Hank Watches The Sunset with Strangers

 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I was in New York last week teaching a Master Class at Thrillerfest - 8 solid hours with 11 fabulous students, and I give them big props for listening to me talk all of that time! As a result, my voice is pretty much gone, but it was all worth it. I also taught the next day at Craftfest, also completely wonderful and fantastic to see everyone. But that's not what today's blog is about.

When I first got to my hotel room on Monday, and organized myself as I always do, I turned on the TV. And on the news they were saying that that very day, that very Monday, in about 5 hours, was going to be Manhattanhenge.

You know Manhattanhenge? When the sun set lines up perfectly with the parallel east-west streets of the grid of Manhattan, and as a result the sun is centered between the buildings, and that …well, it's really cool.

I thought oh, I wish I could see that.

Then I thought well, maybe I could see that!

So I did a little checking--actually, what I did was go down to the bar and ask the bartender whether there was a good place nearby to see Manhattanhenge. And she said yes, indeed, there was, just walk up some blocks to 57th St. and that would be perfect. Sounded good to me.

Feeling very adventurous I got myself together, and headed out to see Manhattanhenge.

I left my room at about 7:45, knowing that the henge would was set for 8:13. Plenty of time. And as I was walking toward my destination, I noticed people and cameras gathering on every corner! By the time I got to W 57th, it was absolutely crowded, and it was hilarious.

I mean, there were people from absolutely every walk of life in the universe, I cannot begin to describe it. Lining up and sitting on each other's shoulders, and happily jostling for space, absolutely all in it for the same reason, on a glorious glorious day in Manhattan, all waiting to see Manhattanhenge.

Can I tell you again, how completely full of humanity this moment was? People were laughing and holding their children up, lifting their cell phones on long arms or selfie sticks, completely congenial and completely convivial, friends and strangers and this incredible cross section of businessmen and hip-looking millennials, in jeans and business suits and little sundresses, artistic types and little kids, everyone.

And the sunset was gorgeous, all that it had been promised, and I tried to get photos of it, see? And I got some videos of the clamor and commotion and laughter, and it was great. I know you can hear in my voice that it was just...fabulous.






At some point, when it got right up to 8:13, at the peak of Manhattanhenge, most of us just sort of said... whatever, and just went right out into the street for a better view.






(As you can see, it's difficult to get a good photo because of exposure things, but you get the idea.)

So now we have people laughing, and music playing, somehow, and horns from angry or annoyed or frustrated motorists honking, yelling--and I know you can imagine it - get out of the effing way! And everyone's like, it's Manhattanhenge! We're getting photos!

And no one really seemed to care.

Reds and readers, it was such a great moment, unforgettable, and I'm so glad I ventured out into the unknown.

I’d had a moment earlier, in my hotel room, when I thought oh, no, you don't need to go, it's fine, it's probably nothing. And I’d told myself-- don't be ridiculous! You'll be so sad if you don't go.

And I was right. I had a wonderful time in New York, and saw so many old friends and met so many new friends and had an inspirational and educational and marvelous time, but I must say those few moments on the streets of New York, watching the sunset with strangers was right up there with life changing.


Reds and readers, have you ever had an event like that? And have you seen Manhattanhenge?

Back to Conferences: A Red Round Up!

JENN McKINLAY: It’s time for conference round up! Okay, yes, I just made that up. Still, I just registered for Left Coast Crime - it’s in Tucson, AZ next year - and Bouchercon, which is in San Diego! These will be my first conferences since I got sent home from Left Coast Crime in March of 2020 when the state of California was about to enter lockdown. That was one surreal couple of days, let me tell you. I am still on the fence about attending Malice Domestic as Bethesda is super tricky to get to from Phoenix, so we’ll see. So, chime in Reds, what conferences are you planning on attending next year if any? 

LUCY BURDETTE: Oh fingers crossed this all works as we hope it does! I too am registered for Bouchercon in San Diego–with any luck we’ll have a big Jungle Reds contingent and a game show! (I think my last ones were in Dallas, St Petersburg, and Toronto–all fantastic!) But I know I’ll also be headed to Crimebake, both because I miss my New England pals, and DEBORAH CROMBIE will be the guest of honor. Hooray! 

HALLIE EPHRON: I went to my first ‘live’ conference a few weeks ago in Vancouver - the fabulous Surrey International Writers Conference - and lived to tell about it! It was so lovely to give a talk and tell from the audience reaction whether I was connecting. And hang out in the bar. And catch up with so many old friends. Sigh. Heaven. Not to mention hear the writing of some superbly talented as-yet-unpublished writers. And a few weeks ago I was at The New England Crime Bake where I got to actually hug Hank. Of COURSE I *plan* to go to Boucheron in San Diego – fingers crossed that we’ll all be there and gaming it! – and cheer on our own Deborah Crombie. 

