5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR L.J. SELLERS

In order to keep pace with the ever-changing publishing world I've kept in contact with several traditionally published and Indie writers to check the pulse of the industry.  Approximately six months ago L.J. Sellers moved from the Indie world into the fold of Amazon's publishing company, Thomas and Mercer.  As a collection, her books are unquestionably selling better now than ever before, so I thought I'd bring her back to offer her insight to her success and her thoughts on all things publishing.

1- Your Detective Jackson mysteries have always been a popular series, but your career seems to have really blossomed since joining T&M.  Are you surprised at how successful you've become so quickly?

I'm very pleased, and yes, a little surprised. I expected to see my readership expand but not necessarily double. Of course, Amazon has been heavily promoting the Jackson books post-release, but I don’t expect that to last. However, I do see the company running specials for other T&M authors periodically, so they do support authors' books even after the initial release, which traditional publishers rarely do. So I’m optimistic that my books will remain visible for the long haul.

2- How is your relationship with the editors at T&M?  We hear about long waits for traditional publishers to return calls and emails.  Of course you would never trash anyone, but is there just a different standard for large houses like T&M and others?

I love the whole T&M team. Everyone is very responsive, especially my editor. He's answered my emails from home, late at night, which I never expected. I tell him, "Don't work on weekends because of me. It can wait until Monday." I guess he figures if I'm working at nine on Saturday night, he should be too. Alan is very supportive. He keeps saying, "It's your book, your decision." Additionally, the marketers and PR people at Amazon always talk about "the customer experience" and how they want every customer to have a good experience. It's just part of the company culture.

3- Along those lines, if you were to bring a new manuscript to your editor right now, how long before we would see it available for the market?

I would expect that timeline to run six to eight months, at most. I'm in a odd pattern now because they bought nine backlist titles, created covers and edited the works, then released them all at once. And I wrote two front-list titles while that was happening, one of which they published last month. So after having ten books released this year, I'm waiting for my turn to be published again. But after this year, I hope to publish a new book every six months with T&M.

4- What distribution channels does T&M have other than Amazon?

Amazon Publishing is a new business, and distribution to bookstores/retailers is still the biggest hurdle. Amazon Encore, the flagship imprint that's based in NY, has a distribution deal with Ingram, and I believe all T&M books are listed with Ingram. Whether bookstores will order them remains to be seen. But honestly, I gave up on bookstores two years ago, so I had no expectation that my novels would suddenly be displayed at Barnes & Noble. And the way things are going, B&N soon won't be displaying novels at all. The trend—even in print fiction—is to purchase online, and Amazon owns that space, so I'm not worried. Also, my Jackson series will soon be available in the German language, so my worldwide distribution is expanding.

5- Do you ever see the day where you could be an Indie writer again, maybe with an entirely different series of characters?

It's certainly possible. I'm writing a new thriller now with a very strong character who could carry her own series. I already have ideas for future novels with her. I plan to submit the manuscript to T&M, but I’m under no obligation to sign with them. Yet, why wouldn't I… if the terms are as good as the last contract? Especially now that I know how effective the marketing machine is. So yes, it's certainly possible, but I'm very happy with T&M, and I hope to continue to partner with them. The only thing that might make me hesitate would be a long delay in time to market.

CHASING THE DREAM 101

Recently I'd become acquainted with an ambitious writer who's chasing the dream of becoming a published author.  He'd read one of my books and asked if I would meet him for drinks and discuss my travels along this path.  When we got together one of the first questions he asked was, "So how do I go about getting published?"  To which I responded, "Is your book finished?"  Well, you seem like a very smart audience so I'm sure you've already guessed that he hadn't even started writing a book yet. 

You see, asking about the publishing process before you've finished polishing off your book is like a golfer asking what they should wear to the champions dinner before ever entering into an event.  Or even learning the sport.

We ended up having a terrific evening of drinks and appetizers and hours later I agreed to exchange chapters with him so we could critique each other's work along the way.  I'm always searching for new eyes for my writing and he was excited about the idea of working together. 

Now fast forward a month.  This writer sends me the first 40 pages of his book to review and we agree to meet once again for drinks to discuss his writing.  I must say this guy was an English major and had probably one of the strongest command of narrative I've ever seen.  There was no doubt he could write.  His story began with a young woman trapped in a torrential rain storm up in the mountains where a strange man finds her unconscious and keeps her safe and sheltered through the night.  I was fascinated to find out where the story was going only to discover the woman fantasizing about having sex with her rescuer the moment she awakes.  And when I say fantasizing, I mean a body-thrusting, orifice-penetrating, erection-filled sexual fantasy that would make Hugh Hefner blush.  Then , two scenes later, she's reminiscing about the first night she'd slept with her husband and explained parts of her anatomy her gynecologist hadn't thought of checking.

Although these sexual interludes were sandwiched between some very intriguing storylines, I was curious if the writer knew exactly what type of story he was writing.  Surely he understood this was an erotic novel, right?  Wrong.  He told me that the sex scenes stop after the second chapter, but that his wife told him to throw some steamy action into his book because, well, sex sells.  He doesn't even like writing that stuff, he was just trying to tap into the E.L James fan base.

Everything I've just told you is true.  And I'll bet this isn't the only incident of a writer chasing after a dream which turns out to be someone else's.  Getting anything published these days is hard.  Try selling a short story to a literary magazine with a circulation of 300.  It's damn tough.  And while I am certainly no expert on which path to take on the way to success (whatever that may mean to you.) Please, if you really want to chase the dream and become an author and maybe even develop some loyal readers along the way--chase your dream.  You will have very few regrets along the way. 

A TOUCH OF MALICE IS FINALLY HERE.

http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Malice-Bracco-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00BMRTDPS/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_2_5JN1

The year-long wait is over.  The latest Nick Bracco thriller is now available exclusively on Amazon.  I rarely do any self-promotion, but once a year I release a new book and I've had so many readers asking when it will be released.  Well, the answer is today!

