Hollywood.

*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.

3/4/16 3/4/16

The Writer's Life: Your First Draft

Authors have long lamented that “there is nothing more intimidating than the blank page,” or other axioms to that effect. Whether you agree with that statement or not, one can’t deny that there’s a certain amount of anxiety—mingled with excitement, of course—involved when faced with the prospect of beginning a new work. One could argue that part of this trepidation stems from the fear of the uncertain (which, unfortunately, even writers are subject to). Maybe you don’t yet know the direction you want your story to take. Maybe you don’t yet even know your story.

In this installment of “The Writer’s Life,” Jaden Terrell shares some tips on how to map out your story. With these tricks in your arsenal, you’ll be able to approach that foreboding empty page with confidence.

Your First Draft

By Jaden Terrell

In the past several months, you’ve learned a lot about the characters in your story. You know what clues the perpetrator left, how he obscured his tracks, who the suspects are and what will cast suspicion on them, and where and how your protagonist will find these clues.

What else must happen in order for your character to get what she wants? What obstacles will she face? How will she be deceived or betrayed?

By now, you’ve probably envisioned a number of scenes. It’s finally time to start putting it all together.

Brainstorming and Index Cards

Based on what you’ve learned, take a few moments to brainstorm all the scenes you know you’ll need. You can make a list, write a summary, use a mind map or clustering exercise, or use whatever format best suits your needs.

I like to use index cards because the act of physically manipulating the cards helps solidify the story in my mind. If you prefer, you can use Post-It notes, a white board and dry-erase markers, an Excel spreadsheet, or Scrivener. If you choose one of these alternate methods, just mentally substitute your method every time I refer to index cards.

If you have several subplots, you may find it helpful to use white for the main plot and a different color for each subplot. When you’ve finished your planning, you’ll be able to see at a glance if your story is balanced and how the subplots are interwoven with the main plot. If one color is clumped at the beginning and then never appears again, you know you have a problem, and you can sort it out before you get too far along in your narrative.

Now, write a sentence or two about each scene you’ve envisioned, one per card. (Make sure to use the appropriate color, if you’re color coding your subplots.) You can go into more detail if there are things you want to be sure not to forget, but don’t worry about pretty writing, and don’t worry yet about putting them in order. It’s okay if there are gaps. You can always fill them in later.

Ordering, Bridges, and Turning Points

Once you have your cards written, put them in order. Don’t stress about this. You can always change things later. With each scene, ask what needs to happen to lead to the next one? What would logically follow? What if your character failed? What would make things worse? After your protagonist takes action, ask yourself if there’s any way your villain would know what your protagonist has done. If so, how would (s)he naturally react? After your villain takes an action, ask yourself what your protagonist would naturally and reasonably know about it and how (s)he would naturally react? Use these questions to build additional scenes, with important turning points at the ¼, ½, and ¾ marks.

Where do you start? As close as possible to the inciting incident (the thing that changes your character’s life and embroils him or her in the story) without confusing the reader. If you have to have a flashback immediately after your opening, chances are you’ve started your story too late.

Once you have your cards in order, you have a flexible outline. As you write, if the direction of your story changes, you can rearrange the cards or toss some out and make new ones. I like to keep them up to date, so I can lay them out and see the whole story at a glance.

Write Your Story

Pick a card, any card. I like to start at the beginning and write to the end (it keeps me from referencing events that haven’t happened yet), but it’s fine to write the scenes out of order if a later scene appeals to you more. Some writers like to write the last scene first so they know where they’re heading. That’s fine too. The important thing is to write.

You don’t have to wait until you know everything.

Whatever scene card you choose, start writing it. Don’t worry about making it perfect. Just get the story down.

When you’ve finished that scene, choose another card.

As you write, continue to ask yourself, “Does what I’m writing make sense, based on what’s come before and what’s going to happen? What would naturally and logically happen next? How would this character naturally and logically respond to this event? How could this be worse?”

To Revise or Not to Revise

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about whether or not to revise as you go. Because writing and editing require different thought processes, conventional wisdom says it’s best to get the whole book down on paper first, then go back and revise and polish. It’s very difficult to do both at the same time, but there are successful authors who manage it and turn out exceptional work year after year, all the while struggling to refine each shining sentence before moving on to the next one. If that’s the way you work, and if you’ve been able to use that method to actually complete a novel, by all means, carry on. You’ve found your process.

But if you suffer from the curse of perfectionism and you have trouble finishing anything because your editor brain refuses to let you move forward until each sentence is a glistening gem, I strongly suggest you follow the conventional advice. If your editor brain is such a tyrant you can’t move forward, you should probably show your editor brain a little tough love. Pack her bags, give her chocolate and strawberries and champagne, and send her away to a cottage on the beach with the promise that when she comes back, you and your writer brain will have a nice, messy draft for her to fix. She’ll tap on the door and look at you with sad puppy eyes, and when you refuse to let her in, she may resort to screeching that your work will be dreck and that, without her, you’re destined to be the laughingstock of the literary community. Put your fingers in your ears and tell her gently, “It’s not your turn yet, Pumpkin.”

When I started writing, I was paralyzed by the need to be perfect, and I had a drawer full of beautiful first chapters to show for it. I had to use the tough love approach before I could finish my first novel. Now my editor brain and my writer brain have made peace with each other, and my process is somewhere in between the two extremes. I like to do what Dean Wesley Smith calls “cycling.” I write a new chapter, then go back and revise previous chapters, then write another new one, then cycle back, and so on. I’m not allowed to revise until I’ve written at least 1000 new words. This keeps me moving forward but allows me to go back and fix problems as they arrive. So my “first drafts” are more polished than they used to be, because by the time I read the end, I’ve already been through it multiple times. The key is, though, that the writing and editing are still separate. Writer brain comes out to play; then the two brains work together to make sure everything works.

Choose the method that will get you to the end. And above all, have fun with it. Try different things. Backtrack if you have to. Give yourself permission to write badly, to tell instead of show, to let your writer brain play. There’s nothing you can do wrong that can’t be fixed.

Below are some things to think about as you plan and write. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed with it all, step back and go back to the basics. Ask yourself the simple questions: Does this make sense? What is the next, natural, logical thing that would happen? What would this character naturally, realistically do? How could this be worse?

Character

Are your characters consistent?
Does your protagonist have at least one heroic characteristic?
Is (s)he too perfect?
Have you used his/her fears and flaws to deepen the story and further the plot?
Does (s)he have enough internal conflict? Opposing desires? Conflicting emotions? (Desire, Motivation, Obstacle, Conflict)
Are the stakes high enough for the character? Is (s)he “all in”?
Have you given your protagonist room for growth? (What is something (s)he would never say, think, or do? Can you find a plausible way to make him think, say, do those things?
Does your character surprise us while remaining true to his/her character?
Have you shown us the emotional and/or spiritual effects of the turning points on the character?
Are all your characters’ motivations believable?
Are the supporting characters and antagonists well developed? Do they have lives, conflicts, and emotions of their own, independent of the protagonist? Do their strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits echo or complement the protagonist’s? Remember, “The villain is the hero of his own story.”

Plot

You’ll notice that several plot issues overlap with character.

Does everything make sense? Does the storyline hold together?
Does one thing lead logically to another, or are there gaps in the narrative? Does it pass the “what would logically happen next/what would the characters logically do” test?
Is there enough happening?
Is there enough conflict? (Conflict doesn’t necessarily mean fighting.)
Have you asked yourself, throughout the narrative, “How could this be worse?”
Do you have subplots and layers?
Are the overall stakes high enough?
Is there a moment of no turning back?
Do you have major turning points at the ¼, ½, and ¾ points of the story and other turning points throughout? Are there reversals throughout the story (places where the unexpected happens and changes the direction of the story).
Have you used these turning points as opportunities to heighten or understate emotion? Are you going for the obvious or can you bring more depth or subtlety to the scene? (Think Mel Gibson in LETHAL WEAPON, where he’s in the trailer putting the gun in his mouth. Originally, the director wanted him to scream, rant, rail at the universe. But Gibson asked to try something different. He made it smaller and quieter, and by doing so, gave it infinitely more power.)
Have you included moments of forgiveness, grace, redemption, and self-sacrifice?
Have you given your characters moral dilemmas and choices?
Does the resolution seem both unpredictable and inevitable?
Are all loose ends resolved?

