Authors, beware of eBookSmarts!

There is a company called eBookSmarts (.com) run by a fellow named Hassan Shah, and I am appalled at his expectations--and you should be too.

They claim to be able to give you free stats on your books. Sounds okay. I was interested, even though I have other ways of viewing stats. But I have always been open to new ideas, so I thought I'd give them a try.

After finally getting into the site, I went to set up my book info and what did I discover? They actually wanted me to give them my Amazon login info, INCLUDING PASSWORD. WTF???

And you only discover this AFTER you have signed up for their free beta.

When I asked him what "idiot in their right mind" would give him such access, he said "Apparently a couple hundred idiots think our service is worth trying..."

Wow...

Then he mentioned KDP. So he's asking for either my KDP login info which gives him access to all my personal info like bank account info, including the ability to mess with our publications, pricing and more; or he was asking for my personal Amazon account login info, which gives him access to my personal info and credit card. Really??

ANY COMPANY WHO ASKS YOU TO GIVE YOUR AMAZON ACCOUNT INFO IS UNPROFESSIONAL AND BORDERS ON "SCAM"!

Ok, today's rant--over! Maybe...

In the Company of Others

I went to the Kerrytown Book Festival last weekend, and it was amazing. Not only did I share a table with three other authors (Patricia Batta, W.S. Gager, and Susan Froetchel), but I touched base with others, like D.E. Johnson. I talked briefly with publishers about how their business is going (they claim it's great) and with a bookstore manager who works very hard to get the festival ready every year (Robin Agnew of Aunt Agatha's).
It probably doesn't sound like much to some--a little conversation, a recognized face--but for an author who lives in (choose one) God's country or the Boondocks, it's wonderful to talk with people who know the kind of crazy I am. I know Bouchercon isn't going to help me sell hundreds of books, nor is Magna Cum Murder next month. I don't go for the sales. I go to connect with others in the industry, so I don't feel so all alone when I come back to this office and sit here thinking, "This book will never get done," or "This book is awful," or even "I should give up."
We all face the same trials. We all help each other through it. Book events are kind of like church for authors.

New TV Show-- Writers' Reality!

It seems everybody in the world has a reality show, so here's my idea: writers should get one!
We could put a bunch of writers in a house somewhere...
No, wait. They'd just sit around and complain about the state of publishing, their editors' foibles, and their current WIP. No action, and not a lot of drama.
Okay, so we could put a group of writers on an island, and...
No, they'd each build a hut out of coconut leaves, crawl inside, and start writing a novel set in that spot. Peaceful, but not compelling.
Maybe we could send them all over the world in a race to...
No. Each team would help the others, giving advice and tweeting about their successes. At night they'd all sit around a fire and figure out ways everyone in the group can sell more books.

All right. We could set up cameras and capture the activity in one author's life--the folksy, all-American stuff that seems so popular.
 No. The world probably isn't ready to watch hours of someone sitting in a chair, staring at a screen, and mumbling things like, "No, she can't do that now, because she doesn't know he's in the room."
So writers don't get a reality show. We aren't hokey enough, tearful enough, angry enough, or dramatic enough--at least until we get it down on paper.
But if America could see me, an aged, out-of-shape pacifist, acting out both sides of a fight scene alone in my office to try to get each participant's actions right, they'd see something real--kinda.

Eureka! The Perfect Way to Promote a Book

Here are five easy steps to selling more books than anyone, ever:

1. Surf and study the Internet until you understand every single aspect of it.
2. Gain practical knowledge of the buying habits of every reader and prospective future readers.
3. Establish a personal relationship with #2 using #1.
4. Maintain #3 long-term with daily contact, offering enticements, encouragement, and unique gifts/prizes
5. Provide a steady stream of fascinating books whenever you aren't working on Steps 1-4

Wasn't that easy? Now sit back and enjoy!