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR/DIRECTOR JOHN PENNEY

John Penney is one of those rare talents who can write screenplays, direct films, and create novels with the same effortless ability to keep you on the edge of your seat.  He's worked with actors like William Hurt and Katherine Heigl and yet finds himself turning to novel writing as his outlet for free expression.  It's the one great advantage an Indie author has over any other medium--he/she can let the creative juices flow without a filter or an agent telling them to stay within the lines.  This choice requires accountability, however, and John speaks with us about the measures he takes to assure the quality of his work and many other things Hollywood and publishing. 

 

 1- You've written more than a dozen screenplays which have gone on to make it to the big screen.  Tell us about that process from concept to production.

I’ve had a relatively pleasant experience as a screenwriter.  I think it’s because I managed my expectations. Aside from my early work, where the projects never made it out of development Hell at the studios, the films that I have had produced have never been extensively rewritten.  Of course, the entire filmmaking process is a real team effort, but I came up through the ranks of film production as an editor so I went into screenwriting with my eyes wide open.  I knew what I was getting into and I used my background in production to help get on some of the projects as a producer, which in turn allowed me to stay on and do the production rewriting.  Still, even with the advantages of being involved through production, I learned to take my satisfaction from the process of writing, not the end result.  Once I turned the script over to the director and the production I let it go.  No matter what, when you’re dealing with film, if you expect it to be what you had in your head you’ll inevitably be disappointed.  It’s a kind of Zen mind set, I suppose.  Even now that I am directing my own material, there are so many moving parts and unpredictable elements that go into making movies that the script never comes out exactly as written.  The advantage now is that I am able to go through the birthing pains and make the adjustments that must be made when you take a story from the page to the screen.

2- As a director, do you treat every actor the same, or is it a bit like being a schoolteacher and knowing how to deal with the problem child?

Knowing the various techniques and approaches to acting is important, but basically I have found you have to relate to every actor as an individual.  I need to give them the tools they need to do their job and find their footing with the character.  Sometimes it happens through endless discussions over the script, some times they just need to know which direction to head.  I have only directed movies that I have written, so I have lived each character as I created them and I have the answers if they want to hear them.  Some of the great actors that I have worked with like William Hurt are able to see their character’s arc and also see how their character fits into the whole of the story.  They are your story telling partner.  It’s a lot of fun when it works, but it can also be a real struggle if your actor is having trouble seeing the same story you want to tell.

3- Your books, like your films, tend to be dark thrillers. Have you always been interested in the dark side of humanity?

I think it’s a journey to find your voice as a writer.  You have to try it all.  I have tried comedy, but I think at the end of the day, I am really most interested in exploring the shadows.  However, I don’t think my work is pessimistic or nihilistic.  Far from it.  I took a charcoal drawing class once and one of the exercises was to create a picture by defining the shadows.  In other words, define the light by drawing the dark.  I think that’s what I do.  I define the dark side of man to reveal what is inherently good and positive.   I have a supernatural thriller I wrote and directed out now from IFC Films entitled “Hellgate” with William Hurt and Cary Elwes.  It’s about a man who suffers a great loss and goes though a very dark journey but finds his way out the other side. I spent time on the festival circuit with the movie last year where we were fortunate enough to win Best Film at the Bram Stoker International Film Festival and also Best Horror Film at the Fantasy Horror Awards in Italy.  In the question and answers sessions that I did afterward, I was able to really get a feeling for how the film played.  What struck me was the sense of optimism it conveyed. The film really stood out against the other more pessimistic films in competition.  People’s response to the film depended on their underlying beliefs about the human condition.

4- Have you considered developing a screenplay for either of your novels—Killing Time or Truck Stop?

I absolutely have. A couple of years ago, my friend Steve Carpenter ( “The Grimm Trilogy”) turned me on to the whole Amazon Kindle world. The means of distribution and publication are finally in the hands of the artist. We can reach out directly to the audience with our stories.  At the same time I was working with Brian Yuzna (“Honey I Shrunk the Kids” “Re-Animator”) on a couple of film projects that were being simultaneously developed on several platforms at once (graphic novel, screenplay, novel.)  The experience of developing the story in more than one medium was really exciting to me.  Each form can tell the story differently and each one informs the other. The screenplays for both “Truck Stop” and “Killing Time” are already in place and I am currently writing a new novel with a companion screenplay. As I mentioned, the greatest pleasure I get is in the process of writing and the chance to tell the story in more than one form is very thrilling for me.   I am hoping to make “Truck Stop” the next film I direct.

5- As an Indie author, there's a lot of responsibility to make your work look as professional as possible.  Tell us about your method of writing novels and the editing process.

The ability to publish on your own is very exciting to me.  The hurdles are removed between you and the audience, but it does come with a great responsibility.  You have to provide an experience to the reader that is worth their time and money.  I take that very seriously.  I want readers to follow me from one novel to the next and the only way to do that is to offer them something of top quality.  I employ an editor for my novels.  The editor takes a hard and careful look at continuity and logic as well as the technical and grammatical side.  I think this is very important to do.  I also employ a graphic artist to help me design the cover.   I usually throw out ideas, then the graphic artist comes up with a few approaches.  We go back and forth until we zero in on one concept.  Then I try it out on a number of people to get their response.  Because the e-book cover is usually seen in a form no bigger than a postage stamp, it has to be bold and easy to grasp.  Nick Rucka, the graphic designer I use has a background in designing DVD covers for films that are sold on Amazon.  He clued me in on the realities and limitations of the covers.  So far, the covers have worked very well in reaching the people interested in reading the kinds of suspenseful fast-paced supernatural thrillers that I write.

 

You can find John's books on Amazon: Killing Time- http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Time-ebook/dp/B00ASNFXOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1356388048&sr=1-1&keywords=Killing+Time+John+Penney

Truck Stop- http://www.amazon.com/Truck-Stop-ebook/dp/B006OFX5OS/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR/DIRECTOR STEPHEN CARPENTER

Stephen Carpenter created the NBC series Grimm, and has written screenplays for Ocean’s Eleven, Blue Streak, and other films.  A graduate of UCLA Film School, Carpenter has also written and directed several thrillers, including Soul Survivors, starring Casey Affleck and Eliza Dushku.  His first novel, Killer, was a #1 Amazon Bestseller, and dubbed a “blockbuster” by Entertainment Weekly.  His next book, The Grimm Curse Trilogy, will be available March 8, 2013 on Amazon. My thanks to Stephen for spending some quality time with me. 