RHYS BOWEN: this year I attended Left Coast Crime, Malice Domestic and the Edgars. No masks. Holding my breath all the time. But now, having had Covid, I’ll be more relaxed next year 

(unless the variant from hell emerges). I’ll be going to Left Coast in Tucson Malice and Bouchercon. Taking daughter Clare with me to introduce her further to the community I love my peeps! 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, of COURSE I’m going to Malice–I’m the Guest of Honor. Whoo hoo and I am already nervous. And Ann Cleeves is international GOH, and I am SUCH a fan! Jenn, fly to DC! I always do. And Rhys, we will all swoop Clare up and make her an auxiliary Red! Bouchercon, yes, how can I resist. Another Reds-o-rama. :-) ! 

And CrimeBake with queen Debs will be wonderful. (I was GOH for its first mid-post--Covid event. I was floating with the honor…who’d have EVER thought? It was so amazing to see everyone, and so fraught and fabulous at the same time.) In this crazy-wonderful year, I was GOH at Killer Nashville, too. It was incredible, I have to say. SO welcoming! And I’d adore to go back. I have never been to Left Coast Crime, hmmm. I HAVE to write!!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I haven't been to a conference since Bouchercon in Dallas in 2019, so 2023 is going to be very exciting. In March, I'm GOH for Murderous March, the virtual conference organized by the Upper Hudson Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Then in June, I'm GOH (along with the fabulous Rachel Howzell Hall) at the California Crime Writers conference in LA. I am registering for Bouchercon in San Diego as well (tackle that to-do list!) And then the icing on the cake, I'll be GOH at Crime Bake in November in Boston. It will be my first Crime Bake and I'm so excited! I hope we'll have a great REDs contingent there. I would dearly love to go to Malice (it's been much too long) but as Hank says, I have to write...

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I'll be tagging along and applauding my friends at Malice, Bouchercon and Crime Bake next year. It's always fun when B'con is in a city I like visiting, and I plan to take full advantage of being in San Diego! 

 

I'll also be at the Maine Crime Wave in Portland next June and the Novelists, Inc. conference in St. Petersburg in September. That last is entirely for published authors, and I found the first one I attended, this past fall, to be so full of useful information, I definitely want to go back. Thrillerfest 2023? Maybe? I love the excuse to go the New York City, and I'd really like to teach a masterclass there one year, so that's a strong impetus to go.

What about you, Readers? What conferences will you be attending next year? Or are you not ready yet?

 

What if you are TAKEN?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: You are SO wise to visit here today!  I mean, what’s Jungle Red for if not to tell you absolutely every thing you’d ever need to know? 

And today, the amazing KJ Howe—you know Kimberley Howe, right, the absolutely unstoppable force behind Thrillerfest, and the knower of EVERY author in the world, organizer extraordinaire and totally fabulous person (not to mention gorgeous so I’ll leave that out)—gives us the fascinating inside scoop on a skill you may never have to use.

But if you do—we’ve got your backs. And you will thank us. We hope you don’t have to, of course. But better to be prepared. Plus, this is pretty amazing.  

FIVE WAYS TO STAY SAFE DURING A KIDNAPPING

By K.J. Howe

Do you love travel and adventure?  Both pastimes are at the top of my list.  But it’s key to realize that along with the joy of new experiences, there are some risks you need to mitigate when globetrotting. After all, you don’t want to be starring alongside Halle Berry in Kidnap or spending time in captivity with Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer in Snatched.

I’ve spent the past four years immersed in the world of kidnap and ransom, researching the subject matter for my Freedom Broker series. It gives one pause thinking how you might react if you were kidnapped.  After researching and working with some of the best hostage negotiators in the world, I—along with several my experts—am delighted to offer advice on how to stay safe during a kidnapping.   

FIVE TOP TIPS

If you ever have the misfortune of being abducted, it’s critical to be prepared for every eventuality. In fact, following the lessons in these five points could be key to your survival. 

1.When you’re first kidnapped, remain calm and offer no resistance. The abduction is one of the most dangerous moments during a kidnapping, so your captors will be on edge. They will immediately want to establish their dominance, so be prepared for harsh or forceful treatment. To maintain control, your captors might also drug, blindfold, or gag you. Don’t panic, they want to keep you alive and healthy so they can secure your ransom. 

Gary Noesner, former FBI Hostage Negotiator offers this sage advice: “Never try to negotiate for yourself while being held captive. Know that despite what the kidnappers may say, your family and/or employer is working diligently on your behalf to effect your safe and timely release.” If you are able, try to remember the details of your journey so you have a sense of where you are being held.