It seems like a lot to hold in your head, but you can get there, one sentence, one page, one paragraph at a time. Remember Dorie, the incorrigible blue fish in the movie Finding Nemo. As long as you “just keep swimming,” you’ll finish that first draft and be able to type “The End.”

Jaden Terrell (Beth Terrell) is a Shamus Award finalist, a contributor to “Now Write! Mysteries” (a collection of writing exercises by Tarcher/Penguin), and the author of the Jared McKean private detective novels Racing The Devil, A Cup Full of Midnight, and River of Glass. Terrell is the special programs coordinator for the Killer Nashville conference and the winner of the 2009 Magnolia Award for service to the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (SEMWA). A former special education teacher, Terrell is now a writing coach and developmental editor whose leisure activities include ballroom dancing and equine massage therapy. www.jadenterrell.com

3/4/16 3/4/16

From the Classroom: Oprah, High-Art, and Harry Potter

This month’s theme is Literary Suspense. So we got to wondering, “What, exactly, is considered ‘literature?’” The debate concerning the merits of literary works vs. those of genre/popular fiction is one as old as the chicken and its infamous egg. The folks in literature’s corner are often considered hifalutin—their work, inaccessible. Genre writers are often called formulaic, predictable. It can get almost as nasty as debates over fonts and the Oxford Comma (see Erik Deckers over in our “Marketing 101” column for more on that fight).

So who’s right, if anyone? What are the merits of both writing forms? Must popular fiction and “the literary” be considered mutually exclusive?

We reached out to Wayne Thomas—writer, editor, and creative writing teacher—to see if he could help us clear some of these questions up by sharing his thoughts on pedagogy and writing.

Oprah, High-Art, and Harry Potter: Can Literary and Genre Fiction Be Reconciled?
By Wayne Thomas

Just before 9-11, Oprah Winfrey selected novelist Jonathan Franzen and his The Corrections for her book club. The club wasn’t then noted for what it’d become. Certainly, we understood it to be an immediate in for commercial success, but—despite Oprah’s National Book Awards recognition two years prior for contributions to reading and literature—doubts lingered for many. Many of us waited for the endeavor to inevitably get swallowed into a venture to market pulp, and many couldn’t put our heads around the notion that talking books had staying power on a daytime talk show, that the scheme would somehow inevitably find a way to embarrass us believers in the written word.

Then, Oprah hadn’t yet established herself as an absolute champion of literature with one impressive literary selection followed by thoughtful discussion after another, the sort of reputation 15 years and 70 titles earns a person. She rarely missed the mark, and, consequently, when she did, it hardly mattered. She had viewers totaling in the millions reading and talking about the likes of Song of Solomon, A Lesson Before Dying, The Poisonwood Bible, House of Sand and Fog, East of Eden, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and Anna Karenina. She put the likes of Bret Lott, Pearl S. Buck, William Faulkner, Elie Wiesel, and Cormac McCarthy on bestseller lists. It’s time to admit, if we haven’t already, that Oprah’s more than a capable scholar. And we did eventually begin to notice and appreciate, as evidenced by a Time magazine write up in 2008. Indeed, it was a losing day for literature when her show ended May 25, 2011.

But just before 9-11, Oprah to Franzen wasn’t that. Franzen suggested an appearance on the talk show risked offending “the high-art literary tradition.” Though many purveyors of “high-art” rightfully went on to dismiss Franzen’s comments as ass-hattery, the debacle stirred conversations in the creative writing MFA program I’d just begun. So much brashness in an MFA program. Some of us didn’t mind agreeing with Franzen straight up, some wanted to disagree in ways that felt a whole lot like agreeing. A peer described a story I’d submitted to workshop as what might be considered on Oprah, and she didn’t intend for that to be construed as a compliment. My peer did counsel with a heavy, disappointed sigh that “a lot of people would probably read that stuff.” And there’s the rub: a constant assertion that being widely read means you sold out, that great art can really only exist for the select few. How dare Oprah try to prove otherwise?

I’ve long believed there are self-serving delusions involved in hiring “big name” writers to draw students to creative writing programs. Being able to intuit how to write well doesn’t mean you can teach how to write well, and I think most students, especially the graduate school candidates, make their decisions mostly based on who’s decided on them. On Writing, to my estimation, is the best craft book I’ve read. I suspect Stephen King would be a great teacher. It’d certainly be great to tell your friends how he showed up drunk and embarrassed you in workshop. But what if he has no time for your work because of his own. Believe me, friends, there are too many teachers like this. (Not Stephen King; On Writing is truly spectacular.)

In fact, the best creative writing programs are facilitated by teachers who realize the import of making pedagogical decisions. Instead of worrying about a “big name,” students would be better served to investigate the philosophy of the programs they’re considering. It starts with finding answers to two fundamental concerns. Will distinctions be made between literary and genre writing? And—especially if so—will students be allowed or required to produce genre/popular writing? It’s true that most quality programs say yes to the former and no to the latter. The reason should be obvious: writing the literary can only help write in genre should you’ve a hankering later in life, and the opposite isn’t necessarily true. One can see, then, how MFA programs lead so many in their early and mid-twenties—most who, according to all statistical data, will never write much after the institution has finished properly molding them—to poo poo all things not “high-art.”

I never really understood how you don’t distinguish between genre and literary. Penning a Jason Bourne flick requires different muscles than a Mario Puzo adaptation. Perhaps it’s the acknowledgement that’s disconcerting. I’ve colleagues who won’t let their students write in genre. Fair enough, I suppose, but some won’t even entertain the notion that anything genre can also be literary. Such always strikes me as a pretension to validates one’s own worth, and I always wonder what one sacrifices when one works so hard to validate one’s own worth. King will tell you he’s written more than his fair share of crap, but there are a number of King titles we’ll read in a hundred years, solitude or not. Shirley Jackson can write literary horror. Anne Rice can pen a sentence so well the sentence itself transcends genre. Can anyone really deny the brilliance of J. two R Tolkien? What fool will try? Sci-fi is full of masters: Octavia Butler, Angela Carter, and Arthur C. Clarke. Can anyone really question the brilliance of the two middle K’s, Philip Dick and Ursula Le Guin? I adore a Michael Chabon mystery. I adore a Larry McMurtry western. I adore Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. Yes: children’s literature can be literary, too.

But one more thing before moving on: Does the fantastic or magical immediately disqualify the literary? Are we mistaken, then, to hold in the highest regard the likes of Margaret Atwood and Gabriel García Márquez? Nonsense. And one more thing: Read Kate Bernheimer’s “Fairy Tale is Form, Form is Fairy Tale.”

I’ve noticed so many of the “high-art” teachers rarely address the literary. Seriously. Of all the conversations in creative writing programs about why one writes and one’s voice and what one has to say, there aren’t enough about what actually makes something literary. And, believe it or not, there isn’t a seminal definition of what makes something literary. Again, would-be students, learn the philosophy before saying “yes.” Otherwise, you risk being summarily dispatched because you got a goblin in your story. It shouldn’t be too much to ask your teachers what they demand of your writing. If it’s literary, know what that means—at least what they think it means.

What’s it, then? Best to begin with the more definable “genre” as one must understand it to understand the other. Genre, of course, identifies form: drama, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. More importantly for these purposes, genre writing subscribes to the conventions of categorization (sci-fi, mystery, romance, western, and so forth). Genre, then, aims to unearth new ways to tell familiar stories that are inhabited by familiar characters. Successful genre writing gets us to anticipate another showdown at sunrise, to want redemption for the hardened P.I. whose goodness was broken by betrayal, to yearn for Fabio’s sweat-matted hair to fall like a canopy across our faces as we stare into his lion eyes.