 

1- Let’s go back a little. I understand you actually wrote a screenplay for Steve Martin’s novel, “The Pleasure of my Company.” What was it like to work with a legendary talent like him?

I didn’t really work with him.  We only had one meeting, but it was fascinating.  We had a long lunch in Beverly Hills, and it seemed he wanted to talk about anything but the book.  He had kind of moved on, and he was really mostly interested in checking me out—like, would I screw it up?  I brought my dog-eared copy of his novel and peppered him with questions, which were mostly met with a shrug.  I got the feeling he kind of tossed off the book and didn’t look back.  He was fairly self-deprecating, and he had a sense of humor about himself, which is unusual for a guy like that.  I made him laugh once.  Having grown up with Steve Martin as a comedy icon…that laugh was a high point for me.

 2- You’ve successfully adapted so many projects for TV and movies, yet you continue to focus your energy on novels. Why?

 I like working without interference.  Screenwriting is half political.  You have to serve so many masters—the producers, the studio, directors, actors.  Not to mention there’s a fair chance you’ll be rewritten by another writer after you’ve labored over a script for years.  I worked on one script that had 33 writers.  It’s hard to hold onto authorship.  With a novel you’re the boss, you have the final word.  You’re alone with it, which can be hard, but you can concentrate on what you really want to say.  You get the final cut.  Also, just practically, you can write anything.  You don’t have to worry about budget, casting, etc.  It’s only your imagination that limits you.

 3-What does the success of “Grimm,” do for someone like you? Does it open doors for certain projects which might not have been available to you before?

 Somewhat.  Hollywood is in chaos right now—more than usual.  Having a hit show helps to establish credibility, but when a network is considering spending millions of dollars producing and marketing a new show, they get pretty cutthroat.  Grimm helps to put the network at ease—they think I know something, when, in fact, I’m still just blindly trying to make something work, like everybody else.  We’ll see.  The jury’s still out on that question.

4- Who is an author and a former boxer. How much of Jack is autobio- Tell us about your Jack Rhodes charactergraphical?

Jack is an amalgam of myself, people I have known, and a little of Robert Parker’s Spenser character thrown in because I’m such a fan.  I grew up like Jack—kind of scrappy—but the rest is a kind of cultivated projection of things that I have experienced.  Killer deals with how authors rewrite their past, and I’ll let that stand for itself.  Some things have to be forgotten if you want to go on living. 

5- I believe all your novels are exclusively sold on Amazon. Tell us about that decision and the future books you’re working on.

There was interest in Killer from traditional publishers after it hit #1.  I went down the road with one of them, but it just took forever.  Maybe I could have published on paper, but I’m too impatient.  These people dither and deliberate for months.  I’d rather spend the time writing.  As far as the future, I don’t know.  My life is a lot less complicated without agents and publishers telling me what to do.  The great thing about ebook publishing is that you can do whatever the hell you want—not to mention the 70 percent royalty.  Just leave me alone and let me write.  For now that’s how I’m progressing.  Meanwhile, look for The Grimm Curse Trilogy coming March 8, when Grimm is back on the air.

 

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR CHERYL BRADSHAW

For years writers were able to focus on the one things they were good at—writing.  It was prudent to be creative and find someone else to handle the business side of the publishing industry.  That was fine when agents and publishers were actually accepting work from unknown authors.  But now Lindsay Lohan's illiterate housecleaner will become a NY Times bestseller and Jack Plummer with an MFA and tremendous writing chops will be consistently snubbed for more reality TV pseudo celebs.

In steps Cheryl Bradshaw to the scene.  Cheryl decided to self publish her first novel, Black Diamond Death back in 2009, when Indies were considered pariahs in the publishing industry.  It was a risky move but it has paid off fantastically.  Her books are constantly on Amazon's bestseller list for several categories.  Cheryl has been very prodigious at marketing her work and dealing with the business side of the industry, something that today's author needs to become more efficient at.  I've invited Cheryl to discuss some of her tactics and her ability to juggle all things writing.  By the way, Cheryl's latest release is Strangers in Town and is receiving tremendous reviews.
Now, here's Cheryl:

 

1- It's a different world than it was even five years ago when writers wrote and agents sold books. Nowadays, how much time do you spend writing compared with being socially active and marketing your work?

I would say I write and promote equally. But, I have help. I hired a publicist in 2012, and she takes some things off my plate so I have more time to write. I also hope to have a full time assistant by the end of 2013. Right now, I have someone who helps me, but it’s still not enough. I would love to spend most of my time writing, as most writers probably would, but I do enjoy actively engaging with my fans.

 

2- How long did it take you to write your first Sloane Monroe mystery, Black Diamond Death? And when did you start the promotional process?

I had no idea what I was doing, and I knew little about the industry when I wrote Black Diamond Death, the first novel in my Sloane Monroe mystery series. It took me a year to write, probably because I spent more time trying to learn that first year. Now I can write a novel in about four months if I really hunker down and commit.

I started promoting Black Diamond Death as soon as it was published, which is very different than what I do today. Now I start beforehand, releasing the first chapter on my website and blog as soon as it’s written so my fans can get a feel for the book, the title, the storyline, etc. I also do a soft release for two to four weeks before my hard release. I promote everywhere and run contests. I’m sure there’s more I could be doing, but all of these things have helped book sales.

 

3-You created the Facebook page, Indie Writers Unite, which currently has over 1,600 members. Was this a mechanism for Indie writers to share their experiences or were you feeling a bit lonely out there?

