Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog, page 52

Book Event with Cara Black and Tess Gerritsen

Just got back from an absolutely lovely event I did in New England this past weekend. It was notable for two reasons:

– I shared the stage with my good friend Cara Black (who’s on tour with her new novel, MURDER BELOW MONTPARNASSE, and also Tess Gerritsen, who, if you’ve been reading SAY THE WORD, is one of my favorite female crime writers). As is Cara.

– I haven’t spent time in the “real” New England in ages. I’d forgotten how small everything is, how crowded together everything is, and how old the buildings, cemeteries, and architectural styles are. Compared to the wide open spaces (relatively speaking) in the Midwest, I don’t think I could go back east on a permanent basis. I did start to feel a little claustrophobic. Which might explain why I moved to Chicago 35 years ago.

At any rate, the event itself was a fund-raiser for the Claire Carney Library at U Mass-Dartmouth and was organized by Mel Yoken and his wife Cindy. (You can maybe see the event up in lights on the billboard.) Over 200 people attended the Sunday afternoon tea, which was done quite beautifully with scones, crumpets, egg and tuna sandwiches… and the requisite cucumber sandwiches. The mayor of New Bedford attended, as did the Chancellor of the University, but for me the best part was sharing stories with Tess and Cara. We learned that we are all “seat of the pantser” writers — we don’t outline. We also learned we tend to procrastinate as long as we can until a deadline looms. Most of all, we shared our beliefs about the nature of evil, and how the conventions of the mystery genre give us an opportunity to explore them, as well as other social, political, and historical issues.

And we managed to keep them laughing most of the time. Which isn’t easy when you’re talking about evil.

Now here’s the fun part.

I met the Yokens last year in Havana! They were part of the tour that my daughter and I took, and we became friendly. (That’s Mel with me.)  Just proves that I’ll go anywhere, including Cuba, to get a book gig.

Thank you, Mel and Cindy, and everyone else on the library board who created such a lovely day. I only wish every event could be as delightful.

 

Dog on it!

Boomer Lit and a Friday Blog Hop

You may have heard the phrase “Boomer Lit” bandied about recently. There’s been a swell of talk about Baby Boomers and what the literature designed for boomers should or should not be. Some people think ‘s pretty much all nostalgia, a look back at the sex, drugs, and rock and roll that epitomized the age. Others think it’s what Boomers are thinking and doing with their lives now, as they “come of age.” Which could just be a synonym for…ack… Senior Citizen. At any rate, there’s a Facebook Page devoted to Boomer Lit, a Goodreads group as well, and you’ll probably see more of it as thyme goes by. (Did I just hear a chorus from Simon and Garfunkel?)

I don’t have a strict definition of Boomer Lit. For me, it’s more like the definition of pornography… I-know-it-when-I-see-it. And SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE, my 2010 thriller set both in the present and the late Sixties, qualifies.

With that in mind, I’ve joined a Blog Hop, which takes place only on Fridays. Those of us who sign up have agreed to post a teaser or two from our Boomer Lit books so you’ll get a taste of the tone, our voices, and maybe even the story.

Here are the opening paragraphs from SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE:

 

Dar Gantner was surprised when Rain showed up at the restaurant. He hadn’t counted on her to return his call. After a while he wondered why he’d even tried. His life had been a series of failures. Grandiose plans but flawed execution. No follow-through, no “closure,” as they called it now. It wasn’t for want of trying. God, or fate, or whatever you called the monkey upstairs, obviously had a plan for him. It just wasn’t the same plan he had.

She wasn’t the first person he called when he got out. That honor went to Teddy. He hadn’t gotten through, of course. He left a message and gave them the number of the cell he’d bought with his first paycheck. Good for a month, they said. Then you threw it away. He remembered exiting the big box store, appalled at how disposable capitalism had become. At the same time, he was fascinated by phones smaller than a pack of cigarettes. Dick Tracy’s wrist-phone come to life.

 

 

Now that you’ve read this, be sure to hop over here, where you will find a bunch of other BoomerLit authors to “sample.”

 

And enjoy your weekend!

Book Signings: I’ve Been Meaning to Talk About this…

I’ve been meaning to talk about this for a while now.

[image error]It’s clear that book signings and events are on the wane. Traditionally published authors already know this, and indie authors do too. Unless you’re a former President, a NY Times best-selling author, have an established fan base (which brings up the inevitable Catch 22: ie how can I build a fan base without signings… but no one will give me a signing unless I have a fan base), or your family member, best friend, or person who owes you money runs a bookstore, it’s become harder and harder to get a book signing.