Literary writing more often than not doesn’t subscribe to conventions because literary writing is, more often than not, about real people in real predicaments. It’s the difference between a movie and a film, if you will. In the movies, as in genre, people tend to be exceptional, affluent, and beautiful. In films, as in literature, they’re often pedestrian, poor, and ugly. For me—my own philosophy here—the literary must challenge the human condition. I used to say “must speak to the human condition” or “must be about the human condition,” but I no longer find those words satisfying or true. Genre writing can speak to the human condition, but genre doesn’t aim to challenge as much as confirm. Genre writers titillate before giving us what we want, and they accomplish this by knowing and forming what we expect. Literary writers tend to titillate by taking us to task for what we expect, and they accomplish this by rarely giving us what we want.

There’s one absolute marked difference between literary and genre writing. Literary writers must be overly concerned with craft, which isn’t a prerequisite for genre writers. Literary writers must wonder over the possibilities of language and structure. They must tend to the rhythms and sounds and music of sentences. They’ve to make magic of imagery and voice and persona. Even the minimalists. Even those who write books for children. The prose must be rich, the poetry must be evident. Our best literary writers understand this, even if they work in genre.

So you may want to ask, as my students constantly do, why I’m resistant to let young writers work in genre. I teach undergraduates. If I taught MFA-ers, I don’t think I’d mind at all. One can assume graduate students come to the table with some experience. But the temptation is too great for young writers to simply put a twist to what Stephenie Meyer and J. K. Rowling already wrote and call it a day. The aim is to push young writers to new comfort zones, to challenge their already perceived conceptions of what humanity is capable of and explore those developing conceptions through their work. The best way to really navigate the possibilities of craft is to request they write of what they didn’t realize they’re capable.

If you didn’t before, you might now see why writing the literary can only help write in genre. Still, no need for the pretense that only one holds value. In fact, is it even arguable that genre writing has impacted more people for a longer time and seems destined that it always will? If you’re in the market for a creative writing program, see what your would-be teachers have to say about it.

Just before 9-11, Jonathan Franzen was an ass-hat and everybody but me had started reading Harry Potter. It was something to behold. My boyhood was the sort in which I didn’t read in front of people for fear of being ridiculed. I joined a creative writing program thinking it’d be nice to meet folks who were openly readers, and now everyone in the world but me had started reading Harry Potter. Openly. And cautioning one another to be careful not to ruin any surprises. I’ve never been a fan of fantasy. My lot was with Nero Wolfe and Hercule Poirot. In graduate school, I didn’t have much time even for a detective yarn with all the literature being stuffed down my throat, but everyone else in the program seemed to have time to read Harry Potter. And they were having a ball.

And I thought: Well, this is pretty great, too.

Wayne Thomas is currently working on a novel, Birth of the Okefenokees, for which he was awarded the Baltic Writing Residency. He co-edited Red Holler: Contemporary Appalachian Literature (Sarabande), which was awarded the Linda Bruckheimer Series in Literature. He is the former Managing Editor of Arts & Letters: Journal of Contemporary Culture and former Editor of The Tusculum Review. He teaches creative writing at Tusculum College, where he currently serves as the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.

Read more of Thomas’s thoughts on pedagogy in his interview with West Virginia University.

You can check out his micro fiction pieces “The Contract” and “The Black Bear” published at Spittoon.

3/4/16 3/4/16

In The Public Eye: Three Ways To Start Wooing Your Future Audience

The argument can be made that today’s authors have to do more self-promotion than ever before in the history of the written word. These days, it’s not enough to generate good work and shake the right hands. Modern publishers consider a number of external factors before extending that coveted contract.

One of the most important factors, in many publishers’ eyes, is how expansive your fan base is— your social media followings (among many other factors) are huge indicators of your ability to promote your work via your own connections and thus make yourself a profitable publishing investment.

In this installment of “In the Public Eye”, PR expert Julie Schoerke offers tips on establishing a large, loyal following whilst making general, real connections.

3 Ways to Start Wooing Your Future Audience
By Julie Schoerke

Founder, JKS Communications, A Book Publicity Firm

This week I had a fascinating call with a serial entrepreneur. Michael Lyons has a series of novels coming in the future. He has planned five books, and written two, but he already has 3,000 readers through social media, personally engaged with him and his series—which is the tip of the iceberg from what he’s targeted by the time the first book launches.

What does Michael Lyons have in common with veteran author Jenny Milchman? Jenny’s road to publishing is well-documented and celebrated as a success for those who persevere. It took her more than 12 years, but she got a Big Five publishing deal and is now well-known in in the mystery/thriller world.

Jenny’s passion has been connecting kids and independent bookstores. Not a direct link to mystery/thrillers, but it has given her the opportunity to connect with hundreds of bookstores, and she’s accrued thousands of fans in a really authentic way.

Jenny and Michael are both great examples of authors who start marketing and building influence before they even have a publishing date. They make real connections with real people.

What can you do now to make authentic connections with readers and/or tastemakers around the country?

Consider who your “people” are
- How old are the people who will read your book and share it?
- Where do they live?
- What are they passionate about?
- What groups or organizations do they belong to or identify with that you can begin cultivating?

Figure out where your “people” are on social media and jump in:
- Facebook is great for middle-age readers
- Instagram captures the attention of 20-somethings and younger
- Pinterest may be ideal for “cozy mystery” fans who like a heaping helping of wholesomeness with their book
- Twitter is a hashtagger’s dream for connecting with audiences of causes or specific interests

Make real connections
- As you begin to build your base of contacts, don’t go for quantity over quality. Connect with other authors and tastemakers in the industry such as librarians, booksellers, book reviewers, bloggers, book club mavens, etc. Hiring someone in a third-world country to get you a bunch of followers is meaningless if they don’t actually share your passion.
- When you connect on social media, don’t just “friend” someone, engage them. Ask their advice, let them know about some quirky fact you just picked up, as well as—of course—retweeting, liking their posts, etc.

Michael sends direct messages to each person he connects with on social media. He starts a dialogue that asks questions and their advice. This provides a back and forth exchange. His novels feature kids who grew up in military families, known as “brats”. As a former military “brat” himself, he knows where to look to find real groups and “virtual” (online) groups that cater to the interests of alumni of that lifestyle, and kids who are living it today.

Jenny meets hundreds of people in person and then connects with them on social media. She always engages in valuable conversations on a myriad of topics that are important to the people she is “friends” with. Jenny has a radio show that explores the topics that are of interest to mystery writers and readers. She is the founder of “Take Your Child To a Bookstore Day,” which occurs each December with more than 700 bookstores involved.

Be your real, genuine self. Cheryl Rainfield is a great example of an author who shares her triumphs, her challenges and her social concerns as well as her beloved dog’s health with her friends and fans on social media.

Lori Rader-Day is always posting funny, interesting things on Facebook. And she is the queen of events and fun! She makes herself available to groups in the Chicago metropolitan area all of the time and is a popular fixture at mystery conferences.

I wouldn’t miss Charles Salzberg’s posts on social media for anything because they make me laugh or enrage me. He knows how to entertain and inform in short pithy ways.

Kay Kendall is an author’s author who is always lifting up other’s careers and shining a bright light on her colleagues and those books she knows her sphere of influence will like.

In order to “woo” your future audiences, you must be diligent in staying connected with fans, tastemakers, and colleagues in the “real” world at conferences, book festivals, and professional organizations—as well as Facebook groups, Twitter meet-ups, etc. If you are visiting a city, collect data from your social media to learn who is in that area that you could meet face-to-face for a “Dutch” dinner or drinks.

Be on the lookout for valuable content (articles, blogs, etc.) that they will be interested in, and build your email list to share information with these folks that they will be glad to have. When your book is ready to release, these folks will feel like they have more of a stake because you are real to them. That is how you establish a loyal fan base while remaining authentic and genuine.