I searched and searched for places to meet writers when I was first starting out, and I found a few, but nothing that was the right fit for me. I wanted a positive environment where writers could get help from each other, ask questions, and learn about the business. I didn’t want a place where authors belittled one another or used it as a venue to promote their books and then leave. When I couldn’t find that combination, I created Indie Writers Unite. It was the best thing I could have done for myself. I’ve made many friends and learned more about the current state of the industry than I ever would have on my own. Now I get to share that knowledge with other authors starting out. I love the opportunity I’ve been given to pay it forward.

 4- Is it possible for an Indie author to simply publish a book without any have success?

I suppose anything is possible, but this would be a rare occurrence in my opinion. Black Diamond Death entered the top 100 list in both mystery and thriller six weeks after its release on Amazon, but now I believe it would be harder to do that without a following. Authors are publishing books at astonishing rates. There’s a lot of room for everyone, but there is also a lot of competition. It took three novels in my Sloane Monroe series before I felt I’d established life-long fans that would buy anything I wrote as soon as it was out. I still have a long way to go, but I believe an online presence is vital to building your brand, and I think every author should have a website, blog, a Facebook author page, and an active Twitter account where they talk about things that have nothing to do with their books.

 5- When traditional writers are going Indie with their backlists and Indie authors getting traditional deals from NY publishers, it does seem like the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Where do you feel is the best place for a new writer to get published in 2013? And how will that change in five years?

 I still believe Indie is the way to go, probably because right now it works for me. I can see myself signing with a publisher one day and I can see myself not signing. I would love to work with a publisher who understands the changing industry and has the kind of mindset that makes Amazon so successful for authors today. For all Indies do for themselves nowadays, I think publishers should give more thought to the percentages and the royalty rates they are offering. There are many Indies out there right now who understand the business and could benefit legacy publishers in a lot of ways.

If I had a crystal ball I would guess that in the coming years we will see Indie authors getting traditionally published deals with houses that offer more than what they have in the past. I also believe writers will fall into two categories: successful and non-successful. Those who don't promote well, find an audience, or work hard to develop their brand will become frustrated. Many will give up and get out of the business altogether. Others will shine, make their mark and go on to be well known household names.

Thank you for having me Gary!

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR ALAN RUSSELL

Here's just a few things you should know about this terrific writer: He's been writing fiction since the age of six.  His books have received rave reviews from such prestigious publications as The New York Times,  L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune and Publishers Weekly.  He's six-foot-seven, has a sharp sense of humor and is fortunate enough to have friends with last name like Connelly and Gerritsen.  Also, he currently has two books in the top 10 of Amazon's bestseller list for Police Procedurals.  If you haven't heard of him before, that is about to change very soon.  Thank you Alan very much for your time.

1- Tell us about your previous publishing experiences and how the agreement with Thomas and Mercer came about?

I have always written the book I wanted to write, which in the world of publishing is probably not the best success strategy.   My first two novels were classical whodunits (“No Sign of Murder” and “The Forest Prime Evil”) featuring a private investigator.  Those novels came out about the same time everyone in publishing was saying the PI novel was dead.  I then surprised everyone by doing a bit of an about-face and writing two comedic novels (“The Hotel Detective” and “The Fat Innkeeper”) loosely based on my day job as a hotel manager in La Jolla, California.  Then I switched courses again and wrote two psychological thrillers (“Multiple Wounds” and “Shame”).  As if I hadn’t hopped around in the genre enough, I came out with two suspense novels (“Exposure” and “Political Suicide”).  It seemed every time I tried to expand my voice and writing muscles I had to find a new publisher.  I went from Warner Books to Simon & Schuster to St. Martin’s.  The reviews were great, and I was nominated for a number of writing awards, but I wasn’t having commercial success.  When my literary agent broached the idea of submitting “Burning Man” to Thomas and Mercer, I was initially skeptical.  I didn’t know if I’d be comfortable with the idea of a novel not coming out in hardcover.  And when I talked with editorial and they told me that over ninety percent of my sales would come through Kindle, it did give me pause for thought.  But then I said, “What the hell, the other way isn’t working.”  I did a leap of faith and I’m glad I did.  And it didn’t hurt that they promised to bring all three books out in audio, as well as let me revise and update “Multiple Wounds” and “Shame.”

2- You've just released a brand new book, "Burning Man," and have reissued "Multiple Wounds," and "Shame."  Tell us about Burning Man and where you came up with the concept.

When I was told by Thomas and Mercer that they would be bringing out “Burning Man” on the same day they were reissuing “Multiple Wounds” and “Shame,” I thought they were crazy.  All of the books were released on December 11, 2012, and so far it seems my publisher knows a lot more about marketing than I do.  It’s great to be wrong and benefit from it.

I think I was attracted to writing “Burning Man” because of the unique partnership of cop and K-9.  Before I wrote the first word I visualized Gideon and Sirius going through the crucible of fire.  Both come out the other side, but both are forever changed.  My favorite novels are usually those in which the hero is not the same person at the end of the book than he was in the beginning.  In most of my books there is definitely the element of redemption.

3- You're such a locally known favorite in San Diego, (Alan's won 2 San Diego Book Awards) do you ever get recognized when you're out on the town? And what's that like?

I don’t think I’ll ever have to worry about the paparazzi, and as far as I know there are no literary groupies.  One of the great things about my craft is that my time is spent writing for smart people.  As a whole, readers are educated and bright.  I’ve been told that one percent of the population buys over ninety percent of the fiction, so I am writing for a very specific audience that cares about the words, and not the progenitor of them.  But I’m begging the question.  Yes, there have been a few times in my life where I was recognized as a writer outside of San Diego County, but I think the only reason I was noticed on those occasions is that I am a head taller than most people, which is what jarred their memories.  It’s always wonderful to be noticed by someone outside your family.

4- Are you active on social networks, and, in general, how much do you think that helps in promoting your books?