 

And not just at bookstores. Libraries, festivals, book fairs… you name it… the road is filled with potholes these days. Even if you do manage to strong-arm—er—persuade a venue to host you, there’s pressure on you. And on your host. You’re supposed to promote the event like it’s the second coming. They’re supposed to fill chairs with bodies. Preferably alive.

 

Plus,  who knows how many books you’ll ultimately sell? Bookstores order twice as many as they need. Most go back to the publisher, and your sales viability slips. Or they don’t order enough, and fans go away disappointed. Or they tell you the books can’t be returned and you’ll have to provide them yourself. And maybe even pay a fee for the privilege of doing so. (I know a bookstore in Illinois doing just that.) And good luck on getting the consignment check. I’ve been stiffed more than once.

 

Okay. Enough of the bad stuff. Suffice it to say that the book event model is broken. Happily, there is a solution.

 

Do you know about TOGATHER? I think its an awesome concept: a way for both the author and the host to agree on what they both want from an event, and go all out to make it happen through crowd-sourcing. You, as an author explain what you want from an event, say 50 people… or 25 books sold. A potential host decides if it’s something they can provide. That’s it.

 

It’s such a fabulous idea that I’m amazed no one thought of it before. Thank goodness Andrew did. I strongly recommend that all of you who are interested in doing personal events —I am: events are a great way to build enthusiasm and the energy that’s created is a lovely thing — read this blogpost and then run, don’t walk, and sign up on Togather.

 

And I’m not talking just authors here. Librarians, Bookstores, organizations like AAUW, Brandeis Women and Hadassah,  League of Women Voters, what are you waiting for? SIgn up now! You’ll have your pick of authors.

BTW, I signed up, and I’ll be hosting an online event toward the end of March… but more about that later.

I don’t see the downside. Not at all. I think we can make book events rock again. What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Paris in October

Some of you know that author Cara Black is a good friend of mine. She writes the Amy Leduc PI series based in Paris. Her 13th — or maybe it’s her 14th — novel is coming out in less than two weeks, and Soho Press, her publisher, is doing something pretty spectacular.

You… that’s right… you… have the chance to win a FREE trip to Paris. In October. With Cara. I did say FREE.

So here’s what you have to do. Pre-order her new book, MURDER BELOW MONTPARNASSE, in hardcover. (Okay so it’s not totally free. You need to buy her book). In the book will be a coupon. Use the coupon and go to this website:

 

http://Parisisformurder.com

 

You’ll find all the information, contest rules, and other stuff there.

 

 

 

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Boy, if I weren’t her friend…I’m not eligible… … I’d sign up  myself!

 

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Fun Stuff

Murder Most Deadly?

When I began writing crime fiction, I remember lots of chatter about the perfect murder weapon. The undetected murder. The exotic substance that couldn’t be identified. I heard about poisons like oleander, foxglove, arsenic, and — moving up the hazardous bio-chemical chain — cyanide, sarin, and anthrax. Indeed, I flirted with ricin in one of my novels. I remember hearing the old saw about the perfect murder weapon being a sharp icicle and thinking it was pretty clever.

However, the more I write, the more the manner of death has become a distraction.  I don’t really care how someone is killed. The fact that they were alive one moment and aren’t the next is enough. The fact that a killer used what he or she thought was an undetectable poison (which, btw, given enough time and the right equipment toxicologists say is a myth) is superfluous and less important than the killer’s motivation and character. The passion or fear or hatred or greed that drives a person to commit murder is more compelling than how they did it. I’m more interested in why they died.

In fact, all the falderal about intricate death scenarios boils down to this:

 

 

There’s something else, too. Murder is a heinous act. It’s perhaps the most profane act one human can perform on another. Because I don’t treat it lightly, I’m finding it more difficult to appreciate humorous crime fiction these days. I’m not talking about black humor – that’s something I think we all embrace when trying to deal with the unacceptable. What I’m talking about are the bouncy, breezy stories that show an otherwise normal person solving crimes on their lunch hour or summer vacation.

I’m sure they’re done with the best intentions – to emphasize the counterpoint between the gravity of murder and the joy of life. Indeed, I’ve done it myself. My amateur sleuth, Ellie Foreman, has a dry sense of humor and isn’t afraid to be foolish. Still, I find I’m less willing to trot her out these days. Maybe it’s because I’m getting to an age where life seems more precious every day. Maybe it’s because people, some of them friends, are being struck down before their time. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t sit right – at least for me — to deal with a death which could have been avoided and then giggle about it. That’s probably why Georgia Davis appeared.

