Murder She Writes

I usually get to my office around 6:30 in the morning, start the coffee, and once the brew is done, I take a cup and my ‘to do’ list and sit on a bench outside to enjoy a few moments of peace and evaluate what I have to do for the day before everyone starts arriving. Although I followed the same ritual this morning, it was anything but peaceful. A new office complex is being constructed across from mine, and crews were already out hammering and banging at the butt crack of dawn.

Sitting on that bench, I drank coffee and watched them for a while. Pot-bellied bees in sweaty t-shirts and dirty jeans setting rafters in place. One yelled to the other, “Bubba, watch what the f*** you’re doin’ with that god**** four by four!” I didn’t envy them. Not that heavy load. Not in this heat.

It was then that I realized our jobs were really not that different. Although writers sit behind a computer all day, our load feels just as heavy as a cord of lumber. In fact, the burden of having to put the right words in the right place at the right time can make you feel like you’re carrying a whole damn forest on your back. And as far as heat . . . we may have air conditioning, but there is nothing that scorches the brain more than working under a tight deadline.

When you think about it, we are construction workers. We build stories, each beginning with a foundation, a plot that must be laid with care or the rest of the structure won’t stand. Our stud walls are characters, our rafters, settings. The windows and doors, dormers and crown molding are the adverbs, adjectives, pronouns, and conjunctions we choose to enhance the whole. Use too much, and you have a gaudy, unsightly mess. Use too little, and you create something that has all the allure of a rural bank building. Finding the balance between those extremes is always a challenge, so, just like those construction workers, we not only use what we know to make everything come together properly, we trust some internal barometer to keep us on course.

The only difference I can see between a builder and writer is the number of people it takes to do the associated jobs. They use crews, we work alone. I think the same rules apply in both businesses, though . . .

• Cussing is allowed.
• Attire is discretionary.
• Pot bellies are optional
• And whatever you do, don’t piss off the owner (editor).

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9 Writing Tips: Things I’ve Learned About Writing Novels in the last four years.

When I heard I’d get to do a guest blog on MSW, my first thought was: whoopeee!! My second thought was: what am I going to say?

We’ve talked a lot about the life of a professional writer. We have each taken diverse paths, because every writer is different. We’re all at different stages, too. I’ve learned so much from everyone here at MSW, especially about promotion–raising your profile and cutting through the clutter—but also about writing.

I thought I’d do something different and address writers just starting out, some of whom have sold stuff, some of whom haven’t, and share with you what I’ve learned about writing in the last few years. It also applies to veteran writers, though. No matter how much writing I have under my belt, sometimes I hear something said just a little bit differently, and it strikes a chord. I’m hoping that will happen here.

#1: Write to please yourself. It’s a daunting undertaking to write a book you think will reach thousands of readers. You want your story to be universal, to thrill or inspire people all over the country or the world. How do you go about doing that? I figured out the only way for me to write a really good book was to please myself, because I’m the only person I really know. If, when I read my story, I am completely taken away by it, then I’m guessing other people will feel the same way.

This is not to say you should be self-indulgent in your writing. You really do have to please yourself, not just think it’s “good enough.” You have to become the reader.

#2: Write at least five days a week. Preferably every day, even if it’s only a sentence. This keeps you tethered to the book and part of that world. Once you’ve taken a “vacation” from your story, it’s very hard to get back in. It’s like getting ready to start a diet—almost impossible. My voice teacher once told me, regarding practice: “If I don’t sing for one day, I know it. If I don’t sing for two days, my teacher knows it. If I don’t sing for three days, everybody knows it.”

#3: Writing a book is just a rehearsal. Another thing I learned from my singing career. If you have trepidation about writing a whole book, see it as a rehearsal. In a rehearsal, you can learn the material, practice it, and eventually it takes shape. Plus, you can fix anything during rehearsal, because there’s no audience to see what you’re doing behind the scenes. When you get ready to send the book out—that’s the performance. And you don’t have to worry about that for a long time.

#4: First draft: Write a bunch of crap. Face it, a lot of what you’ll be writing will be crap, so you might as well embrace the fact. Wallow in it, even. Because, since you’re only rehearsing, you can fix anything. You need a stack of pages—270 to 400+, double-spaced– to make a book, so all you really need is to get the ball farther down the field. It doesn’t have to be pretty.

