#1 New York Times Bestselling Author & TV Producer
There was a time when Writer’s Digest offered useful tips on breaking into writing and sustaining a career in the biz… but over the years they have become a worthless shill for the vanity press industry. I’ve been getting countless emails from Writer’s Digest, hyping one vanity press or another as a way to break … Read more
There’s been a lot of talk lately about mid-list writers adopting other names to get their books sold and keep their careers going. Author Tim Cockey has enjoyed some success with his HEARSE series of light-hearted mysteries — now he’s launching a new series under the name "Richard Hawke." He recently sent Bill Peschel an … Read more
I always get a kick out of aspiring writers who whine about not having the time to write, or not having enough "peace and quiet." Professional writers know they have to write with whatever time they have, regardless of the conditions. This is especially true in television, where you need to generate a new script … Read more
I got this email from Dan yesterday: Lee, I just came across your blog. I know you are a busy person so I will keep this short and sweet… IDEA: GOOGLE GAMESHOW (I own this domain) 1. Perhpas it wouldn’t be with google, but google is so hot, you would think they would be interested … Read more
Anybody who reads this blog knows I’m not a supporter of "fanfic," that I think it violates the legal and artistic rights of authors, and that I take every opportunity to point out how inane and offensive most of it is. So you can imagine my amusement when I got this email today: Hey Mr. … Read more
I’ve been a television writer for about 20 years now. In that time, I haven’t written many scripts on spec. Bill Rabkin and I wrote a spec episode of "Spenser: For Hire" as a writing sample to get our first TV job (on "Spenser For Hire," oddly enough). Since then, we’ve written a spec pilot … Read more
Here’s how you can order your own, signed copy of MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIRE HOUSE. Email Mysteries to Die For with the following information: Name Address Phone number Method of payment (check, money order or credit card) Info about how you want the book inscribed (signed only, inscribed to ‘name’, etc.) Mail your … Read more
There was an interesting comment that somebody calling himself Inside Fandom left in the "Masturbation" post. I didn’t write it, and I don’t know who did, but I didn’t want it to get lost in the clutter: "t3h ebil fanficcers" Fanspeak. Sort of like jive, but with wurz speling. In fandom communities the presumption is … Read more
Now I’m getting mail from convicts and I don’t even have hooters. This particular convict is looking for an agent for his autobiography. I’m a writer, not an agent, so I’m not sure why he picked me for his two, lengthy email. Here’s an excerpt: The Last Hardrock is an insightful chronicle of one man’s … Read more
My brother Tod and I started our day yesterday visiting bookstores — at one of them, I found a signed first edition copy of a Ross Thomas novel ("Missionary Stew") for $25. I felt like I’d stolen it. We then went to the Seattle Mystery Bookshop, where we had a great time signing our books, … Read more