What do you think? Does the manner of death make a difference in crime fiction? What about humor? How far can you take it? Or am I just being cranky?

An Open Letter to Barnes & Noble (Redux)

With all the buzz about B&N’s plight these days, I decided to resurrect an open letter that four of us wrote to Microsoft last May right after they announced they would be B&N’s white knight. Every suggestion we made has been ignored. Not that they should listen to us, of course. Then again, our recommendations weren’t rocket science. Most authors and readers could have come up with the same thoughts. Including the folks who work for B&N. Will this time be different? I’m not sanguine. Anyway, here it is. Comments welcome.

 

Dear Microsoft,

 

Now that you’ve come to the rescue of Barnes and Noble (and it clearly needs rescuing), I asked a few friends to help me write this letter with our suggestions going forward. We’ve all been thinking about these issues for a while, so we hope you’ll take them in the spirit with which they’re offered.

 

With me are:

 

Rebecca Crowley, founder of RTC Publicity in NYC (full disclosure: she’s my publicist). She started her career at Penguin Group, USA but in 2004, founded RTC Publicity. With over a decade of experience in public relations and a specialization in books, Rebecca manages both traditional marketing and social marketing campaigns.

Ruth Harris is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies in hard cover and paperback editions.  Translated into 19 languages, Ruth’s books were Literary Guild, Book-of-the-Month Club and book club selections around the world. She’s also a former Editor, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher at Big Six and independent NY publishers.

CJ West is the very successful author of six thrillers, including THE END OF MARKING TIME. His first novel has been optioned for film. In a prior life, he helped companies solve computer networking and information management problems with firms including Arthur Andersen.

I am both a traditionally published and indie published author with 10 novels and about 20 short stories published. I’ve been nominated for a bunch of awards, and I even won a few. I spend most of my non-writing time online these days.

While I asked everyone to give me their suggestions separately, what’s pretty amazing is that all three (four if you count me) came up with virtually the same issues.

 

First, some general observations:

Rebecca says: I have been working with the national and regional level at B & N since the start of my career. Although we share the same goal (to sell books), over the past 9 months B & N has gotten increasingly tough to deal with. Last fall they stopped accepting events from indie authors altogether, restricting themselves to the big 6. Self-published authors always have a hard time getting their books in stores. And E-books are not selling for Nook at the pace of Kindle Books.

CJ says: Generally B&N is losing the technology and marketing battle with Amazon. B&N brings a bookstore mentality to the e-publishing business and their exclusivity has cost them the support of many indie writers.

Libby: The B&N website is clunky, not at all user-friendly, and unattractive. It’s way too difficult to find book descriptions, rankings, and reviews. Nook First, which could be a fabulous program is too restrictive. The data on the B&N website itself is often inaccurate. (E.g: my new book A BITTER VEIL was not available for over a week and when it finally showed up, its price was listed at $70.00, not $16. Really.)  Finally, it’s impossible to talk to a real person or customer service rep.

 

Affiliates Program

CJ: B&N missed the boat here. They had the chance to build a community around books, but didn’t do it. For example, Amazon has Kindle Boards for authors, a multitude of Customer Discussion boards as well as self-help topics. B&N has very little of this. I was an Affiliate for a while, but then they “lost” my credentials and suddenly became persona non grata. It wasn’t worth it to continue.

Libby: Comparing the Nook Boards to Amazon’s, the Nooks’ are flat and uninspiring and quite restrictive. They are not a pleasant “destination” in the way the Kindle Board and discussion groups are.

Rebecca suggests strengthening the programs by offering larger incentives to reviewers/industry insiders when they create websites/blogs specific to Nook promotion. She also suggests that B&N license and promote genre specific book clubs and offer incentives to join them.

 

Author Programs

All four of us are dissatisfied with B&N’s Author program.

Libby asks “What Author program?” With Amazon’s Author Central, you can talk to a real person within seconds. B&N and Pubit have nothing like this in place. ALL of us suggest much a stronger author department.

Rebecca suggests a Nook branded Author Central profile program, which should be dynamic, easy to upload. It should allow YouTube embeds, as well as other videos, Author Q&As, and even a “Conversation Corner” — where people can directly email author thru a closed email system.

Ruth agrees and suggests an “author concierge department” which permits contact via email or phone & allows follow-up with the same person. Authors could have a personal Nook rep/butler. This dept should be located in the US and employ native English-speaking reps. It will help create American jobs.

Rebecca also suggests a partnership with authors for Nook give-aways that would allow authors to buy Nooks at cost in exchange for promotional give-aways.