My 14-year-old daughter insisted that I go on Facebook.  And then everyone told me I needed to have a Facebook professional page promoting my books (www.facebook.com/AlanRussellMysteryAuthor).  Because I am not comfortable tooting my own horn, I hired a social media person.  She does all my posts that say things like, “Buy Burning Man,” and, “Did you see Alan’s great review?”  I like hearing from people, and enjoy responding to their comments, but I’m still not comfortable with the megaphone (if you go to my website you can see I have the category of “Propaganda” where I comment on that – www.alanrussell.net).   I am glad my social media goddess is out promoting me, but sometimes I find myself blushing when I see something she’s posted.  It almost feels like I am the one on the mountaintop shouting what a wonderful person I am.  My two words to describe social media?  Necessary evil.

5- How has the industry changed since your first book was released and where do you believe the majority of your fans will be reading your books five years from now?  Paper, or digital?

When I talk about how publishing was when I first started writing, I feel as old as Methuselah.   The changes have been enormous, as has been the fallout.  I still like “physical” books.  I like dog-earing pages.  I like writing in the margins.  When I was young, I was that kid with a flashlight reading a book under the covers hoping that my parents wouldn’t discover me.  But nostalgia notwithstanding, the digital age is here.  One of the things I like best about the Kindle is that books are affordable.  I used to feel guilty when I would be signing my hardcover books that cost $27.95.  That’s a lot of money, and most people can ill afford such a luxury.  And if you’re an unknown writer to the reader, can you really expect them to make an expenditure of that kind?  I like it that readers can take a chance on you and not be out of pocket much.  Slowly but surely I am becoming a reluctant convert, but my home library will always have a place for actual books written by authors I consider special.

 

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR FRANK ZAFIRO

Frank Zafiro has been the #1 ranked Police Procedural author on Amazon and is currently #8 in that category.  That's pretty solid for a guy who spends his days working for the police department in the state of Washington.  He also spent 5 years working in  Military Intelligence for the U.S. Army .  All I know is the guy spends most of his time atop the best sellers ranking for all sorts of thrillers.  With all of his experience in law enforcement I thought it would be good to find out how reality differs from modern day fiction.  He should know, because he's obviously really good at both of these professions.   

 1- As a major in the police department, what’s the most common mistake fiction writers make when portraying members of the police force?

I think there are always procedural mistakes that occur, but it is impossible to be 100% accurate. Procedural requirements vary from state to state and change as time goes on, due to case law. So I think those mistakes are pretty forgivable.

One mistake I see more often in movies than in crime fiction (but it drives me crazy) is when an officer or detective pulls out his gun and, if it's an automatic, racks the slide. This is a huge error. Wyatt Earp may have rested on an empty chamber but in today's world, every cop's gun is "hot." That is, a round is always in the chamber. I know they do this in films for effect, and it works, but it drives me nuts.

Probably the biggest mistake, though, is that they treat cops as caricatures rather than realizing that this is just another person, like all the rest of us. Maybe he's tougher, maybe he's not. Maybe he has a good heart and maybe he's cruel. But being a cop doesn't make him something more or less than human. It's a job. It comes with training and unpleasant experiences and terrible authority and responsibility...but it's a job. It isn't the man.

2- Without exposing names or places, can you describe a scenario when a real life situation found its way into one of your novels?

If you read my short story "Baker-124", that's a pretty good example. I fictionalized it by sending the cop alone to the call, as well as making him a returning veteran from the wars in the Middle East. But the scenario -- checking the welfare of a small girl in a run down apartment building -- was very real, and it is the closest thing to a true event that I've written.

Now, don't get it excited. It isn't a shootout or anything like that. It is more of an emotional ride. But worth it. The story is in my collection, The Cleaner.

As far as novels go, there is a scene in my first one, Under a Raging Moon, in which a female officer encounters a body builder with anger issues that is going to go back to prison if he's arrested...and she has to try to talk him into the cuffs without a fight, while at the same time being willing to fight if necessary. This kind of call happens to just about every cop, but I had an incident a buddy of mine encountered when I wrote the scene.

3- Most authors have day jobs and dream of writing fulltime. Is that a goal of yours, and if so, how close are you to achieving that goal?

Guilty, your honor. As much as I love my career in law enforcement and am proud of the men and women I serve with, I was a writer in my heart long before I wore a badge. Being a full time writer is my goal, and like most people out there, it's a difficult goal to achieve all on your own, without any other income streams. I'm lucky enough to have a wife who is supportive of the idea and the time may come when we can make the leap. Worst case scenario, I can retire in about six years, and that will be my retirement "job."

4- What gave you the inspiration to publish on Amazon—and did you pursue other avenues first?

I've tried to get published by the big publishers, but was unsuccessful. I have had novels published with three different small presses, with varying degrees of success (regarding sales) and widely divergent experiences. Publishing independently on Amazon was something I initially rejected because of the historic stigma attached to it. But after watching the phenomenon evolve into a legitimate avenue, and doing my research, I decided that it was definitely a viable option. So I took the plunge.

You could say I'm "diversified" when it comes to publishing. My River City novels are published in print by Gray Dog Press, but I independently published the ebooks and Books in Motion is publishing the audio books. My Stefan Kopriva series of mysteries is one hundred percent independently published in all mediums. Blood on Blood, which I wrote with Jim Wilsky, is published by Snubnose Press for the ebook, but Jim and I have independently published the paperback and audio. So I'm all over the map...or maybe I'm just a patata head, too.

5- Look into your crystal ball and tell us what the publishing world will look like in 2017 and how will you fit into that world?

Wow. It's anybody's guess, right? The landscape is changing significantly every year. But I'll take a couple of guesses.

I think author's will become more powerful and more in control of their own work, but I do think that in place of the previous publisher/author relationship, more of a partnership will emerge. I think that publishing companies (as opposed to publishers) will offer services for hire or for royalty share, and the benefit to the author will be the expertise that the company offers, and perhaps the reputation of the company. Now, I know this is already happening, but I think the difference will be that the medium will evolve and become more complex (integrated mediums, links, mutiple mediums in one purchase) and may outstrip the average writer's ability to put together a topnotch product solo. Thus, this partnership will emerge.

