Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I'm Interviewed on Writers Who Kill, Part 2
Last Wednesday, the 12th, and today, the blog Writers Who Kill is posting a two-part interview that E. B. Davis (Elaine Douts) conducted with me recently. She got into the nitty gritty details of my three publishers and why I chose each one and asked me about my upcoming Deadly Currents release. It should be interesting reading for anyone who is trying to get a book published these days or who wants to learn more about what authors go through to do so. I hope you'll read today's interview as well as last week's. I'll be checking for and responding to comments there, so if you have a question, ask it!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
I'm Interviewed on Writers Who Kill
Today and next Wednesday, the 19th, the blog Writers Who Kill is posting a two-part interview that E. B. Davis (Elaine Douts) conducted with me recently. She got into the nitty gritty details of my three publishers and why I chose each one. It should be interesting reading for anyone who is trying to get a book published these days or who wants to learn more about what authors go through to do so. I hope you'll read today's interview and return and read next week's. I'll be checking for and responding to comments there, so if you have a question, ask it!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Three New Book Contracts!!!
I am so excited I could burst! I just signed three new book contracts with Midnight Ink which will result in moving my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series from Five Star Publishing over to Midnight Ink. I FINALLY have an answer for the readers of that series who have been asking me for paperback, electronic, and audio formats of the books. Paperback and electronic are coming, and I'll set my literary agent to work on selling the audio rights next!
The first two contracts are for the first two books in the series, which Five Star has already published in hardcover, and in the case of A Real Basket Case, in large-print. Midnight Ink will bring A Real Basket Case out in trade paperback and electronic formats in Fall, 2011, and To Hell in a Handbasket in Fall, 2012. The third contract is for a brand-new third book in the series, to be published in Fall, 2013.
Both I and Terri Bischoff, the acquisition editor at Midnight Ink, hope the whole schedule can be moved up if I can finish the third book in a timely manner. The ultimate plan is for me to write one Rocky Mountain adventure mystery per year for MI and a gift basket designer mystery every other year for MI, putting me on a book every eight months schedule. I have never written a book in less than a year before, so this is a scary proposition for me, which is why I didn't commit yet to a more ambitious schedule.
I plan to finish the second Rocky Mountain adventure mystery, due in November, at least five months early, so I can start on the third gift basket designer book this summer. I'm really looking forward to visiting with Claire Hanover again after a long absence. If I can finish the rough draft, at least, before I need to start writing the third Rocky Mountain adventure mystery, then I'll agree to a faster release schedule. Wish me luck, because I'll need it!
I owe profuse thanks to my literary agent, Sandra Bond, for her diligent work in reviewing these three contracts and requesting modifications. Midnight Ink changed their contract boilerplate right before we started this process, and Sandra had to renegotiate many clauses that had already been decided in the previous contract for my Rocky Mountain adventure series. Her hard work and sharp eye underscored for me how important it is for an author to be represented by a knowledgeable literary agent in the publishing arena.
I also owe profuse thanks to Terri Bischoff for being willing to take a risk on me and and break new ground for Midnight Ink by acquiring a mystery series that had already been started with another publisher. Terri, I will work like a DOG to promote the series and prove you right in this decision!
Lastly, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of the staff at Tekno Books and Five Star Publishing, especially my Tekno editor, Denise Dietz, and the acquistions editor at Five Star, Tiffany Schofield, for giving a brand-new mystery author a chance and educating me about this wonderful, yet screwy, business.
I started this wild ride wondering if I could write a mystery, then if I could publish it, and now I have contracts for five books in two series in various formats. I couldn't be happier, and I'm looking forward to what future adventures lie in wait for me. Who knows? Maybe river ranger Mandy Tanner will have to rescue klutzy Claire Hanover when she falls into the Arkansas River on her first whitewater rafting trip. ;-)
The first two contracts are for the first two books in the series, which Five Star has already published in hardcover, and in the case of A Real Basket Case, in large-print. Midnight Ink will bring A Real Basket Case out in trade paperback and electronic formats in Fall, 2011, and To Hell in a Handbasket in Fall, 2012. The third contract is for a brand-new third book in the series, to be published in Fall, 2013.
