How To and Resources for Mystery Suspense Thriller Novelists and Writers

Book industry numbers are cold-sweat terrifying for publishers and authors alike. According to Nielsen Bookscan, 3,000 books are published per day in the United States alone (as reported on www.deadlyprose.com ). ForeWord can review at most a few thousand per year. Publishers report an average of 2,100 submissions per year, totaling 132 million submissions. Just under one percent are accepted for publication.

In the face of these staggering odds, is there any hope for authors and publishers?

The Majority of Books Sell Fewer than 99 Copies

Of the 1.2 million titles tracked by Bookscan in 2006, only 2.1% sold more than 5,000 books, 16.6% sold fewer than 1,000, and a terrifying 79.6% sold fewer than 99 copies. The 99 copies are no doubt the reason only one percent of authors’ submissions make it through the arduous publisher-review process.

This is all the stuff of wake-in-a-sweat nightmares: 63,000 publishers vie for readers with their wonderful author lists (according to Dan Poynter’s ParaPublishing.com).

The terror is no less for authors: only six conglomerate publishers publish fewer and fewer debut authors and less and less fiction. Then the real horror story commences as a book makes it into distribution. The bestseller dreams of authors and publishers are splashed with the cold water of real numbers.

Negative or Naïve?

Am I being negative or naïve? Perhaps both. The naïve part of the equation is my firm belief there are ways to break through these barriers to success. Kunati was founded with this goal in mind, and has proven it can work.

Heather Shaw touched on one important element of the success formula in her insightful Blog on book covers. When competing with 1.2 million titles, first impressions (impact) and credibility are vital. These are the twin functions of a cover.

What Works for Selling Books?

Websites, book videos and novel trailers, author critique groups, social marketing, author Blog tours, old-fashioned but still-important book signings, and publicity are the proven methods for marketing. I hope to focus on these in future Publisher Insider Blogs in a more how-to format.

Innovation begins with a study of what works. Read every Blog in the ForeWord archive and every article in the magazine. Visit the sites of successful publishers—the innovative publishers who lead with new ideas such as novel trailers, Blog touring, online publicity. (hint, hint, Kunati). Read every page on sites from innovative publishers.

Getting Noticed is the Primary Goal

My message is simple. With these horrifying numbers, being noticed is almost the only thing that matters—for both authors and publishers. Many authors are creative, even brilliant, yet if they can’t market their “author brand” no publisher is interested.

The publisher faces an epic battle analogous to a Tolkien quest to get attention in the marketplace. The publisher must build the authors’ brands, edit the manuscripts for the market, arrange distribution, obtain reviews from magazines (which choose from millions), then sell to wholesalers, retailers and finally readers.

The Retailer

How does a retailer choose which titles to carry? The average retailer chooses to stock a few thousand copies per year, far less than 1% of the titles available—similar in numbers to the reviews published annually by ForeWord. That’s not a coincidence.

Publisher and author success relies on buzz, which is a combination of review exposure, social networking, book cover designs, author activities such as Blogs and signings (the two types of touring, virtual and tangible). The last part of the equation is wonderful content.

Innovative Authors Look Beyond Good Prose... read the rest of the blog post here

Read Publisher Insider on ForeWord Magazine weekly here.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Derek Armstrong, O.J. Simpson, Steve Jobs of Apple, Amazon.com, Kunati Books... What Do They Have in Common?

This week, a “close friend” of O.J. Simpson offered Kunati—a publisher focused on “controversial and provocative books”—a tell-all book project: “O.J. told me that I was the only man he was comfortable enough to talk openly with. Web of Controversy will remove the public facade of O.J. Simpson.” Nice friend. More O.J. controversy. Will it sell? Almost certainly.

Condemning Controversy?

Why are readers receptive to controversy? Judging from a report I received this week—the Library Open Access report “Tracking Challenges in Libraries: 2007 Results”—the opposite is true. Patrons are vocal in condemning anything notorious or contentious. It seems that some library patrons would bring back book-burning. So, why do Kunati’s provocative books sell so well? Why do controversial books such as The Da Vinci Code become bestsellers? How is it that publishers can turn controversy into bestsellers and provocation into opportunity when some readers seem vocally in favor of censorship?

