What's hot and what's not: Bookscan's 20-20 hindsight

HALLIE: Trying to figure out what’s happening in the book business? There’s a fascinating slide presentation from the Nielson Company on the retail perspective.

The data is from BookScan which has been collecting sales numbers on book sales since '01 from 12,000 locations nationwide, including bricks-and-mortar and on-line booksellers like B. Dalton, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Costco, Powells, and others, but apparently not including small independents.

Trends over the last 5 years:
* Adult “general fiction” sales -- UP more than 23%
* Adult “mystery/detective” fiction sales -- DOWN almost 13%

And 2009 doesn’t look as if it’s going to improve the picture. SO FAR:
* Adult “general fiction” -- DOWN over 3% compared to 2008
* Adult “mystery/detective” fiction sales -- DOWN almost 20% compared to 2008

Ouch.

Here’s an interesting breakdown showing 5-year sales trends for mystery/detective fiction:
* Women Sleuths -- UP 9.44%
* General -- DOWN 17.80%
* Espionage -- DOWN 20.68%
* Series -- DOWN a whopping 65.16%

Of course, it’s hard to interpret these numbers. They reflect as much what’s selling as what’s available, and the latter is a function of the decisions publishers are making about what to publish.

So what’s hot over the last 5 years in this cold market?
* Comic/Graphic Novels -- UP 52.68%
* Juvenile -- UP 36.22%

Where are books selling over the last 5 years?
* Atlanta -- UP 20.57%
* Seattle/Tacoma -- UP 15.19%
* Washington, DC -- UP 9.20%
As compared to
* Denver -- DOWN 5.04%

So kids, reading the tea leaves…we should all run right out and write a graphic novel for kids, set in Seattle with a female sleuth. Right?

A Brand New Disease

"A crime reporter investigates the murder of her brother, a cabaret nightingale, in Cantrell's haunting debut novel...Evocative, compassionate and compelling."


— Kirkus starred review of A Trace of Smoke

Rebecca Cantrell may be patient zero. The very first person to report on a new disease. Have you had it?

THE PLAGUE AND I

I know it’s just past Easter, and if I have to refer to a Betty McDonald title, “The Egg and I” is more apropos. However, I’m sick and there appears to be nothing I can do about it. I think I have Pre-Publication Syndrome, PPS.

Here’s how it went down: Last week my thoughtful husband informed me that my book would be on shelves in just one month, on May 13^th. A mere twenty-three months after acceptance, A Trace of Smoke will see the light of day. You would think after almost two years of waiting, I’d be ready. But I wasn’t. I gulped, tried to concentrate on the next book in the series, and within two hours I had a fever of 101.

Coincidence, or PPS?

I started polling other debut authors. It’s a hazardous time. I found authors who came down with colds, laryngitis, and stomach flu, plus a few who were involved in fender benders. But Kelli Stanley handily won the book launch illness contest. She contracted pneumonia right before her debut, Nox Dormienda, came out. That’s the kind of enthusiasm that won her the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery award. And advanced PPS.

By comparison, my cold seems pretty mid-list, but it has led me to discover that we have far too many tea cups. I just went to make myself a cup of tea and discovered a cold cup of tea right next to the hot water dispenser. So I went to stick it in the microwave and discovered another cup of tea already there. I took that one out and put it on the counter next to…another cup of tea. Undaunted, I took that to the sink, where it joined two other untouched cups of tea. My husband keeps telling me to drink more, but clearly that’s not going to happen unless he pours it down my gullet himself.

It’s a scary time when your dreams come to fruition. I guess that’s why we have words like “opening night jitters” for actors or “cold feet” for brides and grooms. It’s the big day, and it’s finally almost here. As I grab another tissue, a little voice in my head says that the problem isn’t really the tea cups, or coincidence. It’s PPS and me.

I confessed to being in my cups, or not being in my cups with my cold, so what’s the craziest thing you ever did while sick?

P.S. Thanks, Hank, for letting me blog today. I promise to wipe everything down after I’m done.

P.P.S. Just in case, run your virus-protection software after I leave…

HANK: It's very difficult to type while laughing. And of course, the Purell is gunking up the keys.

(And I keep thinking--Three Cups of Tea. Didn't that work out pretty well for someone?)