Author Maintenance, the Millstone 'Round My Neck

I speak to lots of wanna-be authors who have a book ready to go. "Ready" is a relative term, but let's say that's true. It's easier now than ever to become a "published author". There are dozens of sites ready to help.
What people often don't recognize is the maintenance needed after that publishing takes place. There simply aren't many people out there holding their breath until you publish a book. When it's up there, on Amazon or Nook or Smashwords or whatever; when it's available in hardcover, paperback or e-format, you have to let people know.
And that's really, really hard.
Publishers do what they can. Both my publishers get me reviews and praise my books on their websites and FB and wherever else they're allowed to. The problem is they have lots of writers on their list, and there are oceans of other publishers trying just as hard to get their authors noticed. Each mention of my name is a drop in that ocean, hardly noticeable to most readers.
So the author is left to establish and maintain a presence in the reading world. That can be done on-line or in person, but neither way is easy.
Recently I got an email from a site called Authorsden, which lists books in categories so readers can easily find what they'd like to buy/read. They asked that I check to make sure my entries were current.
How about not??? I'd  listed the first two books and then forgotten about the site, since there are always new and different ones popping up on my radar.
I added two books, but it took about an hour to plug in the information they asked for: reviews, links, etc.
Now I have four listings there, but I'll be up to a dozen books once the two in the pipeline are up this spring.
Anyone can publish a book, but are you willing to maintain your presence as an author? It isn't like setting out a sugar cube and watching the flies gather. It's more like trying to fill a well with stones: it can be done, but it will take more time and work than you planned on.

Reading in the Cracks

I once was told to savor the time spent writing and publishing of my first book. I didn't get it, because I was so anxious to be in print, and the two years between contract and release almost killed me. Now I look back and see what the author who gave me that advice meant, because when Book One is out, everyone wants to know when there'll be another one. That first book was a leisurely experience, with all the time in the world to write it, plenty of time to promote it, and no reader expectations to rush it.

Fast forward to now, when at least one book of my three series is due at any given moment. I won't lie and say I hate hearing people ask when they'll see the next Dead Detective or Loser or Simon & Elizabeth book, but it does fill up my time. One of the things that has suffered is my reading.

Writers need to be readers. We need to feel the flow of writers better than we, and it doesn't hurt our egos to see that we're better than some, even some the world calls Best Sellers. We also need to know the market and try to fit our work somewhere between carbon copy and too far from what's selling in the real world. And we need to be reminded of what we enjoyed about reading, what made us want to write.

There were days in my youth when I read all day long. There were hours when my kids were napping where I immersed myself in a book. That doesn't happen any more, at least not very often. I did read a whole book two weeks ago, pretty much in one sitting, but we were coming home from Las Vegas, so it was on-the-plane, during-the-layover and on-the-plane again. (I got re-acquainted with John Lescroart, which was good.)

It took me weeks to get through THE THIRTEENTH TALE, even though I couldn't wait to get back to it. If a book drags at all, I give up on it these days. It simply isn't worth finding the time to read it if I'm not enjoying the world it conjures.

I have books stashed around my house like a squirrel hides nuts, each one in place in case I get a few minutes to read. I have two Kindles and an iPad that stand ready to pop a story in front of my eyes. I still WANT to read, LOVE to read, NEED to read, but there's writing, too, and there, I control what happens. I guess writing will take the biggest chunks of the rest of my life, and reading, though important, will have to fit into the cracks.

Today I'm stopping here on my blog tour, which is winding down, but there are still chances to win prizes and see what's going on with Seamus.

Schedule: Peg Herring’s Blog Tour for May (and one post in June) consists of a mix of interviews with Seamus, the Dead Detective, and posts on writing. The previous stop was on May 16 at http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.comThe next stop on the tour will be on May 25^th at http://www.preciousmonsters.com/ A complete schedule is posted at Peg’s blog, http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com/ When the tour is over (June 11^th) the complete Seamus interview will be posted there.