Violence, Racism and Promoting Witchcraft

The easy answer seems to be the power of the silent majority—enlightened readers—voting for freedom and fun with their wallets. Librarians, publishers and booksellers continue to offer these books despite a vocal minority. Among the condemned titles from library patrons in the “Challenges” report were: Oliver Twist (for violence), Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby Girl (for racism), and—of course—Philip Pullman’s Golden Compass for religious viewpoints. I recall Harry Potter being on a previous list for “promoting witchcraft.” The list of 36 “patron condemned” books in the 2007 list included my favorite classics, making me wonder if this is indeed a 2007 report. Fortunately, the librarians—stewards of free thought—denied all requests to “burn” or remove books.

What’s so Controversial?

A quick analysis of this most entertaining report from librarians shows the most common reasons for requests to “pull” books off library shelves, in order of prominence, were: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit language, violence, offensive language. Thank goodness for librarians, otherwise all of my own novels would be burned:

* The Game: let’s see, explicit violence, offensive language—it is a thriller, after all
* The Last Troubadour: ah, religious viewpoint for its portrayal of the Cathars as heroes and the Inquisition as evil?
* MADicine: oh, probably everything on the no-no list.

I suppose I’d be in good company with nearly all of Kunati’s popular books—including a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and a NY Times bestseller. Not to mention the rest of the “challenges” list: Exit to Eden, The Monkey King, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Rainbow Boys, Fly on the Wall, and the entire religion-based bestselling Left Behind series.

Steve Jobs says, “No One Reads Anymore.”

It seems that Apple’s Steve Jobs believes “people don’t read anymore.” The computer guru declared in his keynote at MacWorld 2007 that Amazon’s new e-ink reader was “dead on arrival” with a sweeping, and inaccurate, statistic: “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore. Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year.” Good to know, Steve. I guess Job’s forty percent only read controversial books?

According to a landmark study of 10,800 Americans by Persona Corp in 2007: 30.6% “Can’t live without books”; 23.4% “LOVE books”; 20.9% “Read regularly”—totaling 74.9% of all Americans. I guess it depends on whether you make phone gadgets or publish books which survey you trust, although a quick look at actual book sales indicates Persona’s study is closer to the right number.

Book Sales Over 36 Billion Net in 2007http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Net revenues on book sales, according to The Book Standard, were up another billion dollars to $35.69 billion net sales in 2006 and another 1% up in 2007....

READ THE REST OF THE FEATURE HERE at ForeWord Magazine...

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

A Pulitzer Prize-Winning New York Times Author and Movie Deal for Kunati Books 2008

31 Authors - Pulitzer Prize-Winner - NY Times Bestselling Author - Sequels from Hit Authors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Kunati Books, "a publisher to watch" according to ALA's Booklist, promises a big year in 2008 with the addition of twenty-two titles, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and a soon-to-be-a-motion-picture novel release.

"This year we're particularly excited to announce so many hot titles and authors," publisher Derek Armstrong said. "Pulitzer Prize winning NY Times bestseller John E. Mack joins our list with a commemorative illustrated edition of his Passport to the Cosmos. Joshua Corin is a most welcome addition, especially now that his amazing novel Nuclear Winter Wonderland is to be a major 2009 motion picture. Booksellers and reviewers really paid attention in 2007. But this year, Kunati's definitely the name to watch."

Spring 2008 has already seen strong advance orders for a critically-acclaimed list of unique fiction, including MADicine, the second Alban Bane thriller by satirical thriller novelist Derek Armstrong, and Hunting the King by Peter Clenott—already being favorably compared by reviewers to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

Libraries and chains have particularly responded to early buzz about Bathtub Admirals, a "true story" satirical novel of naval and political incompetence from retired US Navy Commander Jeff Huber. Returning from a great 2007 performance with Rabid, T K Kenyon's Callous is also hot on advance orders. Dan Ronco's UnHoly Domain has been compared by reviewers to Phillip K. Dick and earned praise from many bestselling authors.

