Genre Bending

By Bethany Maines

I read Marjorie Brody’s post yesterday “Passion Knows NoGenre” with interest. Marjorie was discussing that she hates being tied to one particular genre, but that the general industry wisdom is to do exactly that – stick to one thing! I love Marjorie’s rebellious flare, but the topic also tied into something I’ve been pondering for awhile: pen names and branding.

As a graphic designer with over a decade of industry experience I have referred to myself periodically as a “branding expert”. Branding is about capturing the concrete and implied qualities of a company or person in their visual, advertising, and on-line representations. Branding seems trivial to some, but as human beings we do it ALL the time. Only most sociologists call it “stereotyping”. Humans seem to prefer to have a short little label to stick on people. We don’t really like being forced to confront the broad spectrum of human reality – it takes too long and we’ve got better things to do with our time. What I do as a graphic designer is try to lodge the preferred stereotype in a consumers mind before they apply their (usually not as complementary) own.

  

Which is why I don’t usually tell my graphic design clients that I’m a writer.  It confuses my brand.  I can see the thought bubble form: If she writes, then she can’t really be a graphic designer; everyone knows you can’t have TWO talents.  Fortunately, the writer brand is equivalent with “poor” so when I tell writer friends that I also do graphic design they just nod.  But industry wisdom has the same “does not compute” problem with genre.  “But she writes Mystery, she can’t also write (fill in the blank).” 

And up until now the only way to write something different was to use a pen name. But with the online world being what it is and with lawyers being blabbermouths, keeping a pen name identity a secret is hard to do.  The other problem is that as writers have become more and more responsible for their own publicity they realize that it’s hard enough getting recognition for one name, let alone building buzz for an entirely new, second name.

Which is why I find the development of the new style of pen name so interesting.  “Wrting as” has become the marketers new favorite phrase. Such as: Laura Spinella writing as L.J. Wilson pens Ruby Ink! (I’m half way through my advance copy and it’s a fantastic, saucy romp of a book – pick it up on March 31!)  “Writing as” is now code for “I’m not writing in the same genre, so be prepared for something different.”  And I couldn’t be happier about it. At last writers have found a way to break out of the genre trap! Perhaps in a few years Pen Names will be the new industry wisdom. We’ll just have to see which pen name Marjorie chooses.  

Passion Knows No Genre

by Marjorie Brody

At a local writing group last night, the presenter talked about the value of writing in one genre. Not a new concept. I’ve often heard authors and agents assert that the way to build a following (in addition to writing an excellent book) is to focus on one genre. Perhaps the reason this particular idea zapped me last night, was because I’ve been struggling with that concept myself. Even my psychological suspense novel couldn’t settle down into one genre. It won awards in both adult and YA arenas.

I can see the value of holding fast to one genre. It makes wonderful, logical, and practical sense. I admire those authors who can stay niche-focused. 

I can’t. 

I enjoy experimenting with styles and forms and subjects. I write literary short stories, avant guard plays, middle grade adventures, picture books, poetry, and even tinker with science fiction. I enjoy reaching out to readers of differing ages and literary preferences. Diversity of genres pushes me to think in unconventional ways. 

Variety has also allowed me to experience my words in 3D. And let me tell you, there’s nothing like seeing your characters come alive on the stage. When the audience reacts with jolts of surprise, bursts of laughter, or muffled sobs—all at the intended moment—I mean, come on, it’s not often that authors get to see their reader’s reactions first hand.  

The other day I wrote a poem from the point of view of my next novel’s protagonist. It allowed me to get into that character’s head and heart. Will I find a place for that poem in the novel? I don’t know. If nothing else, I can utilize images from the poem to capture the essence—the impact—of that character’s emotion. And, I’ll still have a poem to add to a collection. (I’m currently working on a poetry collection, in addition to my prose.) 

Perhaps I’ll need to accept the consequences of writing in different genres: touching a few people in each, versus a lot of people in one. Then again, while readers do tend to gravitate toward their favorite genres, I trust that if they find an author they enjoy reading, they will follow her no matter what she writes. 

