Responsible Blogging

Let's talk about public forums on the Internet.

I'm a staunch believer in freedom of speech, and the information superhighway is quickly becoming the preferred way to communicate. Unlike telephones, the exchange can be permanent, and unlike newspapers or books, it allows for instantaneous self-expression, followed by instantaneous reaction and response.

Never before in the history of the world have people been able to express themselves so easily and quickly.

Perhaps too quickly.

An unforeseen phenomenon sprung shortly after the first chat rooms and message boards appeared. A specific type of person who used the Internet not as an open means of intelligent discourse, but to call people names, cause trouble, and refuse to listen to reason or apologize for their behavior.

We call these people trolls.

Trolls enjoy causing trouble. They like the attention they receive from being insulting, demeaning, and provocative. The name troll comes from the fishing lexicon--to troll means to cast out your lure and wait to see what bites.

Unlike real life, where calling someone a nasty name, or pointing a finger and shouting untrue accusations might get you into big trouble (and perhaps even force you to defend your words) the Internet is the perfect venue for cowards such as trolls.

In short, there is no accountability. A troll can make wild claims, attack people and organizations, and do it from the safety of their own home, never having to personally confront the people they condemn, or take responsibility for the harm they've caused.

Let's use a hypothetical example. Let's say someone used a blog to level some serious accusations against, oh, let's call it a group of writers. In this person's perception, this writing group has done something really bad, something really unforgivable, such as nominate writers for some awards.

Wait, that's not really unforgivable, is it? Well, what if we make all the nominees... MEN.

I know, I know---what a despicable assortment of scoundrels this writing group must be. But try to bear with me for a moment.

At first glance, you might look at this nomination list and think, "Well, this writing group must be excluding women."

While this conclusion might not be particularly well thought out, it is a legitimate perception.

Now, if you're a staunch support of women's rights (as we all should be), you'll be angry that no women are represented on this ballot. So angry, in fact, that you decide to use the Internet to vent your anger.

So you do what any smart person would do. You go to the organization's web site, looking for information about how this could have happened. You contact the co-presidents and board members, demanding an explanation. You speak to the judges to seek the reasons why there are no women on...

Oh, wait. I take that back. What you do is write a blog entry calling the organization bigots, sexist, and stupid, without any hard facts to back up this belief.

But we can chalk that up to passion, right? After all, sexism exists in the world, and it is an important issue, and if it has teeth and eats sheep it has to be a wolf, right?

But what if the organization comes forward, and politely points out that they are not, indeed, a wolf? They are a teddy bear. And they didn't kill your sheep. They're actually very sensitive to the needs your wooly friends. And they have proof, facts, and evidence to back this up.

That's when you be a woman and admit to your mistake, right?

Or do you cling to your original, erroneous perception, show no remorse for the people you've insulted and the harm you've caused, and continue to stick to your prejudices?

What would you do?

The funny thing is, the Internet is partially responsible for this situation. If I were to pick a random person, say, bestselling author David Morrell, and call him a bigot to his face, chances are he'd get mighty angry and demand to know why I said such a thing. I might have to use things like facts and logic to back up my rudeness. I might even have to defend my position and my original argument.

But not on the Internet. Because on the Internet, any coward can say whatever they want to say, without accountability. They can hurl insults without having to look into the face of the person, or people, they are insulting.

When these people can't even respond or defend themselves, such as judges who have signed non-disclosure agreements, it must feel particularly self-righteous and liberating, because you don't have to face them, and you don't even have to read their objections.

That's how you know the true troll from people who have simply made honest mistakes. The trolls never admit they are wrong.

I wonder how libel laws apply to blogs? I wonder if an organization can prove damages if some motormouth makes untrue accusations? I wonder if big writing organizations with big coffers ever hire big lawyers?

Hypothetically, of course.

On a completely unrelated topic, I've heard there have been some accusations against (coincidentally enough) a writing organization called ITW. Co-President Gayle Lynds has issued a statement, which I'm happy to repeat here:

<><><><><><>

My name is Gayle Lynds, and I'm co-founder and co-president of ITW, with David Morrell. I've been following with interest the queries that have arisen about the nominees for the first ITW Thriller awards. As an individual --- not representing ITW, its board, or its officers --- perhaps I can shed some light on the subject.

I was as surprised as anyone by the results of the ITW Thriller nominations. But then, ITW deliberately built a firewall around the award judges, so none of us knew the outcome in advance. At the same time, no panel of judges knew the results of any other panel's deliberations.

Let me tell you a little about the firewall: Any author or person speaking on behalf of an author who tried to influence any of ITW's judges would have had that author's books disqualified for two years. This was so that the judges could work in private and in secret. All board members as well as the chair of the Awards Committee --- James Rollins --- were ineligible to be considered for the awards. Again, this was to protect the judges and to avoid any accusations of favoritism toward ITW's leaders. This information is available in ITW's bylaws at http://www.thrillerwriters.org/bylaws.html.

In short, ITW's board worked very hard to make certain the awards were as fair and as impartial as possible, and so did the judges, as you will see.

Since this was ITW's first year, the judges faced the monumental task of creating systems that would be the foundation for all future awards. Because of the boxes of books that arrived on their doorsteps to be read, several had to delay their own deadlines and make sacrifices within their families in order to fulfill their very serious responsibility to judge well. This sort of selflessness is to be lauded.