Julie Schoerke founded JKS Communications, a Literary Publicity Firm, 15 years ago, and the firm has gone on to represent more than 600 authors, as well as publishers and literary organizations. Personalizing creative campaigns for each author, having an accountability system in place throughout the authors' campaigns and including former journalists on the publicity team are hallmarks of her vision for the firm. Julie speaks at writers’ conferences, universities, and book festivals across the United States. She also writes book- marketing and book-promotion columns for trade publications and is a featured guest frequently on radio. JKS Communications is headquartered in Nashville, TN with operations in New Orleans and New York as well. For more information please visit www.jkscommunications.com

3/4/16 3/4/16

In The Public Eye: Three Ways To Start Wooing Your Future Audience

In this installment of “In the Public Eye”, PR expert Julie Schoerke offers tips on establishing a large, loyal following whilst making general, real connections.

3 Ways to Start Wooing Your Future Audience
By Julie Schoerke

Founder, JKS Communications, A Book Publicity Firm

Jenny and Michael are both great examples of authors who start marketing and building influence before they even have a publishing date. They make real connections with real people.

What can you do now to make authentic connections with readers and/or tastemakers around the country?

Consider who your “people” are
- How old are the people who will read your book and share it?
- Where do they live?
- What are they passionate about?
- What groups or organizations do they belong to or identify with that you can begin cultivating?
Figure out where your “people” are on social media and jump in:
- Facebook is great for middle-age readers
- Instagram captures the attention of 20-somethings and younger
- Pinterest may be ideal for “cozy mystery” fans who like a heaping helping of wholesomeness with their book
- Twitter is a hashtagger’s dream for connecting with audiences of causes or specific interests
Make real connections
- As you begin to build your base of contacts, don’t go for quantity over quality. Connect with other authors and tastemakers in the industry such as librarians, booksellers, book reviewers, bloggers, book club mavens, etc. Hiring someone in a third-world country to get you a bunch of followers is meaningless if they don’t actually share your passion.
- When you connect on social media, don’t just “friend” someone, engage them. Ask their advice, let them know about some quirky fact you just picked up, as well as—of course—retweeting, liking their posts, etc.

I wouldn’t miss Charles Salzberg’s posts on social media for anything because they make me laugh or enrage me. He knows how to entertain and inform in short pithy ways.

Kay Kendall is an author’s author who is always lifting up other’s careers and shining a bright light on her colleagues and those books she knows her sphere of influence will like.

3/3/16 3/3/16

Marketing Your Book 101: How Much Influence Should Marketability Have on Your Work?

If you’ve been writing for any lengthy period of time, you’re familiar with the catch twenty-two of publishing: you want to write your book your way, but you also want it to sell. Sometimes, those two desires don’t run parallel. Sacrifices are made, compromises drawn, lines in the sand erased.

In this month’s “Marketing Your Book 101”, marketing/promotion guru Erik Deckers offers up some advice on how to sell you book without selling your soul.

How Much Influence Should Marketability Have on Your Work?
By Erik Deckers

Want to get a writer good and riled up? Do one of two things: 1) Ask where they stand on the Oxford comma; 2) Ask about the marketability of their book.

I can't help you with the Oxford comma, but I can tell you quite a bit about a book's marketability.

Marketability is often the last thing many authors want to think about. They want their art to stand on its own, and to write the stories they want to write, not what the masses want.

But marketability is often the first thing many publishers consider. They want to know how many people might want it, and how well you can market it.

In my first book proposal, I had to answer a few questions about whether there were books similar to mine, the size of my social media following, and whether I had an email newsletter list.

(Careful readers will note the Oxford comma in the previous sentence.)

Because the book was about social media and personal branding, my co-author, Kyle, and I both had a decent social media following, he had a sizable email newsletter list, and there were almost no books about personal branding. So we scored high on marketability, which we learned later went a long way in getting that book deal.

Yay, book marketability!

For us, marketability was a combination of whether a lot of people would buy the book, and how well we could promote it.

The book market for social media in general was already being tapped out. Kyle and I had written a book about Twitter marketing the previous year, but this was new territory for us. If we hadn't come up with a new idea that appealed to a large crowd, we never would have gotten the deal.

But my previous success has not meant automatic deals later on. I've proposed other book ideas since then, but the social media book market has just about run its course. If I want to write another book, I need to come up with a brand new idea.

Book marketability sucks.

How Much Do Publishers Think About Marketability?

First, just know that publishers do look at the marketability of your work, almost as much as they look at the quality of your work. And that goes into the decision of whether they'll publish your book or not.

Don't get me wrong. You could have 1 million Twitter followers, but if your work isn't that great, it will never be published. (Still, if you have 1 million loyal Twitter followers, do you really need a publisher? Self-publish that sucker!)

You may have written the greatest story about teenage vampire wizards who fight zombies, but since that one has already been done to death (I hope!), you're not going to get a lot of love from traditional publishers.

The marketability of a book is not just about the size of your social networks, it includes whether the book will be interesting to the largest number of people. When we wrote Branding Yourself in 2010, it was only the second book of its kind. But in the last several years, there have been a few hundred titles published on social media and its various sub-topics, so our publishers knew they had to strike fast. We were in the right place at the right time.

Having said that, I've read some pretty mediocre books published by people with big fat social networks, and it's easy to see how much consideration the social networks were given. (Hint: way, way too much.)

So Should Marketability Affect Your Content Choices?

Yes and no.

No, it should not, because you should be free to write the book you want, and people should buy it because it's good, not because it's what the masses want. On the other hand. . .

Yes, it should, because your publisher (ideally) knows what the public wants. If you can give it to them, you'll sell lots of copies, and you'll go on book tours where your publisher will put you up in the finest discount hotels and eat at the finest fast-casual restaurant chains. On the other hand. . .

No, it shouldn't, because you have options! You can skip the whole traditional publishing route, and self-publish on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. (Again, note the Oxford comma.) You can market your own book, or sell print-on-demand copies at book fairs and community fairs. On the other hand. . .

Yes, it should, because you can win the greatest number of readers if you pay attention to what the public likes, and try to keep up. On the other hand. . .

No, it shouldn't, because there's an audience for nearly everything you can imagine (and even those things you can't. Don't go looking for those though. Just don't.). Just because there's not a huge audience doesn't mean there's not an audience. Even an audience of 1,000 is a good audience. On the other hand. . .

Yes, it should, because your publisher can get you into the bookstores, especially the large chain(s), which means great exposure to a wider audience. On the other hand. . .

No, it shouldn't, because you're going to be doing most, if not all, of the marketing, and yet you're only going to get a small royalty from your publisher. But if you self-publish, you get a much larger royalty.

Ultimately—I hate these kind of indecisive answers—it comes down to what you want to do, where you think your book is going to go. If you want to write a commercially successful book that gets you invited to Killer Nashville as a keynote speaker, and your book is sold in the Barnes & Noble room, then consider your content and marketability very strongly.

But if you don't want to be beholden to others, to let someone else dictate your story choices, or you just plain want more money than publishers offer, then marketability be damned!

Your book's—sorry, your books'—success will depend on you and how hard you're willing to work.

Erik Deckers owns a content marketing agency in Indianapolis, and is the co-author of four books on social media. He is also a professional speaker and newspaper humor columnist, and was named a 2016 writer-in-residence at the Kerouac House Project.

3/2/16 3/2/16

Speed Writing To Keep Up With Speed Readers / John Hegenberger

The immediacy of the Internet has conditioned us to expect instant gratification. We’re so far past the days of dial-up that if a page takes more than two seconds to load, we check to see if our Wi-Fi is down. This gets us in trouble when we have to face a long-term project as ponderous as traditional publishing can be. What if I want my book to be available now? This week’s guest blogger John Hegenberger has used both self-publishing and traditional publishing to get his stories out there, and shares on the perks and pitfalls of each.

Happy reading!

Clay Stafford
Founder Killer Nashville
Publisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

Speed Writing To Keep Up With Speed Readers
By John Hegenberger

The book publishing process is changing and accelerating.

A reader once asked me, “How long does it take to publish a book?”