As a reporter, I tend to get laryngitis after a big stressful story...a couple of times, it's come before the story, and on the air, you can really tell my voice is leaving me. Easier as a writer--and, actually, kind of a boon. I shrug my shoulders--can't talk, I say, acting all remorseful. Gotta go home.

(And write.)

What about you? As Rebecca wonders: what's the craziest thing you've ever done while sick? What's more--Do you get PPS?

*********************
A few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer. She lives there now with her Ironman husband and son.


A Trace of Smoke: (click for the trailer!)

On the Blank Page

HANK: So as the year comes to a close and we're all faced with the possibilities on the new, a fellow Hoosier has a new take on how to face your next blank page.

(Here's a challenge, too. Suddenly, blogger is not letting me upload all of the lovely illustrations I pulled for this post, including Marta's book cover.
So imagine: a terrific cover. (Check her website to see it.) Gorgeous drawings of perspective, and some of our favorite paintings.

Imagine me frustrated, trying trying trying to download. Any solutions out there? Sigh. In the meantime, I've just inserted the descriptions of the paintings I chose.)

Okay, back to Marta Stephens.

Marta Stephens is a native of Argentina who has made Indiana her home since the age of four. Her friends say she's mild-mannered--but she turned to crime with the publication of the first in her Sam Harper Crime Mystery series, SILENCED CRY (2007).The second book in the Harper series, THE DEVIL CAN WAIT, was just published. (Lots of good info and all her awards on her website!)

She is a member of Sisters in Crime International, Sisters in Crime Speed City Indiana Chapter, and the Midwest Writer's Workshop.

And she's been wondering how writing imitates art! (imagine nice picture here)

MARTA:
Long before I decided to write fiction, my first love was art.

In school, one of our first lessons covered perspective. Interestingly enough, educator, art historian and author, James Elkins of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago defines linear perspective as "... a mathematical system for projecting the three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional surface, such as paper or canvas."

(HANK: imagine technical drawing of perspective here, oh, so instructive!)

The parallel between this definition and the process of writing are striking and I can’t help but compare the two.

Whether I write or paint I begin with a white surface that begs to be filled. I start with an outline of the shapes (the synopsis), determine the perspective (decide whose point of view the story will be written in), and then decide the direction of the light and shadows (those wonderful subplots, twists, and turns that will help propel the story forward).

(HANK: oh, what a nice picture was supposed to be here! John Singer Sargent's white lady in Morocco. You know the one that's mostly shadows? Nice.)

Obviously there’s more to consider when we write, but all the same, writing is a layering process that includes; development, plotting, writing, editing, and letting the prose rest.
If you were to paint an object in the foreground of the canvas before the background was dry to the touch, you’d end up with a muddied mess. Writing is no different. It can’t be rushed.

(HANK: imagine Van Gogh here-- Starry Night. Oh! A link!)

Before I type the opening sentence to a new novel, I consider the crime first which for me is essential to the development of the plot. What happened, who did it, how, when, and why?

Next comes the cast of characters. Several of the characters in my series such as Homicide Detective Sam Harper and his partner Dave Mann appear in all of my books, however, the villains change and I usually introduce two or three other protagonists. I write back stories on each new character to understand his or her motivation and to decide how their paths will cross. Giving attention to the secondary characters is a critical step that leads toward the development of subplots.

( HANK (Seurat here-- Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte) )

Plotting offers a rough idea of the storyline; the order of the events and how I want the book to end. Details don't play a role at this point of the planning, all I'm trying to do is understand the big picture rather than the individual scenes and of course, all of this is apt to change as the story evolves.

HANK: Check outVelazquez' The Maids of Honor--what going on here?

Now comes the fun part, getting inside each character's head. I have to understand their motivations, what has led them to this point in their lives, how do the characters feel physically, mentally, spiritually, and what external factors are affecting their behavior or decisions. Without a clear understanding of these things, it's hard to know how the characters will act, interact, react, and cope with the situation they face. It’s equally important for me to have a feel for what good or bad things are going on outside of the characters' control that may affect them emotionally (i.e.: friends, family, job, relationships, weather, etc.).

(HANK: Imagine any Picasso you choose..)