I personally am proud of every book and film script that was nominated. All are excellent works from the thriller field.

Now about the accusations I've read recently about sexism in the awards....

If you go to http://www.thrillerwriters.org/awardslist.html you'll see a list of all submitted books. Only 29% were written by women. For the Thriller Best Novel, only 17%.

At the bottom of http://www.thrillerwriters.org/awards.html, you'll see a note to authors: "If your book is not on the list, please contact your publisher to remind them to submit your book as quickly as possible."

So what happened?

The chair and judging panels showed their concern that they be able to consider every thriller published in 2005 in several ways. The chair and several chief judges contacted all publishers --- both publicists and editors in each house --- to alert them that ITW was in the process of judging its first awards and to ask them to submit all thrillers.

I stress that not just one person was contacted in each house, but several, to ensure that the house understood that ITW really wanted each and every book in all of the subcategories of thrillers, from adventure to medical, romantic to espionage, legal to historical, and every other permutation. No one should be left out of the race.

Still, books were not always submitted. The judges worked closely with the chair, alerting him when they saw new books coming out. At the same time, he was on the watch, too. He went back time and again to publishers.

When it became apparent that few novels by female authors were being submitted, he redoubled his efforts, often contacting a house four times on behalf of novels that were clearly thrillers written by women.

At the same time notices were sent to ITW members reminding them to check the website to make certain their 2005 novels had been submitted.

In the end, the responsibility for having books submitted rests on the shoulders of the publishers. That's their job. At the same time, authors had the option of submitting copies of their books themselves.

As an author (not as a woman who has spent her life battling sexism), I could complain that no women were nominated. At the same time, I could also complain that no people of color were. I'm not sure whether any Muslims or religions other than Christian or Jewish were nominated, but I think they weren't either. There also might be a preponderance of nominees from one section of the United States, which could be taken as a prejudice favoring that area.

As long as awards are given in whatever field, there are always going to be those who say, "I wish it were otherwise. And because it isn't, it's prejudice."

The only time there's really an institutional problem, at least in my mind, is when there is a history of one group of people being disenfranchised.

Since this is ITW's first year, the organization can have no track record of institutional prejudice. ITW has worked diligently to avoid prejudice. The judges by their actions have indicated they have also been diligent in trying to create a level playing field.

My hat is off to ITW's judges, who worked very hard and read many fine books. All are excellent authors in their own rights, too. They did a sincere and worthy job, and they deserve not only our respect but our appreciation.

By the way, the awards chair for next year is a woman. She is not a person of color. Her religious background is unknown to me. I'm not even certain where she lives. She is a fine author and a wonderful human. Her name will be announced at ThrillerFest.

Anyone who would like to attend ThrillerFest --- it's going to be a blast --- should visit www.thrillerfest.com. You can learn there at the Awards Banquet who the winners for the Thrillers are. ThrillerFest begins next week. As I said, all of the nominees are excellent. I congratulate them on creating superb works.

Gayle Lynds
www.GayleLynds.com

To Be a NYT Bestseller

The bestseller lists aren't easy to break into. But there is a method, sort of, provided your publisher is on your side, you're in the right place at the right time, and you're primed and ready to take your career to the next level.

Or not. New York Times Bestsellardom can happen without any effort on your part. Conversely, every effort on your part may not lead to bestsellerdom.

Let's start with what I know:

There are a limited number of NYT reporting stores. Some are bookstores. Some are chains like Wal-Mart, Costco, and Sam's Club. To debut on the list, you have to have a certain "magic" number of preorders, but not always.

This magic number changes, depending on the competition. You can theoretically get on the list by only selling a few thousand books your first week, provided no one is selling better than that.

The NYT collects data from reporting stores by using a survey. The survey lists the top predictions of the NYT, based on orders and units shipped, and the employee at the store writes in how many they sold next to the pre-printed title. If a title is selling well, but isn't pre-printed on the survey, it can be written in.

Since non-traditional outlets (supermarkets, convenience stores) actually sell more books than bookstores, having your book available through the major chains is essential to make the list. If Wal-Mart commits to buying 80,000 copies your your hardcover, chances are good you'll be pre-printed on the survey, which guarantees a spot on the list.

There is a self-fulfilling prophecy in effect. Rather than demand driving quantity, quantity (with marketing, promotion, and advertising behind it) can indeed drive demand. In short, books shipped indeed become books sold, even without customer pre-orders. The NYT assumes this, so a book can debut on the list even though a single copy hasn't been officially sold, and authors can know where their book will debut on the list weeks before it hits the stores.

Then, once a book is on the bestseller list, it will sell better because it was on the bestseller list, which can leader to a higher spot on the list next week as more people become aware of the book.

It's a flawed system that doesn't rely on actual copies sold, but I've noticed that NYT bestsellers all appear to have some commonalities.

1. There are a lot of copies in print. For fiction, my sources have told me that a minimum first hardcover printing of 80k, and a minimum paperback printing of 250k, are the starting points. There's a lot of leeway, but these are solid numbers, that if spread out through the reporting stores (including non-traditional outlets) will give you a shot at the list.
2. The titles are high profile. This means publisher coop is in play, and the books are prominently displayed in the store. Up front, near the register, in the window, in an individual dump box or cardboard cameo, on end caps. Books that face out sell better. Books that are displayed in quantity sell better still.
   
