IInnSSiinnCC The Sisters in Crime Newsletter Volume XXII • Number 2 June 2009 Writing Tsalehs werre sloightlyudowgn buht not dHrasticaally sro; d TThe piubmlic is seimpls y buying fewer books. ByWEhlaizt acabnewthritLerysoenxps ect in these uncertain four indicated they were very down. Bookstore sales are down by 20 percent or more; times? Where should we put our energies? The Prescriptive nonfiction, which includes practi - many stores are hanging by a thread. Even Bor - economic downturn is affecting us all. Yet, be - cal self-help as well as inspirational self-help, and ders is reportedly in serious financial straits, and cause publishers must publish to stay in business, information-based nonfiction have always been even Amazon has taken a hit. they must acquire the bread and butter of agencies and publishers. So what should you do during these hard books. The new titles A “good, solid platform may not be enough,” said times? If you are published already, or if you get for 2009 were pur - one agent (“platform” meaning developed ways an offer, don’t worry about less pay for shorter chased in ’07 and ’08 of selling your book). Established authors have a works or a lower advance for a book. The point is and will hit the far better chance of making sales than new au - to stay in the game. An advance is merely borrow - shelves throughout thors trying to break in, they all reported. The ing money against future sales — and you know the year, but to stay in caveat is that if you are unpublished and have a how we’re not supposed to be borrowing any - business, they must terrific idea and slant and a convincing presenta - more! And remember the first law of writing: acquire books for tion about how you can sell a zillion copies of Don’t quit your day job! 2010 and beyond. your book, the agents definitely want you to For not-yet-published or minimally published The crystal ball is query them. In a way, both agents and publishers writers, you can and should continue writing, re - cloudy. Publishers have always gambled on future are looking harder than ever for the great idea. vising, polishing, and marketing; yes, even mar - profits. What books will the public buy 12 to 24 For representation and sale, memoirs have al - keting. Sales skills are different than writing skills. months down the road? The industry’s track ways had to show outstanding writing. Now au - And another rule of writing is apt: If you don’t record for accurate predictions has been less than thors must convince agents and editors of their market, you won’t sell. stellar. When I began my writing career in 1980, I platform, a developed promotional plan with na - From where I sit, seize on this time to build heard a conference speech by John Baker, the edi - tional outreach. One agent described a quirky your “stockpile” of works; write more, not less. tor in chief of Publishers Weekly . He offered this memoir that a year or two ago would have Take time to revise, with care and artistry, really statistic: 75 percent of all advances are never brought a possible auction and a quarter-million learning what polishing a work means. Market earned back. Twenty years later, I sat next to a dollar advance; now, if sold, will likely bring a your articles, nonfiction books, poetry, short sto - white-haired gentleman in a poolside lounge $25,000 advance — even though the author will ries, and novels; developing your marketing skills chair at yet another conference. John Baker, now star in a TV series that will debut in fall. In other and a thick skin — and perhaps scoring a few editorial director. I asked him about this statistic; words, the author (not previously published) has sales. he confirmed that it is still accurate. This would a guaranteed huge platform, and yet publishers Writing for publication is an entrepreneurial be a dismal and unacceptable record for any other are hesitant to buy. venture. Entrepreneurs succeed because they re - business. However, in the Alice in Wonderland We are a nonfiction culture where about 85 main on their toes — flexible, creative, taking world of publishing, profitable books, including percent of all published titles are nonfiction. Yet, risks, and not by being afraid of failure or bad mega-sellers, underwrite the losing 75 percent. by numbers of books sold, fiction wins. In gener - news. What else can you do to keep your writing Statistics never tell the whole story, however. al, the agents reported that genre, i.e., category, skills active if the marketplace isn’t ready for your Publishers are also banking on new writers devel - fiction like mysteries or romances, is selling as preferred writing? Believe it or not, writing of oping a name, not only earning back their ad - usual. Yet, they agreed that it’s tough to sell liter - any kind cross-pollinates every other kind of vances but increasing sales with each subsequent ary novels. In fact, one author, a colleague of writing. And you can