KJ Howe--not attempting to escape, we hope 

2. While in captivity, try to gain the respect of your captors—without directly challenging them—by asking for small luxuries like extra food or toilet paper. 

Peter Moore, a former hostage held almost 1,000 days in Iraq, says: “Humanize yourself and build a rapport with your captors.  Start small with getting different foods, and build up from there.” 

You want the kidnappers to see you as a person rather than a dehumanized victim. Bond with them so you will receive better treatment. To maintain your strength, eat and drink everything you are given. Establish a routine, as you may be in captivity for a long time. Keep yourself clean and exercise every day. Boredom is your enemy, so keep your mind active by taking on a mental project, like building your dream house or writing a book in your head.

3. Maintaining hope is critical during a kidnapping. Remember that your loved ones will be working hard for your release. Remain positive knowing the vast majority of hostages survive. 

“It is extremely rare for a hostage in a kidnap for ransom case to be killed—it becomes a bad business model for the kidnappers,” says Noesner. “Their goal is to obtain money, plain and simple, and that is less likely when they kill the hostage.  If they killed a hostage after securing the money, future victim families will stop paying money, seeing it as ineffective.” 

This is not the time to be demanding and difficult. Try to blend in with other captives and avoid being confrontational.

Elephant takes KJ Howe's hat hostage. Note: she is not panicking

4. If you are attempting an escape, plan a route before you leave. Once you commit to your course of action, don’t hesitate. Dr. Frank Grimm, hostage negotiator at Constellis Group, emphasizes this: “If you choose to escape, then you must be totally committed—think it through and prepare yourself now, as later may be too late.” Act with speed and aggression, and make your way to a previously identified safe haven or secure location. If you are caught, your kidnappers may make an example of you to dissuade other escape attempts.”

5. During a rescue, make sure you drop to the ground, spread your arms, hands open and flat on the floor. Grimm says, “Expect to be treated as a suspected hostage taker.  You may be restrained and treated in a forceful manner.”  Do not move voluntarily, even if you think the action has stopped. Follow the rescuers’ instructions without hesitation until you are safe again.

Again, Noesner stresses the importance of negotiation during the kidnapping: "Remember that kidnap for ransom is a crime in which both parties, the kidnappers and the family/corporation, both want the same outcome, the release of the hostage. The kidnappers want money but can only sell the hostage to one entity, therefore the family or corporation has some measure of control over the outcome. Simply put, the kidnappers need the good guys to pay.  Resolving a kidnap requires a thoughtful quid pro quo negotiation process to be effective.”   

By following these rules, you will stand a better chance of surviving your kidnap. It’s best to resist fight or flight and remain as calm and collected as you possibly can.

Wishing you safe travels and many adventures—and I hope you’ll never need the advice above, but learning protective measures is always a good idea for any Jungle Red globetrotters!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ah. Well. Okay, then, Always good to be prepared. Yeesh.  “First, don’t panic.” Working on that.

Kimberley, you are amazing! Tell us about your book! And Reds—let’s talk about—Kidnapping. What are your “favorite” (yeesh) kidnapping books or movies? Method 15/30? Taken? Ransom?

And a copy of THE FREEDOM BROKER to one lucky commenter!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR  

K.J. Howe is the executive director of Thrillerfest, the annual conference of International Thriller Writers. She is an avid traveler who has raced camels in Jordan, surfed in Hawaii, and dove with the great whites in South Africa. She became fascinated by the kidnap and ransom (K&R) world after meeting Peter Moore, a British computer consultant who became the longest-held hostage in Iraq and the only person to survive of the five men who were taken that day. The Freedom Broker is her debut novel. 

Skyjack, publishing in April 2018, is the next book in her kidnap and ransom series featuring hostage negotiator Thea Paris. She is also a member of Rogue Women Writers.  

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Jungle Red Roll Call, count off now!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Happy summer Sunday, everyone! Yesterday I trained home from Thrillerfest--such a crush and amazing! (Highlights! Nelson DeMille: "You have to know when to milk a scene." Clive Cussler: "I like the money."
Sandra Brown's utter gorgeous graciousness, chatting with John Sandford,
Karin Slaughter's amazing interview with the generous and hilarious Charlaine Harris, Lee Child interviewing Mark Billingham--the coolness level was incalculable.)






And here's my extra-meta photo of myAmtrak journey home--see what I mean?

So remember on Mickey Mouse Club? Jimmy would say: Mouseketeer roll call, count off now!

So let's do that, this Sunday! We'd love to know who's out there, those who comment faithfully (and thank you!) and those who don't (we love you, too!)  Reds and readers, where are you and what are you reading/thinking/doing?  