3. A backlist exists. While debuting on the NYT list with a first books is possible, in most cases the list is dominated by people who have been on it before. These authors were grown, over a period of books and years, until their audience was large enough to justify the large print runs necessary to get on the list. An in-print backlist is essential to growing an author for two reasons. First, because the more books that are available, the likelier the author is to be discovered and read. ARCS, libraries, remainders, and used book sales are essential to this. Second, because a strong backlist is like found money for a publisher. They've already had the first printing, and have spent the marketing dollars. If a book goes into multiple printings, it shows the publisher the book has an audience, and is continuing to make money. This money can then be used for:
   
4. A big advertising, marketing, and publicity campaign. While I contend that real estate (prominent coop placement) and number of copies in print are the most important precursors to bestsellerdom, an expensive marketing campaign, backed by a publicity tour, says to bookstores and supermarkets: the publisher is spending big money, the author is or will be famous, and there will be a demand for this book so we better order a lot of them. Then the self-fulfilling prophecy begins. There have been cases where a huge advance and ad campaign, with lots of author appearances on TV and radio, was enough to generate a bestseller. There have also been cases where this backfired, and everyone lost a lot of money.
   
5. Word of mouth. This is still key. All the ads in the world won't help a book that people don't talk about or don't like. Recommendations still sell books. And once a reader becomes brand loyal, they usually are for life. Often, the word of mouth can begin within the publishing house itself, with employees getting excited about a new book. In house enthusiasm leads to a bigger push by the sales reps, a higher print run, and more promo dollars to back up that printing. A large foreign sale (or a large book club sale, as Tess Gerritsen points out in her latest blog) frees up some advertising dollars, because now there is less risk because money has already been earned on the book.

So can bestsellers be created? There are, all the time. But it's a lot like betting on horses. The ones who win are the ones who usually keeping winning, and longshots rarely come in. It's tough to get a publisher to bet on a longshot. They've all gotten burned before, and are wary of it happening again. So they play it safe, until the moment seems right.

Along with the self-fulfilling prophecy of "the more books that are printed, the more that will sell" there's also a catch 22 of "your publisher only prints as many as the last one sold."

Bookstores look at numbers. If a title sold poorly, the next title from that author won't have as many orders, dooming it to sell even less. You want your numbers to go up, but if your publisher prints a gazillion copies, hoping to make the NYT list, and the books doesn't sell, you're career is pretty much over.

That's why you've gotta work your butt off self-promoting.

Your efforts won't get you on the NYT list (unless you're a celebrity.) But they will help your sell-through, help you keep your backlist in print, help you build a brand and name-recognition, help you develop a fanbase, and most of all, make your publisher money. The more money they make, the more they realize the money they could make if you're a bestseller.

To recap, the essential elements of bestsellerdom are:

• A large print run, so you're pre-printed on the NYT survey
• Getting into non-traditional outlets like Wal-Mart
• Coop placement for displays

Almost as essential are:

• An in-print backlist and track record
• Advertising, marketing, and publicity
• Word of mouth

Of course, these aren't the only factors. A movie release could catapult a book onto the list. So could current events, or the stars aligning. No one truly knows. Of the current top 15 fiction bestsellers, 14 of them have been bestsellers previously, and the 15th, Sara Gruen, has had much critical acclaim for her earlier work, and her latest is a powerhouse. There are no newbies on the list.

And you'll notice Patricia Cornwell on the list again. If you check the Amazon reviews for her latest, At Risk, you'll witness a skewering akin to a public execution. Readers do not like her new book. But it's selling like crazy. I haven't read it, so I can't comment, but it does beg the question, "How important is quality?" and the even bigger question, "How important is negative word of mouth?" The answer, for both, seems to be "Not very." It hasn't hurt Cornwell's career in the least.

So what can you, the author, do to get on the list? The same things you've been doing all along. Write the best book you can, then promote it to the best of your ability, and hope for lightening to strike.

I'm fond of saying that getting lucky is hard work. I stand by this. The more you do, the greater your chance of success.

But if I'm not a bestseller by my tenth book, I'm shooting myself in the head.

Rusty Nail, Street Dates, Jacket Copy & Book Covers

I've gotten reports from several sources that Rusty Nail is appearing on the shelves at various bookstores.

The street date is July 5. A street date for a book serves two purposes:

1. It allows for an even playing field when booksellers begin to sell the book. Shipping con sometimes be delayed, which means one store might have copies a week or even two before other stores. With a street date, everyone (theoretically) begins to sell it at the same time, so no one can get a jump on anyone else.
2. To make it on the bestseller lists, you need a lot of books sold in a short amount of time. If different booksellers begin to sell your book at staggered times, the initial launch is scattered, and not as dramatic. (you sell 5000 books over two weeks rather than two days)

That said, I'm not a big enough fish to warrant a hard street date (or at least to enforce a hard street date.) So I encourage everyone reading this to run out and buy as many copies of Rusty Nail as you can afford.

If you're a fan of thrillers, or even if you hate thrillers but find this blog helpful, put me in your karma debt and hop on over to your local bookseller and demand my book. I'd appreciate it, big time.