Look at it this way. You’re a pioneer. You’re making your own trail through the deserts and mountains, and it isn’t a landscaped parkway. But once you’ve made the trail, it’s there. You can follow that trail or deviate, make it easier to follow by going around one mountain or making a bridge over a ravine. You’ve written the story. Your subconscious will have been working on it as you’ve written your crap, and all of a sudden you will be blazing new trails and they will be good. As one writer said, “I don’t care how bad the first draft is—at least it’s there. You can’t fix something that doesn’t exist.”
When I decided to start over and become the best writer I could be, I ended up writing crap. This was hard for me because always before, my first draft was pretty darn good. It was pristine, beautifully written, lots of good stuff. All I did was give it a quick polish, maybe three week’s worth. My work was well-written but it didn’t go any deeper than that, because I didn’t take it any deeper. I didn’t make it the best I could make it, because I thought I was good enough and besides, the words were so darn purty.

#5: Read only the best. If you aspire to be among the best, this one’s pretty obvious. Read the best writers, the ones on a consistently high level, but read the writers who speak to you. If you love John Grisham, read him. If you love Jodi Piccoult, read her. Don’t read bad novels. Yes, you can learn from their mistakes, but they can drain you psychically, and at some point you’re going to think, “well, if so and so got away with that and they’re published, I can, too.” Read the best, read them for enjoyment, and then study them. Ask yourself, why are their books so effective? Outline a novel or two. If you see something that’s particularly good, write down your impression of it, see if you can apply that principle somewhere in your own book.

The best are the best for a reason. They do things that may seem completely natural—easy, even–but a lot of deliberate thought and practice putting in hours blazing the trail have gone into their work. It’s not a fluke. You can’t get there from here unless you work hard, and the best way to get someplace is to see where you’re headed. That comes in reading the best.

#6: Find writers who write something that’s doable for you. Your Best Writers should appeal to you on a visceral level. You love their books. Generally, if you love mysteries, if mysteries consume your reading time, it’s a pretty good clue you should be writing mysteries. But there are sub-genres and sub-sub-genres. I could never picture myself writing like Grisham, only because I’m not made that way. But I can picture myself writing like a handful of other writers. They’re the best, but they share with me these things: a similar narrative voice and world view, a similarity in pacing; they write the kind of scenes I can see myself writing; they depict character, setting, mood, and tone in ways that feel familiar to me. I can fit inside their biorythms because on some pretty basic levels, we are similar. They are at the top and I’m not, but I can see myself among them. I have a comfort level with these writers that I could never have with John Grisham.

# 7: But don’t pick just one! I once heard an editor say that her author “channeled” a famous writer. I thought, how sad. The only thing any of us has over anybody else, is ourselves. That’s the one thing that makes us special. We are our own instrument. I love to watch the top comedians on the comedy channel, because the really good ones use themselves—their world view, their own quirks, everything that has been poured into their lives so far. So you’ve got a guy playing piano. You have a bunch of guys who look like meth heads. You have people with props. You have people who are dirty, and you have people who are clean. But the best ones don’t copy anyone else. I don’t want to channel John Grisham. There already is a John Grisham, so anything I could do would be only warmed-over, second-best John Grisham.

So how do you avoid channeling Grisham? If he’s your taste, look for other top authors like him, like you. And read them all. Mix it up. Don’t read two of one author’s books in a row. There are some writers who have such strong voices that when I read them, I have to leaven them with another strong writer from another direction. If I’m reading Sue Grafton (for fun! Because she’s one of the best!), then I have to find someone who will neutralize her, someone like James Lee Burke, before I start to write. That combination will confuse the hell out of anyone.

If you choose, say, five to fifteen authors you love, if you can see your work in that mold, in that grouping, you will do well to trust them. I have four writers, I call them “my boys,” and whenever I start to freak out in my writing I go to one of them, read one of his books, and it calms me right down. I know I’m on the right track, that I do many more things right than I do wrong, because I’ve been over this trail a few times and each time it becomes more pronounced. (They don’t know, by the way, that they’re “my boys.” If they did know, they might think I’m a crackpot and go out and hire extra security.)

# 8: Don’t compare yourself to other writers. This sounds antithetical to what I’ve just talked about, but it isn’t. Don’t compare your career to others. Don’t whine, “Why did he get a seven figure advance when I’m just as good?” Don’t think that just because one writer is doing really well, that you should, too, because you’re very much like her. Try not to be jealous. Try to concentrate on what you can affect, your own work. Be egocentric, literally. And when you’re up, don’t look down on people who are lower on the ladder than you, because reversals don’t happen just in screenplays. Try not to think, “I’m better than her.” Or, “She’s better than me.” Don’t compare, don’t compare, don’t compare. (I tell myself this a lot.)