Bottom line: yes, I want to develop a powerful following, but I guess I’m just rebellious  enough to do it my way. 

Have you ever shunned popular wisdom to remain true to yourself? 

Marjorie Brody is an award-winning author and Pushcart Prize Nominee. Her short stories appear in literary magazines and the Short Story America Anthology, Vols. I, II and III. Her debut psychological suspense novel, TWISTED, was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2013 Great Midwest Book Festival and won the Texas Association of Authors 2014 Best Young Adult Fiction Book Award. TWISTED is available in digital and print at http://tinyurl.com/cvl5why or http://tinyurl.com/bqcgywl. Marjorie invites you to visit her at www.marjoriespages.com.

Writing and Readers

I write a blog post once a month. Not daily. Not once a week. Once. A. Month. I should be able to wow you with witty observations or snarky asides. The truth? I got nothing.

My excuse? I’m adapting, coming to the unwelcome understanding that being a writer means more than writing books. It means marketing. It means making myself far more available than my introvert self would like. All my brain power is being used to learn new skills while simultaneously writing a book.

Last week, a friend of a friend called me. Seems he’s written a book and wanted to find a publisher. “How,” he asked, “did you get your agent?”

I explained the query process and suggested he look at Publishers’ Marketplace.

“How long will it take?” he asked.

“There’s no telling,” I said. “But it can take years. Do you have a second book in mind? Something to work on while you’re waiting for responses?” Writing was the only thing that saved me from losing my mind during the query process. If I was writing, I was doing something positive. Otherwise, I was obsessively checking emails.

“I’m just going to write the one book,” he said. Then he told me all about his book.

“Agents make their livings off of commission,” I explained. “Most of them want to build a long-term business relationship.”

This he brushed aside.

“Have you considered self-publishing?” I asked.

“I have, but I don’t want to do any marketing or plan my own book tours.”

I answered with a moment of silence. How to break it to him? New authors do their own marketing. And book tours? Think blog tours.  “You’ll be doing most of the marketing,” I said. “And I don’t think you can count on a book tour.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

My publisher, Henery Press, has been remarkable with its marketing assistance and I am grateful. But, the truth is that if a reader wants to engage with an author then the author, not the publisher, needs to engage.

My book has been out in the world just under three weeks and already I have met fabulous readers. They have questions about the characters, want to share a 19070s remembrance, or want to know when the next book is coming.

Readers make late nights and early mornings worthwhile.

Still no witty observations or snarky asides but maybe I got a little something after all. I have gratitude for every single person who has bought and read The Deep End.

Thank you!

Now, go tell your friends about it!

 

 

Julie Mulhern is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean--and she's got an active imagination. Truth is--she's an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions. She is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist. The Deep End is her first mystery and is the winner of The Sheila Award.

 

Visit my website or buy The Deep End at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

 

 

How Best to Support Your Favorite Writers and Make Sure the Books You Love keep Coming

How Best to Support Your Favorite Writers and Make Sure the Books You Love Keep Coming by Linda Rodriguez

This is a piece I posted to Writers Who Kill a couple of years ago. I'm reposting it here because I think it has important information that I didn't know until recent years and that others have since told me they also didn't know. I'm also adding to this list "likes" and "tags" on Amazon and retweets about authors' books. Nancy Cohen reminded me about these. I think I'd missed them because I was already doing all those.

The publishing business still offers a steep learning curve to me. However, some of the things I’ve learned as a published novelist are turning me into a better fan of my own favorite authors. I’ve written on here before about pre-ordering and how I learned of its importance to writers. Instead of waiting for the books of my favorite author to be published, I pre-order now, knowing I’m contributing to their success as well as assuring I’ll have their book as soon as it’s available.

I thought I was already helping with reviews. On my blog, www.LindaRodriguezWrites.blogspot.com, I try to spotlight books by literary writers of color who might be hard for the average reader to find, as well as mystery novelists who are writing high-quality fiction. I do this with profiles, interviews, and sometimes reviews of individual books. However, I’ve learned that reviews on Amazon and Goodreads count more toward sales than those longer ones on my blog or elsewhere.