I'm talking about the cutting edge of the products here. An ebook with links within and without the title, video and audio sequences, or an audio book version synced in, or whatever. This would be the equivalent of a Blu-Ray movie. Could an authors still put out a book that is the equivalent of a DVD movie? That is, a simpler, straightforward story with no bells and whistles?

I sure hope so.

But I think we'll see a drift toward more interactivity.

I also see things become more author-centric (not just the marketing, which it always has been, but the financial model, too). I think authors will form more co-ops, where they offer each other editing services, maybe get a group rate with a cover artist, help cross-market each others work. Again, this is already out there, but I see it becoming far more prevalent.

That's about all I've got when it comes to predictive powers. Not exactly earth-shattering, I know.

Where do I fit in? Right here, telling stories. Wanna hear one?

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR L.J. SELLERS

I feel like I've known L.J. Sellers for a long time, yet in this digital age of publishing a long time is a couple of years.  Sometimes you wonder whether the person on the other end of the computer monitor is really a friend or just someone angling for attention, but with L.J. I've never felt anything but warm, honest interaction without  strings attached.

L.J. Sellers is the author of the bestselling Detective Jackson mysteries along with several other stand alone thrillers.  She began her writing career as a client of Al Zuckerman with Writers House Literary Agency and has recently signed an 11 book contract with Amazon's publishing house, Thomas and Mercer.  Eleven books?  That's confidence. 

 

Right now a lot of authors are debating whether to go through the painstaking process of getting an agent and a publishing contract or going straight to Indieville.  We all want to do what's right for our careers.  I asked L.J for her insight because she's been an Indie and a traditionally published author, so she can speak from both sides of the fence.     

Here's L.J.—

1- At what point in your writing career did you sense that you could actually survive on the money you made from writing books?

I’d been writing novels for twenty years, then in 2010 everything changed. First I was laid off my journalism job, then ebooks started to really sell and Joe Konrath was blogging about making money on Kindle. I decided that if he could do it, so could I, and I set a goal of earning a living from ebooks by the end of 2011—giving myself a year. Then I did a month-long promotional push in October that really paid off, and by Christmas, I knew I was done freelancing. At that point, I realized the most cost-effective thing I could do was to write another novel. And that’s still holding true.

2- You've had a stellar career as an independent author, what persuaded you to sign with Thomas an Mercer?
Being an indie author—writer, publisher, and marketer—is exhausting! And the ups and downs of ebook sales can be nerve wracking. Winter/holiday sales are terrific, but in August, the money can get tight. More important, I believe Amazon will take my career to a new level. Its marketing clout is unparalleled, and I’ll be able to reach thousands of readers who have never heard of me. And with Amazon taking some of the production and marketing off my shoulders, I’ll have more time to write…and spend with my family. I don’t want to work 70 hours a week forever.

3- As a client of T&M, did you ever get the sense that Amazon is plotting to take over the publishing world?  Be honest, you saw Jeff Bezos rubbing his hands together when the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Apple and five publishers for price fixing, right?

A lot of readers and writers were quietly cheering when the DOJ filed that suite. Big Publishing has been dominating the industry and colluding to keep prices high for decades. Jeff Bezos may dream of dominating publishing (he hasn’t confided in me yet), or he may just be a very competitive and successful bookseller who will end up at the top of the pile. If this were a different industry, he would be more respected than feared. But a lot of people have an emotional attachment to physical books and to bookstores, and the thought of losing either is difficult for them.

But blaming Bezos for the decline of physical books is like blaming the president for declining employment. We have fewer jobs now mostly because of technology and outsourcing—machines are doing the work that people used to do. We have fewer bookstores now because of technology—people are buying ebooks and reading on their devices, many of which are not made by Amazon. Change is disruptive, and if legacy publishing wants to compete, it has to innovate, rather than collude.

4- What's the best choice for a new writer right now?  Traditional or Indie?

For most authors, the traditional publishing route is a dead end. You can send query letters for decades and never land an agent or a contract—even if you’re really talented. Agents, editors, and successful legacy authors perpetuate the myth that if you’re talented and tenacious, you’ll eventually break through. They forget to add “or die trying.” The odds are against you. If you’re the kind of person who buys lottery tickets, go ahead, give traditional publishing a shot. But if you’re the kind of person who makes lists and goals and gets things done, then you might as well take charge of your writing too and self-publish.

5- What will the publishing industry look like 5 years from now?  And will I be alive to see that?

Five years? You’d better be around, Gary! I certainly plan to be. A lot of pundits say the rate of change in the industry will escalate and that within five years, the landscape will change completely again, but I don’t think that’s true. We already see a slowing in ebook growth—but that’s a slowdown in growth, not a slowdown in actual sales or adoption, which is still increasing. But reading-only devices will give way to tablets, and in five years, they may be almost as common as cell phones.

I think Amazon will continue to dominate the ebook market, at least for a few years. And it will sign more and more bestselling authors as they leave legacy publishing for a more profitable future. But Big Publishers are making changes too, consolidating, getting ebooks out faster, and streamlining their overhead and distribution structures, so a few players will survive. But most indie bookstores won’t make it, and B&N will have to expand into more retail goods, because most fiction will be read digitally.

But it seems inevitable that the growth in the number of indie authors will slow down too. Fewer unprofessional authors will jump in with their first book when they realize the investment required and the lack of immediate return.

In that same vein, it seems that Amazon will eventually streamline Kindle Direct Publishing and start vetting books just to keep some of the absolute crap from clogging up their website. Someone will create a software program that can scan submissions and reject anything with a lack of grammar and punctuation. And I think all the digital distributors will start to drop books that don’t sell. Once their inventory hits a certain point, quality over quantity will become a factor.

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR CHRIS PAVONE

It's merely days since Hurricane Sandy devastated New York City and NY Times bestselling author Chris Pavone is huddled up in a conference room where his wife works because the electricity is out at his place.  What's he doing there?  He's answering questions for this blog.  Bravo, Chris.  We hope all is well with your family.

