Top 10 of Love is Murder Chicago
After three days of intense immersion and many drinks at the Chicago Love is Murder Mystery Conference, I have emerged, tired as hell and enlightened.
I will list the Top-Ten significant ideas I took away from the conference.
Summary
The Love is Murder Conference was very well executed, rich with information, interactivity, and mingled the published, the unpublished, fans, reviewers, publishers, bookstore owners, magazine publishers, and librarians. I would recommend it to any one who loves mystery. Everyone was open, honest, and approachable, from the most famous to the unknown. A finer group of people, I have never met.
THE TOP TEN
10.) Writing Sex Scenes are Hard
I was surprised how many talented well-known writers had difficulty writing sex scenes. It was unanimous that any sex scene should advance the plot and reveal something about the characters in the scene.
9.) Need for Viral Marketing and a Platform
David Morrell gave the Keynote speech on “viral marketing” and “platform”. This became the buzzword that permeated the conference.
David Morrell’s daughter, Sarie Morrell explains on her blog that is basically the essence of a book in a very few words. For example, "Great white shark terrorizes New England beach community…" or "12-year-old girl possessed by the devil…"
Viral marketing is the use of the defined platform to uniquely market the book- guerilla style. The example used was of a book about a fly fisherman amateur sleuth sold at fly-fishing shows.
While I agree, in principle with these concepts, I disagree that writing specifically for a market is a good thing.
8.) Pitching at Conferences
Conferences are great to polish pitch skills and feel out publishers and agents. I pitched to Bleak House Books. I was very impressed by the comments they made, their love of books, and their commitment to the mystery genre. It reaffirmed that I am on the right track and look forward to the possibility of working with them in the future. If, like me, you write something that is not mainstream, self publishing or small publishers may be the only true viable options.
7.) The Need for a “Ringer” Reader Prior to Submission
Michael Black graciously critiqued a short story of mine. Michael won an award during the conference for his most recent novel. He is a former Chicago Policeman and was both informative and complimentary of my work. From his experience with handguns, he had an issue with a main premise of my story - a gun jam. After I explained my thoughts, he bought it, but said I needed a sentence or two that reflected my thoughts. This proved to me the need for a ringer as a reader to ensure specific issues outside of your expertise are caught prior to submission.
Michael Black has a very good article about short story rules at website, Hardluck Stories.
6.) Get Your Book to Reviewers/Buy Your Remainders
Reviews drive sales. Librarians specifically look to reviewed books for acquisitions. Be nice to reviewers and suck-up as much as possible.
Remainders. Buy as many as you can afford at the publisher's discount. Sign, date and number them. Use these as books sent to reviewers, give to librarians as gifts, use for contests and giveaways, and sell on your website as collectors items. This also assists in keeping your remainders from ending up on Amazon for one penny.
5.) Librarians are Cool
Ok, other then sexual fantasies, I never really thought about librarians. What I didn’t know is they LOVE books and authors. Love them back, it’ll be good for you and your career. Most libraries have events all year round that can get you exposure and sell books.
4.) Nobody Knows the Future of Genre Fiction
There was a panel of publishers, agents, best-selling authors, & reviewers. None of them had a handle on where the publishing and genre fiction is heading. This is scary and exciting. Emerging new technologies confused everyone and many believe there is a renaissance emerging for small niche publishers. Were ever choas resides, so does great opportunities.
3.) Small Niche Publishers are Impressive
There were five small niche publishers represented. What impressed me was their sincere love of mysteries and books, their obvious passion for the genre ,and their openness and accessibility for aspiring authors. The down side is they have limited funding so advances are small, and the viral marketing falls to the author, which actually is happening more and more at the larger publishing houses.
2.) Short Stories, limited market, huge upside for career
There is a very limited market and few paying mystery markets for short stories. However, the exposure and publicity in these markets can create a following and generate buzz. These can be used to build a career and enhance chances for novel publication and success.
They are also a good way to hone the craft, improve writing, and get practice writing complete stories as a training ground for novels.
1.) Write What You Love, What’s Inside You
David Morrell in the Master Writing Class and Judith Guest in her interview reinforced what I knew and believe; good writers use writing to excise internal demons and explore emotions and experiences in a compelling human way. David Morrell said it is similar to “chasing an internal weasel.” Mr. Morrell’s early books, as he described them, were an exploration of his quest for a father figure. His later book’s an attempt to come to terms with the death of his son, from cancer, at age 15. Judith Guest’s books have been an analysis of her family and the dynamics of family.
Because of these, I don’t buy in to the platform premise. Though I can see the marketing need for it, I think it has the possibility to stifle creativity.