I’ve always just given stars to books on Goodreads. I’ve read so many books that I didn’t think I had time for more than that. I was wrong. Those stars don’t do much good. It’s the reviews that make others decide to pick up the book to read. It’s the same with Amazon—reviews lead to sales. Even for authors who seem to have it made! Often even famous writers are just a breath or two away from tumbling down the slopes in the fickle game of publishing, and success is even more volatile for midlist authors. I try not to buy much on Amazon, so I’ve not done much except hit the ‘Like” button for a book/author I enjoy.

I’ve learned about how important these reviews can be to authors, and now I’ve set myself a goal to post a daily review of a novelist whose work I enjoy on either Amazon or Goodreads. I’m also going to learn how to link them so a review on my blog will post to Amazon or Goodreads. This is one thing I can do to make sure the writers I love don’t disappear on me.

I’ve always been a person others ask for book recommendations, primarily because I read so much in so many areas. Now that I’ve learned how important that word-of-mouth advice on books can be, I’ll be doing a lot more book recommendations and not just waiting for folks to ask me. I have occasionally requested my library system buy a book I want that they don’t have. Now, as soon as I know a book is coming out by one of my favorite writers, I will request my library system order that book—and my own pre-orders for those books will be through local bookstores because that helps them decide whether or not to order in that book to have on the shelves.

The publishing business is in deep flux right now, and authors are being required to do more than ever to promote their books. Every novelist I know, famous or unknown, is buried in a mountain of promotion efforts while still trying to write the books we fans love and wait for breathlessly. The influx of millions of ebooks by people who haven’t bothered to learn to be either good writers or good editors—and this is not meant to describe the many self-published writers who have worked hard at both—makes it hard for the potential buyer to find the writers who have worked for many years to hone their craft. Everything we, as fans of good writing in whatever genre, can do to make our favorite authors successful ensures that in the volatile atmosphere of publishing today these favorite novelists will survive and thrive—and continue providing us with our favorite addiction, their good books.

Do you know of other strategies we fans can do to help ensure the success of the book and authors we love?

Character vs Real Life

Sparkle Abbey is hosting guest blogger, Shannon Baker

Today we're joined by our good friend, Shannon Baker. She's graciously offered to give away a copy of her latest novel Tattered Legacy. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. (U.S only.) Take it away Shannon!

I never start off a novel to work out my life issues. I don’t create characters as some form of self-therapy. (Although I used to have fantasies of torturing a barrel racer and leaving her unable to speak. But I’m much better now.) Writers come to their books differently, but for me, I generally find WHAT I want to write about and then populate it with the most interesting WHO I can make up.

Recently, I got to thinking about my protagonists, which to this point have all been women. I hate to reveal too much about my personality, but when I match up what people say about those characters and what was going on in my life at the time, I can’t help but see how my sneaky subconscious was working overtime.

A reviewer for my first published book, Ashes of the Red Heifer (gratefully out of print now) commented, “…unnecessarily stubborn and foul mouthed…” and an  “…overbearing, stronger willed woman than I've ever met.” (Yes, I know, most writers use pull-lines that say nice things about the book. I have those, too, but I’m trying to make a point here.) At a book club one woman, trying to be as gentle as possible, described her as, “prickly and bossy and not very nice.”

Despite my trying to soften Annie up in revisions, she always kept that hard shell. So, here’s what was happening in my life: My husband of 15 years was having an affair (remember that barrel racer I mentioned earlier?) and I had two daughters in school, in this tiny town, and I was holding every emotion so tight no one would see me crack. That probably translated to the page, making Annie tough and hard as granite.

I wrote the next book after my family life had substantially improved. My kids were on their own and I’d found the love of my life. Personally, I felt secure and happy. But professionally, I was teetering. We’d just moved to Flagstaff and it took me over a year to find a job. When I did, instead of being in charge, as I was previously, I had no clout. While I loved the people I worked with, I felt undervalued by the management.

In Tainted Mountain, the first in the Nora Abbott mystery series, Nora is all kinds of conflicted. She gives the world the face of a competent business woman and she’s smart and hard working. Inside, she’s riddled with insecurities. She waffles back and forth between “hear me roar” and squeaking in the corner.