Once I'm comfortable with the direction the manuscript is going in, I’ll type a chapter or two a day, let the writing rest for several days and then go back and work on the edits. I may go through this process six or seven times a chapter until I’m comfortable enough to move on. Eventually I’ll read the entire manuscript from start to finish and begin to tweak the prose and fine-tune the details. It’s at this point that I make a list of the chapters along with a brief 1-2 line description of what happens in each to help me keep an eye on the timeline.

(HANK: Nude Descending the Staircase. You know it.)

My method certainly doesn’t guarantee there won’t be rewrites. But regardless of the process used, there are no fast and easy solutions or magic wands to completing a novel. It's a never-ending process that takes patience, practice, and perseverance.

(HANK: the Mona Lisa?)

Thanks Marta!

Tomorrow and Friday--another holiday gift--the inside scoop on query letters! Going to start the new year with a submission? Stop by here first--to chat with a person who can help...

Happy Holidays from Jungle Red Writers

(With apologies and appreciation to Clement Moore...and maybe Dr. Seuss.)

Twas the week before New Years'
And all through this site
Not a blogger was working
Not even to write.

Our books are all saved on our thumb drives with care
In hopes that bestseller lists soon would be there.
Our new novels were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of royalties danced in our heads.

The Jungle Red sisters, five east and one west
Had just settled our brains for a well-deserved rest.

When in PW’s pages--There arose such a clatter
We opened the mag to see what was the matter!

To the review pages we turned in a flash
To see Hallie and Jan both praised with panache!

The bookstores were loving “A for M’ by our Ro
And Rosemary’s gardener continued to grow!

And what to our wondering eyes should appear
Rhys and Hank pubbing new ones—and early next year!

But what makes us the happiest—keeps every day new?
We knew in a moment—it’s our blogging crew!

You listen, you chatter, you join in the game
We cheer you, we love you, we call you by name!


Thanks, Laura! Thanks Edith! Thanks Becky and Lee!
Thanks Michael, Susannah and S. Con-no-lly!

We love Maddy, and Rhonda, Felicia and Clare
We hope Amy and JB will always be there

To June and to Karen, to Marianne, too
Love to Janet. And Mo. And to Peter. (He’s new.)

Our guest bloggers were stellar
Chris! Mary! La Barnes?!
To the Paulas, and Maddee, and the fab Cathy Cairns.

To Jane, Gin and Charlaine (queen of the LIST!)
To the Femmes and to Lipstick--consider you're kissed.

Christina! Elizabeth! Alex! Michelle!
Hail “Anonymous” too—your comments are swell.

We had memories, recipes, tales of our youth
We’ve had jokes, and disasters, and telling the truth.

To the top of the lists! To the top of them all!
We’re revising, and writing, and sharing our call!

As dry words before our reviser’s pen fly
When they meet with cliché, and we fix them (we try):

We’ve landed at New Years, and our thoughts go to you
May you read perfect books, may your wishes come true!

May you waste not a word, may you write fresh and new
And fill all your stories with mysteries and clues

And remember: on days that things don’t turn out right
And you wonder if this was a fraud and a fright

You have sisters on line—there are six of us here!
And each one is wishing you all-the-year cheer.

And we all say—we love you! ‘Fore you click from our site--

Happy New Year to All

—and long may you Write!

ON HISTORY (and more Elaine!)

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of democracy, tonight is your answer."

'I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight."

****President-elect Barack Obama

So? Everyone sleepy today from staying up too late?

We gave up a little sleep to witness a lot of history.

Earlier this week we talked about our first votes for president, and whether we remembered them. November 4, 2008, a lot of indelible memories were made.

********************************************

And now back to our regular programming.

HANK: I hear through the cyber-grapevine that you have a title for your newest book! Can you reveal it? Was it..an easy choice?

ELAINE: We went through more than 50 titles before we found one my editor and publisher liked. It took dogged persistence.

HANK: Like, so often you were barking up the wrong tree? Or biting off more than you could chew? I mean, we shouldn't kibble over titles...

Okay, fine. Just tell us what you decided...

ELAINE: The fifth Josie Marcus mystery shopper novel will be called "The Fashion Hound Murders," thanks to Kara, my editor,and Don, my husband. And thanks to my cyberfriends, who emailed me their ideas. Your inspiration kept me going.

HANK: Yes, the gang at Cozy Armchair and Cozy Discussion had some wonderful ideas..you have lots of great pals. (A big shout out to you all...) And we all want you to answer

the Jungle Red Questions! ...