Prizes: People who comment on any blog post on the tour will be entered in drawings for several prizes: Dead Detective T-shirts, copies of THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY and DEAD FOR THE MONEY (paperback or e-books available), and the chance to be a character in the third of the series DEAD FOR THE SHOW. Multiple winners will be drawn.

Links: DEAD FOR THE MONEY (e-book) http://tinyurl.com/c6pzz5z

THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY (paperback) http://tinyurl.com/7f6yc2r

Peg’s website: http://pegherring.com

Taking Stock

There’s a line of commercials lately that traces minor events in life that snowball and lead to disaster. In one, a guy frustrated by his cable service ends up beaten bloody in a ditch. I’m not sure that’s true for mystery writing, but the life of a mystery writer goes a little like this.

When you start writing a mystery novel, you want to know more about crime. When you want to know more about crime, you begin paying too much attention to television. When you pay too much attention to television, you begin to think that every action has a secret motive. When you think every action has a secret motive, you suspect everyone. When you suspect everyone, scenarios form in your brain. When scenarios form in your brain, you write them down. When you write them down, you have a mystery novel!

When I take stock of who I am today and who I was before I started writing, I see major growth in the area of in-brain storytelling. Passing a person on the street who’s fumbling through his clothes brings up the idea that he’s the victim of pickpockets, when it’s likely he just forgot where he stashed his keys. A sighting of an armored car brings up visions of armed gunmen pulling the driver to the ground and driving it away before anyone can stop them. A story in a newspaper of an unidentified body found in the woods of northern Michigan creates a whole list of possibilities, none of them as mundane as the truth, that it’s some pitiful Alzheimer’s victim who wandered away from home and couldn’t get back.

It isn’t life that’s changed; it’s me. Mystery writing is an addiction, and like all addictions, we can recognize it, admit to it, and struggle against it, but it’s always there. It’s partly the fault of others, those who say, “Oh, that was such a clever twist in your last book!”

“Oh,” I say to myself, “they think THAT was clever—wait till they see what I do next time!”

Friends in the mystery-writing community confess to the same thoughts. We start viewing the world in terms of plot-lines, people in terms of character possibilities, and even aspects of nature in terms of a great line for the next book. We don’t look at the world the way others do, or maybe even the way we used to: it isn’t just life anymore: it’s all fodder for the next book or the one after that.

I sometimes feel that I should warn my friends. Like a karate expert who must register his hands as lethal weapons, maybe all mystery writers should be made to wear that T-shirt you see at conventions that says: Be careful or you’ll end up in my next novel.

Keynote for Poets and Writers Event...

New York Supreme Court Judge, and author of "Carlito's Way," will be the Keynote Speaker at my Poets and Writers Event next week in NYC! Boo-Yah!

Granta names 'best young Spanish-language novelists'

Extending its celebrated selections of rising literary stars into the Spanish-speaking world, journal tips 22 young authors for the future