What is Rusty Nail about? Here's what the jacket says:

--------------------------------------------

Front cover:

"Thrills, chills, and laugh-out-loud hilarity...Konrath expertly pours on both shivers and fun." --Tess Gerritsen, author of Vanish

Anthony, Macavity, and Gumshoe Finalist for Whiskey Sour

Front inside flap:

"Konrath creates the perfect blend of pulse-pounding thrills and side-splitting humor." - David Ellis, author of In the Company of Liars.

Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels of the Chicago Police Department is back, and once again she's up to her Armani in murder.

Someone is sending Jack snuff videos. The victims are people she knows, and they share a common trait--each was involved in one of Jack's previous cases. With her stalwart partner, Herb, hospitalized and unable to help, Jack follows a trail of death throughout the Midwest, on a collision course with the smartest and deadliest adversary she has ever known.

During the chase, Jack jeopardizes her career, her love life, and the lives of her closest friends. She also comes to a startling realization--serial killers have families, and blood runs thick.

Rusty Nail features more of the laugh-out-loud humor and crazy characters that saturated Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary, without sacrificing the nail-biting thrills. This is Lt. Jack Daniels' third, and most exciting, adventure yet.

Back inside flap:

"Jack Daniels is a detective for the new millennium: sharply witty, deftly wry, and unabashedly clever." - James Rollins, author of Black Order.

(graphic of rocks glass and skull in rifle crosshairs)

A native of Chicago, J.A. Konrath is the author of the thrillers Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary. If you'd like to see revealing photos of J.A., read free Jack Daniels short stories, and enter cool contests, visit www.JAKonrath.com

(graphics of Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary)

Back cover:

Praise for Rusty Nail

"Tougher than Kay Scarpetta, smarter than Stephanie Plum, Jacqueline Daniels rocks." -- Alex Kava, author of A Necessary Evil

"A heady mixture of chills and chuckles. You'll drain this libation in a single sitting!" -- Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of To Darkness and to Death

"Finely honed characters and a plot blessed with more twists than a drunk on a bender, J.A. Konrath has stirred up another addictive suspense novel that will leave readers salivating for more--and more." -- Gayle Lynds, author of The Coil

"Rusty Nail is twisted and violent, creepy and clever, fast, frightening, and funny. This is not your granny's thriller." -- Anne Fraiser, author of Before I Wake

(graphic of rocks glass and skull)

Praise for J.A. Konrath's previous novels:

"Excellent smart-mouth thrills. My advice...take a long sip." -- Lee Child, author of One Shot

"Snappy dialogue. Powerful action. A fabulous character to spend time with." -- David Morrell, author of Creepers

"Tough, gritty, and surprisingly touching." -- M.J. Rose, author of The Delilah Complex

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Covers are important. Some booksellers believe they are the single most important element when it comes to book sales. I agree. A good cover arouses interest and provokes sales. It is what makes a browser take a closer look.

A cover needs to do several things all at once:

1. It has to be eye catching, to stand out among the other books.
2. It has to portray the theme/tone/genre of the book.
3. It has to establish a brand.
4. It has to inform.
5. It has to make the buying decision simple.

I have a lot of input on my covers. Not on the art, but on the text. The art is all my publisher's call, and I think they're doing a good job because they're meeting the first three requirements I just mentioned. My covers are bright, attractive, and convey both my genre and my brand.

Once the cover makes a customer pick up the book, the words are what will ultimately hook them.

I like having these things on my covers:

1. Blurbs by bestselling authors. I solicit my own blurbs (one of the benefits of networking) and I try to get blurbers whose audience I share. On the previous two books, I had almost all men, so for Rusty Nail I went with mostly women. I'm banking on the fact that readers care more about what Tess Gerritsen says than what Publisher's Weekly says, so I don't use a lot of reviews.
   
   The blubs pretty much reiterate the point I make in my jacket copy: the books are funny and scary. They also tell the reader that if they like Tess, Alex, Julia, Gayle, Anne, David, Jim, Lee, or MJ, it's a safe bet they'll like me too.
   
   
2. Jacket copy. Because my series is still pretty new and relatively unknown, I can't assume a potential reader is aware of my first two novels. I want the ad copy to hint at the main conflict, emphasize the book has both thrills and laughs, and give a bit of info about the protagonist, but not reveal too much in the way of plot. This is the sizzle, not the steak. A scent, not a taste. If they want a taste, they can begin to read it.
   
   
3. Bio. I like my bio to be super brief and to subtly lure folks to my website. A picture isn't going to help me sell books, so we don't use a picture, which frees up space for more blurbs.
   
   
4. Series. I believe that readers are looking for long-term relationships with authors. A series is a good way to establish a commitment between writer and fan. I make sure my cover emphasizes that there are other Jack books, because it tells readers I won't just be a one night stand.

Though there's a lot of text on my covers, they aren't crammed full of it. The words are in a large, easy to read font, with plenty of graphics and negative space to break them up.

The goal of the cover is to give the customer something they recognize, even if you're a new author to them. People buy what is familiar and comfortable. They are brand loyal. If they have a good experience, they seek out the same experience again and again.