JRW: Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot?

ELAINE:Miss Marple. I had my mustache removed by electrolysis.

JRW Sex or violence?
ELAINE Sex. I can get violence on TV.

JRW Pizza or Chocolate?

ELAINE: Chocolate

JRW: Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan? (We won't even include Sean Connery because we know the answer. Don't we?)
ELAINE Daniel Craig.

JRW Katherine Hepburn or Audrey Hepburn?
ELAINE Katherine. I prefer Faberge eggs to breakfast at Tiffany's.

JRW First person or Third person?
ELAINE Both, but not at the same time.

JRW Prologue or no prologue?
ELAINE No prologues for me, but I enjoy other people's prologues. I feel the same way about kids.

JRW Your favorite book as a kid?
ELAINE "The Pokey Little Puppy." A good book in all senses of the word, since the cover was well-gnawed.

JRW: Making dinner or making reservations?
ELAINE: Reservations. I like to leave cooking to the pros.

And also: the Jungle Red BIG LIE!

. Tell us four things about yourself. Only three can be true. We'll try to guess what's false.

I rode with a thousand bikers from Wilmington, Delaware, to the Vietnam Wall in Washington DC.
I have a small tattoo on my right shoulder.
I was nearly thrown out of a New Orleans hotel for trashing a room.
I got six months probation in Litchfield, Illinois.

HANK: So...I can picture Elaine with a tattoo. (Maybe of her Lefty award?) What do you all think?

Don't forget to enter our contest for a free autographed copy of the JUST RELEASED Murder with All the Trimmings! Just put in a comment...with a shopping tip a la Elaine if the spirit moves you!

And hey--if you can't get enough Elaine? If you've ever been tempted to be a mystery shopper--she's telling all to the fabulous Femmes Fatales.

ON KILLER BOOKS

"Who better to pick the best mystery books of the month than the people who run mystery bookstores?"

http://www.mysterybooksellers.com/

And this just in: today, they picked our Jan! Yesterday's Fatal was named a "Killer Book" for May by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. (We've thought YF was a killer book all along, but it's fantastic to have such huge recognition. Check the website above for the whole scoop.)

But first, Jan--take the floor, er, blog.

JAN:

I definitely have too much anxiety when a new book comes out. Sometimes it seems like even childbirth was easier, but that good news today (the day after the book offically came out)that sure helps alleviate the stress.

This means a lot to me since we all know that the only way a mystery author makes it is with the backing of the independent bookstore owners who take the time to read and recommend our books.

I have Robin Agnew, owner of Aunt Agatha's Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan to thank for the nomination.

HANK, RO and HALLIE, interrupting:
Here's a photo of Robin (left) and Jan! Thank you, Robin, for choosing Jan.

Ok, back to you, Jan.

JAN:

My heroine, Hallie Ahern, is terribly flawed, which some people like and some people don't. Lucky for me, Robin liked it. She also pointed out something that was eluding me: Hallie was bumping up against a gender bias in mysteries.

Male protaganists were allowed to have all sorts of weaknesses, but female sleuths were supposed to be perfect superheroes. Yuck, I hate flawless superheroes, male or female. Anyway, if feels good to be appreciated. And I also have to thank my agent, Dan Mandel, for pushing me to travel to bookstores in different parts of the country.

HANK, RO and HALLIE, interrupting: Here's a photo of Dan! Yay, Dan.

OK, back to you, Jan.

JAN:

Mystery bookstore owners can't possibly read all the mysteries that are out there. They sometimes discover your work because you've taken the time to visit.

HANK, RO AND HALLIE, interrupting:

Here's a photo of another great independent book store with a wonderful proprietor Kate Mattes' "Kate's Mystery Bookstore" in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hank's upper left getting ready to talk (as usual), and Hallie is in the front. That's also Roberta Isleib, Ruth McCarty and Cathy Cairns, all moguls in Sisters in Crime, and all happy for Jan!

JAN:

Anyway, I'm very grateful. And thrilled. And about to go on the road. Check my website for the latest events--and hope to see all of you.

HANK, RO and HALLIE, interrupting:

Congratulations! ( And to find out more, click on Jan's cover--right over there>>>

We now return you to our regular blog.

ON FIRST IMPRESSIONS

"A good first sentence knows about everything that will follow it and leans forward with great force, taking you with it."