# 9: Visualize where you want to be. To paraphrase Dr. Phil, “How would you feel if you were on an international flight and the pilot came on the radio and said, ‘We’re going to try for Paris today?’”

You have to believe you will get there—wherever “there” is. Getting there is one part hard work and one part believing it can be accomplished. Picture where you want to be, and aim for it. You might come up short, but I guarantee that the higher you aim, the closer you’ll get.

By planning to be one of the best, you raise your game. And that’s something worth working for.

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This is a free week where all of us will blog about whatever comes to mind. Which means none of the other Murder She Writes gals are to blame for this blog.

Blame me, just me, if this blog is the proverbial can of worms. These are my experiences, thoughts and opinions on…

Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing.

Over the weekend I got an email from a friend that I was in a critique group with for years. She asked my opinion about self-publishing. I haven’t answered her yet. I wanted to think about it and here’s some of my pondering so far:

It took me eight long years to get published by a traditional New York publisher. It was my dream. That dream grew into a powerful force in my life. And as the years went on and the rejections built up, I became close personal friends with despair and desperation. All those years and nothing but rejections to show for it. Nothing to hold up and say, “See, I’m good enough and I made it.”

Self-publishing began to look really good. At one point, I had a “publisher” offer to publish one of my books for a mere $6,000.00.

I was being offered a short cut to my “dream.”

There are many reason people choose self-publishing. And a few of those people have gone on to publish with New York Publishers and become very successful. Most don’t. So I had to take a step back and ask myself: “What is my goal?”

1) See my book in print? Maybe sell a few copies?
2) Build a career as an author?

No question, I wanted a career as an author. I want to keep writing books.

The next question became, how hard was I willing to work for it? The answer—as hard as it takes. That meant I had to learn the business, improve my writing, plotting and characterization, be open to constructive criticism and stay flexible. I wrote four full books and didn’t sell. The fifth one did.

So here’s the difference that I’ve seen. Some people have a story to tell and they tell it. They aren’t interested in endless revisions, tweaking and compromises that comes with a New York publisher. Self-publishing really can be a nice option for them. They may never earn back the money they invested, but they have accomplished something—they’ve gotten their story into print. These days, some self-published books can be found in bookstores.

Now let me give you an example of a “new project” I’m working on. I spent a few months writing up a very rough proposal in the spring of ’05. Then I had to set it aside to work on contracted books. This year I pulled it out and invested a few weeks getting it into shape. I sent it to my agent.

She sent it back. She loved the concept, but I needed to do more work. I spent another six solid weeks on the proposal. I sent to my agent. She called me and told me it still needs more work, and then we started discussing when we will submit the project MONTHS down the road. While I sweat and toil over the rewrites, she will be making a plan to submit it. You see, this is a very tough, completive business. I’m looking to break into something new. But there are a lot of books out there, folks. So I can’t write just a good book, it has to be special. My proposal has to shine. Yes I have writing credits; yes, I’m in hard back; yes I have good sell-throughs; yada, yada. yada, but in the end, I still have to compete with all the awesome talent out there with each and every book.

I have to work my butt off to be the best that I can, even if it means doing it over and over. My agent is tough, and that is why I hired her. When she tells me a project is ready to go, I know I’m putting my best work out there. Her stamp of approval is something I strive for.

But, here’s the thing. After all this, my beloved project might be rejected by every New York publisher out there. That’s part of the business, and the risk I take every time I submit. If that happens, I will have a short pity party, then I’ll shrug it off and write something else. Because that’s what it takes to have a career. And I love doing it, even through the sweat, the knotted up stomach, the pacing and snarling and head-banging as I try to get a scene right or find a solution to a plot problem, through it all, I love writing. And I want to STAY a published author.

So I think I’ll call my friend this week and ask her the question I think all writers should ask ourselves: What it is we really want and how hard we are willing to work for it?

Okay, now I’ll slap the lid on that can of worms and remind everyone about our contest. Every time you comment on the blogs, you are automatically entered to win books, gift certificates and assorted goodies. Hurry and comment because the last day of the contest is May 31st 2006!

And a very special announcement! All of us at Murder She Writers are very pleased to welcome as our guest blogger for tomorrow – J. Carson Black! I’m really looking forward to her blog!