Thirty years? Three years? Three months? Three days? Three hours?

For me, when I recently published Cross Examinations, a collection of short private eye stories, the answer was all the above.

I wrote the first draft back in 1988, which is still the setting for the tales today. Not long after, I encountered a series of personal needs involving my family and friends and found it best to put the manuscript into a drawer and build a career that assured us all a steady income. It all worked out beautifully, because about 27 years later with a career completed and three children grown, I was nearing retirement and it was time to reopen that drawer.

Thus, in 2012, I entered a whole new world of electronic publishing. The book went through a rewrite, along with several other manuscripts. And I began writing daily again and created another book; a novel, this time. And then an additional novel for a whole new PI series that I wanted to have published.

After approximately three months of searching, I found a publisher for the first novel. Ah, but then I was faced with the prospect of waiting another eight to ten-months while the editing and publishing process advanced. That seemed like forever.

I wanted to do something progressive in the meantime. So, having heard about this thing called self-publishing, I decided to give it a try with the short story collection while I waited for the novel to come out.

Again, I worked through three weeks of rewrites and polishes to create the content of Cross Examinations.

But then came the daunting task of learning to properly format and post an eBook. After another three days of poking around, reading up, and watching various videos, I pressed the Send button and launched my book into the world.

Next came the agonizing three-hour wait before the book became fully available on the website.

Finally, success was mine!

So, as you can see, the process contains many stages, but at each step along the way, I knew I was getting closer to the fulfillment of my dream. Looking back, it doesn’t seem to have been all that long, after all. I’m happy I took the time and I learned a lot from the process and quite a bit about marketing, too.

In fact, I now have two sequels out for Cross Examinations: Crossfire and Tripl3 Cross. Crossfire was completed last December, edited by the publisher, Rough Edges Press, over the holidays, and launched in January 2016.

Oh, and that first novel finally came out in November 2015. It’s titled Spyfall and is part of a second series of private eye novels, featuring a different detective, Stan Wade, LAPI. Spyfall was also written and sold early last year and saw print in November 2015. The second volume in this series, Starfall, will come out in February 2016, with several additional entries later in the year.

In both cases, the books have been fully edited and packaged by the publishers. The main difference is the speed of delivery to the readers. In this era of “binge-watching” TV series, it appears that readers want more of an immersive reading experience.

By the time Killer Nashville 2016 rolls around, I should have a good handle on which publication cycle the readers prefer. Perhaps it doesn’t matter so much how long it takes to get a book written, as how quickly the book can be offered for public enjoyment.

Born and raised in the heart of the heartland, Columbus, Ohio, John Hegenberger is the author of several series: Stan Wade LAPI in 1959, Eliot Cross Columbus-based PI in 1988, and Ace Hart, western gambler in Arizona in 1873. He’s a father of three, tennis enthusiast, collector of silent films and OTR, hiker, Francophile, B.A. Comparative Lit., pop culture author, ex-Navy, ex-marketing exec at Exxon, AT&T, and IBM, and happily married for 45 years and counting. He is also an active member of SFWA, PWA and ITW. Find more of John’s work at www.johnhegenberger.com

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)

Thanks to Tom Wood, Emily Eytchison, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale. Killer Nashville receives zero compensation (other than sometimes the book to review) from publishers who have been selected for the Book of the Day.

3/2/16 3/2/16

Speed Writing To Keep Up With Speed Readers / John Hegenberger

Speed Writing To Keep Up With Speed Readers
By John Hegenberger

The book publishing process is changing and accelerating.

A reader once asked me, “How long does it take to publish a book?”

Thirty years? Three years? Three months? Three days? Three hours?

For me, when I recently published Cross Examinations, a collection of short private eye stories, the answer was all the above.

Again, I worked through three weeks of rewrites and polishes to create the content of Cross Examinations.

Next came the agonizing three-hour wait before the book became fully available on the website.

Finally, success was mine!

In fact, I now have two sequels out for Cross Examinations: Crossfire and Tripl3 Cross. Crossfire was completed last December, edited by the publisher, Rough Edges Press, over the holidays, and launched in January 2016.

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)

Thanks to Tom Wood, Emily Eytchison, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

3/2/16 3/2/16

Speed Writing To Keep Up With Speed Readers / John Hegenberger

Speed Writing To Keep Up With Speed Readers
By John Hegenberger

The book publishing process is changing and accelerating.

A reader once asked me, “How long does it take to publish a book?”

Thirty years? Three years? Three months? Three days? Three hours?

For me, when I recently published Cross Examinations, a collection of short private eye stories, the answer was all the above.

Again, I worked through three weeks of rewrites and polishes to create the content of Cross Examinations.

Next came the agonizing three-hour wait before the book became fully available on the website.

Finally, success was mine!

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)

Thanks to Tom Wood, Emily Eytchison, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

3/1/16 3/1/16

Under the Microscope with Steve Bradshaw

For all you crime writers out there, it’s important to have a working understanding of how investigators set about to collecting evidence, and the gravity of every second, every random phenomenon or clue found at the scene of death.

Steve Bradshaw, author and founder-president/CEO of Active Implants Corporation has investigated a lot of deaths—thousands, actually. In all his experience, one fact has remained constant: the moment a person dies, the clock begins ticking for medical investigators and their affiliates to collect and evaluate evidence. In many cases, the amount of time between death and investigation is one of the largest determining factors of whether the truth of an incident can ever be unveiled.

Steve Bradshaw understands that urgency. In this installment of “Under the Microscope”, Bradshaw recounts an investigation and how, if it weren’t for diligence, skill, and a quick response time (and maybe just a little luck), it could have come to a much different conclusion.

Death Scenes are Castles in the Sand
By Steve Bradshaw

When I investigated 3,000 unexplained deaths for the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office, I did not know one day I would be writing mystery/thrillers. Now, four novels later, it is clear my forensic experience profoundly assists my efforts to meet the expectations of today’s CSI-sophisticated audience.

Mark Twain once said, “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn no other way.” I believe these words are true to a point. Today I am learning the art of prose—I am carrying a new cat by the tail. However, I am greatly influenced by established authors sharing knowledge gained from their journeys. They have enhanced the quality of my writing and accelerated my growth as an author. In that vein, I often draw from my experiences as a forensic investigator and share with fellow mystery/thriller writers in pursuit of authenticity.

On November 22nd, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. For many there are still more questions than answers. The chaotic death investigation, compared to today’s standards, fueled this fire and led to the establishment of the Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas. A renowned forensic pathologist—Dr. Charles S. Petty—assumed the position of Chief Medical Examiner. Among his many contributions, Petty went before the House Select Committee on the Kennedy Assassination and talked about lessons learned from that fateful day. His high profile recommendations only further reinforced the medical examiner process in our country. I had the privilege of working for this forensic icon after graduating from the University of Texas. As one of his field agents, I learned a great deal. One lesson learned would define my forensic career—death scenes are castles in the sand.

I brought him in the night before. Now I stood at the bare feet of the dead man lying on the stainless steel table—another inquest—cause and manner of death would be determined. For those outside the autopsy room, the thirty-year-old, white male was another unfortunate victim of a tragic automobile accident. For the forensic team, our work had just begun.

From the edge of the white light, I shared findings and thoughts and made suggestions I knew would aim the M.E (medical examiner)—an enormous responsibility. I was the one who controlled the death scene and brought #48432 to the county morgue. Leaning over the bloody corpse with his hands clasped chest high, the M.E. listened to my every word and studied #48432. This was our time. Although the autopsy room was full and bustling, the only dialogue was between the M.E. and his forensic investigator. I was one of seven hand-picked, well-trained, field agents. I was his eyes and ears in the field. My next words would change everything . . .

The night before was cold and wet and empty until I turned onto the dead end street in south Dallas. Spinning blues washed over the stick trees and dilapidated houses in the poorest and most dangerous part of town. Huddled shadows under rising steam stood outside the police tape between me and my next body. A quiet ambulance and dark fire truck sat idle. There was nothing more they could do until the medical examiner arrived. I had just left #48432 and was pulling up to my third death scene.