The future Ian McEwans and Salman Rushdies of the Spanish-language literary world have been named by Granta magazine in a list of the best young Spanish-language authors writing today.
From Argentinian author Federico Falco to Chilean poet and novelist Alejandro Zambra and Spain's Pablo Gutiérrez, the literary magazine unveiled the 22 writers to make it into its list of the best of young Spanish-language novelists in Madrid this morning. Running since 1983, when the literary magazine included Julian Barnes, Martin Amis, McEwan and Rushdie in its list of the best of young British novelists, Granta's "best of young novelists" series has tipped a host of future writers for stardom, from Edwidge Danticat to Jonathan Franzen, but has never looked outside America and the UK before.
A panel of judges including acclaimed Argentinian film director and writer Edgardo Cozarinsky, award-winning novelist Francisco Goldman and journalist Isabel Hilton, along with the Spanish edition of Granta's editors Aurelio Major and Valerie Miles, chose the Spanish-language writers, who also include Peruvian short story writer Carlos Yushimito del Valle, currently finishing his first novel, and Argentinian poet and short story writer Matías Néspolo, whose first novel, Siete maneras de matar a un gato (Seven Ways to Kill a Cat), is due out in English from Harvill Secker.
"From Borges to Bolano, the Spanish language has given us some of the most beloved writers of the 20th and 21st centuries," said Granta. "But as the reach of Spanish-language culture extends far beyond Spain and Latin America, and the US tilts towards a majority Hispanic population, it is time to ask who is next in this exciting tradition."
Granta said that fiction from the 22 authors, which will feature in the new editions of Granta and Granta en español next month, would give readers "an unprecedented insight into the world of Spanish letters". Of the writers selected, eight come from Argentina, six from Spain, two each from Peru and Chile, and one from Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia and Uruguay. Five of the 22 writers are female.
Granta's best of young Spanish novelists:
Carlos Yushimito del Valle
Matías Néspolo
Alberto Olmos
Antonio Ortuño
Andrés Felipe Solano
Santiago Roncagliolo
Elvira Navarro
Andrés Neuman
Patricio Pron
Carlos Labbé
Oliverio Coelho
Rodrigo Hasbún
Sònia Hernández
Andrés Ressia Colino
Samanta Schweblin
Pola Oloixarac
Javier Montes
Federico Falco
Pablo Gutiérrez
Andrés Barba
Alejandro Zambra
Lucía Puenzo
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010

Copyright infringement

A recent discussion on copyright infringement in a writers' group really piqued my interest in exploring the boundaries that some people cross, sometimes unwittingly, sometimes regardless of consequences or right or wrong. This is found in abundance on the Internet.

Some believe that if you copy and post someone else's work, you're showing them a huge honor.

Some believe that by doing so, you're actually helping that writer by giving them more exposure and more sales.

Some believe that if they don't profit from it, it isn't infringement.

I believe that all of these are disrespectful, untrue and very dangerous--not just to the person committing the infringement, but also to writers and others who rely on copyright laws to protect their work. Work they've slaved over. Work they've sacrificed time and often money for.

Read more on this at:

Copyright infringement: an act of honoring or theft?

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif
bestselling author & book marketing coach
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Author Tech Support Hotline Outsourced to India

Today I invited the very talented Marshall Karp to be a guest blogger on Criminal Minds at Work. Marshall, as you're about to find out, has a great sense of humor, and if you're a writer you're going to be able to relate to this post. ~CKT

The Author Tech Support Hotline has now been outsourced to India

For those of you who are not published authors, let me tell you one of the great perks that comes with the territory. A 24/7 hotline you can call whenever you run into a writing problem.

Now I’m not talking about “Writer’s Block.” That’s a term invented by the media, and it is totally fictitious like The Abominable Snowman, Erectile Dysfunction, or Dick Cheney’s so called “heart.”

Author Tech Support is for writers who just get a little stuck. It has always been staffed by English majors at universities in New York, Chicago, and Boston. But the economic apocalypse has forced Author Hotline to outsource its help desk to India. My recent phone call was a disaster.

RECORDING: You’ve reached the Author Hotline. Press 1 for Chick Lit, Press 2 for Science Fiction, Press 3 for Crime and Mystery…

I press 3 and a man with a thick Indian accent comes on.

AUTHOR HOTLINE: Hello, this is Gary. What is your name please?

MARSHALL KARP: Hi Gary. My name is Chandrashekhar.

AH: Ohh, my father’s name is Chandrashekhar. How can I help you?

MK: I killed a woman in Chapter 5, and I thought I knew who the murderer was, but it just doesn’t work. Now I’m on Chapter 47, and I need some help figuring out who the real murder is.

AH: Oh yes, figuring out who the real murderer is. OJ Syndrome. Are you sure this woman is really dead?

MK: I don’t understand.

AH: A lot of authors call Tech Support, but they don’t check to see if the character is really dead. She could be working late at the office. Can you please take another good look at Chapter 5 to see if she’s really dead?