Both I and Terri Bischoff, the acquisition editor at Midnight Ink, hope the whole schedule can be moved up if I can finish the third book in a timely manner. The ultimate plan is for me to write one Rocky Mountain adventure mystery per year for MI and a gift basket designer mystery every other year for MI, putting me on a book every eight months schedule. I have never written a book in less than a year before, so this is a scary proposition for me, which is why I didn't commit yet to a more ambitious schedule.
I plan to finish the second Rocky Mountain adventure mystery, due in November, at least five months early, so I can start on the third gift basket designer book this summer. I'm really looking forward to visiting with Claire Hanover again after a long absence. If I can finish the rough draft, at least, before I need to start writing the third Rocky Mountain adventure mystery, then I'll agree to a faster release schedule. Wish me luck, because I'll need it!
I owe profuse thanks to my literary agent, Sandra Bond, for her diligent work in reviewing these three contracts and requesting modifications. Midnight Ink changed their contract boilerplate right before we started this process, and Sandra had to renegotiate many clauses that had already been decided in the previous contract for my Rocky Mountain adventure series. Her hard work and sharp eye underscored for me how important it is for an author to be represented by a knowledgeable literary agent in the publishing arena.
I also owe profuse thanks to Terri Bischoff for being willing to take a risk on me and and break new ground for Midnight Ink by acquiring a mystery series that had already been started with another publisher. Terri, I will work like a DOG to promote the series and prove you right in this decision!
Lastly, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of the staff at Tekno Books and Five Star Publishing, especially my Tekno editor, Denise Dietz, and the acquistions editor at Five Star, Tiffany Schofield, for giving a brand-new mystery author a chance and educating me about this wonderful, yet screwy, business.
I started this wild ride wondering if I could write a mystery, then if I could publish it, and now I have contracts for five books in two series in various formats. I couldn't be happier, and I'm looking forward to what future adventures lie in wait for me. Who knows? Maybe river ranger Mandy Tanner will have to rescue klutzy Claire Hanover when she falls into the Arkansas River on her first whitewater rafting trip. ;-)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
CIPA College Report
This past weekend I had a great time at the Colorado Independent Publisher's Association (CIPA) College, held annually at the Red Lion Hotel in Denver, CO. My one regret is that I forgot to bring my camera! I asked folks to take photos of me with friends and luminaries (including Mac, the CIPA mascot mannequin) at the conference with my cell phone, but it was too dark inside and the photos all came out grainy. So, if anyone reading this took photos of the event that included me, please, please email them to me.
I drove up to Denver Friday morning and arrived in time to set up my small table display in the Exhibitors Hall before lunch began. Here's where I got an inkling of how different I was from the most of the other speakers. They were in the role of providing services to authors, be it publishing, promotion, or what-not, while I was one of the few speakers who was an author myself. And this conference, which was all about the business of publishing, was very different from the writers conferences and mystery fan conferences that I had attended in the past. I was to get quite an education over the weekend!
Tama Kieves, the Friday keynote speaker, was both entertaining and electrifying, motivating all of us to stay true to our calling. I skipped the Friday afternoon sessions to check out the other exhibitors' booths, check into my hotel room, sell and sign a few of my own books, and meet and chat with some of my fellow conference attendees. The evening plan was an interesting concept. We loaded up a plate in the buffet line, then carried it into one of two evening workshops and ate while we learned. I came away from Gary Hall's "Web Video Book Trailers" session with a much better idea of what was required to put together a good book trailer. Hmmm, maybe I'll have to get some whitewater rafting footage this summer to use for a trailer for my upcoming Deady Currents release in March, 2011.
Saturday morning, I attended Mary Walewski's excellent "Social Media Marketing in 15 Minutes a Day" workshop. I really need to learn to be more efficient on Facebook, Goodreads, etc. because I can easily spend an hour a day or more on them. Hopefully Mary's tips will help me cut down on the amount of time I spend on social networks. Next came a stirring lunch keynote speech about "Turning Life's Lemons into Margaritas" by Mark McIntosh that had us all drooling for frosty beverages by the end. After lunch, I sat in on Mara Purl's "Book Events, Book Festivals, & Book Awards" workshop afterward and came away with a lot of good ideas, especially for book award competitions I need to enter.
Then came my presentation on "The Dos and Don'ts of Planning and Conducting a Virtual Book Tour." I couldn't believe how fast the hour went, and I had to rush through the last few points at the end. From the comments I received after the conference from the organizers, though, the attendees seemed to like the workshop, especially that I gave them lots of good, practical information, which was my main goal. Phew!
