Cover Reveal for A Darkened Room- Zack Taylor #6

Am putting the finishing touches on the latest Zack Taylor mystery, A Darkened Room.
Then it goes off to the editor. Two years in the making, now it's getting close to release!

I love the cover- exactly what I wanted.
For me, the value in being an Independent author means I get the covers I want, not some idiotic green garage door (like Barry Eisler). The image goes with the brand we've established for this series, and evokes the theme.

What do you think?

The Big Time

Great news today- I'm featured on the prominent website of Joe Konrath, one of the gurus of self-publishing. I've got a co-written guest post with Vlad V. and we discuss how to give your way to success as an Indie writer. Check it out, and feel free to leave a comment. Oh yeah- there's some special deals for you for checking it out...

This is The Big Time- like getting an at-bat in the Major Leagues. And we knocked it out of the park.

We've got some excellent comments already, and people have found value in our message. The idea of joyous cooperation and collaboration, rather than fearful competition (fostered by Big Traditional Publishing) is resonating with more and more people.

Everybody does better when everybody does better (saying of Jim Hightower)

We've got a lot of people we work with. Folks like Chris Obert of Pear Tree Publishing, who puts together author signings and the New England Author's Expo. The owners of Books and Boos bookstore in CT, where they host author signings and include them at their showcase table at conventions. The New England Horror Writers. The Sisters in Crime. Librarians. Reviewers. Independent bookstore workers.

It's a great New World of Publishing, and savvy writers are working together to make things better for everyone. Viva La Revolution!

Big Pub Enters the Arena- and Gets Served

It seems the tide is turning. Corporate bigwigs from the traditonal publishing houses are starting to emerge from their bunkers to talk to the sweaty peasants about publishing.
Here are a set of posts you MUST read if you're a writer interested at all in the publishing business.

For the first, Joe Konrath hosts Questions From Steve  Zacharius, CEO and President of Kensington Publishing.
I commented on this one, saying the CEO had done the equivalent of entering a boxing ring blindfolded and with his hands tied behind his back. Yeah, he got clobbered, mostly because he had chance after chance to respond to direct questions, and kept dodging, ducking, and diving.

Even worse was the other one who foolishly took on Barry Eisler, whose debate skills are even better, and who surgically removed the man's ass and handed it to him.
Barry Eisler, Authors Deserve Better

Of course, the bigwigs of traditional publishing are still not getting it, having business practices from the 1980's and accounting practices from the 1960's, but hey, they're talking now. Which tells you something. Like, they're running scared. Really scared. They know that unless they make radical changes, their business days are numbered.


And they blame it all on Amazon, in what is called Amazon Derangement Syndrome. They say it's better for authors to get screwed by BigPub for real in the here and now, because someday in the future Amazon might screw them. Nothing about how they refuse to listen to the people trying to help them survive by giving them great advice on how to make money, keep authors, and get more good ones signed on. See the Hugh Howey posts on how to do this.

You know, if there was a coaching company who helped people reach championship levels, they could justly charge for that in relation to what they were doing. If a publishing company built an author up through ever-increasing sales to stardom, that would be something (and it used to happen).

But their new strategy is to hang out at the finish lines, waiting for the front runners to come charging to the tape, then leaping out, grabbing hold as the finish line is crossed, and claiming that the winner owed it all to them. They want to crowd onto the medal stand. Thus do they wait until self-publishers have sold thousands of books, and only then offering a BigPub contract. After the person has already shown they don't need BigPub to create and sell a good book.

And they still say that nobody can win unless they sign with BigPub. Even though more winners emerge every month.

It's a business strategy based on the hope there will be enough future writing suckers who don't understand math or business. And on the hope that the one giant bookstore chain left stays completely healthy.

Not the smartest plan. It's a revolution, and they're clinging to the old ways. They're pushing themselves into the dustbin of history!

The Truth Hurts

Noted best-selling author Barry Eisler gave an address (On Digital Denial) at the Pike's Peak Writers Convention. You can read all about the fallout here on Joe Konrath's site.

The gist of it is, Barry once more told a few truths that sent Big Publishers and agents harumphing over the Internet, saying all kinds of crap.