I like my covers, because I feel as if they're doing what they're supposed to. it will be interesting to see if the public feels the same way.

Remainders

This morning, I finally got the letter.

Dear Mr. Konrath,

We are about to offer the hardcover edition of Whiskey Sour for remainder. We will be sending you twenty-five copies gratis. You may purchase up to one hundred additional copies at the courtesy price of $2.00 per copy, plus freight. Should you wish to purchase a larger quantity, we would be happy to discuss pricing and terms. Payment must be rendered by credit card at the time of purchase.

It's been two years since Whiskey Sour came out, and since just about everything is eventually remaindered, I can't feel too badly about the situation. In fact, there are several good things about it.

Before we get to that, let's explain what remaindering actually is.

After hardcovers are printed, they're warehoused. Warehouses are very large buildings with very many shelves which hold millions of books. Even though they're huge, shelf space is still limited, and therefore valuable.

A 20 copy carton of Whiskey Sour measures 10" x 11" x 16". By using a system known as math (it apparently is still being taught in schools) we can figure out that 2000 copies of Whiskey Sour would take up some serious space: 83 feet wide, and 91 feet high. That's a lot of unsold Whiskey Sours.

After the paperback is released (or after an undetermined length of time), hardcover orders dwindle down, and the book can no longer monetarily justify the space it occupies. It's time to be remaindered.

Remaindering is selling the books at a loss, to recoup printing and shipping costs. Authors get no royalty for remaindered books. They're sold in bulk to bookstores and discount outlets for about two bucks each, and then those outlets sell them for around $2.99 to $5.99.

The discount aisle in chain bookstores are all remainders. So are those strip mall stores (usually just called BOOKS) that have tables and tables stacked high with unorganized books. Borders also has a new concept called Borders Outlet which specifically sells remainders.

So what does this mean to you, the author? A few things. Let's start with the bad.

1. You don't get paid for a remaindered book, even though it is sold.
2. That edition of the book is no longer in print, and once it's gone, it's gone forever.
3. A large number of remainders indicates the book didn't do as well as expected.
4. Being in the bargain bin has a stigma that isn't pleasant.

But there are also some positive things about being remaindered that many authors don't consider.

1. You get to buy copies of your book really cheap, but they have the potential to be very valuable later on--especially first book/first edition.
2. People will discover your series on the remainder table.
3. The more books you have in circulation, the likelier you are to be read.
4. Any book you have on a shelf--remainder or otherwise--is an advertisment for your brand.

How many books should you buy? I've spoken to many authors, and they all have told me that they wish they bought more, with a few notable exceptions. The exceptions were the authors who bought every single copy of their remainders. This is a bad move for a few reasons:

1. Where you gonna put them all, Einstein? Warehouse space costs money, remember?
2. If you horde all the books for yourself, you're missing out on the opportunity to have readers discover you on the remainder table.
3. How will you ever get rid of two thousand (or more) books? If you gave away a copy every single day, it would take you over five years to unload them all. If you're trying to sell them, to get your investment back, it will take you even longer, and every event you attend for the next ten years you'll be lugging around your books.

I've decided to buy the hundred copies, and let the rest hit the remainder shelves. I'll store these in my basement, and wait for the price to skyrocket years from now when I become a superstar (or I'll donate them to libraries as a tax write-off when my ship sinks--one of the two.)

Believe it or not, remaindering isn't the worst thing that can happen to a hardcover. Before we get to that, let's talk about shipping, and waste, and profit margin.

A $22 is sold to the bookstore for $13. If there's a distributor involved, they get a cut. That leaves $9. A $3 chunk of that gets paid to the author, and the book costs about $3 to print and ship (this number goes down depending on the size of print run, or goes up depending on the size of the book.) That leaves the publisher with a $3 profit per book... sort of.

Publishing isn't like other businesses, in that it allows returns. So if a book doesn't sell, the bookstore sends it back and gets a credit from the publisher to purchase other titles.

The book is returned to the warehouse where it is shipped again when it is ordered again--at the publisher's expense. Shipping is costly, and can be $1 per book or more.

A book can be shipped back and forth several times, and then it starts to get ripped and worn. When that happens, it can be sold at a discount as damaged, or it can be given a fresh new cover and shipped out again.

As a business model, this stinks. And the savvy among you will see that after the third back-and-forth, the publisher is no longer making a profit.

This can open up a discussion about why publishers print more copies than the market demands, but that's a blog entry for another day.

Even after a book is remaindered, and sold at a loss, it can sometimes be returned yet again. It's a wonder that publishers ever make money.

If that happens, and there are too many books left over after the remaindering, a book's final fate is assured---the pulping machine.

When I visited the Time Warner warehouse last year, a spoke to one of the higher-ups about the pulping machine. Entire pallettes of a Stuart Woods title were being dumped into this giant machine, and the guy proudly remarked, "It pays for itself in recycled paper."

I was horrified. Horrified at the huge waste of money to print and ship those titles. Horrified at the destruction of perfectly good books. Horrified at the matter-of-fact way he spoke about this, because the pulping machine worked 9 to 5 and was rarely turned off.

Suddenly, remaindering doesn't seem all that bad...

Press Releases

In my continuing effort to become known as the Martha Stewert of thriller writers (except for the prison part) I write my own press releases.