I hope out of these you have found one thing that assists you in you career. Let me know if you have a favorite. Thanks for playing along.
RJB
I will list the Top-Ten significant ideas I took away from the conference.
Summary
The Love is Murder Conference was very well executed, rich with information, interactivity, and mingled the published, the unpublished, fans, reviewers, publishers, bookstore owners, magazine publishers, and librarians. I would recommend it to any one who loves mystery. Everyone was open, honest, and approachable, from the most famous to the unknown. A finer group of people, I have never met.
THE TOP TEN
10.) Writing Sex Scenes are Hard
I was surprised how many talented well-known writers had difficulty writing sex scenes. It was unanimous that any sex scene should advance the plot and reveal something about the characters in the scene.
9.) Need for Viral Marketing and a Platform
David Morrell gave the Keynote speech on “viral marketing” and “platform”. This became the buzzword that permeated the conference.
David Morrell’s daughter, Sarie Morrell explains on her blog that is basically the essence of a book in a very few words. For example, "Great white shark terrorizes New England beach community…" or "12-year-old girl possessed by the devil…"
Viral marketing is the use of the defined platform to uniquely market the book- guerilla style. The example used was of a book about a fly fisherman amateur sleuth sold at fly-fishing shows.
While I agree, in principle with these concepts, I disagree that writing specifically for a market is a good thing.
8.) Pitching at Conferences
Conferences are great to polish pitch skills and feel out publishers and agents. I pitched to Bleak House Books. I was very impressed by the comments they made, their love of books, and their commitment to the mystery genre. It reaffirmed that I am on the right track and look forward to the possibility of working with them in the future. If, like me, you write something that is not mainstream, self publishing or small publishers may be the only true viable options.
7.) The Need for a “Ringer” Reader Prior to Submission
Michael Black graciously critiqued a short story of mine. Michael won an award during the conference for his most recent novel. He is a former Chicago Policeman and was both informative and complimentary of my work. From his experience with handguns, he had an issue with a main premise of my story - a gun jam. After I explained my thoughts, he bought it, but said I needed a sentence or two that reflected my thoughts. This proved to me the need for a ringer as a reader to ensure specific issues outside of your expertise are caught prior to submission.
Michael Black has a very good article about short story rules at website, Hardluck Stories.
6.) Get Your Book to Reviewers/Buy Your Remainders
Reviews drive sales. Librarians specifically look to reviewed books for acquisitions. Be nice to reviewers and suck-up as much as possible.
Remainders. Buy as many as you can afford at the publisher's discount. Sign, date and number them. Use these as books sent to reviewers, give to librarians as gifts, use for contests and giveaways, and sell on your website as collectors items. This also assists in keeping your remainders from ending up on Amazon for one penny.
5.) Librarians are Cool
Ok, other then sexual fantasies, I never really thought about librarians. What I didn’t know is they LOVE books and authors. Love them back, it’ll be good for you and your career. Most libraries have events all year round that can get you exposure and sell books.
4.) Nobody Knows the Future of Genre Fiction
There was a panel of publishers, agents, best-selling authors, & reviewers. None of them had a handle on where the publishing and genre fiction is heading. This is scary and exciting. Emerging new technologies confused everyone and many believe there is a renaissance emerging for small niche publishers. Were ever choas resides, so does great opportunities.
3.) Small Niche Publishers are Impressive
There were five small niche publishers represented. What impressed me was their sincere love of mysteries and books, their obvious passion for the genre ,and their openness and accessibility for aspiring authors. The down side is they have limited funding so advances are small, and the viral marketing falls to the author, which actually is happening more and more at the larger publishing houses.
2.) Short Stories, limited market, huge upside for career
There is a very limited market and few paying mystery markets for short stories. However, the exposure and publicity in these markets can create a following and generate buzz. These can be used to build a career and enhance chances for novel publication and success.
They are also a good way to hone the craft, improve writing, and get practice writing complete stories as a training ground for novels.
1.) Write What You Love, What’s Inside You
David Morrell in the Master Writing Class and Judith Guest in her interview reinforced what I knew and believe; good writers use writing to excise internal demons and explore emotions and experiences in a compelling human way. David Morrell said it is similar to “chasing an internal weasel.” Mr. Morrell’s early books, as he described them, were an exploration of his quest for a father figure. His later book’s an attempt to come to terms with the death of his son, from cancer, at age 15. Judith Guest’s books have been an analysis of her family and the dynamics of family.
Because of these, I don’t buy in to the platform premise. Though I can see the marketing need for it, I think it has the possibility to stifle creativity.
I hope out of these you have found one thing that assists you in you career. Let me know if you have a favorite. Thanks for playing along.
RJB