I attended several panels on Saturday at SleuthFest. Here are the points I took away. BOOK PUBLICITY Michael Barson spoke about book publicity. In looking for interviews, does your book have a theme related to what’s in the news? It may take six or seven books to gain traction. For a writer, the radio is … Read more
Lunch on Friday followed the agents and editors panels. There I am seated between James W. Hall and Randy Rawls. As Chapter President, I went up to the podium and gave a warm welcome to the crowd. I thanked our conference chairs, Vicki Landis and Joanne Sinchuk, for their superb job in making the conference … Read more
Friday morning at SleuthFest began the editor and agent panels. Here’s a summary. AGENTS Kristyn Keene likes women’s fiction, thrillers, crime fiction. Mel Berger likes an “important” book or one that has potential for being a commercial success, including romance and thrillers. Victoria Skurnick is looking for “great” books with a unique voice. No sf/fantasy. … Read more
Final Advice for Writers from #Ninc14 Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 To summarize the concluding talks from #Ninc14, here are the final points. If you have a lifeboat or collaborative team, specify your goals. Is it to increase sales or readership, or to reach bestseller status? Series or related books sell … Read more
Working with iBooks Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 Representatives from iBooks spoke at the Ninc conference. They said their readers like free ebooks, so Apple offers the first free in series promotion. Their readers are also willing to pay more for a book so don’t be afraid to price higher. Pre-orders count … Read more
How to Attract Hollywood to your Book Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 Why does Hollywood keep doing sequels and remakes? The simple answer is fear. Studios are filled with people who have legitimate fears about their jobs. China is a huge market right now. A movie might not do as well in … Read more
ACX and Audible Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 What Sells in Audio? Teen and YA Fiction, Romance, Scifi/Fantasy, Mysteries/Thrillers, Business and History. What do you need to get started? You need a published book on Amazon, audio rights, a manuscript, cover art and rights to the cover. There is no particular length … Read more
Author Collaborations Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 A collaboration might consist of a single book containing a bundle of novels or novellas by different authors. The main benefit is that more experienced authors will draw attention to newer authors. It’s a cost-effective way to produce a print version of shorter works. Promotional … Read more
Literary Estate Planning Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 Copyright is for life of the author plus 70 years. You have physical assets as well as digital assets. Be aware that it can be a violation of federal or criminal laws for friends or family members to take over your online accounts. Think … Read more
News From SleuthFest 2015 February 26 – March 1, 2015, Deerfield Beach, FL James Patterson, Dave Barry, James W. Hall, & Ric Gillespie www.sleuthfest.com Lab & Lock Up Tour Special Pre-Conference Event Wednesday February 25, 2015 Palm Beach County Detention Center & Crime Lab Full tour and transportation $45 Sign up Now! Limit 25 People … Read more