The problem with press releases when you're a fiction writer is: There's nothing press-worthy about writing a book.

Sure, you're excited about it. Hopefully your publisher is too. But why should the Podunk Times or Small World Weekly care?

To be considered newsworthy is difficult. Even newsworthy stuff needs to have a spin on it before it can reach the masses, or else it isn't interesting enough to warrant the time and/or space.

My new novel, while a helluva lot of fun to read, isn't really newsworthy. But a press release is still needed to help garner reviews and make media folks aware a new Konrath book is coming.

However, my upcoming Rusty Nail 500 Tour, is newsworthy. This has never been done before, and is a fresh approach to book publicity.

So this year I'm doing two press releases. Since it's the least interesting of the two, I'm posting a link to the Rusty Nail Press Release, which you can view as a pdf. Click HERE if you'd like to see what it looks like.

I had more fun with the Rusty Nail 500 press release. Here's the text for it:

Author Takes Book Tour to Great Lengths

In a day and age when multi-million dollar ad campaigns drive the bestseller lists, and many of the books sold in America are through outlets such as Wal-Mart and Costco, breaking out a midlist author is harder than ever.

One author has come up with a non-traditional way to spread the word. JA Konrath (author of the previous Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thrillers Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary) is hopping into a rental car and driving cross country, signing at 500 bookstores in two months.

Supported by his publisher, Hyperion Books, Konrath will average 8 bookstore drop-ins a day, where he'll sign stock, meet the booksellers, and pass out signed drink coasters featuring the cover of his latest novel, RUSTY NAIL.

"Hyperion sent me on a traditional tour last year, visiting ten cities in eleven days," says Konrath. "These were scheduled events, and I had decent fan turnouts. But the real success of the tour happened between signings, when I managed to visit an additional ninety-six stores during that time frame."

Konrath believes that meeting the people who sell his books is the only way to compete with the mega-bestselling authors and their huge marketing campaigns.

"Enormous print runs and large co-op budgets don't impress booksellers any more. But actually meeting bookstore owners, managers, and employees, is a grass roots approach that people seem to enjoy. I certainly do. I love meeting booksellers."

That love extends to print. Konrath has named five major characters in past and upcoming books after booksellers, and has thanked hundreds of them on his acknowledgements pages. Every single bookseller he meets on this current tour, which he's dubbed The Rusty Nail 500, will be similarly thanked.

The tour kicks off July 6th, and you'll be able to follow his daily progress on his website and blog at www.JAKonrath.com.

Writing press releases isn't rocket science, but it is much different than writing prose. I suppose having a background in news or advertising is helpful. I have neither, but the formula is pretty simple to pick up if you study it.

1. What is happening and who is involved?
2. Why is it relevant or important or newsworthy?
3. Where and when is it occurring?
4. How can we get more information?

Brevity is important, because media folks are busy. It's like breaking and entering; get in and get out fast.

Quotes or blurbs are good, because they add a human element and take some of the writing responsibility away from the media person, who is almost assuredly overworked and pressed for time.

In this day and age, the hook is almighty. You need to spin your press release to make it seem very relevant, or else it won't attract media attention. What makes your book different from the 40,000 other novels being published this year? Why are you newsworthy?

Pictures aren't normally included in press releases, but in this case, my publisher is making this shot available to those who are interested: www.jakonrath.com/RustyNail500.pdf. I think it's a good indicator of the scope of what I'm attempting, and often pictures help to sell stories.

Should you write your own press releases? I can't answer that. Perhaps your publisher's copywriter is a genius at this stuff, and can do a much better job that you. Or perhaps your press releases are written by your publicist, who just graduated college and hasn't even read your book.

At the very least, you should have the opportunity to read your press releases before they get sent out. If this isn't offered to you, don't be afraid to ask. You also shouldn't be afraid to offer your services to tweak, or even write, the press release yourself. Chances are, whoever is writing your press releases is overworked and under a time crunch, and your assistance will probably be appreciated.

Business Cards and Computer Savvy

When I sign copies of my books, either for a fan or for a bookstore, I stick a business card between the pages to subtly remind the buyer about my other titles.

Writers should have two, or more, card designs.

The first should be a contact card, with your address and phone number(s), to give to media and people who need to get in touch.

The second (third, fourth, fifth...) should be a sales card. This has your book cover on the front, and the back can contain a blurb or two, your website URL (and possibly email address), and whatever little teaser or picture you can fit in the small space. This is the one I stick in books. Not only does it give the reader something portable to take to the bookstore with them (in order to remember the titles), but it also functions as a bookmark.

In the beginning, I made my own business cards on the computer using a program called Business Card Designer Plus. You upload your own jpg, add the various data, and print them on an inkjet or color laser printer.

The result is a so-so card. Single sided, not the highest quality cardstock. Not professional, but much cheaper than full color runs at Kinkos or Office Max.

When Bloody Mary came out, my publisher began to make business cards for me. These are always full color, double sided, slick and glossy.

I give cards to everyone, all the time. I drop them in books, my outgoing mail, on the table at restaurants, to people I meet outside the publishing biz---I basically am trying to give a card to every single person on the planet.

If business cards aren't something your publisher provides, and you don't want to go into debt buying ink cartridges, you should check out www.overnightprints.com.