Kunati's intelligent choices of unique voices has led to movie-option negotiations, development deals, a flurry of interest in translation rights, and:
· 31 authors
· Kunati's first Tarot deck/book set, a very unique set that combines Quantum physics and Tarot imagery in the Quantum Tarot

· Six acclaimed new thrillers, including MADicine, sequel to the 2007 hit The Game.
· Several non-fiction titles, including the much-anticipated Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness, by sitcom writer Wendy Aron
· Blogertize, a breakout "How-to Make Money" book on blogging with secrets of a twenty-year expert marketer
· The return of Armstrong's hugely popular historical-fantasy-tarot trilogy in The Last Quest, book two after last year's hit The Last Troubadour.
· An inspirational book of hope for those who have suffered sexual abuse, Courage in Patience, from Beth Fehlbaum
· Breakthrough fiction, including: The Master Planets from Donald Gallinger; A Decent Ransom, A Story of Kidnapping Gone Right from Ivana Hruba; a twice-dead crime-solver in the sensational Miracle Myx from Dave Diotalevi; a legal thriller ripped right from the headlines in Janeology by Karen Harrington; Heart of Diamonds from journalist Dave Donelson an international adventure set in the darkest Congo; and Belly of the Whale, a powerful and poignant story of a woman battling cancer who finds the will to live after confronting a murderer.

"We're fortunate to have so many fine authors to choose from," Armstrong explained. "Our authors-first philosophy led to over 8500 submissions last year. Our 2007 cloth editions were so popular, most of them are releasing in trade paper in fall of this year."

Kunati's many titles in 2007 are still selling well in cloth, including unique titles:

· Mothering Mother, the family caregiving masterpiece from Carol D. O'Dell, a popular guest on TV, with appearances on CNN and FOX TV
· The Game, Alban Bane's first thriller from Derek Armstrong, a critically acclaimed jab at reality TV
· Rabid, from T K Kenyon, described as "impressive" by Publishers Weekly and landing to strong sales and starred reviews
· Popular post-Civil War historical Women of Magdalene from Rosemary Poole-Carter
· The Last Troubadour, which caught the imagination of historical fans and Tarot fans alike
· Truth or Bare, a stylish character-driven crime thriller from Richard Cahill
· On Ice from beloved humorist Red Evans
· bang Bang: How Paula Sherman Took On the Gun Lobby and Changed America, a literary masterpiece by Lynn Hoffman
· Whale Song from Canadian Cheryl Kaye Tardif, "already a hit" according to Booklist
· Golf slapstick with Todd Sentell's Toonamint of Champions
· UK humor from Andy Tilley's sensational Recycling Jimmy
· A journey back to the hip sixties in Shadow of Innocence from Ric Wasley
· Young adult adventure in Art Tirrell's popular The Secret Ever Keeps.

About Kunati

Passport to the Cosmos cover

Kunati Books has been described as "a publisher to watch" from ALA's Booklist and "what a publisher looks like if the marketing department runs things" by Quill and Quire. With thirty-one authors, a Pulitzer Prize- winner, and movie deals for books, Kunati is a major force in independent publishing.

Kunati became an instant hit with its "authors-first approach." Founded by published authors, Kunati became an immediate focus for authors, with thousands of submissions per year. Careful selection led to critical acclaim for all published titles. Distributed internationally through Independent Publishers Group, Canadian Manda and other groups, and through all major wholesalers, Kunati quickly became popular with booksellers, and in particular the independents.

Kunati is also very loyal to its libarian friends.

Fresh, acclaimed fiction and non-fiction also makes Kunati a major target of movie-rights buyers. Nuclear Winter Wonderland, a Kunati title from Joshua Corin, is soon to be a major movie. Other titles are optioned or in negotiation.