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So we’re chatting about booksellers this week. These ladies and gents seem to be the topic on several loops and blogs of late. I guess with the exhale after RT these good folk are energized as well as we writers who are indebted to them for sharing our stories with the buying reading public.
As a new pub I’ve had limited interaction with booksellers. But the experiences I’ve had have all been positive. I mean how can I not get excited by someone who loves what I love? And hey, I like to spread my love around. I have a favorite indie in Newark, CA. Book Ends, love those ladies. Loved them when I wasn’t anywhere close to being published, and love them the same now that I am. Teresa and Dorothy are two of the sweetest ladies I know and they love romance! I save my romance buys for my monthly RWA chapter meeting where they come to sell. I also patronize my local B&N. How can I not? They love books over there too, and the CRM Cindy, and romance expert Judy are fun to chat with. Not only that, Cindy knows how to throw a book signing. If there were another indie or a Borders close buy, I’d be stalking them as well. You should see my TBR pile! I think I was responsible for a very large percentage of book sales last month.
So speaking of booksellers, what kind of promo items do booksellers like? Along with very nice bookmarks for my September release GOOD GIRL GONE BAD, I want to send something nice, something that won’t get tossed. Lol, a g string with GGGGB stamped on it was a thought, but well, nah, then I thought of stiletto key rings, but last night I thought, what about a nice mouse pad with my book cover on it? I think Sue Grimshaw said they loved good chocolate, but what if it gets smashed or melts?
Suggestions?
Now a reminder. We are running a contest that ends the 31st. Each day you comment you get your name entered. At the end of the month we pick a name.  and the winner gets books and gift certificates and assorted goodies.
Guest blogger news. My agent, and also Allison’s, Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group has graciously agreed to guest blog in the form of a Q&A here at MSW. The way it will work is this: Email a question to Murdershewrites5@yahoo.com. We’ll take ten questions and split the answers up on two Fridays in June. Make sense?
Any questions regarding the questions or contest just ask.
Okay, so I’m back to revising SKIN.

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There’s blogs all over cyberspace this week talking about what happened at the Romantic Times conference in Daytona Beach, so I won’t bore you with redundant details. If you want some good wrap-ups, check out Lori Armstrong over at First Offenders, or Kayla Perrin over at Literary Chicks.

Eileen Rendahl, my RT roommate who also lives outside Sacramento, and I arrived very late Tuesday night. We walked into our room . . . right above the ocean. We opened the sliding glass door and wham, there was the beach and ocean and birds. It was perfect weather, neither hot nor cold, and we slept with the door open. (Of course, we learned that we can’t leave the door open with the lights on because, well, bugs are attracted to the light . . . )

On Monday, May 15th I turned in SPEAK NO EVIL. I thought I might take the week of RT off, or write something a little fun and different, but when I was on the plane the opening scene of SEE NO EVIL just hit me. I pulled out my laptop and started writing, nailing 12 pages before my battery threatened to self-destruct. I ended up writing every morning, and some afternoons, netting 62 pages for my trip.

Anyway, we got in late–so late that we could get no food–we hadn’t had dinner, just planefood snacks. We walked along to this little outside mall next to the hotel and managed to get drinks (decent) and some stale chips.

On Wednesday, after 23 pages and I hit a road block, I took a long walk on the beach, got a Starbucks triple-grande-nonfat-nowhip-mocha, and sat at the surf, pondering a HUGE problem in my story. My hero didn’t work. Wrong guy. It was his brother who fit not only the story, but the heroine who I hadn’t even introduced yet. Sooooooo, I emailed my editor and asked if I could change heros, and she said fine (whew) which meant a lot of writing and deleting–the first chapter, eight pages, stayed. The rest was cut or so heavily edited it wasn’t the same. And I still walked away with 62 pages

I’d sure love to fly to Daytona anytime I get stuck

Wednesday also marked a red-letter day for me. I MET HEATHER GRAHAM. See, you got to understand that I’m a HUGE Heather Graham fan. I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed in any of her books. Haven’t read them all . . . she’s written like 116 plus oodles of anthologies (I counted off her website) . . . but the dozen or more I’ve read I’ve loved. She is real and genuine in person, no airs at all, and I was thrilled. Just like Christina Skye on Thursday at the two-hour romantic suspense panel. Wow. I love her books too, have for a long time.