I parked under a fat elm a half block away—easy exit for my next case. Absorbing the macabre scene before me and leaving the last death scene behind me, I yanked the camera strobe light cord out of the charger and grabbed my metal suitcase. As I approached the undulating shadows, the buzz stopped. Police waved open a path and blank stares followed me. Now they knew for a fact someone was dead. Their questions moved to who, how, and why. In their eyes I was Sherlock Holmes. They watched TV, the news. They believed I solved all the murder cases in Dallas single-handedly. The people working the death scene (police, paramedics, fire) thought I was the M.E. No matter how many times I said I was a field agent working for the medical examiner, it never resonated. After a year, I stopped explaining.

The three-story, broken-down, boarding house sat on a dark hill behind ten-foot hedges and a line of trees. When I left the crowd, ducked the tape, and passed through the gnarly branches, I saw the sheet draped over the body next to the head-scratchers and smokers. As I approached, the lead officer met me and the others backed away. It was my death scene now.

The call came as a forty-year-old, white male—accidental death. He fell down porch steps. I lifted the sheet and felt the carotid—he was dead (sometimes they are not). Taking in the surroundings (my most important moment), I pronounced him dead, made a notation, and asked for ID. No one prepared me; the dead man had a full leg cast and crutch. Now the shattered plaster and twisted appendage hung over his left shoulder. The contorted image and stiff smell of alcohol strengthened the case for accidental death. And it fit the story of the two eyewitnesses, a prostitute and her pimp.

Death scenes are castles in the sand. Every minute that passes another wave climbs the beach and takes something away—transforms the prior world. Death scenes change. The body changes: moving and manipulation, liver/rigor mortis, decomposition, temperature, weather, insects and animal activity to name a few. Physical evidence disappears by mistake, on purpose, and just because. The most information is available at time of death. Every minute that passes, something important to determining cause and manner of death can be lost. I arrived twenty-eight minutes after the call in to the medical examiner’s office. After inspection of the body, it was clear we were several hours after death. What I do or don’t do will aim the M.E. down the right or wrong road. It is my mission to provide him with the most complete picture possible at the inquest where all final determinations are made.

After photographic documentation of the scene, the real work begins. I expect numerous abrasions, contusions, and broken bones from a fall down twenty steps onto hard cement. Where the injuries are located and their shapes (visually and/or tactilely) can give me important pieces to the puzzle. It was my methodical inspection of the head trauma that put me on the hidden trail. I felt the back of the skull—it was wet (blood), and mushy (crushed bone). But there was a straight edge of solid skull ear to ear. Because the victim was found face-down on the cement, the posterior head injury (oddly isolated to the occipital region) was produced before the landing.

Climbing the stairs visualizing the “witness-claimed” event raised more doubts. The victim’s left leg was in a full cast. He had a left armpit crutch rash; I would expect him to move to the right railing before attempting the stairs. But trace blood and signs of the fall were isolated to the left side of the steps. There was evidence of tampering—blood wiped. My growing suspicions took me from the porch into the boarding house. The entry was an enclosed hallway with doors and a staircase to the second floor. It was dark. An out-of-reach lightbulb hung from the ceiling—it was out. With my flashlight and magnifying glass I got on my knees and inspected the floors and walls and door. What I found was pivotal.

It was a single speck of blood—splatter—and it was fresh. The lightbulb was loose. I tightened, restored light, and suggested DPD hold the eyewitnesses—they had lied. It was not long before we found more blood in the difficult-to-clean areas. Although the walls had been wiped and floor mopped, it was not good enough. Behind one door was a mop in a bucket of dirty-red water. Beneath the stairs was a blood-stained, two-by-four. We had enough. The body was transported to the county morgue, and physical evidence was collected and processed. My field report was changed from accident to homicide—blunt trauma force to the head. Before the inquest the prostitute plea-bargained. Her pimp killed for twenty dollars.

Now standing at the feet of my automobile accident victim in the autopsy room, my head was at the boarding house. As the medical examiner worked case #48432, I was thinking about what could have gone wrong if I had not closely inspected the head trauma at the death scene. I would have missed the tell-tale damage to the occipital region. I would not have climbed the stairs looking for more. I would not have searched the dark entry on my knees with a flashlight. I would have missed the blood splatter. Like castles in the sand, I would have left the death scene and more would disappear—the mop, the bucket of dirty-red water, and the blood-stained board. The medical examiner would ask about the head injury. My half-answer could throw him off. We would fail the dead man we represented. Someone would get away with murder.

I think the medical examiner called my name a few times that morning, as I stood in my atypical daze at the feet of case #48432. I remember his bloody gloves and fingers up and his brow ready to dip—we had five cases to go. The medical examiner politely shared that he was working on the accident case #48432 and wanted to know if I would like to join him. It was another complicated death scene I worked the night before. It too was less than straight forward—two in one night. Then the M.E. smiled and winked—he knew I was having a sandcastle moment. I thought that was the best time to tell him #48432 was a suicide . . .

Steve is a mystery/thriller author drawing on life experiences as a forensic investigator and biotechnology entrepreneur. He received a BA from the University of Texas and trained at the Institute of Forensic Sciences where he investigated over 3,000 unexplained deaths for the Medical Examiner’s Office. As the founder-president/CEO of Active Implants Corporation, he raised millions and led the development of a game-changing knee meniscus implant. Steve places his readers on the front row in fascinating worlds of fringe science, chilling forensics, and the pursuit of real monsters. Other page-turner mystery/thrillers by Steve Bradshaw are the BLUFF CITY BUTCHER, THE SKIES ROARED, and BLOOD LIONS. To connect with Steve, visit the following:

Website stevebradshawauthor.com
Email steve@stevebradshawauthor.com
Facebook.com/steve.bradshaw.9400
Twitter.com/sbauthor
Linkedin.com/pub/steve-bradshaw/18/246/660

3/1/16 3/1/16

State of the Industry: Contract Decoding

Continuing Milt Toby’s three-part exploration of publishing contracts (see our January and February editions), we’ve finally arrived at perhaps the most frustrating component of a typical contract: warranties & indemnifications.

These sections are typically riddled with legal jargon that will leave your typical author scratching his/her head—or maybe just skipping straight ahead to pulling hair from scalp. Either way, it’s important to understand how much protection your hide has from the all-powerful paddle of the law, and what you can legally expect from your publishers.

In lieu of hired legal counsel—Milt Toby is here to help.

Contract Decoding (Part 3 of 3)
By Milt Toby

Promises and Problems

Authors should be alert for “warranty” and “indemnification” clauses in their publishing contracts. The former identifies guarantees that the author is asked to make by the publisher, some more onerous that others; the latter is the publisher’s attempt to insulate itself from liability in the event of legal action arising from publication of the book that is the subject of the contract.

This is typical warranty language:

“The Author warrants that he or she is the sole owner of the Work and has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement, that the Work does not infringe the copyright of any other work, that the Work does not violate the rights to privacy or publicity of any person, and that the Work does not defame any person or entity.”

The warranties of manuscript ownership, legal authority to bargain with the publisher, and no copyright infringement make sense, and are things that are reasonable for the author to know. Warranties that the book does not infringe on the rights to privacy and publicity of any individual, and that the book does not defame anyone, are more problematic. Whether a particular book violates privacy or publicity rights, or is defamatory, are legal judgments that an author might not be in a position to predict. Adding limiting language, such as “to the best of the Author’s knowledge and belief” creates some maneuvering room for the author and can be important in the event of legal action by a person claiming to have been harmed.

A contract should include warranties by the publisher that no substantive corrections or additions can be made in the manuscript without prior author approval. It is unfair to hold an author responsible for editorial changes made by the publisher without her approval.

Even more bothersome are “indemnification” clauses such as this one:

“Author agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher against any and all claims (including reasonable attorney fees) that may arise through Author’s breach of any warranty or representation made herein.”

