In Reference to Murder

In Reference to Writing

Here are some of the latest tips and tricks of the writing/publishing trade that may be helpful to some of you:

ON WRITING

Author and freelance editor Kristen Lamb offers up "4 Writing Crutches that Insult the Reader's Intelligence."

Harry Bingham, of the U.K. based Writer's Workshop, tells you "Why Most of What You’ve Read About Characterization is Untrue."

Writing a police procedural? Author and former cop Lee Lofland gives you tips on how to approach officers to help with questions about your work-in-progress.

Carol Topp, certified public accountant and author of an upcoming book, Business Tips and Taxes for Writers, has a two-part article (here and here) on what writers need to know about taxes.

April Hamilton, author of The Indie Author Guide: Publishing Strategies Anyone Can Use, lists 6 dialogue traps you should avoid like the plague (hint: think cliché).

Writer/blogger Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen wants to help you overcome rejection and discouragement, and her 5 Tips should help.

ON PUBLISHING

It's the Wild West in publishing right now, making it difficult for everyone, including authors, to know how best to proceed with their careers. Making things even harder is a new trend among agents to set themselves up as publishers, a controversy author Courtney Milan tried to address on her blog. David Gaughran added to that his own Roadmap for Writers.

After reading those postings, you may think things couldn't get worse, but this cautionary tale of a scam artist who targeted one writer shows otherwise.

If you're not rattled enough, The Passive Voice lectures you on why Your Agent Isn't Your Mommy.  (Depressed now? Go back and re-read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog.)

ON MARKETING AND PUBLICITY

Editor Alan Rinzler explains the "new author platform" vs. the tired old model and what you need to know to succeed. Author and neuroscience graduate student Livia Blackburne adds that many writers haven't created an effective platform, but rather a never-ending writing conference.

You may have had it hammered into your thoughts that if you're an author, you need to be involved with social media. But Rachel Kovacs warns you about 10 ways to kill your writing career using social media.

Unless you're James Patterson or someone who sells millions of books, you're going to have to learn about self-promotion. Former literary agent Nathan Bransford explains why it "sucks," but that you have to suck up and do it anyway.

In Reference to Writing

Here are some tips on writing, publishing and marketing collected from around the Web, that may be helpful to mystery writers wanting insights from the pros:

ON WRITING

The authors of the new nonfiction title How to Write a  Dick: A Guide to Writing Fictional Sleuths from a Couple of Real-Life Sleuths asked a group of real-life private eyes what misconceptions they'd like to correct in representations of PIs in novels, movies and TV. Of course, in the UK, it's apparently quite a different story these days.

Michelle Clark, a real-life death scene investigator, offers some tips on why TV also gets that part of crime solving wrong, in a two-part posting here and here.

Iowa Writers' Workshop alumnus Anthony Marra explains that sometimes surrender should triumph over perseverance in novels that never seem to get out of the revision phase, even though he doesn't necessarily advise everyone to get up on their book.

Sharon Wildwind has some tips on how write while at the same time postponing writing. It isn't as confusing as it sounds, and it may help you through those hectic-life moments.

Novelist Karen Essex advises you on what to do what a pesky character you're writing "won't cooperate."

Sometimes, rough drafts aren't the only thing that need editing. And when you start revising, try your hand at writing fiction that reads fast.

ON PUBLISHING

If you're ready to try and snag an agent, Randy Russell explains how the "Rule of Three'' can help you pitch.

Lit agent Rachelle Gardner has lots of links to help guide through the publishing process.

Joan Reeves continues her series on Golden Rules for eBook Success, focusing primarily on cover art (with links to the previous installments).

Literary agent Janet Kobobel Grant continues her series titled "How an Agent Can Kill Your Career," with the latest installment: Death by a Thousand Cuts. Just in case you decide to snag an agent, you might need to work with a publishing consultant first to spiffy up your manuscript.

ON MARKETING

Now that you've finished your book, maybe even gotten an agent, it's time to think about publicity. The Writer Beware blog explains why you should hire a competent PR service. Other things you can do? Five MUST-DO Book Publicity Tips, courtesty of Kathleen Bolton.

You're eager to make a book trailer, since they seem to be so trendy these days. Author Lee Goldberg says, "don't bother." But if you're still determined to create one, agent Chuck Sambuchino has "5 Tips for Making a Really Cool YouTube Video to Promote Your Book."