Wednesday was the Ellora’s Cave ball. Interesting, let’s leave it at that. (Okay, I feel really, really old right now. I guess I just don’t know how to have fun anymore!) But I met Roxanne St. Claire who is totally fun, even if she gave me praise I am so not worthy of. I bought her book at the book fair on Saturday and my mom read it and gave it two thumbs up, so it’s my next gym book (yep, I’m trying to go to the gym 2-3 days a week . . . let’s see how long that lasts!)

One of the interesting panels I sat in on was an RT workshop where their reviewers and publisher explained how they put together the reviews. Some of the reviewers have been there for twenty or more years! These people know books. They have a checklist and they’re pretty stringent. They explained that a three is good. “A good read.” That threes weren’t bad. Hmm, it sounded good when they said it, but tell it to the author. Seriously, though, these people really think about what they’re writing and reminded us all that it’s subjective. Can’t argue with that!

Saturday was the book fair and that was a four hour event, but I nearly sold out. I would have sold out, but I had fewer copies of THE PREY than the other two books, so THE PREY sold out right away and some people who hadn’t read me wanted the first book in the series, so didn’t by the other two. (MEMO TO SELF: Make sure there are extra copies of the FIRST book in the series at every booksigning.) One of the best greets was a reader who brought me her very worn collection of the three books. That she’d trekked them all the way to the hotel was a sign that she really liked them, and I was tickled.

Finally, the theme of the week . . . booksellers.

The best thing about going to RT was meeting so many booksellers, many of them East Coast proprietors I’d never have a chance of meeting if it weren’t for conferences like this. I met at least a dozen, probably a lot more, and they were absolutely enthusiastic and wonderful. They knew my books, knew how well they’d done in their store. Many had read one of all three, but even those who hadn’t were able to give me information about their readers who loved my book.

There is absolutely nothing better than to sit down and chat with booksellers and learn what works, what doesn’t, by way of promotion. One thing I’m doing for the next trilogy: bookplates. So be on the lookout later this fall when I announce how to get bookplates. Most of the booksellers I spoke with, particularly the indies, love them. One gal, who runs a new and used bookstore, was so enthusiastic that she even came to one of my workshops and stopped by my book fair booth to chat and tell me how well my books did in her store.

And that brings up another point in this loooooonnnnnng blog (sorry) . . . talk to booksellers. Find out what works and what doesn’t in THEIR stores. Promotion doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming if you plan it right. But the key is: they know. They know what works FOR THEM, and it benefits the author to listen.

Okay, now the picture you’ve all been waiting for . . . Allison in faery wings. (Along with authors Alesia Holliday, Eileen Rendahl, Marianne Mancusi and Cindy Holby).

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What the heck took me so long to post my blog today? Booksellers! I was on the phone with them all day, setting up final details for signing events. Ya gotta love these guys! Most of them are hard working and sincere about wanting an event to go well. They’ll go above and beyond the call of duty, scheduling interviews with their media friends, contacting local reading/writing groups, some even send out personal invitations.

I think the thing I’ve learned most from booksellers is how under appreciated they really are. Now, I didn’t learn this because they whined and cried, “Poor me!” That reality came to light when I started leaving little thank you gifts after each signing. The booksellers were so shocked by the gesture, they looked at me as though I’d grown a second nose. In fact, two booksellers, who had really gone all out for my events, actually cried when I sent them flowers to thank them. That’s really sad when you think about it, and it leaves me befuddled. Any author with a decent brain deck knows how important a bookseller is to his or her book. I mean really, do that many writers think it’s beneath their literary genius to show a bit of gratitude? You wouldn’t think so, but booksellers tell a different story.

Aside from thanking the bookseller/event coordinator, I also make an effort to talk to the people behind the cash registers, the stock boy/girl, anyone in that store who might have somehow been affected by my event. Because of me, most of them had more work to do, so I make sure to acknowledge that with them and offer my thanks. Oh, one interesting note and a secret regarding cashiers, stock people, etc. . . I would be remiss if I didn’t add that on occasion you run across those who really resent the fact that you’ve added to their work load. They’re easy to spot. Surly expressions, rolling of the eyes, hiding in the bathroom at every opportunity, walking past the signing table as though you and the table didn’t exist. Whenever I happen across lovely people like this, I make a point to seek them out after the signing. Once found, I shake their hand, look them dead in the eye and say, “Thank you for helping to make my event so special.” Most of the time they simply stare back at me, a confused look on their face. Then, like magic, a light comes on in their eyes, and 99% of the time, they’ll reply, “No problem. We enjoyed having you here.” Although I know that isn’t 100% truth, a strange thing happens. The next time I do a signing in that store, that very person who originally passed over me like I was a rotting fish, suddenly becomes my best friend, and they literally hand carry people over to the signing table and encourage them to buy my book.