 

Nook First/Other programs

Ruth thinks it’s great program… and wants more like it.

Libby agrees but thinks it’s too limited at the moment (Only romance authors as far as I know) and needs to be expanded. She thinks a month is a perfect time to be exclusive with one vendor. It’s much better than the 90 day Kindle Select requirement.

Rebecca agrees Nook First should be expanded and suggests other programs as well, including

• A “real deals” section

• A program like the Kindle Daily Deal would work wonders

• As would B & N genre-specific book clubs that would offer incentives to readers who join.

 

Website Organization/ Display

Ruth believes there should be more bestseller lists that can be sliced & diced in different ways for two reasons: Authors would have a better chance to make a list, and readers will be able to find a wider variety of books that interest them

Ruth also believes that authors and readers should see the SAME category lists. There should be MORE categories in general, and authors should be permitted to create their “own” categories now that so many cross-over genres are being written.

Rebecca would like to see more prominent links between printed books and ebooks, especially when it comes to reviews. She also believes reviews should have a more prominent placement on the page.

 

Other Issues

Rebecca believes that if brick and mortar stores are here to stay, virtual book events are the way to go. B&N should schedule skype and/or video chats and provide ways to download e-books in-store.

Rebecca also thinks the organization should sponsor break-out tours that link the printed book and e-book (often people buy e-books after seeing the corresponding review of the printed book)

CJ: Microsoft is a smart company. If they could figure out a way to build an e-publishing tool into Word, they can give a boost to the EPUB standard and deliver enormous benefits for the Nook. They should also consider building in an EPUB viewer compatible with the B&N store that snaps into every version of Windows.

 

So, Dear Microsoft, we hope you’ll take note of our suggestions and ideas. We’ve really just skimmed the surface, and we’re happy to answer questions. We believe a healthy competitor to Amazon is always a good thing, and, over time, B&N could become that competitor.

 

Good luck and best wishes,

 

Libby, Ruth, Rebecca, and CJ

 

Goodreads Giveaway: Inocencia Fácil

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Inocencia Facil
by Libby Fischer Hellmann

Giveaway ends February 09, 2013.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

STARTS TUESDAY 2/5

If you like to read in Spanish, I’m hosting a free book giveaway of Inocencia Fácil, the Spanish translation of EASY INNOCENCE. If you don’t read in Spanish but know any readers who do, would you please let them know? Thanks.

 

Giveaway Dates: Tuesday, Feb. 5- Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013

 

Here’s the description of the novel, both in English and Spanish.

 

When pretty, smart Sara Long is found bludgeoned to death, it’s easy to blame the man with the bat. But Georgia Davis — former cop and newly-minted PI — is hired to look into the incident at the behest of the accused’s sister, and what she finds hints at a much different, much darker answer. It seems the privileged, preppy schoolgirls on Chicago’s North Shore have learned just how much their innocence is worth to hot-under-the-collar businessmen. But while these girls can pay for Prada pricetags, they don’t realize that their new business venture may end up costing them more than they can afford.

Cuando encuentran a la bella e inteligente Sara Long apaleada a muerte, es facil inculpar al hombre con el bate. Pero Georgia Davis, expolicia y recientemente convertida en investigadora privada, es contratada para indagar el incidente por peticion de la hermana del acusado, y lo que ella encuentra hace alusion a una respuesta diferente y mucho mas sombria. Al parecer, las privilegiadas estudiantes del secundaria en la Costa Norte de Chicago han aprendido cuanto vale su inocencia ante los hombres de negocios en busca de excitacion sexual. Sin embargo, mientras estas chicas pueden permitirse el lujo de pagar precios de Prada, no se dan cuenta que su nuevo emprendimiento puede terminar de costarles mas de lo que pueden pagar.

 

 

Questions about Goodreads Giveaways and Amazon…

 

 

My friend, noted financial expert Janet Tavakoli, has published her first work of fiction, Archangels: the Rise of the Jesuits. (It’s a fascinating read, btw, and I recommend it highly). However, that’s not the purpose of this post.

To boost awareness of her book, she conducted a Goodreads Giveaway, which I always thought was a wonderful way to create buzz. Janet, in her always methodical way, has uncovered some interesting developments about her experience with Goodreads and Amazon. Since I have a Goodreads Giveaway starting next week, I thought I’d make you aware of her Huffington Post article about the situation. Seems like a closed loop that benefits Amazon friends and allies only. I hope I’m wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What has your experience been with Goodreads Giveaways???