Books

Why We Read Books

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I read books for the stories, the characters, and the writing. Apparently, according to mega-agent Robert Gottlieb, I’ve got it all wrong.

"If you’re stuck thinking of authors as ‘writers,’ you’re never going to [understand branding]," says Gottlieb, some of whose clients work with up to six people, including writers, book packagers and a business manager.  "Remember: TV is a format, film is a format and books are a format. Unless you’re talking to Farrar Straus & Giroux; then it becomes a literary experience."

The quote came from a two-year-old Forbes article about James Patterson, who is the subject of a lawsuit that’s resurrecting the industry discussion about how little writing he actually does on the books that bear his name.Patterson  I fear that the publishing business has become more and more about "branding" and less and less about the "writing." They’ve forgotten why readers read…or at least why they used to.

Are readers really only buying brands now? Do they care anymore about what’s between the covers of the books they buy? Do they care how a book is written? If the story is interesting? If the characters are compelling?

As a writer, I can’t imagine putting my name on a book that someone else has written.Then again, I can’t imagine making $60 million from my writing, either. Maybe if I stopped thinking of myself as a "writer," but as a "brand," that could change…

(Thanks to Sarah Weinman for the links)

Lit Blogs Pack Punch

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NPR’s "Day to Day" reports on the increased influence of bloggers in the book publishing world. Karen Grigsby Bates reports here. She argues that blogs are filling the void left by the lack of book reviews in newspapers and magazines.

Several of the blogs in my Blogroll (in the column on the left) are among those featured in the report.

Blurbs

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There’s a part of being a published author that I really don’t enjoy… and that’s hitting my friends up for blurbs. Blurb_3

With every book, the publisher expects you to go out and hustle some positive reviews from well-known authors (aka "blurbs"). It’s a requirement — and the blurbs really affect how your book is perceived internally at the publishing house and among the sales reps (the blurbs from Janet Evanovich, Meg Cabot, SJ Rozan and Lee Child on my DIAGNOSIS MURDER novels have made a huge impact). I know there are some authors who have editors who will slog for blurbs… or who have agents who will hit up their other clients…but I have found that doesn’t work very well. You have the best luck when you have a personal relationship with the authors you are asking to rave about you.

On MY GUN HAS BULLETS, I didn’t know anybody outside of the TV biz who could give me blurbs (and I hit a few of them up, since it was a novel about TV). But those names didn’t mean a whole lot to St. Martins Press. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.

Before the book came out, I attended my first Bouchercon and was star-struck. So many of my favorite authors were there. Even more astonishing, they were nice people, approachable and very friendly.  I remember sitting in the bar, talking to an author one night, when I finally worked up the guts to ask him if he’d blurb my book. I was ready for him to be offended, to be upset that I was attempting to trade on our very brief acquaintance… but to my shock, he smiled and said he’d be glad to read it. That emboldened me… and while I was at Bouchercon, I managed to get several authors to agree to read my book. Not all of them ended up giving my a blurb…but quite a few did.

Since then, I’ve become active in MWA and have been to many conventions, writers conferences and Edgar Award dinners.  I’m lucky to have many good friends who also happen to be authors.

But it still hasn’t gotten any easier for me to ask for blurbs. In some ways, it’s harder, at least for me.  I feel uncomfortable hitting up my friends –it puts them in an awkward position. What if they like me… but don’t like my book? Then they are worried about the impact not blurbing the book will have on our friendship. I know… because I’ve been in that position many times myself. I’ve blurbed lots of books… and there are just as many that I haven’t.

Now I’m out there doing it again… with two new books… DIAGNOSIS MURDER: THE PAST TENSE and THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE. I’ve been making calls and writing letters… and I usually start by saying I know how busy my friends are, and that I won’t be offended if they decide, for whatever reason, not to blurb the book. I give them an easy out… whether they decide to read the book or not. If they don’t like the book, they can always say they were too busy to get to it… and they know I will understand, that I won’t know whether they read the book or not, and that our friendship will remain intact.

With each book, I also try to contact a few authors I don’t know very well, if at all… authors with whom I might have spoken on a panel or who I met at a signing or, in some cases, who I’ve only read and have never met. One such bestselling author sent me a perfect reply:

Dear Lee: I’d be pleased to read your book. I should warn you, though. I only give blurbs if I really like a book, even if I like the person who wrote it. I also can’t guarantee how long it will take me to get to it…or that I will..I have a book due in a couple months and I’m rushing to complete it. Please send the book to…

If I get a blurb, I will be thrilled. If I don’t, I will understand and no harm will be done. So, all that said, I’m about to head out to the post office to send off some manuscripts to my friends… and a few total strangers.

Palm Springs Book Buyers

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Last summer, Bill Rabkin & I spoke at a big library event in Palm Springs where  were supposed to talk about our new book, answer questions, and then sign copies afterwards. About eighty people showed up, the talk was one of the best we’ve ever given, and the people in the audience were obviously enjoying themselves and asked us lots of great questions. I was afraid we wouldn’t have enough books to accomodate everyone who was going to want to buy one.

After our presentation, we were mobbed at the table. Everyone wanted to tell us how much they enjoyed listening to us.

But we sold less than a dozen books. I couldn’t understand it. How could the audience like us so much… but not buy anything?

Today,  my brother Tod and I spoke at an event together in Palm Springs. Again, we had a big crowd, and they seemed to love us, laughing and applauding and smiling. Once again, I thought we hit a home-run. Afterwards, they all came up to thank us, take their pictures with us, kiss us…

But did they buy books? Not really. I think I signed less than 12.

