Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog, page 58
June 7, 2012
AN IMAGE OF DEATH AUDIO is here!
BIG NEWS!!
The audio of AN IMAGE OF DEATH (my favorite of the Ellie Foreman mysteries) is now available!! Listen to Robin Rowan, whose expert narration makes this an incredible experience. Click here to sample or buy… I am a happy camper…More important, I think you will be too!
Btw, my report on BEA will be up either late tonight or tomorrow morning.
June 6, 2012
Book Expo Report
I’ve just spent the past two days at BEA in New York. Will be writing up my reflections in the next day or so, including some very interesting conversations with Amazon executives.
Stay tuned!
May 31, 2012
A BITTER VEIL goes FREE Today!
Hi, folks. Just letting you know that A BITTER VEIL is FREE — but only for TODAY, May 31. Amazon customers have rated it a 4.8. Hope you’ll take advantage of the offer.
Thanks.
May 25, 2012
May 23, 2012
Winner of the Kindle Fire Bitter Veil Contest
I know you’ve all been waiting anxiously to see who won the Bitter Veil Kindle Fire Giveaway… so here he is!!
John Bychowski enjoying his new toy!! Congrats, John!
May 22, 2012
Former Intelligence Officer Admits “Spying Was Easier”…
Those of you who know me well know I am in awe of intelligence officers. Especially when they’re women. Espionage — and all its related activities — is like crack cocaine to me. I can’t stay away. So when Laura DiSilverio told me she was a former intelligence officer, well… I had to have her guest blog. She’s now writing mysteries, but I asked her to talk about her career. Please welcome her, and if you have questions, she’ll be happy to answer them. (I’m already printing my list…)
“Spying Was Easier” by Laura DiSilverio
I use that phrase in my bio and in various other places and it caught Libby’s attention. She asked me to “appear” today and discuss my intelligence career and how I ended up writing mysteries. Thanks, Libby, for inviting me to your blog!
I suffered anxiety attacks—heart racing, dizzying, crawl-into-bed-and-plan-to-stay-there-until-Armageddon—as my college graduation date neared. I had a degree in English, no desire to head immediately for graduate school (because it would cost money), and parents who were going to stop supporting me financially the day I left the university. I’ll spare you the angst and floundering and cut to the chase: I went down to the Air Force recruiter because my dad was an Air Force pilot and the military was a world I was comfortable with. They offered me a choice of career fields—public affairs or intelligence. The latter sounds sexy and Mata Hari- or James Bond-ish, so I went with that. (See what great decision-making skills I had as a twenty-one-year-old?)
Intelligence work was nothing like I anticipated—no camera pens or undercover work for me—but I enjoyed it greatly. A lot of intelligence work is analysis and fusion, taking a piece of imagery data from an overhead asset and marrying it up with a report from a covert source and drawing conclusions. Some intelligence work is training pilots to recognize threats (surface-to-air missiles, for example) and teaching them to evade capture if shot down. Other intelligence work, having to do with signals intercepts, for instance, is highly technical and might require language training on top of the usual intelligence training courses. Almost all of it is highly classified (some aspect more than others) and the irony is that I can never use it in my writing, so don’t expect to seeany geopolitical or techno-thrillers from me!
As an intelligence officer, I had opportunities to be part of amazing events. I was part of the hunt for living prisoners- of-war from the Vietnam era in Thailand. I learned the ins and outs of spy satellites (and funding for them) working at the National Reconnaissance Office. I taught at the Air Force Academy. In Korea, I prepped F-16 pilots who were sitting strip alert in support of the Seoul Olympics. I commanded a squadron of 150 people in England. Along the way, I made good friends, met and married my husband, and gave birth to my two wonderful daughters (one in Virginia and one in England). Throughout my career, though, I yearned to write and, after a moment of epiphany in a Seattle bookshop, my husband and I finally decided it was time for me to pursue that dream.
I retired in 2004, sat my fanny down in front of my computer and proceeded to write a mystery featuring . . . stay with me here . . . an intelligence captain! That book remains unpublished, but it did, eventually, land me an agent, so I’m still fond of it. It took me four years of writing full-time to get my first three book contract, but then my career took off (forgive the Air Force pun). I now write three series: the Swift Investigations series for St. Martin’s Minotaur (humorous, soft-boiled PI books), the Mall Copy Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime (the second book in that series, ALL SALES FATAL, came out this month), and the Ballroom Dancing Mysteries (as Ella Barrick) for Obsidian. The second book in that series, DEAD MAN WALTZING, comes out 5 June.
Spying may have been easier (certainly less frustrating and ego-squelching in many ways), but writing fulfills me and I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. Thanks to Libby for having me here today, and to all of you for dropping by!
Thanks, Laura. Btw, her most recent title (her productivity is enough to make me take the vapors) is here. Hope you’ll check it out!
May 15, 2012
Whoa! Let’s All Just Take A Deep Breath…
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I’m frustrated. A little angry. But most of all, opinionated (Yeah, I know.. what else is new?)
Over the past few days people have been chattering about a couple of articles dealing with authors and publishing. One is a New York Times story about best-selling authors now being told to publish more than one book a year.
The other is a breezy analysis from Forbes which basically says that anyone with a good brand can become a successful author.
At first I saw these articles as the antithesis of each other, exploring both the opportunity and the curse of the digital revolution. But then I realized they actually were the mirror image of each other. Or more accurately, cause and effect. Bottom line: the two articles reinforce an inherent paradox. A Digital Catch-22.