The buggy-whip salespeople really hate it when people get the truth. They piss and moan on their social media sites, but they do not engage Barry in actual debate, though he and others invite it.

They won't, because he's right. He tells the truth, and they bloody well know it, but they don't want anyone hearing it.

Come on, industry apologists, if you think he's full of pony poop, have the stones to come out and engage in a discussion and debate.

You don't dare, because he'll shred you with the truth.

Barry Eisler and Me at CrimeBake

Well it sure is an interesting time. I added up all the writing tasks and items from this last week, and there were about 30. So I've been a busy little bee.

Just to show you I how I hang out with the cool kids, here's a picture from last Crime Bake
(photo courtesy Crime Bake photographer Maureen "Mo" Walsh):

Wow! You say. That's Dale with none other than Barry Eisler, the best-selling writer who turned down a half-million dollar, two-book deal to take another path.

Yeah-- the guy that fired the shot at the Big Pub sweatshops, not across the bow, but right amidships.

He's my freaking hero.
Half a million bucks, they said-- and he said "Piss off, I can do better."
And he did.
Cojones, my friends.
Talk about the New World of Publishing!

His thriller series, featuring assassin John Rain, is superb. And I don't like a lot of best-seller series.

My series character, Zack Taylor, is a genuine tough guy who's good at martial arts, and would kick the crap out of most other series character heroes.
Except for Eisler's John Rain.
And in an elevator fight, I could take a good many mystery/thriller writers.
But not Barry, who's got more expertise.

So okay, if I was going to have a Man-crush, he'd be a contender.

Check out his blog, The Heart of the Matter. Lots of food for thought.

But who's the guy on the right, you say?
That's Mike Johnson, a music teacher and author from Dracut, MA, who has penned the mystery "Lawless in Brazil."

 

 

 

 

What's Wrong With Publishing, or The Kobayashi Maru

Today someone asked "how's your book doing?"
It's great to be able to say-- "Which one?"
As of last December, I only had one novel out for sale-- A Memory of Grief-- now I've got two novels published, with a third due out later this year-- while I also do work on book #4, the one to follow.
And I've got five story collections out in print-- while working on several more.
And-- the other novels I've got in the immediate pipeline.
So the book(s) is/are doing well, thanks. Better every day.

In our talk, I said it was tough being an Indie writer, as you're responsible for all the promotion-- as well as writing more. No matter if you're promoting one book or writing another, you feel like you're not doing enough if you can't do both at the same time-- and with a regular day job and a family, you have little enough time as it is.

He smiled and said, "You've got a real Kobayashi Maru situation there."

This touched my nerdy little heart. For those of you who may not have your geek creds, the Kobayashi Maru was a plot device used in Star Trek. It was an exercise at Starfleet Academy, designed as unwinnable, no matter what the player did. It was designed to teach prospective officers the meaning of fear and failure. Everyone failed. Until James T. Kirk came along, a man who refused to accept failure, ever. He beat the Kobayashi Maru by cheating the rigged game! Kirk hacked the game computer to allow for a winnable scenario. And won it.

The whole idea is legend to those of us who get it. It shows us what Kirk's indomitable spirit is all about, and why he's successful as a Starship Captain.

This had tremendous resonance with me, because of another recent communication. I told a pro writer about my ambition to write fiction full-time, making it my living.

The response was "Forget it-- it's a pipe dream. You can't make a living writing fiction. I've had too many friends who've come to a bad end because they tried this."

Now this is a person who has been writing and publishing in the traditional pub world for almost 20 years. They said that they can sell a new book on a short proposal. They've got a spate of prestigious awards and nominations. With terrific, high-level reviews from professionals, a following, a number of books with good covers, a good website, and impressive sales rankings and reviews on Amazon. And with the support of big publishing behind them, offering hardback, paperback, e-books, audio books, and translation editions.

And this person cannot make a steady enough income to survive!
That, dear readers, is What's Wrong With Big Traditional Publishing.
Someone is making a ton of money here, and it ain't the person creating the product. A pro, with everything in place, is not getting a steady income from a terrific backlist and a regular supply of new books.

Wonder why. Maybe because Big Trad Pub gives a piddly 17.5% to the creator of the work, then another 15% comes out of that for an agent.