Chris is the author of The Expats, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list immediately upon publication in March 2012. I read this book myself and found it fascinating.  Chris grew up in Brooklyn, graduated from Cornell, and was an editor at a variety of book-publishing houses that included Doubleday, Crown, and Artisan, most notably as executive editor at Clarkson Potter. He spent a year and a half as an ex-pat in Luxembourg, but once again lives with his wife and children in a very flooded New York City.

1- Your main characters in “The Expats,” Kate and Dexter, are a married couple with lots of secrets.  Was it hard to keep everything straight?  And did you actually have to keep extensive notes to maintain control?

 

Yes, and yes. To help me organize the plot I maintained a couple of invaluable documents. The most basic was a list of a dozen reveals that I wanted to present to reader over the course of the story; the list enabled me to easily play around with their sequence, which I did frequently over the course of writing different drafts. The more extensive document was a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline—the action, the characters, the questions I wanted to dangle in front of readers, the answers I wanted to dole out slowly. These documents were always open on my laptop along with the manuscript’s file.

 

2- Luxembourg is as much of a character as Kate and Dexter.  How well do you know the country?

Most of the crucial plot elements of The Expats are completely made-up. But some important aspects of the story, and all of the atmosphere, are true. In 2008, I left behind my career and my home to follow my wife’s job to Luxembourg. While she worked a demanding, time-consuming, and travel-intensive job, my existence was very similar to Kate’s: taking care of small children, learning to live in a foreign country and a different language, reinventing myself as someone without a career, without the self-definition I’d lived with for the entirety of my adult life. This is a central theme of the book: reinvention. For me—and for my protagonist—this takes place in the rainy cobblestoned expat-heavy city of Luxembourg.

3- It seems everyone is a spy and no one trustworthy.  How fun was it to work with an unreliable narrator at times?

Unreliable narrators offer wonderful opportunities for tremendous paradigm shifts in a story; I love them. And in my first draft of The Expats, Kate was in fact much more unreliable: readers didn’t learn her most important secret until the last page of the book. But I became worried that if the protagonist was this outlandishly unreliable, I was creating too much distance, too much dishonesty, between reader and storyteller; it might be an unsatisfying read, difficult to connect with. So I backed away a bit from that unreliability, and hope I found an intriguing balance between compelling engagement and exciting surprise.

4- The Expats seems to have found an audience on both sides of the Atlantic.  Where do you spend the majority of your promotional time?

I’ve done roughly equal numbers of events and media in America and in Europe; there are fifteen different editions of the book being published in as many languages, and the bulk of these publishers are in Europe. But I’ve also spent as much promotional time in that untethered international space of the digital world.

5- How has the digital age affected the way you promote the book?  Or has it?

In America slightly more than half of The Expats’ sales have been digital units, and probably the same proportion of my promotional time has also been digital, mostly in the form of writing essays, articles, and odds-and-ends—dozens and dozens of individual pieces—to websites of one sort or another. I worked in publishing for nearly two decades before writing this first novel of mine, and I’m comfortable with the processes, with the business as a whole. But I’ve always been intimidated by the promotional aspects. It’s one thing to sit by yourself in a quiet room, typing; it’s altogether another to stand in front of a crowded room—whether a physical room in a bookstore, or a virtual room on a website—talking about your book and your life. I was prepared for the talks and readings and signings in bricks-and-mortar venues, but I’m astounded at the amount of time I’ve spent in the digital world. I’m writing this in the days immediately following Hurricane Sandy. For a few days we haven’t had electricity in our apartment in downtown New York, so my children and I are sitting in a conference room at sparsely populated Random House (my wife works here, but most employees haven’t been able to make it to Midtown); the kids are reading on e-readers, and I’m writing a few hundred words for a book blog, neither of which would’ve been conceivable just a few years ago.

DOES SOCIAL NETWORKING REALLY SELL BOOKS?

So you've passed all the hurdles that seem to block your path to publication and you're finally a published author.  Congrats.  Now the publisher asks you the question they will ask every author when they offer a contract.  "What will you do to promote your book?"

Well, of course, you'll immediately tell them how many followers you'll accumulate on Facebook and Twitter.  And how active you'll be online to promote your work.  But is that really effective?

I've assembled a group of three prominent authors who use social networking sites to do a variety of things, including as a promotional tool.  Claude Bouchard is an Indie author who publishes thrillers.  He has almost 300,000 Twitter followers.  Luke Romyn publishes a darker type of thriller and he has over 225,000 Twitter followers.  Our third guest is Bob Mayer, who is a NY Times bestselling author who's sold over 4 million books worldwide.  He has over 10,000 Twitter followers himself.

None of these writers go online strictly to sell books.  As a matter of fact I can say with complete certainty they enjoy their time being socially active with writers and readers alike.  I asked them five questions which might help understand how effective social networking really is anymore.

Claude Bouchard

Here they are:                                                                 

 1- How many books do you suspect you sell each month as a direct result of Facebook or Twitter, or any other online site?

Claude Bouchard:   I’m pleased to see you’re starting with an easy question, Gary. The honest and correct answer is, “I don’t have a clue.” I do have people occasionally telling me they just bought one of my books but most don’t. Twitter and Facebook are communication mediums which have definitely served me well in getting my name out there as an author. I have no doubt this has resulted in some direct book sales but it has also led to network development with writers, bloggers and other creative types. Social media has opened doors to interviews, such as this one, book reviews, hell, I even found an agent along the way for a time, though that’s a subject best not discussed on a public forum. All of the above contribute to generating sales and all stem from social media. If you insist on a specific number of monthly sales directly attributable to Twitter and Facebook, I’ll go with the Doug Adams theory of 42.



Luke Romyn

Luke Romyn:  Such a question is near-impossible to answer without direct confirmation from each individual buyer. Quite often people will claim to have bought books when they haven’t – for whatever reasons, I’m never sure why – whereas many remain anonymous, and I have no idea if sales are from my networking, other means of marketing, or mere happenstance.