About Kunati's Publisher

MADicine, an Alban Bane Thriller from Derek Armstrong

Best known for historical thrillers and mystery thrillers, Derek
Armstrong is also a screenwriter, publisher and well-known marketing
guru. His defining signature style was described by Booklist as
"brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in
genuinely innovative ways." Armstrong is the creator of Alban Bane,
featured in the Alban Bane thrillers The Game and MADicine, a character
affectionately compared by critics to House M.D., the TV character. He
is the author of the popular Song of Montségurhistorical trilogy, including The Last Troubadour and The Last Quest. He is also author of
two non-fiction titles: Blogertize-A Leading Expert Shows How Your Blog Can Be A Money-Making Machine and The Persona Principle: How to Succeed
in Business with Image-Marketing. Forthcoming in 2009 is a breakthrough
Harry Potter competitor: Magick Inc.

Derek Armstrong has won many awards for advertising copywriting internationally and wrote The Persona Principle (Simon & Schuster) with co-author Kam Wai Yu, now translated to five languages.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Dan Ronco's Sci-Fi Thriller Unholy Domain from Kunati compared to Philip K. Dick

NEWS RELEASE — Futuristic Thriller from Kunati Compared to Legendary SF Writer Phillip K. Dick

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TORONTO – Unholy Domain, the new Kunati novel by Dan Ronco, has been compared to the works of legendary science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, author of Blade Runner and many other classics. In Unholy Domain, Ronco follows Dick’s investigations into the dark new worlds of the near future. New York Times bestselling author Piers Anthony calls Unholy Domain “a fast-action story ... sparkling with ideas.” Anthony praised Ronco’s previous novel, PeaceMaker, as “exciting, violent and thoughtful.”

Unholy Domain explores the age-old battle between scientific enlightenment and religious fundamentalism. Ronco takes readers into a shattered world where violent rival factions—the fanatical Church of God and the secret technological society known as The Domain— compete for supreme power. Caught in the middle is a young man who seeks to clear his father of blame for the greatest technological disaster the world has ever endured.

“The comparison to Phillip K. Dick and the praise by an author of the stature of Piers Anthony are extremely gratifying, but not surprising,” said Kunati publisher Derek Armstrong. “Dan Ronco’s writing teems with stimulating ideas about the future of the world and the human race. His storytelling is outstanding. He looks into the human heart and finds both the dark and the transcendent.”

Unholy Domain will release to extensive publicity in April of 2008 from Kunati Books, called a “new publisher to watch” by Booklist.

Kuanti seeks out provocative and controversial fiction, as well as non-fiction that inspires and enlightens. The spring 2008 season includes a satire of the US military by a retired Navy Commander, two new medical thrillers, an inspiring story of a woman battling cancer and terrorized by a murderer, a literary crime novel that boasts the most unique protagonist to come along in years, and a novel that explores the personality of a woman who murdered her toddler son.

For PRESS INFORMATION — press @kunati.com Derek Armstrong, Publisher, Kunati Books

Thursday, January 10, 2008

"An adventure for spiritual grownups that educates as much as it delights." Lon Milo DuQuette, bestselling author on The Last Troubadour

"SKILLFULLY WRITTEN FOR SPIRITUAL GROWNUPS

If I didn't know better, I'd say that Derek Armstrong wrote his novel, The Last Troubadour – Song of Montségur, purely for my own amusement and pleasure. With wit, wisdom (and more than an occasional wink) he has written a novel that panders to nearly every one of my cultural, spiritual, and historical prejudices. Set in thirteen century France – that hotbed heroes, heroines, and heresy – it's a wide-screen Technicolor adventure worthy of a full Errol Flynn treatment… an adventure for spiritual grownups that educates as much as it delights. I can't wait for the next in the series."

Lon Milo DuQuette – Author of Accidental Christ ISBN-13: 978-0978959203
Review of The Last Troubadour

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Kunati 08 Books Critical Successes

Sneak Peak at Fall 08!