So we have a system that creates the expectation of failure. You can have everything going for you, do everything right, and you still get nothing but scraps from Big Trad Pub (for which they expect you should be groveling and grateful).

Sorry, ain't buying it. Like James Tiberius Kirk, I reject this rigged system, and the attitude of failure it fosters.
It's the Kobayashi Maru scenario once again-- a system that's unbeatable.

So, like Kirk, I'll go outside the system to beat it-- and do what's necessary to succeed. If that means Big Trad Pub is Starfleet, and won't let me be a captain without playing their losing game, I'll go rogue and get my own damn Starship.

I'll follow in the steps of others who began at Starfleet, and who have also rejected Big Trad Pub-- and are now making a very nice living.
Folks like JA Konrath, Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Barry Eisler, just to name a few. The ones who show you how to succeed, how to reach for the stars, not be afraid of them.

For some time now, when people have asked what the middle initial T stands for in my name, I've answered "Tiberius."
Now you know why.

Live Long, and Prosper.
And Non Carborundum Illegitimatus.

Digging Their Own Graves

Big traditional publishers are digging their own graves with a fleet of backhoes.

One of of my favorite blogs is that of Kristine Kathryn Rusch, who came out with one of the best postings ever:
The Business Rusch: Scarcity and Abundance

It looks at the old publishing model as opposed to the revolutionary new world of publishing that has erupted in the last two years.

And yes, it's required reading.

A big part of the reason the big traditional publishers are experiencing difficulties is that the revolution has taken them completely by surprise, and they have not reacted well. They have a mindset, that if continued, will send them the way of the dinosaurs into extinction. They'll continue to lose money with stupid moves like giving Amanda Knox $4 million dollars to do a book of her story.

Four million dollars. That would support 800 midlist writers with an average $5000 advance-- but I guess an outdated story about a court case is way more important than reading 800 other writers. Well, we see where their priorities are. And they will most likely lose quite a bit of money on this. Are we supposed to weep for them? This isn't literature, which they keep insisting they're in charge of. See Konrath and Eisler's comments on the Hachette pub memo.

And neither is another big-selling author book I just read, put out by a supposed professional publishing company. It was crap-- read the reviews here. Wow- this is a cherished best-selling author, and the 1, 2, and 3-star reviews outnumber the good ones. So where's the editing from the pros? Where's the quality? Oh, I see-- his name means they can push any piece of crap out to make money.

Believe me, I know how badly it sucks to be in a dying paradigm. I grew up in a country where we at least gave lip service to concepts like law, human rights, and being the Good Guys.

Hard to justify keeping them around, if this is their way of doing things.

Don’t Wait For the Fairy Godmother to Sell Your Books!

I recently responded to a thread on a writer help site, Absolute Write, where people had asked about Briona Glen, the publisher of my first two mystery novels, A Memory of Grief and A Fall From Grace. So awhile back I posted a few times in the spirit of sharing information. Some took issues with things I'd said, or what they'd thought I'd said. A few were out-and-out idiots, who live in some sort of bizarro fantasy world. Some of these folks had posted hundreds or even thousands of messages on the site. I suggested they should rather attend writer conferences (like I did), and talk to actual working writers (like I did) to get their data, rather than form their beliefs based on outdated paradigms.

But a new posting asked how it had worked out for me, so I responded-- I said I was happy, because I've got my second good novel now out, and am selling books, doing what I want, working hard at promotion, and having great success. I said that as an independent, I'd easily make more money this year than the average lowball midlist advance from a NY publisher-- roughly $5000, minus 15% for an agent, leaving the writer with $4250 (before taxes). So to beat that, I only have to sell a couple of thousand copies, which we plan on doing this year.

Another writer who'd published with a different small press was incredulous that someone could make such kingly sums, since they obviously hadn't. So I explained how and why that would happen, that I was working to sell and promote my books.

And another poster responded thusly:
"Most authors don't have the time, money, or inclination to work that hard at promotion, and they need to rely on a solid publisher who has good contacts, puts a lot of time and money into marketing and promoting their titles."
--Wow. Right to the top of the stupid charts.

Money? I got none, so that's not even an issue-- unless you think an extra printer cartridge and a tank of gas or two is too much for you to spend on promoting your work. (Amazing what you can get done over the phone and Internet.)