**Stanley Fish in the New York Times

*********************

HANK:
Stanley Fish was in Maureen Dowd's spot in the Times...and had a wonderfully thought-provoking column.

It was about how he can pick a good mystery in the airport bookstore--really fast--as they're calling his flight.

He says: the only "sure fire" method? Not the cover, not the jacket copy, not the blurbs. He says it's to read the first line.

He has a clunker or two--but offered this as the one from the book he bought:
"Joel Campbell, eleven years old at the time, began his descent into murder with a bus ride."

He says "it's efficient, dense, and free of self-preening."

So--you all--what think?
**Does your first line pass the Stanley test?
(I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours...and I must say, after two years of working on my first novel, the first line in the soon-to-be published book never changed.)

**Does your favorite first line pass the Stanley test?

**What book is he quoting, anyway? Anyone know?

RO:
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Wait a minute, that's not mine. I must have dreamt I wrote that. That, of course, is the compelling first line of Rebecca. I saw the movie many years before I ever read the book, or even knew who Daphne du Maurier was. How could you not be drawn in by that opening? I have changed the first line to my first book (BSP, Pushing Up Daisies, St. Martins Feb 2008) so many times that I don't exactly remember it - not a good sign, I suppose!! Omigod, just reread it for the first time in months, and it's too late to change so don't say anything mean..

"My first guess was heirloom silver, or maybe the family jewels, buried and forgotten years ago by some light-fingered servant or paranoid ancestor."

Needless to say, the wisecracking amateur sleuth's first guess is wrong.

JAN:
I think all the rewriting was a good thing, Ro. I really, really like that opening. I'm hoping that everyone adopts Stanley Fish's method for choosing a book. I don't think I've ever had an especially catchy opening line in my previous books, but I'm fond of my opening sentence in Yesterday's Fatal. (May 2007) Short but sweet.

It's not that fatals are beneath me.

That's my protaganist, Hallie, talking. The next graph is more dense, explaining that she's newspaper reporter and that she's talking about fatal car accidents. It sets up some of the changes, attitude and politics in the newsroom, and of course the fatal she's about to stumble upon.

Anyway, I did some rewriting as well. Originally, it was simply, Fatals are beneath me. But this was tongue-in-cheek, and I realized that most readers wouldn't be able to interpret it as such -- especially the ones who had never read Hallie before.

So it evolved, like your opening Ro.

So it's your turn, Hank, let's hear it!

HANK:
Between the hot flashes, the hangover and all the SPAM on my computer, there’s no way I’ll get anything done before 8 o’clock this morning. I came in early to get ahead, and already I’m behind.

(No, that's not my explanation of why I'm late with this blog entry. That's the first line--two, really--of PRIME TIME.)

And it is pretty fascinating, you have to admit, that you can tell instantly from our three lines exactly what kinds of stories you're about to hear.

In Ro's, someone digs up something sinister, buried long ago. And you're compelled to read on--because what's her second guess? And then, what was reality? And since your main character is a master gardener, that makes "digging" even more meaningful.

Jan's has a more world-weary tone, instantly. And obviously someone is dead.
And "fatals" instantly means reporter. And it instantly sounds like "Reporter who has to do something she doesn't want to do." All in 7 words.

And mine: she's busy. She's crazed. She's of a certain age. She has a job where there's some pressure and tension. Something is at stake. In the next line--you hear about "downstairs in the newsroom...."

Well, I'd love to hear more first lines...and talk about makes them work. Or not...

HALLIE:

Funny this should come up - I've just been trolling for great first lines as part of my research for a nonfiction project. My fellow Jungle Reds have great opening lines, sadly mine are fairly pedestrian novel openings (sorry, it's the truth...a problem when you're a writer and a critic). The best I've done is from DELUSION: "I woke up craving watermelon."

Here are some that are choice. Read them and see if you can guess the book...answers at the end of my blogette:

1. When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from his unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.

2. There once was a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings.

3. If you want to find Cherry Tree Lane, all you have to do is ask the Policeman at the crossroads.

4. Nobody could sleep.

5. My sharpest memory is of a single instant surrounded by dark.


ANSWERS BELOW:

1: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - 2: Silent Spring by Rachel Carsons - 3: Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers - 4: The Naked and the Dead - Norman Mailer - 5: Liar's Club: Mary Karr