You design your business card using Photoshop or any other picture editing program (I'm partial to Paintshop Pro 8) and then upload it to the URL.

Did I lose anybody when talking about the do-it-yourself option? If so, you might want to consider joining the 21st century.

For the first time in human history, amateur technology is on par with professional technology, and much more affordable.

You can take high rez pictures, design your own website, and make your own promo materials. When someone needs a headshot, or a book cover jpg, you can send these on your own, without having to go through your publisher. You can update your home page yourself. You can create business cards, chap books, and flyers without hiring experts.

Doing it yourself is faster, and cheaper. In my opinion, here's the least a writer needs to learn:

• A photo editing program. The ability to save, retouch, resize, and alter jpgs, gifs, pngs and other picture files. People request these all the time.
• A web design program. Your URL is your home. Learn how to take care of it.
• Some basic HTML knowledge. Even if you're able to use a web design program like Frontpage or Dreamweaver, you still need to know your hrefs from your img srcs.

Other things techno savvy authors can do:

• Learn Adobe Acrobat, for making pdf files. These can be used as website downloads and press releases, among other things.
• Use a mailing list organizer, for sending out newsletters.
• Use a GPS, for finding bookstores while touring.
• Use a digital camera.
• Use a laptop or some other way of accessing email on the road.
• Learn audio editing software for podcasting.
• Learn an ftp program, so you can upload and download large files.
• Understand the potential of MS Word or Wordperfect, for making documents beyond simple manuscripts.

Every so often, while discussing this stuff with my peers, a writer will ask me, "You do that yourself? Why don't you hire someone?"

I'm not against hiring pros. Pros are pros for a reason, and are often worth what they cost.

But I do believe that we should all learn as much as we can. The more you know, the better off you are.

Technology isn't going away. It's going to keep advancing. You should advance along with it.

Newsletter #6

Do newsletters work? If you're an author, what should you include in your newsletter? How many should you send out a year?

I talk about the value and importance of newsletters on the Tips page of my website. But here's a quick course:

• Don't intentionally spam.
• Use a bulk emailer to organize addresses and opt-outs. I use www.ymlp.com.
• Focus on what you have to offer, not what you have to sell.
• Don't be boring. Be funny. Be informative. Be quick.
• Make sure the layout is okay. Many people don't accept HTML, so I stick to plain text.
• Don't send more than four newsletters out a year--it's annoying, and nothing you're doing in your career is that important.

Here's my latest newsletter, for those of you who haven't gotten a copy:

Straight Up-The Official Newsletter of Author J.A. Konrath #6

In this issue:
--Introduction
--Contests and Winners
--Thriller: An Anthology
--The "Rusty Nail 500" Bookstore Summer Tour (aka "Will JA Survive?")
--Recent News
--Freebies (read until the end for free stuff!)

--INTRODUCTION

You're on this mailing list because you love books. I love them, too. This email is my way of reaching out to you readers, librarians, bookstore employees, fellow authors, and giving you free stuff. If you want to be taken off this list, just reply with REMOVE in the header or opt out using the link at the bottom.

My third Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller novel, RUSTY NAIL, is being released in hardcover and on audio this July. The first two novels in the series, WHISKEY SOUR and BLOODY MARY, are currently available in paperback, hardcover, and on audio. They'll make you laugh, and then scare your socks off. Please head to your favorite bookstore and buy fifteen copies for yourself and everyone you know.

Now let's get to the free stuff:


--CONTESTS AND WINNERS

Winning stuff is cool. Especially if you don't have to do a lot. Here are my current contests:

CONTEST #1 - THE GREAT JACK DANIELS BLOG EXPERIMENT.

Lots of people have blogs these days. I have one called A NEWBIE'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING at http://jakonrath.blogspot.com.

If you have a blog, use it to write a review of WHISKEY SOUR or BLOODY MARY, send me the link, and I'll send you a free signed copy of RUSTY NAIL. How easy is that?

You can also write a review of RUSTY NAIL, and I'll send you a signed copy of something else. I'm easy that way.

CONTEST #2 - CALLING ALL WRITERS!

Can you write a crime story in 500 words or less? If so, send it my way. The best story wins a cash prize of $100, plus their name as a character in my next book. They'll also win a signed copy of RUSTY NAIL ("Violent thrills peppered with hilarious one-liners!" - Publishers Weekly).

Rules: Stories must be less than 500 words (not including title and author name) and involve a murder. It must be sent in the body of an email, with the header "500 Word Story Contest". One entry per person, the last day to submit is Oct 31, 2006, contest open to everyone except me, because that just wouldn't be very fair, would it?

Get writing!

CONTEST #3 - FOR BOOKSELLERS ONLY.

This one is simple. In the acknowledgements of RUSTY NAIL I thank close to a hundred booksellers by name, because they each sold twenty or more copies of my books.

If you sell twenty or more copies of my books, I'll happily thank you in the acknowledgements of DIRTY MARTINI, which is coming out June of 2007. Just send me an email and let me know how many you've sold. The bookseller who sells the most will have the villain in FUZZY NAVEL named after them.

Several characters in my books, including Steve Jensen, Holly Frakes, James Munchel, and Steve Jurczyk, are named after booksellers, and I want you to be next. Thanks for all of your hard work and effort! I love you folks! Booksellers rule!