So-- writers should wait for a fairy godmother to sell their books? This idiot mindset is what Barry Eisler and Michael Stackpole (Swimming Lessons for House Slaves: No one will swim for you) were talking about in their discussions of certain author attitudes, a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, and another mentality you can read about, on JA Konrath's site.

But this poster says that once an author passes off a book to a publisher, the author should sit back on their ass and wait for someone else to sell their books for them.
--So where are these legions of do-gooder, fairy godmother publishers scrambling to do all they can for lazy authors? Man, I would love for someone to put a lot of time and money into making money for me.
Volunteers? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Oh, yeah, that's I went with a small press.
Because fairy godmothers are damned hard to find in this biz.

Expecting that you need to do little to sell your books is akin to having a retirement plan that consists entirely of buying lottery tickets. It might happen, but the odds are rather against it, and it may not be the smartest thing to do. On the other hand, if you have a working plan and continue to work at it, it's a wee bit more likely to reach your goals than just sitting and wishing.

Brings to mind a quote by Edison: “Most people don't recognize opportunity when it comes, because it's usually dressed in overalls and looks a lot like work.”

Most of the people who expect someone else to do the work for them aren't going to go very far. And this person encouraging that mindset is doing a disservice. --But it may be even worse than that. The person posting might be a publisher, certainly looks like it from their profile. This goes beyond self-serving to the truly slimy. "Don't worry your pretty little head, author. We publishers will do all that hard stuff for you, so you can sit back and count the money rolling in."
Lot of self-serving jerks preying on gullible, naïve writers. Telling them they "need to rely on a solid publisher." --"Forget all that self-reliance crap, kid-- just sign with us. We'll make you a star!"

Writers do not "need" and should not wait for, a fairy godmother to sell their books. They "should" study the business, find out what efforts make success more likely, make a plan, and do the steps (and the hard work) required. Ain't no guarantees, but it's a hell of a lot more likely than expecting someone else to do it for you.

If that sounds hard, remember the quote from the Tom Hanks character in A League of Their Own-- "Of course it's hard! It's supposed to be hard! If it wasn't, everybody would be doing it!"

'Nuff said.

Joining the Revolution, Going Nuts With a Challenge

Today I took the plunge, and put my first story up for sale on Smashwords- Froggy Went A Courting:
At a mere 99 cents!

This is where I've really joined the publishing revolution. Do it yourself? Heavens to Murgatroyd!

And the reason is a group of writers who have been preaching for some time that writers have choice, that all those countless hours we spend toiling away might actually be put to use, by putting up our good work so that readers can find it and even compensate us with a few pennies.

People like Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler, with their conversation in Be the Monkey.

And Dean Wesley Smith, with his trilogy of terror:
New World of Publishing
Think Like A Publisher
Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing

And many others. Okay guys, some of us have been paying attention. And we've changed our strategies...

A year ago, I was still looking for a traditional big publishing house, likely in New York, to publish my first mystery novel, A Memory of Grief. I'd spent years writing good queries, researching which agents to send to, and did everything properly. Had some interest from some pros, had an agent for 2.5 years, but still no sale. Years of wasted time.

Then along came a small outfit, a startup publisher, and they asked me if I wanted to take a chance and publish with them. After weighing the pros and cons, I did, and this last Summer, Briona Glen Publishing released my first book in print (and as an ebook).

I was over the moon, but didn't stop there. I finished the edits to book 2 of the series, A Fall From Grace, and now that's going to be out very soon! Two good books published six months apart.
HA-- try that with a big NY house-- if your name isn't Stephen King!

Hey, pretty good, but why stop there? I'd published over 20 short stories, some really good ones, but once they appear, they dissolve after a short time and don't get seen. But the guys mentioned above have been saying-- get that stuff up, folks! Your backlist is a goldmine!

I hear ya! And so I'll put stories up for sale, as singles and collections. They won't be hiding anymore, they'll be read.

In fact, I've been so inspired, I decided to go absolutely nuts. It's because of these guys, I swear!

Dean Wesley Smith was trying to write 100 stories in a year, while also doing his books. Life got in the way, so he couldn't finish. But he proved the method, that working writers can produce a lot if they get over this notion they HAVE to write slowly, and only put out a book (or two) a year.