In Broken Trust, book two, while I’d taken a risky job at a start-up, Nora is struggling to take command of her life. By book three, Tattered Legacy, written after I’d survived menopause, Nora is full of confidence and action.

I’m not Annie or Nora or any of the other protagonists that came before them. But I can see where some of my real life transfers to their characters.

There are far less subtle ways my real life infiltrates my books. For instance, how often I kill a philandering husband. And just how many of protagonists wrestle with mother relationships. Dogs, cats, and even horses find their way onto my pages. Any aspect of my real life can seep onto the page. But not the sex scenes. Those are totally made up or derived by watching movies.

When you read a novel, do you wonder how much of the story or characters come straight from the author’s life? 

Remember, Shannon is giving away a copy of Tattered Legacy. For a chance to win, just leave a comment below. Make sure you include your email address.

Shannon Baker is the author of the Nora Abbott mystery series from 
Midnight Ink. A fast-paced mix of Hopi Indian mysticism, environmental issues, and murder. Shannon is an itinerant writer, which is a nice way of saying she’s confused. She never knows what time zone she’s in, Timbuck-Three, Nebraska, or  Denver, or Tucson. Nora Abbott has picked up that location schizophrenia and travels from Flagstaff in Tainted Mountain, to Boulder in Broken Trust and then to Moab in Tattered Legacy.  Shannon is proud to have been chosen Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2014 Writer of the Year. Visit Shannon at www.Shannon-Baker.comWhile Tattered Legacy is available from your favorite online or bookstore, if you’d like to support indie bookstores, you’re welcome to contact Who Else Books at www.BroadwayBookMall.com. Ron and Nina are the best! And they might have a signed copy to send.

Past, Present, Future-and Free Download of My Austin Starr Short Story by Kay Kendall

Past, Present, Future—and Free Download of My Austin Starr Short Story
By Kay Kendall

Once upon a time I believed my dreams would all come true when I wrote a book. With that accomplished, of course I wanted to have it published. And then when I held it in my hands, I knew I would be ecstatic.

Those dreams did indeed come true. With lots of hard work, more than I ever imagined would be necessary, my debut mystery was published two years ago this spring. Now I have its sequel coming out this summer.

The goal posts keep moving, however. I am now striving to juggle more than one writing project at a time.  Today I will share with you how I’m doing in that regard.

CURRENT PROJECT – Free download! 

Download at Amazon

Last month I published a short story that bridges DESOLATION ROW with its sequel RAINY DAY WOMEN. The story is “Strangers on a Plane,” and through March 6, you can download it FREE on Amazon. You don’t need a Kindle to read it either. You can read “Strangers on a Plane” on other devices—your PC, Mac, cell phone, or other type of tablet. If you’ve been curious about my fiction, now is a great time to read, absolutely free.

FUTURE PROJECTS—Mysteries #2 and #3

Mystery #2, RAINY DAY WOMEN, is in its final stages before publication. I’ve done edits based on my editor’s suggestions and await her verdict on the changes I made. With my first mystery, DESOLATION ROW, I enjoyed the revision stage. I like the back-and-forth process with a professional who helps me make my book as strong as it can be. Meantime the cover, blurbs from other mystery authors, and promotional copy are in process. All of this is exciting. Almost every part of publishing thrills me—except for the torture of first drafts.

But here’s a surprise. I am shocked to confide that I am already planning mystery #3. I don’t have its name yet, although several song titles by Bob Dylan are in contention. The theme of the mystery is haunting me, and possible plot points pop into my mind now at the oddest times. I hesitate to say this, but I think, I hope, I believe—sort of—that I just may be a writer.

My Upcoming Author Appearances, by Marilyn Meredith

No longer do I head off to far-away places that need to be reached by air. (I may ignore that decision if something intriguing enough should arise, but that's how I'm feeling now.) Most of the in-person appearances I'll be making in the next few months are driveable.

Last Saturday was the first one of this year, a local authors' day at a lovely library several cities away. A fun time and I connected with a friend and fan who recetly moved to this city and  met many other delightful readers.