still earn money. book. mine with two acclaimed literary novels to her To enhance skills and artistry in nonfiction I polled six agents, asking what they were expe - credit, was advised by her agent to hold her fin - and fiction, write resumes, business materials or riencing at this time in their critical interface ished third novel until better times. I did not ask manuals, how-to or information pieces. I’ve al - with publishing. I guaranteed anonymity to gain any of the agents specifically about mainstream ways thought that writing family histories, com - candid responses. Four of the agents work in or fiction, the type of writing that straddles genre pany histories, and ghostwriting autobiographies near New York, and two agents have offices in and literary. Because mainstream sells by author was a solid — and growing — market. Go to re - California. Five out of the six have three decades recognition or a specific title, my guess is that ac - tirement communities; advertise in Senior- of experience in publishing — as agents and/or as quisitions by not-yet-published authors are Boomer News. Some churches, associations, or former in-house editors. presently few. One hopeful category is young other institutions may want to hire someone to While their answers differed on some adult fiction, possibly given a boost by bestsellers write their histories for their members. Gigs like specifics, they agreed across the board that ad - such as the Twilight and Harry Potter series be - this exist everywhere. vances are far lower now, for both nonfiction and fore it. One agent told me that she recently decid - fiction. Regarding nonfiction, two reported that ed to represent young adult novels. (Continued on page 7) Get aClue Sisters in Crime Newsletter The mission of Sisters in Crime is to promote the pro - fessional development and advancement of women Writing Through Hard Times ........ ...1 crime writers to achieve equality in the industry. Judy Clemens , President Jim Huang , Bookstore Liaison President’s Message ..................... .......3 Marcia Talley ,Vice President/President Elect Mary Boone , Library Liaison Mar y Saums , Secretary Charlaine Harris, At Large Kathryn Wall, Treasurer/Authors Coalition Liaison Nancy Martin , At Large SinC Into Great Writing ................ ....3 Robin Burcell ,Chapter Liaison Julianne Balmain , Monitoring Project Cathy Pickens, Publicity Roberta Isleib, Past President Breakfast at Bouchercon ............. ……..3 Bonnie J. Cardone , InSinC Editor/ Graphic Designer Peggy Moody , Web Maven Donald Maass at SinC Workshop .. ....4 Beth Wasson , Executive Secretary, P.O. Box 442124, Lawrence, KS 66044-8933; Phone: 785/842-1325; Fax 785/856-6314; e-mail: [email protected] The Truth About Psychopaths ...... ......4 Presidents of Sisters in Crime 1987-88 Sara Paretsky ; 1988-89 Nancy Pickard ; 1989-90 Margaret Maron ; 1990-91 Susan Dunlap ; 1991- Q&A with Mary-Ann 92 Carolyn G. Hart ; 1992-93 P.M. Carlson ; 1993-94 Linda Grant ; 1994-95 Barbara D’Amato ; 1995-96 Elaine Raco Chase ; 1996-97 Annette Meyers ; 1997-98 Sue Henry ; 1998-99 Medora Sale ; 1999-00 Bar - bara Burnett Smith ; 2000-01 Claire Carmichael McNab ; 2001-02 Eve K. Sandstrom ; 2002-03 Kate Flora ; Tirone Smith .......................... .......5 2003-04 Kate Grilley ; 2004-05 Patricia Sprinkle ; 2005-06 Libby Hellmann ; 2006-07 Rochelle Krich ; 2007-08 Roberta Isleib; 2008-09 Judy Clemens Charlaine Harris .......................... …..6 Interview with an Agent .................. ..7 DEADLINES AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES The next Sisters in Crime Newsletter will be Send columns, articles, ideas and praise via e- Law and Fiction ......................... .......8 out in September. The deadline for all submis - mail. sions is July 20 . Please send mailing address, phone number, Members’ publications since the last edition of and e-mail with submissions. If you have an idea Chapter News ............................. .......8 the newsletter will be listed in The Docket. Please for a story, please query the editor: include publication dates when submitting. Bonnie J. Cardone SinC at SIBA ................................ …..9 Docket material will be due July 15 and should be 805/938-1156 sent to: E-mail: b jcardon e@ hotmail. com Patricia Gulley SinC at Southern Festival of Books .. …9 1743 N. Jantzen Avnue Portland, OR 97217-7849 Chapter Spotlight .......................... ....9 E-mail: [email protected] Moving? Change of address notifications Conferences ................................ ......10 Other honors, awards and events of great “pith should be sent to both Beth Wasson, and moment” should be written up as short, sepa - SinC executive secretary, P.O. Box rate notices. These can be as short as a paragraph. 442124, Lawrence, KS 66044-8933 Review Monitoring Project ......... .....11 No publicity/promotion of individual members, please. and to Rowan Mountain, Inc., P.O.