So I'm picking up that torch and running. I want to be a full-time fiction writer, so here's what I'm going to attempt for the coming year, while I'm still keeping my day job.

The 2012 Challenge

First, the Book of the Month Challenge- I want to put out books (ebooks first, and we'll see about print) to the tune of one new book for every month of the New Year. I can't write good novels that fast, so a few will be novels, and the rest will be story collections. Still, it's 12 books.

Which leads us to Part II of the Challenge.

Second, I'll have a story put up for every week of the New Year-- 52 stories by the end of next year. I've got just 1 so far. Long way to go.

So there you have it-- 12 books, in addition to my two novels, and 52 stories-- an insane schedule.
Since I have only limited time, it's going to mean full-out crazy.

Too much? Maybe. But I'm fired up with writing religion, and a desire to play in the Big Leagues. You can blame it on those guys who've been egging us on to do stuff like this. By way of thanks, I'll be buying their books to support them, even if I'm cursing their names by the end of next year!

So check back to see how I'm doing.
Smashwords and Amazon allow you to sample the work before you buy, so check out the writing.
And wish me luck-- I'm gonna need it!

Crime Bake II

Here's a more detailed report on the 2011 Crime Bake mystery conference, held in Dedham on Nov. 11-13th. This is a fun event for serious fans of mystery fiction, and you get to rub elbows with some of the top names in the field. And lesser ones, as it seems everyone has a book to hawk. Hey, I was no exception, exhibiting "A Memory of Grief" and postcards showing the cover of "A Fall From Grace." The response from folks showed that they loved the covers.

There are also agents and publishers in attendance, so it's no suprise that someone looking to pitch a novel shows up. There are sessions where you can sign up to pitch your concept to one of the agents attending. I did that in 2009, back when I was going the traditional publishing route. Now I'm following a different path, and am glad I did.

Understand, the hope for a big New York publishing house to pick up your book is very alluring. I talked to a few people there for whom this lottery had paid off, and they were doing well. Many others were still waiting for their big break. I could still be waiting, but instead I'm published and selling books, and have creative control over covers, pricing, and content, something you won't likely get with the traditional route. Once you sign, they make all the decisions, even if you hate what they do.

For example, they'll likely price your ebook too high, so you won't sell as many as you would if they had a reasonable price. Another example is covers. The Guest of Honor, best-seller Barry Eisler, told his famous tale of how the publisher had stuck one of his covers with a blank, bland, green garage door, despite his vehement protests. Would you read a book that had nothing but a garage door on the cover? Well, I'm sure it was cheap. Cost them heavily in the long run, though, as it's one of the reasons Barry left those idiots behind.

Having Barry as the guest was astonishing, for he is one of those leading the revolution against the traditional model of publishing. He famously turned down a half-million dollar contract, said he was self-publishing, then found a better way, as someone was smart enough to figure out a way to get his books to readers while making a profit for both the distributor and the author. What a concept, huh?

But as the conference is heavily tilted toward the print world, it was amazing to have an ebook poster child give a talk on the different options. You could see agents in the audience wincing, as they see more of their business slipping away. Many more authors are turning to other options, meaning they have less need of an agent to try and sell the work to one of the Big Six publishers remaining.

Glad to report that Barry is as engaging, informative, and downright nice as his postings have led me to believe. Am looking forward to reading my signed copy of "The Detachment."

Met many other authors as well. Finally got to talk to Gerry Boyle, a Maine writer whose works I discovered back in the 90's. Picked up a copy of his "Port City Black and White." Chatted with Toni Kelner again, and her husband Stephen, a nice guy whose book "Motivate Your Writing" is also on my new to-be-read pile.

Met a number of folks represented by the terrific, hard-working agent, Christine Witthohn of Book Cents Literary Agency. Her gang loves her, and they're a lot of fun. I hung out with them, as I try to find the group having the best time, and they were it. Check out this new crop of writers:
Pete Morin- Diary of a Small Fish
Liz Lipperman- Liver Let Die
Kari Lee Townsend- Tempest in the Tea Leaves
Barbie Jo Mahoney
Lindsay Downs
Danielle Labue Bronson