Why the switch in attitude? Simple. Everyone wants and needs to be appreciated, and most of these people rarely are. In essence, I guess what I’m saying is that a bookseller isn’t always the person holding that specific title. It can be anyone working in the store. But the biggest one of all is the author.

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Booksellers, are, for the most part, readers. On occasion they are also writers, but more often they are JUST READERS. They own bookstores, work in bookstores, and read books because they LOVE BOOKS. They are the market that authors need to reach, and one that still proves elusive, especially if you are a POD published author or with a smaller press. That said, they also can often be entirely responsible for a book’s success.

An example of this is BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, which became a phenomenal bestseller for more than one reason, but the one I’ve heard quoted most often is that booksellers put the book in THAT MANY HANDS and so it sold.

That alone should show you the incredible power of booksellers. Of course, it doesn’t always happen that way.

At one of my recent signings, the bookseller (who was the manager of a large chain store) said, “This is a fabulous book.”

“Oh, so you’ve read it?” I asked.

“Well, no, but it looks really interesting. I really read more science fiction and fantasy.”

I’m not sure where that will get me, with that bookseller responsible for pushing my book, except when I was done I did leave signed books behind in their store. But a bookseller who LOVES your book, and who has actually read it is a very strong selling tool.

My very first signing was at Sam Weller Books in Salt Lake City, and I will never forget the support of the booksellers there, and how welcome and friendly they were. And they were pushing my book LONG after it came out.

There is so much to learn about the business of publishing, that you may never retain it all, but one thing you MUST always consider is, THE BOOKSELLER RULES!! Long live booksellers. We love ya, man…..

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Booksellers are one of an author’s most valuable allies in the business, and in many cases, they become friends. I liked booksellers before I was published in a general way. But once I published, I learned just how savvy and hard working they are! So here’s a random list of things I’ve learned from booksellers:

1) Don’t take yourself too seriously. We’re writing books to entertain not cure cancer or promote world peace.

2) Laugh. This is a tip I got from a bookseller who got to know me, my personality and the type of book I wrote. At a signing, she handed me a microphone to do a little chat with the advice that I “make them laugh.” In a casual chat, this is fairly easy for me. So I did it and she was right, people wandered over and filled the seats. I am not a stand up comic, and not a super polished professional speaker, but I am not afraid to laugh at myself. It worked.

3) Booksellers know what their customers want—listen to them! Most booksellers will tell an author what works best in their store. They spend long hours talking to customers, and arranging signings. If they tell you that, for instance, lighthearted mysteries don’t draw a good crowd for a public book signing, but do really well if the author signs stock—do it.

4) Booksellers want authors to succeed. The author and booksellers jobs are connected in that we write the books that they sell. And we have more common ground in that we all love books. We’re in this together.

5) Don’t be arrogant. I can’t stress this enough. Booksellers work hard enough without dealing with difficult demanding authors. And the truth is that readers are the reason for both a bookseller and an author’s success. Never forget that.

6) Booksellers are a powerful influence in the building of an author’s career. A bookseller “hand selling” our book is a compelling recommendation that often results in readers giving out the recommendation to their friends.

7) Say nice things about other authors. I had a bookseller take me aside after a signing to tell me that I had class because I had recommended a couple other mystery authors books. I was being sincere when I said it because I’m a reader too, and like most readers, I get excited about authors when I find them. That day, I sold my book to that customer, and I sold the other authors books too—which is good for the bookseller. Don’t be afraid to praise other authors, just be real and sincere.

Don’t gossip. I only have positive things to say about all the authors that I’ve met. If I personally don’t care for someone, I keep my mouth shut. And when booksellers tell me something in confidence, I keep it to myself. Use common sense, and never forget that booksellers talk to each other a lot!

9) Be nice. I don’t care how tired/sick/overworked/annoyed we are, booksellers deserve our respect and courtesy. Hell, booksellers deserve my gratitude! And don’t forget—booksellers talk to each other. The names of Author’s Behaving Badly gets around.

10) When a bookseller asks me to do something (within reason of course!), I do it with a smile. They work hard to promote our career, so I’ll drive 30 miles to sign a book for one of their customers to help them out.

What have you all learned from your favorite bookseller?

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