And what about that book tour? Author Michelle Gagnon offers her sage words of wisdom from experience, with a caveat: you'll need to start six months before your book's release date.

Tips and Tricks for Writers

ON WRITING

Deborah Halverson, award-winning author (Honk if You Hate Me, Big Mouth, and the upcoming Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies), offers up 10 Tests a Novel Must Pass to Prove It's REALLY Ready for Submission. Need more? 

If you've written the world's best novel but have a crappy ending, it might "leave a bad taste in the reader’s mouth and will ensure they don’t want to read your next book," says author Joanna Penn. One tip: "Link the story to a larger theme to end on a high note."

Suspense/Thriller author Bob Mayer explains why and how conflict is the fuel of your novel. Tension is sort of the "twin" to conflict (sometimes they're the same, sometimes they're not), and one of the other most important elements to a story. Nancy Curteman offers up nine ways to create tension in a mystery novel.

Literary agent Nathan Bransford has a great succinct overview of How to Write a Novel, starting with the main plot arc and working down to style and voice and the climax, with links under each section for related info.

ON PUBLISHING

Many more folks are choosing self-publication these days, but whether you go that route or with an indie press or one of the big five and their subsidiaries, there are pros and cons for each publishing option.

Which media outlets sell books? Patrick Brown surveyed Goodreads to see how well it stacked up against Amazon, NPR, The Daily Show and others.

J.A. Konrath has been a vocal critic of the "old school" publishing industry and a cheerleader for the digital revolution. Here's his take on the changing face of publishing.

What do you do when an agent asks for an exclusive (the privilege of reading a manuscript before any other literary agent is allowed to see it)?  Writer's Relief has some advice.
 
ON MARKETING

Selling and marketing your book via Amazon may sound like a good idea, but where to start? Here are 10 ways...

One overlooked area in book promotion is "niche marketing," a way of tying in your book's themes, characters or setting to specialty groups and events.

Even in this day and age, many people think all published authors are wealthy. (Probably the same 20% of Americans who still think the Earth is the physical center of the universe). But J.B. Stanley, author of 13 published books, has a breakdown of her sales and marketing numbers that should disabuse anyone of the "rich author" notion. Unless you're one of these. 

Tips and Tricks for Writers

ON WRITING

Most writing and publishing experts will say the same things over and over, such as "you need to treat your writing like a business." But how to do that? Agent Chip MacGregor offers some ideas.

As a follow-up, MacGregor also explains how he got started in the writing business and gives three writing tricks that he learned while making his living writing books.

Meanwhile, literary agent Rachelle Gardner says that writers need to compare themselves to Olympic athletes.

ON PUBLISHING

Jane Friedman of Writers Digest summarized a conference speech by Dennis Hensley about the 12 things that matter to agents and editors when being pitched by writers.

New York literary agent Noah Lukeman is giving away a free e-book compiled from all the "Ask a Literary Agent" questions and answers exchanged during the first year of his blog. You can also read the first 20 pages of his latest book, How to Land (and Keep) a Literary Agent.

Rachelle Gardner also has a compilation of the questions she's received lately about what to ask a literary agent when she comes calling offering representation.

ON MARKETING

Debut novelist Matt Stewart talks about "first novel karma," or, the lessons he learned about all the things he was doing wrong.

The anonymous publishing intern blogger has a new book of her own and has five thoughts on book promotion.

Pimp My Novel has a re-run post that's worth repeating about the 12 "easy" steps you can take to sell your book.

Another tidbit from Rachelle Gardner, always a fount of information for new writers, gives some reasons why it's good for pubbed authors to go to conferences.

Writer Tips and Tricks

Every other week or so, I collect bits of helpful advice culled from the blogosphere about the process of writing, publishing and marketing. So, without further ado, here's the latest batch.

ON WRITING

From the Writer Beware blog (sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America) comes some thoughts on self-editing, or as E.B. White allegedly said, "All good writing is rewriting."

Crime fiction author and blogger Martin Edwards talks about something near and dear to my own heart, and I suspect, the hearts of writers everywhere, namely—time management.

Mary Jaksch posed the question "What helps YOU to be a better writer?" and got enough good responses she compiled a listing of 73 Ways to Become a Better Writer.

Editor Erin Healy says you should always keep one thought in mind:  Who is your reader?  She notes that a successful story is one that communicates author vision in such a way it satisfies the reader's desire.

How many times have you been told to get rid of the adverbs and most of the adjectives in your writing?  Here's one defense of modifiers.