CONTEST #4 - FOR LIBRARIANS ONLY.

I've had over a hundred entries so far, but I want more. Go to my website and click on the link that says FOR LIBRARIES. That will automatically enter you in the contest. In November, I'll put all the names in a hat and will pick a random library. This lucky library will win a free visit from me, where I'll do a talk, give you lots of free books, and also give everyone who shows up to see me a free book. If you want me to drop by and shower your library and your patrons with gifts, visit www.JAKonrath.com.


--THRILLER edited by James Patterson

This is the biggest anthology of all time, featuring an all-star line-up of bestselling authors including Lee Child, James Rollins, Katherine Neville, David Morrell, Michael Palmer, MJ Rose, F. Paul Wilson, Gregg Hurwitz, Steve Berry, and a slew of others. It also contains a Jack Daniels tie-in story called EPITAPH, written by me.

Visit www.thrillerbook.com for more info, then run out and buy copies for everyone you know.

--THE RUSTY NAIL 500 - WILL JA SURVIVE?

I'm dropping in 500 bookstores this summer, signing stock and passing out coasters and telling booksellers how much I love them. This is a driving tour, and I'll be visiting at least 25 different states during 70 days on the road.

If you're a bookstore employee, and want me to stop in and say hello, email me at haknort@comcast.net and I'll be able to tell you when I'll possibly be in your area.

If you've already contacted me, you'll be hearing from me very soon, as I'm finally beginning to set times and dates.

If you think I'm crazy and won't make it, keep an eye on my blog and website. I'll be posting daily updates about who I meet and where I visit, beginning July 3rd. Gambling on my success or failure will be encouraged. Meeting me somewhere on the road and buying me a beer will also be encouraged.


--RECENT NEWS

**If you've never read any Jack Daniels, here's your chance to try her out for only 49 cents!

Amazon.com has a new program where you can purchase short stories for pocket change.

My contribution, A FOUR PACK OF JACK, features four Jack Daniels tie-in stories, and you get all four for the super-low cost of super-sizing your French fries. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll freak out. And you just might learn something. But probably not.

Visit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E4FIJ0/ref=dp_shrt_new_0/104-2700618-1743948?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Or if that URL is too long and unwieldy, go to www.JAKonrath.com and click on the link on my homepage.

**I edited an anthology called THESE GUNS FOR HIRE, which is debuting this year at Bouchercon in Madison. It's published by the gurus at Bleak House Books. THESE GUNS features 31 hit-man stories by some of the best writers in the biz, including:

David Morrell, William Kent Krueger, Raymond Benson, Ken Bruen, Jay Bonansinga, Jeff Strand, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Jeff Abbott, Jeremiah Healy, David Ellis, Sean Doolittle, Brian Wiprud, Michael A. Black, Lawrence Block, Reed Farrel Coleman, MJ Rose,Max Allan Collins, Ed Gorman, John Galligan, Victor Gischler, Julie A. Hyzy, Mitchell Graham, Rob Kantner, Benjamin Leroy, PJ Parrish, Monica J. O'Rourke, Marcus Sakey, Paul A. Toth, Robert W. Walker, Lisa Mannetti, and me.

It's an amazing anthology. Visit www.thesegunsforhire.com for a sneak peek.

**Bloody Mary won the Love is Murder People's Choice Award for Best Novel in a series. (www.loveismurder.net). I also won an Ellery Queen Reader's Choice Award for the Lt. Jack Daniels story WITH A TWIST. Speaking of EQMM, there's a Jack Daniels tie-in story in the recent June issue called SUFFER. Buy a bunch for those you love.

**I'm Toastmaster at the upcoming Backspace Writer's Conference (www.backspacewritersconference.com) being held July 21-22 in NYC. If you'd like to meet some famous authors, agents, and editors, this is the event to attend. It's almost full, so act fast.

**I recently visited Brilliance, my audio publisher, and was able to record a few tracks for RUSTY NAIL. The talented duo of Dick Hill and Susie Breck, who did such a great job reading WHISKEY SOUR and BLOODY MARY, again provide the voices for the latest, which is available on cassette, CD, and MP3. I had a chance to voice a character, and also read my story THE DEATH OF JACK DANIELS, which is exclusive to the audiobook.


--FREEBIES

Free stuff is cool. A few times a year I have a random drawing for free J.A. Konrath merchandise, and everyone on my mailing list is eligible. Two newsletter subscribers have been randomly picked to receive some cool gifts.

The lucky winners this time are: Val Stark and Shanna Arnold.

Congrats! Email me at haknort@comcast.net so I can send you signed copies of RUSTY NAIL. You'll also have characters named after you in FUZZY NAVEL, the fifth Jack Daniels book. Probably corpses. :)

Also, since I want to reward people who read this entire newsletter, the first ten people who email me will get a free advance reading copy of THESE GUNS FOR HIRE.

Remember: JA loves you. Do any other authors profess their love for you? Does Dan Brown? Does Patricia Cornwell? Nope. But I do. And I'm not just saying that to get you to buy my books. I love you for who you are.

You're special. Never forget that.

See you on the road this summer!

JA Konrath
www.JAKonrath.com
www.jakonrath.blogspot.com