Consider the ramifications of an indemnification clause: an author signing a contract with such language is agreeing to pay the publisher’s legal bills for any legal action related to the book, even if those legal claims prove to be frivolous and the author is not at fault. This is a heavy burden, and an unreasonable one, for an author to bear. The best strategy is to ask that the clause be deleted in its entirety, an action which publishers are reluctant to do. A reasonable alternative is to try and add limiting language such as “when Author’s liability is established in a court of competent jurisdiction, after all available appeals.” This modified clause at least protects an author from frivolous claims.

Liability insurance for authors is available from a few carriers, but it can be prohibitively expensive. Publishers should already have liability insurance in place and they might be willing to add an author to the policy as an also-insured individual. The answer probably will be “no,” but when negotiating a contract it never hurts to ask.

Authors also should be wary of contract language giving the publisher right of first refusal for the author’s next book, usually under the same terms as the original contract. It sounds tempting for an author to think that there is a guaranteed publisher for the next book, but the clause is an option, not a promise. It is a sweet deal for the publisher if the first book is a success, and no guarantee for the author if the first book fails to meet expectations.

Deleting the clause is the best option. Otherwise, the author should request a time limit for the publisher to either accept or refuse the option, restrict the genre so that the author can look for a more suitable publisher, and allow for renegotiation of the contract terms.

Lessons Learned

Authors are an independent and creative group. This usually is a good thing, but making sense of a complicated publishing contract is seldom a do-it-yourself job. These contracts are binding legal documents with long-term consequences relating to copyright, money, liability, and other issues not covered here. Contracts are written by lawyers in the publisher’s employ and are best interpreted by the author in consultation with an attorney who is familiar with publishing agreements and who can protect the author’s interests.

Milt Toby is an attorney and award-winning author of nonfiction. He joined the Board of Directors of the American Society of Journalists and Authors in July, after several years as Chair of the ASJA Contracts & Conflicts Committee. The information in this article is presented for educational purposes only and is neither legal advice nor a solicitation for clients. For more information about Milt’s books, visit his website at www.miltonctoby.com.

3/1/16 3/1/16

State of the Industry: Contract Decoding

In lieu of hired legal counsel—Milt Toby is here to help.

Contract Decoding (Part 3 of 3)
By Milt Toby

Promises and Problems

This is typical warranty language:

Even more bothersome are “indemnification” clauses such as this one:

Lessons Learned

2/24/16 2/24/16

A Shrink with Ink / Ellen Kirschman

It’s important as readers and writers that the fictional world we enter seems real. We don’t know why, necessarily, but we can’t invest ourselves in a story that doesn’t somehow feel true. In this week’s guest blog, writer and psychologist Ellen Kirschman divulges some of her methods for creating a police procedural thriller or mystery that gives the audience that elusive, essential foundation of believability.

Happy reading!

Clay Stafford
Founder Killer Nashville
Publisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

A Shrink With Ink

By Ellen Kirschman

I’m a police psychologist and the author of three non-fiction books. A few years ago, I decided to try writing fiction. As an avid reader and mystery fan, I have often felt that novelists come closer to the truth of human experience than many psychologists do. And, to be frank, I was tired of doing research. I actually thought it would be easier to make stuff up.

I was, as I soon found out, delusional.

The challenge of writing non-fiction is getting the facts right and presenting them in an understandable, readable package. Fiction requires the writer to capture the reader’s imagination. Get her to care so much about the story and the characters that she’ll bare her teeth at anyone, or anything, that interrupts her before she finishes the book. Non-fiction readers can and do pick up a book and put it down again at will.

My first “aha” moment as a fledging novelist came when I changed from third to first person point of view. My protagonist, Dr. Dot Meyerhoff, is also a police psychologist, though she is thinner and younger than I am. (And in possession of skills I never developed, such as breaking and entering, and assault with a deadly weapon.) Once I put myself in Dot’s shoes, as a woman and a civilian working in a male-dominated profession, where both are sometimes treated as second-class citizens, I was in familiar territory.

My goal is to write mysteries that both capture the imagination and reveal something I know to be true about psychology and about police work. For example, my first mystery, Burying Ben, looks at police suicide. Most people don’t know that cops are two to three times as likely to kill themselves as they are to be killed in the line of duty. I’ve always wondered how I would feel if one of my clients took his own life. Or how much worse it would be if, as it happens to Dot, the officer left a note blaming me.

My second book, The Right Wrong Thing(October 2015), drills down into the contemporary debate over police community relations. A young officer shoots and kills an unarmed, pregnant teenager. The officer, who suffers from PTSD, is determined to apologize to the dead girl’s family, despite everyone’s efforts to stop her. The results are catastrophic. Dot, ignoring orders from the police chief to back off, enlists some unlikely allies and unconventional undercover work to expose the tangled path of her client’s disastrous journey.

Readers ask me if my books are inspired by actual events. The answer is yes and no. There is truth in both my mysteries, real things that happened to real people. But the stories are embellished, disguised, and blended so that they are unrecognizable to the people who lived them. For years I’ve been keeping a file folder of the funny, off-the-wall things cops say. Officer Eddie Rimbauer, Dot’s occasional and troubled ally, is a composite of many people I know. He sounds so real, though, that there was an online pool of cops competing to guess his real identity.

If you’re writing fiction and want to get the details right, you don’t have to have a Ph.D or spend thirty years counseling cops. You could attend a citizens’ police academy at your local PD for hands-on experience, for example.

Go on a ride-along. After all these years I still learn something new every time I do. Learn about guns. Practice on the range. Try your hand at a firearms training simulator (FATS).

If you're qualified and have the time to invest, think about becoming a reserve officer. Whatever you do, don’t watch cop shows on television. Most are so over the top, real cops can only laugh at them.

Read widely. My books I Love a Cop,I Love a Fire Fighter, and Counseling Cops all contain real-life scenarios that can enhance your stories and deepen your characters, as does Sergeant Adam Plantinga’s highly readable book, 400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman (2015 Silver Falchion Award winner for Best Nonfiction Crime Reference).

Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D, is a clinical psychologist in independent practice. She is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Society for the Study of Police and Criminal Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the International Association of Women in Law Enforcement. She is the recipient of the California Psychological Association’s 2014 award for distinguished contribution to psychology as well as the American Psychological Association’s 2010 award for outstanding contribution to the practice of police and public safety psychology.

Ellen is the author of the award-winning I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know, I Love a Fire Fighter: What the Family Needs to Know, and lead author of Counseling Cops: What Clinicians Need to Know (2013). Her debut novel, Burying Ben: A Dot Meyerhoff Mystery (2013) is about police suicide told from the perspective of the psychologist. Ellen and her husband live in Redwood City, Calif. Reach her at ellenkirschman.com

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)

Thanks to Tom Wood, Emily Eytchison, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

2/24/16 2/24/16

A Shrink with Ink / Ellen Kirschman

A Shrink With Ink
By Ellen Kirschman

I was, as I soon found out, delusional.

My goal is to write mysteries that both capture the imagination and reveal something I know to be true about psychology and about police work. For example, my first mystery, Burying Ben, looks at police suicide. Most people don’t know that cops are two to three times as likely to kill themselves as they are to be killed in the line of duty. I’ve always wondered how I would feel if one of my clients took his own life. Or how much worse it would be if, as it happens to Dot, the officer left a note blaming me.

My second book, The Right Wrong Thing (October 2015), drills down into the contemporary debate over police community relations. A young officer shoots and kills an unarmed, pregnant teenager. The officer, who suffers from PTSD, is determined to apologize to the dead girl’s family, despite everyone’s efforts to stop her. The results are catastrophic. Dot, ignoring orders from the police chief to back off, enlists some unlikely allies and unconventional undercover work to expose the tangled path of her client’s disastrous journey.

Go on a ride-along. After all these years I still learn something new every time I do. Learn about guns. Practice on the range. Try your hand at a firearms training simulator (FATS).