Available to Order Now

Alphabetical by Title with "loglines." Click cover to learn more.

In Lynn Hoffman’s "brilliant" novel, a singing vigilante waitress crime-victim takes on America’s obsession with guns and transforms herself in the process. Read More... View the trailer!

"Thoroughly charming and sure to enrage the NRA" Kirkus Reviews

"Starred Review. Brilliant." BookList Magazine

Hudson Catalina has given up on life, having lost both breasts to cancer, until the wrecked-by-life young Buddy Baker arrives, bent on murder. Linda Merlino’s harrowing, touching story of despair, abuse, murder and survival leaves you enriched by the experience. Read more...

Are the armed forces of the world’s only superpower really run by self-serving "Bathtub Admirals" and unscrupulous back-stabbers? In the brilliant tradition of Heller and Vonnegut, Bathtub Admirals is retired commander Jeff Huber's tragicomic take on America’s rise to global dominance. Read more...

"Populated by outrageous characters and fueled with pompous outrage, Huber’s irreverent broadside will pummel the funny bone of anyone who’s served." Publishers Weekly

In typical TK Kenyon genre-bending style, Callous is Our Town meets The Crucible in a paranoia-fest as neighbor suspects neighbor of being a murderer, a serial killer, or worse, and relationships spin out of control. Read more...

"Impressive." Publishers Weekly, review of TK Kenyon's Rabid

A "delightfully sarcastic" and "House-M.D-like"* detective takes on "creepy" reality television. In this darkly humorous thriller, reality television becomes too real when a killer with a message preys on the contestants of America's number one TV show. Read more...view the trailer!

"Armstrong is an author to watch." Booklist

"Dark tongue-in-cheek thriller" Library Journal

"Suspenseful and rich with dark humor" Foreword Reviews

On the evening of the American invasion of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, an international cast of schemers, spies, churchmen and scientists race to claim the greatest prize the world has ever seen. Read more...

"A stunning debut thriller. More convincing than DaVinci Code." Films & Books Magazine

Tom is certain he is living the American dream. With twins and lovely wife Jane, and a house on the beach, life couldn't be better. Until one day in June, the police tell him the unthinkable—his wife has drowned their toddler son, while his daughter clings to life in the hospital. Read more...

"This affecting story, with its brilliant array of genial, selfish, troubled, and plucky characters, accomplishes a wonderful feat by revealing specific and universal truths within all families." Donald Phillips, bestselling author

In this historical thriller set against the rich background of the 13th century Inquisition, the last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue a holy Christian relic from a crusading king. Read more...view the trailer

"Brilliance....genuinely innovative" Booklist

"Amusing and entertaining... recommended for all." Library Journal

"Action-packed novel." Publishers Weekly

What happens when an engineered virus, meant to virally "cure" psychopathically violent patients, is let loose by accident on the world? And what chance does the world have when a rescue organization named WART (World Advance Response Taskforce) is our only hope? Read more...

"In his follow-up to the excellent The Game (2007), Armstrong takes on a whole new set of challenges....Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways" Booklist

Nothing escapes Myx. And he isn't the kind of kid to let murders go unsolved. Two times dead left his mind wired like no other, and he knows how to use it. Read more...

"What a treat it is to be in the mind of Myx Amens, the clever, capable, twice-dead, protagonist of a story that surprises and satisfies throughout. A mystery told with wry, intelligent humor. More Myx, Mr. Diotalevi, and soon." Robert Fate, Author, Baby Shark series, Academy Award Winner.

An authentic in-the-room view of a daughter's struggle to care for an aging parent with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, a memoir told with humor and heart-breaking frankness, both inspirational and helpful. Read more...view the trailer!

Don't miss Carol O'Dell on CNN and FOX TV.

"Beautiful. Told with humor, and much love." Booklist

What do you get when you mix a corpse "on ice" in a kiddie pool in the back of a pick up truck, a wide-eyed farm boy and a flatulent dog? Don't miss this utterly charming road trip story. Read more...view the trailer!

