Radha Vatsal‘s debut novel, A Front Page Affair, was published this May by Sourcebooks Landmark. It is the first in the Kitty Weeks mystery series and received a starred review from Library Journal, which also selected the novel as Debut of the Month. Vatsal has a PhD in English from Duke University and lives with her family in New York. What made […]
Otto Penzler knows his sleuths. Recently published, The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories is the twelfth anthology he has edited for Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (Random House). For those without a scorecard, Penzler has also won two Edgars, a Raven, and an Ellery Queen Award; served fourteen years on the Mystery Writers of America board; and is proprietor of The Mysterious
What sparks creativity in you? Music? Photography? Dance? Sculpture? For an upcoming anthology, In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper, the editor, Lawrence Block, asked 17 authors to choose one artwork and see what whispered. We all know Lawrence Block. Whether it’s from the entire shelf devoted to him at most bookstores or from
You may recognize Ken Levine as a popular culture commentator on CNN’s recent series The Eighties. His expertise comes from decades as a writer for shows like MASH, Cheers, Frasier, and The Simpsons, just to name a few. Levine also writes a daily blog laced with insight, wit, and a refreshing bit of snark that focuses mainly (although not exclusively) on the entertainment
James Patterson is about to make his mark in publishing. Again. Nobody would ever accuse the man of being a dilettante. Patterson’s debut book won the Edgar Award in 1977 for Best First Novel. His next, introducing series protagonist Alex Cross, became his first New York Times #1 Bestseller — a step on the road to holding the Guinness World
Beth Fantaskey lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, with her husband, three daughters, and a menagerie that includes a dog, cat, hermit crab, immortal goldfish, and semi-tame cardinal named Robert. She is the author of the recently released middle-grade mystery Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter; YA mysteries Buzz Kill and Jekel Loves Hyde; as well as YA romances Jessica’s Guide to Dating on
Most people who have a book published don’t have a big publicity machine behind them. As a result, most of the promoting for their book they have to do themselves. Everyone, it seems, is searching for that magic promotional formula that will get their book the widest possible exposure. But in a market saturated not only with novels in general
The question of whether you should put a lot of effort into getting an agent to represent you may seem like a silly question. Writers who do not have agents frequently refer in conversation to their attempts to get one. Writers who do have agents mention this fact often in conversation, and any time they have a new book published or have
Broadly speaking, there are two types of mystery stories: whodunnits and whydunnits. We read a mystery story to find out who committed the crime (with the why, the motive, often serving to help the investigator find the culprit), or we read knowing from early on who the guilty party is as the story lays out the reasons, psychological and otherwise,
Jon McGoran is the author of six novels including the Doyle Carrick biotech thrillers Drift, Deadout, and the newest releases, the novel Dust Up, and the novella Down to Zero, all from Tor/Forge. Writing as D. H. Dublin, he is the author of the forensic thrillers Body Trace, Blood Poison, and Freezer Burn. He has written a number of crime, horror and science fiction short stories and novellas, as well as essays on food and agriculture.
When I first became serious about writing mysteries, I considered going to a writer’s conference in Chicago. My problem was simple… the cost. When I added up the cost of the conference registration, the hotel and airfare, I struggled to justify the expenditure. Then one of my friends offered a bit of advice. If you want to be a real
One year ago, a few aspiring authors — me included — launched an MWA-NY experiment. We wanted to gather writers who were used to working as a solitary pursuit, and bring them together. Sounds simple now. At the time, it was so simple it got a little hard to explain. “Write-Ins — you buy your own coffee, hunker down in
If you’re like me, you have a limited budget for marketing and promotion. Attending a con, especially an out-of-town con, can be a difficult decision. By the time I add up the registration fees, hotel, airfare, meals, books, and incidentals (my bar tab), I can’t afford to make a bad decision. For several years, friends and colleagues have recommended that
Julia Dahl is a journalist specializing in crime and criminal justice. Her first novel, Invisible City, was nominated for an Edgar Award and a Thriller Award, and won the Barry, the Shamus, and the Macavity Awards for Best First Novel. Her second novel, Run You Down, is now out in paperback. She currently writes and reports for CBSNews.com and is
PERSONAL SAFETY: Artists, authors, musicians, crafters…if you’re in a creative business you need to get the word out about yourself and your work. People need to associate you with your product. As a marketing and “branding” professional, I spend a lot of time giving people advice on how to get “out there.” But today I want to take a step