I’d love to think thousands of sales are a direct result of my salesman skills on Twitter, but reality dictates this is probably not the case. What my time online does create is an online presence which radiates out like a great spider web, hopefully building momentum along the way and gathering notice from those who matter: my readers.

 

Bob Mayer:  Very few. Overall, I feel few books get sold that way, but when there is a special promo or FREE, social media can help get the word out there. Social media can be useful for other purposes such as promoting a workshop or conference.


Bob Mayer

 

2- Do you notice a significant drop-off in sales when you’re away from these sites?

 

CB: A year or so ago, I would have answered yes to that question without hesitation. Since, thanks to continually growing exposure, successful promotions and so on, my monthly sales have increased by as much as 2000% and a certain level of sustainability seems to have made its way into the equation. I should probably send the Amazon algorithm a thank you note.

 

LR:  I would like to think so. I spend significant time on these sites promoting my books along with networking and it would be extremely demoralizing to think I was just wasting my time. However, that said, on a recent trip to Vietnam where it was impossible to log in every day, I didn’t notice any great drop-off in sales. However, I had some wonderful friends on Twitter and Facebook (whom I’d met through networking) who promoted my books while I was away. So rather than sales as a direct result of posting about my books, perhaps the sales are more of a cumulative effect of long hours of getting to know people and they in turn recommend your writing.

BM:  No. In July I was on deadline and had to do a lot of writing so I spent very little time on social media and I saw no difference in sales.

3- How much time do you spend on social networks each day?

CB:  Hmm? Hard to say. PC is on from around 6:00am until 5:00pm and I open tabs for Twitter, Facebook, email, website, etc. They are up all day but I’m not active on them at all times. I do a fair bit of tweeting, chatting with people, promoting my work to a lesser extent and that of others to a greater one. I’ve sent an average of 146 tweets per day since joining in August 2009 so a cumulative two to three hours daily is a fair guess.

LR:  Far too much. After a while it becomes a near-addiction, and even though I might not be Tweeting or Facebooking I might still be lurking in the shadows of the networks, seeing what’s going on in my absence. Now that I say it like that it sounds kind of creepy. Hmm....
A better answer, however, would be that I have my sites open whenever I’m on a computer, so that while I’m writing or editing I often check up on things, and if something piques my interest I’m likely to chime in. The trick with this, however, is to avoid getting dragged away from your writing into the magnetic abyss that is social networking, and before you know it hours have passed and not a word of worth has been writ.

 BM:  After attending the Discoverability Conference in NY, I am now focusing time on Facebook and Goodreads. I'd say around an hour a day.

 

4- For you, what is the most significant benefit to being socially active online?

 CB:  As discussed above, I don’t believe the bulk my book sales are the direct result of Twitter and Facebook activities. However, my presence on these platforms, particularly Twitter, where I now have close to 300,000 followers, has certainly helped getting myself known. Let’s be realistic. If I had published my seven novels as I did but had never linked up to social media and simply let the books try to sell themselves, I doubt I’d be selling even half a dozen units per month. Being present, being visible on Twitter, Facebook, interview blogsites and the like are all elements which have played a role in my growing success as an author. What I believe is key is actually being ‘socially’ active versus continually shouting ‘BUY MY BOOKS’.

 LR: I have met so many people in the writing industry who have selflessly helped me along the way. Not just other writers, but editors, publishers, marketers, and readers, many of whom have assisted me in ways I could never have imagined. Doors have been opened and contacts made through the simple tapping on a keyboard to a stranger on the other side of the planet. Not all of these contacts are of benefit right now, but who’s to say where things may lead in the future.

During a recent contract negotiation, for example, I was presented with a proposal for foreign translation and rights. Everything seemed fine to me, but I passed it on to a networking friend who worked for a very large foreign publisher, asking if she could look it over for me. She in turn passed it on to one of their main contract specialists who went through it with a fine-toothed comb, finding that while it was completely legitimate in its claims, some of the clauses were open to a great deal of interpretation in the eyes of the law. I pointed these out to the publisher and he was able to amend the contract in a way that suited us both. If I’d never met my friend through Twitter she would have never been there to help me and I might have signed a contract I later regretted. Now I’m happy and confident with the decision I made, and all because I met someone through being socially active online.

 BM:  Not selling books but building platform. Making connections. However, a danger I see is the incestuous relationship where writers are only talking to other writers. I think we have to expand our networks.

 

5- Would you still choose to be as socially active if you were forced to use a pseudonym where no one would know your real name or which books you'd written?

 

CB: Under such circumstances, I would definitely be less socially active as any book or writing related discussions would be eliminated from my social media activities. To be clear, I wouldn’t be less social, simply less socially active.  

LR:  That’s an interesting question. I have a lot of friends in my life outside writing who use Facebook (not so many on Twitter, strangely enough) and I see the way they use social networking to chat and interact with people they see every day. This makes absolutely no sense to me, but seems to be the norm these days. The voyeuristic obsessions I see seem quite odd at times, and it’s probably why I prefer Twitter. I want to talk to people, to interact with them, rather than creeping around and sneaking a peek at their private lives wherever possible – but perhaps I’m just weird.

To answer your question though, while I don’t think I would be as active, I would definitely be on there in some way, shape, or form. As I’ve said previously, social networking is a wonderful way to meet people from all over the globe; there’s no other way that I’ve heard of that you can do that. I can get online and ask someone in Alaska what the condition of a certain road is like during winter and then incorporate such details into a novel. I can chat with a person in Russia about how life was during the fall of communism, and how dramatically their life changed. These are things I can’t discover unless I personally call someone on the phone or happen upon the exact phrase or setting I’m searching for on Google.

And it’s all for free.

BM:  I wrote under four pen names over the years. I've now consolidated them all under my own name, so this isn't an issue for me. If I had to write under a pen name, I think it would be almost fruitless to try to cover it and my own name. I have enough trouble with the fact I write in so many genres. On Goodreads I have to split my time between Thrillers and Science Fiction

Overall, I believe social media doesn't really sell books, but it does build platform. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, but the vast majority of writers would be better served by writing more content, rather than more social media.