Mystery: What is it and Why does it Matter?  Some nice thoughts from author Courtney Foley.

ON PUBLISHING

Lit agent Janet Reid often offers up some of the annoying (and deal-breaking) things she receives in queries from authors. One of her favorite pet peeves is "over-writing."

Need another reason to nail your pitch paragraph? Pub Rants has just the very thing.

A cautionary tale about the author background check from Publetariat. (Hint: potential agents and editors use Google, too.)

Chip MacGregor of the MacGregor Literary Agency gives advice on how to study the market and get to know the industry.

Agent Noah Lukeman tackles the issue of whether your agent should let you know which editors and/or publishers have read your work and also provide you with copies of any rejection letters.

ON MARKETING

If you're new to the book marketing business, here are 6 1/2 things to think about in planning your book launch.

Almost all writers hate self-promotion, but it's a necessary evil if you want to succeed as a published author. Bestselling author Bob Mayer helps you sort through the issues and understand why self-promotion is so important.

Tips and Tricks for Writing

Freshly back from a rare mini-vacation, I felt a few writing tips would be helpful to ease the transition to writing, blogging, life, the universe and everything:

ON WRITING

Agent Nathan Bransford, like many literary agents, has probably seen it all, both good and bad. He asks the question, "Why is it So Hard to Tell if Our Writing is Good?" following on an earlier posting about getting a case of the "Am I Crazies?"

Book editor/doctor Joyce Magnin tells writers how to see the forest AND the trees after spending so much time on a manuscript that you lose objectivity.

Lit agent and workshop guru Donald Maas talks about creating tension in your writing.

Author Patti Hill discusses creating that all-important "voice" in fiction and gives some tips and thoughts she's picked up along the way.


ON PUBLISHING

From the BookEnds Literary Agency, here are some "Query Don'ts."

Agent Chip MacGregor sums up his thoughts on when it's important to have a literary agent and when it's not.

MacGregor also clears up some confusion regarding when a writer can actually expect to get paid during the publishing process.

ON MARKETING

Kevin Smokler, the CEO of BookTour.com, talks about how to run a successful book tour.

Christine Lemmon offers some instruction on how she used her book's setting to create a publicity and sales campaign.

What are the secrets to successfully marketing fiction?  Hear are some tips from an author who's also a PR person.

Tips and Tricks for Writers

Here are a few of the latest tidbits culled from the blogosphere that may be helpful to mystery writers:

ON WRITING

Literary agent Jane Dystel has suggestions about "What to Title Your Book."  But is it really that important? As Dystel points out, "If the title doesn’t work, the book might not sell."

Although there are a wealth of books out there on "how to write," authors Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman have taken their 30 years combined experience in teaching, editing, writing and reviewing fiction to create a book on How to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. And they have a book video to prove it.

Speaking of rules and do's & don'ts, Author Lori L. Lake was the guest blogger for Sisters in Crime, with her humorous take on "Twenty Laws for Writing Unbelievable Mysteries."

You often hear about "raising the stakes" in a novel. Book editor Jason Black tells why you should be thinking about castles while you're working on those stakes.

ON LEGALITIES

GalleyCat's latest "Ask a Lawyer" column discusses how to avoid getting sued for copyright violations.

With more on copyright issues, attorney Alexander Macgillivray (now with Twitter and formerly Google's deputy general counsel for products and intellectual property) discusses publishing legal topics that he feels need updating, including Copyright, DRM and Uses of Books, Orphan Works, Twin Books, Section 108 and Rights Reversion.

ON PUBLISHING

Best-selling author Marcus Sakey (The Blade Itself) offers up his "Secrets to Getting Published," which is also the title of a workshop he frequently teaches. His advice is both incredibly straightforward and uncomplicated—but there's a catch. (Hint: how's your book coming?)

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner talks about queries in one of her latest blog postings.

So you've gotten an agent who's shopped your book around. Hooray! But what happens when the book is unsold to a publisher?

The debate on eBooks and how they will affect (or alternatively ruin or enrich) publishing rages on. Ed Gorman recently featured two rather depressing takes from author Dave Zeltserman and Laura Miller who writes for Salon. Why did I suddenly have a craving for a Slush Puppy?

Tips and Tricks for Writers

Here's the latest roundup of posts about the craft and biz of writing going 'round the blogosphere:

ON WRITING

Veteran screenwriter Neil Landau, co-author of the book 101 Things I Learned in Film School, boiled down the three most essential things that go into crafting a successful screenplay.