On March 14th, from 2-4, I'm participating in a peanl about how mysteries have changed sine the days of the Maltese Falcon at a wonderful used bookstore--the Book Barn in Clovis. The reason for the Matlese Falcon is that is the book for the Fresno Library's annual Read-a-thon.

Because I'm a board member of the Public Safety Writers Association, I'm headed to Ventura for their annual board meeting the following weekend. Not a book selling event, but important for the organization--with a bit of fun thrown in. Plus, I have a daughter who lives nearby and we'll squeeze in some time with her and her family.

The last weekend of the month, we're off to Santa Maria, where we're staying in the Santa Maria Hotel--this is where all the movie stars stayed on their way up the coast in the good-old days. The lobby, dining room and bar area are full of nostalgia (there's even a bank of private telephone booths), We like to stay in the older part of the hotel--the rooms are smaller, but each one is unique and they are the actual rooms the stars stayed in--some even with name plates on the doors.

On Saturday, the March 28th, I'm speaking to the Central Coast Sisters in Crime, 10 a.m. at the Nipomo Library. My topic: How to Create and Sustain a Mystery Series. I belong to this chapter but don't get to go over there often enough. I'm looking forward to sharing and seeing everyone.

On April 2nd, I'm participating in a Mystery Authors' Symposium at 6:30 p.m. in the Fig Garden Library in Fresno.

My official book launch for Violetn Departures is on April 16th at 6 p.m. in the Porterville Library--and there's going to be cupcakes!

And that's about it until July 16-19 when we'll be in Las Vegas for the Public Safety Writers Association's Annual Conference. Love this conference where mystery writers can share and learn from all sorts of law enforcement officers, firemen, and other public safety personnel. I've become friends with so many of this group who are willing to share their expertise.

As time goes by, I"m sure I'll be booking other dates for appearances--but that's it for now.

For all you readers out there, do attend author events in your local area, it means a lot to those of us who do these.

Looking forward to meeting and introducing both my series to new readers.

Marilyn Meredith aka F. M. Meredith

                                           

The Rocky Bluff P.D. Mystery Series

               

The Deputy Tempe Crabtree Mystery Series

The Idea Store by Lynn Cahoon

Last summer, before my life turned upside down, I committed to joining Toastmasters at my workplace. Since August, I've given one speech.

This month, I'll be giving two, one in a competition. Crazy, right?

The good news is I've been speaking in public since my first job where I was the radio girl who listed off the new, hot job opportunities available at your local unemployment office.  Then I spent over ten years training the regional staff at Idaho's Health and Welfare department. Want to know how to deal with computer issues, or what assets count against Medicaid? I'm your girl.

But the speeches I'm giving this month are more personal. And I'm hoping I can keep my emotions in check while I'm talking. The first speech talks about where the ideas come from for my books. My mother asked me the same question. "How do you come up with all these ideas?"

The answer I gave her was kind of broad, but I'll tell you the true writer secret. We're magpies. We take bits and pieces of everything we've ever did, seen, or heard for our stories.  We're taught to write what we know, so my first published book was The Bull Rider's Brother.

No, I'm not a bull rider expert. But I love cowboys. Especially those in tight fitting jeans and a pearl snap western shirt? Add in a hat and boots, and I'm gone. The book's first line tells you a lot about my main character Lizzie, but also, a lot about the author - me.

Cowboys aren't easy to love, but they sure are easy on the eyes.

Then I mixed three or four of my favorites sites in the Idaho mountains and imagined the new town of Shawnee Idaho. I added in two brothers, the older being way too protective of the younger, to the point it affected his own happiness, threw in a too cute kid and a main character who's been burned by love, one too many times.

All things I know about.

There's a saying that authors pass around that says use your life history to season your writing. If  the people you know wanted to be painted in a positive light, they should have been nicer to you on the way.

I love this.

So where is your idea store?

 

If you're interested in starting the Tourist Trap series before Dressed to Kill launches in June and Killer Run, in August, eKensington has Guidebook to Murder on sale for the month of March - digital $1.99. Check out the story that started it all....