The New York Times article examines how best-selling authors, many of them crime fiction authors, are now being forced to double-down on product. Authors like Lee Child and Lisa Scottoline are now expected to write more than one novel a year. Whether it’s a short story (in Lee’s case) or a second novel (in Lisa’s), Big Publishing is requiring more product. This isn’t a new phenomenon. Michael Connelly has been doing this for years. Lee Goldberg, too. And, of course, Joe Konrath.
The Forbes article discusses how writers are increasingly interacting with readers through social marketing and working hard to create their brand. The key sentence for me was: “If someone writes well and is skillful about how to build his or her brand, incredible things can happen.“
Hold on. Not so fast.
Incredible things? Well, maybe. Financial success? Perhaps. But what about the phrase “writes well” which the Forbes article kind of tosses off? What about the quality?
That is what the New York Times article is not saying. But I will. If anyone can be a writer, why are publishers flogging some authors to produce more? It’s simple. Publishers, most of whom are in survival mode or close to it, are hoping to cut through the clutter of the “anyone can be a writer” glut with material from guaranteed sellers.
But that has created a paradox. In fact, there’s a lot of bone-headed logic in both articles.
First off, (I admit most of this is anecdotal), we keep hearing that folks who have loaded their Kindles with content are only reading about 10 percent of that content. In fact, even KDP Select, which Amazon started six months ago to give readers lower prices (ie Free) to fill up their Kindles, has slowed considerably.
So, given the sluggish pace of reading, why do we need TWO Jack Reacher books a year? Especially when most readers have only scratched the surface of their e-content? The answer is the quality of that content. When readers do dip into their stockpile of e-books, they find that a lot of it just isn’t that good.
Which brings up my beef against the Forbes article. Forbes is basically saying, if you can sell it, you’re a writer.
Well, no. You’re not.
Just because you can write doesn’t mean you should. Writers need to grow their craft. They need to understand point of view. They need to understand suspense. Develop three-dimensional characters. And they need to hone their prose. Strip out dangling participles. Eliminate TV dialogue. Deliver conflict on every page. Just because a writer has finished a manuscript doesn’t mean it’s ready. I know. I wrote four books before I was published.
Which, in a round-about way, brings me back to the NY Times article. There’s an old story in the mystery community about a woman with a full time job who, nonetheless, wrote a novel in a year. Then she decided to go part-time, thinking she could write one in six months. It still took a year. Then she quit her job altogether. It still took a year.
The point is that great novels, whether genre or literary, can take time—whether it’s research, editing, or just figuring out what the story is really about. The pressure of writing more than one book a year isn’t good for any author who cares about their craft. Most of the authors I know are always pushing themselves, trying new things, working to deliver fresh, dynamic stories and characters. The need to crank out more in less time threatens that drive and can lead to works of lesser quality. It’s a self-perpetuating danger which no writer, especially a best-selling author, should have to face.
But they are, mainly because other e-writers are putting out an enormous amount of product. Some writers release e-books at the rate of one a month. I’m sorry, but with a few exceptions, those are not books I am going to rush out and buy. I know they’re not going to be at the same level as a new Daniel Silva or a new Mo Hayder. I don’t care how much “branding” an author does. I can tell within two or three paragraphs whether I’m going to like a book, and that depends on the writer’s mastery of craft. If it’s not there, it’s not for me.
So I’m taking a deep breath. And I hope you do too. What’s wrong with waiting till July for a new Gabriel Allon? Or Fall for a new William Kent Krueger? Even if I have to wait a year or longer, I know I’m going to get an excellent read. Not only do their novels give me hours of pleasure, but they inspire me, as an author, to keep pushing my craft higher. That’s my take.
What’s yours?
May 9, 2012
DEAR MICROSOFT (An Open Letter):
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.
In fact, CJ and I are collaborating on this, and he’s written a more extensive version of his suggestions which will appear next week (May 17th to be exact) at the Crime Fiction Collective.
I am both a traditionally published and indie published author with 9 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
PS Don’t forget to go over to CJs blog next Thursday, May 17.
May 7, 2012
KDP Select: Is the Bloom off the Rose?
Here is a must read for any author in… or considering… KDP Select. Btw, my experience over the past few weeks mirrors Russell’s.
http://russellblake.com/great-until-it-isnt/
My January was incredible. March too. April was okay but not as robust. Like Russell, I believe the algos have changed. But I’m actually not that disappointed. Some of you will remember my Junkies blog. Free books are fine… but 20,000 of them at a pop? Especially when we know in advance only about 10% of them will ever get read? I’m not sanguine about the future if this keeps up.
So what IS the next best thing? Will it be Microsoft coming to the rescue of Barnes and Noble and offering heavily discounted books? Will it be Kobo, which is trying to become the “Euro” choice? Or will the Zon prevail?
Jeez… this sounds like a bad soap opera.
What do you think?
May 3, 2012
Amazon’s Lengthening Shadow RE:The Passive Voice, and Kris
If you’ve been living on a desert island somewhere and don’t read THE PASSIVE VOICE regularly, shame on you.
Yesterday’s post is a must-read. Passive Guy is correct. Mike Shatzkin is finding it increasingly difficult to defend Big Publishing, and this post is no exception.
http://www.thepassivevoice.com/05/201...
Oh, and just in case you haven’t read Krish Rusch’s blog today (THE BUSINESS RUSCH, another must-read), here’s her update on e-book royalties from traditional publishing. You didn’tknow there was an update coming? Funny, that’s exactly what she says.
http://kriswrites.com/2012/05/02/the-...
I love Thursdays.