Author Christie Craig offers up "Five Pieces of Well-Meaning Writing Advice That I’m Glad I Didn’t Take." The first one is probably the most controversial (depending upon whom you ask) namely "Ignore the trends and just write the book of your heart."

Book editor Alan Rinzler would slightly disagree with Craig's first statement above, stating that the #1 issue for writers today: Content is King.

If you think you're toiling away all day alone in your cave and no one can possibly understand what you're going through, check out the following Day in the Life of a Writer.


ON PUBLISHING

Agent Rachelle Gardner discusses the differing advice authors hear about signing with an agent, which boils down to the fact that some agents prefer to represent projects and others represent authors.

Lit agent Nathan Bransford answers the question, "I am just starting out and have never been published. What should I put in my bio?"


ON LEGALITIES

Should you copyright your title?  Publishing attorney Lloyd J. Jassin takes a look.

Agent Jane Dystel gives the reasons why it's so important to read your book contract, especially in this day and age of confusion over digital and e-book rights.


ON MARKETING

Publetariat offers up some ideas for creating printed marketing materials to promote your book. This is one time it's OK for even men to coordinate their look.

Are you a shy writer and terrified about marketing?  Elizabeth Craig has some book promotion tips for you.

(And if you have more ideas on that or any other of the above, feel free to share them in the comments below.)

Tips & Tricks for Writers

I like to collect interesting articles about writing that may be of interest to myself and others, so I'm passing along a few that caught my eye in the past week. Some may be relevant to you, others may not, but hopefully one or two will prove helpful.

ON WRITING

Rachel Aaron on the Magic District blog posted three scene hooks that will move your story forward.

Poet and writer Kimberly Davis discusses twist endings and why some work and others don't.

A literary agent (via Pub Rants) gives advice on how to tell if you're starting your novel in the wrong place.

One of the most important aspects of a good novel is building strong and interesting characters. Writer Miriam S. Forster has been posting a 6-part series of short takes on how to do just that.

Thriller writer Jamie Freveletti, who blogs for The Outfit, has suggestions for "how to" books for new writers. (If you have others, feel free to add them in the Comments here and/or there).

ON THE PUBLISHING BUSINESS

Literary agent Chip MacGregor answers the question "What's Reasonable in a Book Contract?"

Another agent, Jean V. Naggar, guest-blogged for GalleyCat about what she looks for in a potential author-client. ("Authors need to offer their best work, to be ready to revise, and to trust that they have put their work in good hands.)

It's inevitable that writers will make rookie mistakes. Agent Jenny Bent gives you a head start by listing eight of them to avoid.

ON PUBLICITY

Got your first book contract in hand and now wonder what to do with publicity? Dana Kaye offers up "Ten Things Authors Should NEVER Do to Promote their Book." (Not that any you would ever be guilty...)

Need other authors on what not to do? Editor Karen Syed provides excuses her authors have given her about why they aren't marketing their books.

Newbie writers often are totally unprepared for the overwhelming amount of promotion and marketing they're going to be expected to do for their own books. It can be so overwhelming, in fact, that you find you no longer have time for writing. Sharon Wildwind says, it's OK to "Lay Down Your Sword and Shield."

ON CONTESTS

If you have a manuscript in hand and want to give it a chance to test its wings and see if it will fly, try submitting it to a contest. It it happens to be set in the southwest U.S., then submit it to the 2010 Hillerman Mystery Writers Competition (but hurry, the deadline is June 1st). For any setting, any subgenre, the annual Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America contest has a deadline of November 30th.

Freebies for Writers

There are many helpful (and free) tools for writers on the Web, although finding them can be a bit of a challenge at times. Here are a few that may help:

Writing and Reading Short Stories was a course taught at MIT in 2006. You can download lecture notes which take you through the elements of storytelling.

A Nine-Week Screenwriting Course is offered by screenwriter Steven Barnes, who has taught at UCLA and is offering his college course in an online workshop.

Plotting Mini-Course. Author Holly Lisle has prepared a seven-part course on plotting stories, which is sent via email, with tips and examples included in each lesson.

A Character Building Workshop was set up by the Writers' Village University which uses questionnaires to help you build your characters.

Start Writing Fiction is a 12-hour course from Open University with a section each on character, setting and genre.

FYI, these tips are courtesy of the newsletter from Writing World, which is another free resource with some helpful information and resources.