After sitting in on a "Round with the Pros" session, where those who missed my workshop could get a 15 minute quick overview and a copy of my handout, I quickly dressed for the EVVY awards banquet and hit the bar for a much-needed glass of wine. It was fun to see all the excited winners go up to receive their awards and clap for their successes. And boy, was the chocolate cake yummy! After a very full day, I slept like a log that night and checked out Sunday morning to drive back home, energized and full of new ideas about how to apply myself better in the business of publishing.
I was very pleased to receive as my speaker gift the illustrated book, Colorado's South Park by Bernie Nagy, which won EVVY Awards for Travel, Cover Design, and Illustrations. My husband and I have driven through South Park countless times on our journeys between our two homes in Colorado Springs and Breckenridge and loved seeing the excellent photos of familiar sights. I'll treasure the book for years to come.
Many, many thanks to Karen Reddick, who handled all the speaker arrangements smoothly, and to Sue Hamilton, current CIPA President, and Doris Baker, past CIPA President, for suggesting me as a speaker, and to all the board members and conference volunteers for making me feel welcome and for putting on such a great event!
I drove up to Denver Friday morning and arrived in time to set up my small table display in the Exhibitors Hall before lunch began. Here's where I got an inkling of how different I was from the most of the other speakers. They were in the role of providing services to authors, be it publishing, promotion, or what-not, while I was one of the few speakers who was an author myself. And this conference, which was all about the business of publishing, was very different from the writers conferences and mystery fan conferences that I had attended in the past. I was to get quite an education over the weekend!
Tama Kieves, the Friday keynote speaker, was both entertaining and electrifying, motivating all of us to stay true to our calling. I skipped the Friday afternoon sessions to check out the other exhibitors' booths, check into my hotel room, sell and sign a few of my own books, and meet and chat with some of my fellow conference attendees. The evening plan was an interesting concept. We loaded up a plate in the buffet line, then carried it into one of two evening workshops and ate while we learned. I came away from Gary Hall's "Web Video Book Trailers" session with a much better idea of what was required to put together a good book trailer. Hmmm, maybe I'll have to get some whitewater rafting footage this summer to use for a trailer for my upcoming Deady Currents release in March, 2011.
Saturday morning, I attended Mary Walewski's excellent "Social Media Marketing in 15 Minutes a Day" workshop. I really need to learn to be more efficient on Facebook, Goodreads, etc. because I can easily spend an hour a day or more on them. Hopefully Mary's tips will help me cut down on the amount of time I spend on social networks. Next came a stirring lunch keynote speech about "Turning Life's Lemons into Margaritas" by Mark McIntosh that had us all drooling for frosty beverages by the end. After lunch, I sat in on Mara Purl's "Book Events, Book Festivals, & Book Awards" workshop afterward and came away with a lot of good ideas, especially for book award competitions I need to enter.
Then came my presentation on "The Dos and Don'ts of Planning and Conducting a Virtual Book Tour." I couldn't believe how fast the hour went, and I had to rush through the last few points at the end. From the comments I received after the conference from the organizers, though, the attendees seemed to like the workshop, especially that I gave them lots of good, practical information, which was my main goal. Phew!
After sitting in on a "Round with the Pros" session, where those who missed my workshop could get a 15 minute quick overview and a copy of my handout, I quickly dressed for the EVVY awards banquet and hit the bar for a much-needed glass of wine. It was fun to see all the excited winners go up to receive their awards and clap for their successes. And boy, was the chocolate cake yummy! After a very full day, I slept like a log that night and checked out Sunday morning to drive back home, energized and full of new ideas about how to apply myself better in the business of publishing.
I was very pleased to receive as my speaker gift the illustrated book, Colorado's South Park by Bernie Nagy, which won EVVY Awards for Travel, Cover Design, and Illustrations. My husband and I have driven through South Park countless times on our journeys between our two homes in Colorado Springs and Breckenridge and loved seeing the excellent photos of familiar sights. I'll treasure the book for years to come.
Many, many thanks to Karen Reddick, who handled all the speaker arrangements smoothly, and to Sue Hamilton, current CIPA President, and Doris Baker, past CIPA President, for suggesting me as a speaker, and to all the board members and conference volunteers for making me feel welcome and for putting on such a great event!
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