So what’s the deal? Is it the age of the audience (well over 60)? Was it something I said? Were they all Battlestar Galactica fans? It’s not because these were seniors on a fixed income… these were very wealthy seniors.

I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worthwhile doing speaking engagements in Palm Springs…at least from a bookselling point-of-view.

There was a bright side. We spoke at a fundraising event for a charity… and the event managed to raise a lot of money for the cause, so that was good. And I had a good time, met a lot of nice people, had a tasty lunch, and got a very unusual gift… a book mark that’s also a magnifying glass.

I gave the book mark to my daughter, who plans to use it to fry ants.

Palm Springs Signing

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I was interviewed on CBS 2 TV in Palm Springs on Thursday… and my daughter Madison, who was in the studio with me, joined me on the air. I’ll have the video clip on my website soon. In the meantime, here’s a picture from my signing last night (click on it for an enlarged image) Leesigning at Celebrity Book on their stage at the Palm Springs Street Fair. I met tons of DIAGNOSIS MURDER fans and even managed to sell some copies of THE WALK, too. It was a fun night and I look forward to returning in February for THE WAKING NIGHTMARE.

Book News from Lee

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Today, I finished the first draft of DIAGNOSIS MURDER #5: THE PAST TENSE… and I’ve sent it off to my writing/producing partner Bill Rabkin (with whom I exec produced Diagnosis Murder) and my brother Tod, the literary novelist, for their opinions, suggestions, and brutal edits. Bill & Tod will also be subbing for me here while I recuperate from surgery.

I also am pleased to annouce I’ve sold my book THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE to Five Star, the fine folks who brought you my novel THE WALK. The new novel will be published in hardcover some time next year. It’s a dark-comic mystery about a detective who learned everything he knows about being a PI from watching TV shows and reading paperbacks…and discovers the hard way just how different reality and fiction really are.

I’m going to take a few days off for a speaking engagement and two book-signings in Palm Springs this weekend before going into the hospital for surgery on my arm next week…though that date could change. I’ll know more after I see my doctor on Monday.

The Statue of Liberty is Cracking Up

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I’ve complained a bit about the cover of my book BEYOND THE BEYOND… a whine that earned me a place in Sarah Weinman’s Mystery Scene story on writers who blog…

But while visiting my Mom this weekend down in Palm Springs, I was reminded of a book cover I really liked… the cover of her first book, “The Statue of Liberty is Cracking Up.” Statueoflibery
It was the publication of her non-fiction book that made me realize that my own dreams of becoming a writer could come true, too. She proved to me it was possible to sell a book… if you believed in yourself and were willing to work hard at achieving your goals.

Remainder Convention

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Bookseller Robert Gray reports on his blog from the convention floor at C.I.R.O.B.E…. the Chicago International Remainder and Overstock Book Exposition, which is being held this weekend. This is where booksellers go to buy bargain books (aka remaindered books, aka all the stuff that didn’t sell when it was released) by the pallet.

Unlike BookExpo in the spring, this show makes no pretense about what it is. CIROBE is about moving product. It’s not quite so garish as “garbage in, garbage out,” but it’s close.

In an industry where profit margins are, to be polite, slender, bargain books offer booksellers the opportunity to make a little extra money while still giving their customers excellent value. Everybody’s happy except the authors, who do not really profit from this exchange; who, in fact, can only view the prospect of their books being offered for sale at a fraction of their original retail price as a slap in the face.

It’s a fascinating and entertaining report, well worth checking out if you’re interested in the inner-workings of the book biz…and don’t subscribe to Publishers Weekly.

Parker’s Pooch Passion

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By now, readers don’t give a second thought to Sunny Randall’s creepy relationship with her dog. She kisses the mutt 10 times a day, eats meals at the same table and worries herself into a depression that the doggie may love Sunny’s ex-husband’s new wife more deeply than she adores Sunny. But nobody among us readers wastes a second thought on such odd behavior. That’s just Sunny.

That’s also Spenser.

The quote is from Toronto Star reviewer Jack Batten’s take on MELANCHOLY BABY, Robert B. Parker’s fourth “Sunny Randall” PI novel. Sunny is a virtual carbon copy of Spenser, only far less appealing. And, as Batten notes,

Both of them spend almost as much time in making up to their pooches as in tracking down the killers.

All of this is told in crisp Parker style, with the usual compliment of wisecracks and psychological insights of the Dr. Phil sort, ending on the last page in a scene which finds Sunny in bed with the dog.

They not only obsess about their pets, they both have a loyal sociopathic sidekicks named like dogs (Sunny’s “Spike” to Spenser’s “Hawk”). All of which got me thinking…

Perhaps Parker should write his next book from the point of view of Sunny & Spenser’s crime solving dogs!

Think of the possibilities.

Pixar could buy the movie rights, turn it into one of their family-friendly CGI tales, add a few songs and, woof… before you know it, Parker is sitting on a new entertainment franchise worth BILLIONS.

You read it here first, friends.

Gischler Joins the Web

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Author Victor Gischler informs me that he’s finally launched his own website…

“Because we need more feeble websites thrown together by people who don’t know how to use a computer…”

So I clicked over there immediately. I enjoyed learning the blood-soaked backstory behind the writing of his novel THE PISTOL POETS.

I wrote it while I was on ludes and cheap gin. That was when I was living in Mexico with a band of Marxist outlaws. They didn’t pay any taxes at all and had really neat hats. I miss my friend Pepe, but I still have the scar. Oh, yes. Pepe Liked to play with knives. But I fixed his little red wagon

You can also click to his blog and learn how to deal with book critics.

10-30-2004 Shot another lemur. It came thru a hole in the screen door.