Read widely. My books I Love a Cop, I Love a Fire Fighter, and Counseling Cops all contain real-life scenarios that can enhance your stories and deepen your characters, as does Sergeant Adam Plantinga’s highly readable book, 400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman (2015 Silver Falchion Award winner for Best Nonfiction Crime Reference).

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)

Thanks to Tom Wood, Emily Eytchison, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

2/24/16 2/24/16

A Shrink with Ink / Ellen Kirschman

A Shrink With Ink
By Ellen Kirschman

I was, as I soon found out, delusional.

My goal is to write mysteries that both capture the imagination and reveal something I know to be true about psychology and about police work. For example, my first mystery, Burying Ben, looks at police suicide. Most people don’t know that cops are two to three times as likely to kill themselves as they are to be killed in the line of duty. I’ve always wondered how I would feel if one of my clients took his own life. Or how much worse it would be if, as it happens to Dot, the officer left a note blaming me.

My second book, The Right Wrong Thing (October 2015), drills down into the contemporary debate over police community relations. A young officer shoots and kills an unarmed, pregnant teenager. The officer, who suffers from PTSD, is determined to apologize to the dead girl’s family, despite everyone’s efforts to stop her. The results are catastrophic. Dot, ignoring orders from the police chief to back off, enlists some unlikely allies and unconventional undercover work to expose the tangled path of her client’s disastrous journey.

Go on a ride-along. After all these years I still learn something new every time I do. Learn about guns. Practice on the range. Try your hand at a firearms training simulator (FATS).

Read widely. My books I Love a Cop, I Love a Fire Fighter, and Counseling Cops all contain real-life scenarios that can enhance your stories and deepen your characters, as does Sergeant Adam Plantinga’s highly readable book, 400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman (2015 Silver Falchion Award winner for Best Nonfiction Crime Reference).

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)

Thanks to Tom Wood, Emily Eytchison, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

2/17/16 2/17/16

Herding Cats for Fun and Profit: Lessons Learned from Producing a Multi-Author Book / Michael Guillebeau

Every enterprise is fraught with uncertainty, and for most of us, that means some level of anxiety. This week’s guest blogger, Michael Guillebeau, faced significant trepidation before (and during) the creation of his new anthology, as he mentions below. But the more he pushed through his fear, the more delighted he was by the results, which seems to be a common theme in success stories. Who knows? Take his advice to heart, and you just may have words of wisdom to share with the Killer Nashville family one of these days, too.

Happy reading!

Clay Stafford
Founder Killer Nashville
Publisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

Herding Cats for Fun and Profit: Lessons Learned from Producing a Multi-Author Book
By Michael Guillebeau

First off, I’ve got to apologize for this piece not being funnier than it is. You can blame my writers. When I started Eight Mystery Writers You Should be Reading Now, I thought I’d have a mess of funny stories by now. I mean, writers are notoriously independent (I expected at least one chorus of “I know you said you wanted mystery stories, but I thought my unicorn story would be better”), late (“If I have my section done by Christmas, will that meet your October deadline?”) and even bizarre (“I do all my writing in Japanese. My editor has to fix it”).

Not my writers. Not only are they all great writers whom you really should be reading now, but they were also the best team of people I’ve ever worked with. Thank you, Lisa Alber, Kathleen Cosgrove, Chris Knopf, Jessie Bishop Powell, Larissa Reinhart, Jaden Terrell, and Lisa Wysocky. And thanks from all of us to Hank Phillippi Ryan for giving us a wonderful foreword. And to the amazing Stacy Pethel for editing contributions from nine separate writers for no pay or glory, and no reason other than her love for words. I’d work with you all again on anything.

So, I didn’t get any funny stories to tell. Sometimes, life gives you lemons and you have to make lemonade. Sometimes, a team of waiters shows up at your table to make you a perfect Porch Crawler, and thanks you for the privilege. (I’m a writer; we know how to deal with disappointments involving alcohol...)

I didn’t get any funny stories, but I do have a few pointers on how a multi-author project can be more fun and successful than you can possibly imagine.

1. Don’t say no to the idea.

This is always the hardest and most important lesson, isn’t it? Like most of us, I was frustrated by the problem of asking readers to select my writing based on blurbs when I really wanted them to see… my writing. Handouts and free days help but have their limits.

I reflected on how I picked my own reading material: mostly through recommendations from people I trust. What could be a higher recommendation than inclusion in a book with writers that people already trust?

2. Find a clear vision, and the right people to buy into it.

So now I was excited, but scared. I have trouble asking a waiter for a refill of iced tea. Now, I had to refine my ideas and go up to people I was in awe of and ask them to play with me. But I set that aside and thought: What if they said yes? Who would I want?

There are lots of anthologies focused on a certain style or sub-genre. I didn’t want that. I wanted this to be a book of discovery for readers. I wanted eight writers who were each so different that most people who loved one of them would never have heard of the others—but might discover something new that they wouldn’t otherwise look at.

I also had to have quality. I expected readers to dislike at least one writer because it wasn’t the style they wanted, but if they read even one writer who seemed amateurish, they’d put the whole book down.

So I had to find people whose work I admired, and make sure they were all different. I needed people to buy into a project that was to be largely promotional (we’d rather give away a thousand of these than sell a hundred), but that would still require their best. And the kind of people I wanted were already up to their armpits in better projects than mine.

Jesus.

3. Even big people love to be asked to help, particularly if it helps them, too.

So you’ve heard the saying about leap and the net will appear? After downing antacids and adult fortifications, I started approaching some of these semi-giants. Felt like Dorothy approaching the Wizard, without even a lion or scarecrow or a tin man.

I was rewarded with some of the best experiences of my life, as faces lit up and people I admired thanked me for the opportunity to be a part of this.

4. If you keep your request small, people will deliver big.

I pitched Eight as a low-impact project to the other writers, but none of them treated it that way. All I asked for was a sample chapter, a previously written story, and an interview. I got all that, on time (barely in some cases, but on time), and so much more. Jessie Powell made us a book trailer, and had to be restrained from doing a print ad. Kathleen Cosgrove found us a cover artist (her son Charlie Wetherington) who delivered a killer cover for next to nothing. Chris Knopf sent our press release to his many contacts. And… well, everybody went over and above.

5. Actually producing the book is the easy part.

There are lots of materials out there on how to self-pub a book. I won’t add to them except to say that pulling together a book is just a lot of fussy little time-consuming tasks, but nothing to be scared of.

6. Multiple writers multiply the quality of the book and the power of the marketing.

I really think that each person roughly doubled the value of this project. What a joy.

So now my little-bitty scary idea has become the book that I may be the most proud of, the one that will probably get the most attention, and the one that was the most fun to work on.

Without me having to do all that messy writing stuff.

Michael Guillebeau’s first book, Josh Whoever (Five Star Mysteries, 2013) was a finalist for the 2014 Silver Falchion Award for Best First Novel: Literary Suspense, received a starred review in Library Journal, and was named a Debut Mystery of the Month by Library Journal. His second book, A Study In Detail (Five Star Mysteries, 2015) received the following praise from the Midwest Book Review: “fresh, original and witty.” Guillebeau has published over twenty short stories, including three in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Michael Guillebeau lives in Madison, Alabama, and Panama City Beach, Florida. For more information, see www.michaelguillebeau.com.

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)

Thanks to Tom Wood, Emily Eytchison, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

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KN Magazine: Articles

Gone FishingBy Tom Wood

A Book's Journey

A Book's Journey

A Book's Journey

Dying for Dinner

Your First Draft

Oprah, High-Art, and Harry Potter: Can Literary and Genre Fiction Be Reconciled?By Wayne Thomas

3 Ways to Start Wooing Your Future AudienceBy Julie Schoerke

3 Ways to Start Wooing Your Future AudienceBy Julie Schoerke

How Much Influence Should Marketability Have on Your Work?By Erik Deckers

Death Scenes are Castles in the SandBy Steve Bradshaw

Contract Decoding (Part 3 of 3)By Milt Toby

Contract Decoding (Part 3 of 3)By Milt Toby

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Gone Fishing
By Tom Wood

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