MK: She’s dead. I checked before I called. I need a murderer.

AH: What are my options?

MK: Her husband.

AH: The husband? That’s Crime 1.0. You’re working in 4.0.

MK: Well, how about the local butcher? She was stabbed with a knife…

AH: Describe this butcher.

MK: Mid sixties, white hair, big happy smile. Nobody would ever suspect him.

AH: Too lovable. Women readers will hate you. Try using a jealous co-worker.

MK: I don’t have a jealous co-worker.

AH: There was one in the box with the original software.

MK: I didn’t save the box. I figured if I had a problem, you would help me.

AH: Sir, I’m trying to help. Why don’t you try rebooting your PC?

MK: Actually it’s a Mac.

AH: A Mac? I’m only qualified for PCs. I’ll have to transfer you.

MK: No! I don’t want to start over again. Don’t transf…

RECORDING: You’ve reached the Author Hotline. Press 1 for Chick Lit, Press 2 for Science Fiction, Press 3 for Crime and Mystery…


Marshall Karp is the author of The Rabbit Factory, Bloodthirsty, Flipping Out, and some mildly amusing blogs like the one above, which reside at http://www.lomaxandbiggs.com/.

Tips for Plotting Your Novel - Percolate & Ferment

Fiction authors are often asked, “How do you come up with your novel plots? Where do you find these ideas?” As a Canadian suspense author, I am often asked these questions, and my answers will usually include something about letting ideas percolate and ferment.


Read Part 1: Percolate Your Ideas

Read Part 2: Ferment the Plot


~Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a bestselling author of 3 Canadian suspense novels (Whale Song (published by award-winning Kunati Books), The River and Divine Intervention). She is also a freelance journalist and popular speaker at writers groups, conferences and book clubs. Her specialty topics are: book publishing options; book marketing (online and offline) and writing advice. Cheryl currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.


Visit her website: http://www.cherylktardif.com, or her blog: http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com

What are some of the best writer's resources?

If you're an aspiring or published author looking for some great resources, I highly recommend the following books. Some will be genre specific as this comprises a large part of my own library.

General writing resources:

• Writer's Market (the holy grail for writers)
• The Canadian Writer's Market (ditto for Canadian writers)
• The Canadian Writer's Guide
• The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats
• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
• The Writer's Guide to Character Traits (excellent for building your characters)
• Characters and Viewpoint (great for improving POV) - published by Writer's Digest
• Writing Dialogue - published by Writer's Digest
• Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things
• How to Write a Children's Book and Get Published
• Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel
• Forensics for Dummies (no dead bodies included)

Book marketing books:

• What Writers Need to Know About Publishing (by Jerry D. Simmons, a great friend of mine)
• The Book Publisher's Handbook (Eric Kampmann)
• How to Sell What You Write
• Beyond the Bookstore (Brian Jud)
• Plug Your Book (Steve Weber, another friend)
• 1001 Ways to Market Your Books (John Kremer, another author friend)
• Web Site WOW (Jeniffer Thompson)

Like any craft or skill, you have to learn it first, then take the time to hone and perfect it. These books will only help you become that much better and even more attractive to an agent or publisher.

I invite my fellow writers to add to this list and share their favorite writer's resources.

All the best in your writing endeavors. :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,

bestselling author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

Cheryl Kaye Tardif's 'Create a Corpse' Contest

"I kill people off for a living." That’s what bestselling suspense author Cheryl Kaye Tardif likes to say when someone asks her what she does for a living. You don't want to miss reading the rest of this tongue-in-cheek post about mystery, murder, messages...and corpses.

Author Karen Harrington invited Cheryl to share a bit about her mystery/suspense novels and while visiting Karen's blog A Writer's Diary, Cheryl decided to hold an impromptu and ‘deadly’ little contest.

Check out Karen Harrington: A Writer's Diary.