"Evans uses offbeat humor to both entertain and move his readers." Booklist.

An outrageous romp into "suicide for profit" and the darkest aspects of human nature, told with brilliant black humor and a zest for life. Read more...View the trailer!

"Recycling Jimmy is energetic, imaginative, relentlessly and unabashedly vulgar, and at times, funny enough to make a cranky reviewer laugh out loud." Booklist

"Darkly comic story unwinds with plenty of surprises." ForeWord Reviews

A sexy, savvy, darkly funny tale of ambition, scandal, forbidden love and murder, science and religion collide with far reaching consequences. Nothing is sacred. Read more...View the trailer!

"Jealousy and anger erupt in murder, a tense jury trial and the discovery of a lethal, lab-cultivated aerosol rabies virus...impressive medical thriller." Publishers Weekly

An aging Godfather-like billionaire tycoon regrets a decades-long life of "shady dealings" and seeks reconciliation with a granddaughter who doesn't even know he exists. Read more...View the trailer!

"A must read." Films and Books

"Riveting, rhapsodic, accomplished." Foreword

"Romance, adventure and danger on the lake." Kirkus

The oh-so-cool crime-solving McCarthy couple delve into the dark and perverse shadows of ultra-establishment Newport against a groovy sixties backdrop. The quick-witted McCarthy family face shadowy kidnappers, protective family dynasties, and mysterious assassins. Read more...View the Trailer!

"Colorful and exciting. A lot of fun." Booklist

"Wasley brings reality to this tale." Library Journal

"A page-turner...Sit down and enjoy. You'll be glad you did." NY Times bestseller William Martin

A wickedly funny satire of the exclusive world of the private golf club tells the story of an obsessive bank teller from Mullet Luv, Georgia, and his squawking redneck fiancée achieving a lifelong dream of teeing off at the Augusta National Golf Club. Read more...View the Trailer!

"Regardless of which way your funny bone swings, Sentell’s Toonamint of Champions will give a brand new meaning to “par for the course.” ForeWord

"Over-the-top slapstick." Booklist

A literary yet humorous crime novel about a lawyer who hates lawyers moving with the ease of a shark through the dingy bars and fantasy parlors where his clients do their dangerous dance of survival on society’s underbelly. Read more...View the trailer!

"Cahill has introduced an enticing character in Speed; he’s flawed, funny, and apparently hell-bent on making sure his life never goes completely right. Let’s hope this debut novel isn’t the last we hear from him." Booklist Magazine

A fast-paced techno-thriller depicts a world of violent extremes, where religious terrorists and visionaries of technology fight for supreme power. Read more...

"Top rate adventure sparkling with ideas." NY Times bestselling author Piers Anthony

"A chilling technothriller. . . Dan Ronco is social visionary on par with William Gibson and Robert Sawyer." Scott Nicholson, author, They Hunger

Two cultures clash in a world where native tradition and modern law cannot co-exist. How can a young girl deal with the assisted suicide of her own mother? Whale Song is a haunting tale of change and choice. Read more...View the Trailer!

"Whale Song is deep and true, a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has written a beautiful, haunting novel." NY Times Bestselling novelist Luanne Rice, author of Beach Girls

"Tardif already a hit... a name to reckon with south of the border." Booklist

The women of Magdalene are dying and no one seems to care, least of all the haughty Dr. Kingston, the director of the genteel Ladies’ Lunatic Asylum. A mix of historical who-dunnit and gripping historical fiction by prolific author and playwrite Rosemary Poole-Carter. Read more...View the trailer!

"Women of Magdalene is a brilliant example of the best historical fiction can do." Featured review in ForeWord

"A fine mix of thriller, historical fiction, and Southern Gothic." Booklist

Click to View New 2008 Titles!

How To and Resources for Mystery Suspense Thriller Novelists and Writers

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

My favorite Links for Books, Authors, Publishers, Book trailers, blogs, blog news

Hot Links!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Terrifying Statistics, or Reality Check for Books and Authors?