And to welcome those who don't usually chime in,  I have an ARC of WHAT YOU SEE for one commenter!

Summer in a Bucket (List)

 JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: It's now two weeks after Memorial Day, and no one could say it's not truly summertime. The temperatures in the Northeast have risen into the 70s, college graduations are over and high schoolers will finish marching across the stage this week. Kids are squirming in their seats as the end of the school year nears. Seasonal attractions have reopened, women are pulling out their sandals and getting pedicures, and Farmers Markets are swinging into high gear. Summer!


The possibilities for trips, activities and things to do are endless, and, unfortunately, I often find by Labor Day that I've let a lot of those possibilities slip through my fingers. So this year, I've decide to make a summer bucket list (not that I expect to kick the bucket at the end. It's a sand bucket. On a beach.) I'm going to write down the things I want to do, and as events pop up in the newspaper or opportunities present themselves, I will act on them - buying tickets, making reservation, confirming with friends - and add the events to my calendar. There are always constraints of money, or time, or availability, but I'm not going to qualify any of the items on my list, because once you start to add "if I can afford it" or "when a slot opens" you're already halfway to forgetting about what you wanted to do in the first place. So here's my initial list:Attend a Sea Dogs game. The local AA team plays great baseball - several Sea Dogs alums have gone up to the majors - and is a fun, inexpensive day out.

 

See at least two Shakespeare plays. We have the fabulous Theater at Monmouth within an easy drive, as well as Fenix Theater performing in Deering Oaks Park in Portland and MaineStage Shakespeare in Kennebunk. The latter two are free! No reason not to catch Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, The Winter's Tale or A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Wiggle my toes in the sand at Old Orchard Beach. Stroll the Boardwalk. Give Youngest money to ride the rides while the rest of us gorge on sausages, fries, and fried dough.

Thrillerfest in New York City!

 
Float with friends down the Saco River. It's literally less than 200 yards from my house. In a related vein:



Invite folks over to barbeque. We've always struggled with a beautiful yard and garden area that had nowhere to host grilling parties. No more! Ross and The Boy have already broken ground on a slate patio large enough for a fire pit on one end and the grill and its acoutrements on the other. I can taste those burgers already.

I can think of more, but that's enough to be getting on with. How about you Reds? What;s on your list for summer?

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Finish novel, finish novel, finish novel.
Is that a little obsessive? OK, swim in ocean off Naranganset with the family, have a lobster roll at Aunt Carrie's, staycation in NYC (housesitting a Tribeca loft large enough to roller-skate in) and take Kiddo to see Les Miz for the first time. Watch fireflies in the courtyard at dusk! 


LUCY BURDETTE: Finish novel, finish novel, finish novel LOL! Also brainstorm new projects. Visit John's family in Maine. Visit friends at Long Pond, MA. Make choux puff pastry stuffed with coffee creme and covered with chocolate or caramel. Read more--yikes if you could only see my pile!! Play a little golf. Have a drink or two at the beach. In other words, find time to relax:).


 
HALLIE EPHRON: Wish we had fireflies... when I was in Ohio last summer they were everywhere and it was magical.

This is a good exercise, because the only summer list I’d made so far goes like this: 1) replace the washing machine 2) get new garage doors 3) paint the house 4) replace the heating system 5) replace the storm door …
 In between I hope to have some fun, starting with food: - Steamers and a lobster roll and onion rings from Tony’s Clam Shop on Wollaston Beach
- Burnt caramel ice cream from Toscanini’s in Cambridge
- My mother’s barbecued spareribs made here at home
- Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, and corn, corn, corn when the local crops comes upI’m won’t be at Thrillerfest but I will be at Book Passage’s Mystery Writing Conference in Corte Madera and Writer’s Digest’s annual conference in New York. 


The icing on this particular cake will be my high school reunion in Beverly Hills – probably a genuine bucket list item.

 
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Finish novel, finish novel, finish novel. I will be SO happy when I do!

We have a backyard pool, and one of the best things about summer is getting a blow-up raft, and a book, and some frozen lemonade. You clamber onto the raft, and read, floating around the pool, looking up through the tall leafy trees to the blue sky. It is so peaceful!We are going out to Tanglewood in August, to hear the Boston symphony (including YoYo Ma playing Bach!) We're heading to the Cape for a weekend with friends, and will have a dinner in P'town.  And I have SO many book events! Love that. I'll be at Thrillerfest, but only on Friday. No time!

I cannot wait for the delicious tomatoes and corn--we love to grill them outside. And the kids are coming for the 4th of July-so we'll have  lobsters and champagne and proseco and  watch the fireworks from the Esplanade.

Oh, Hallie, I went to our 40th reunion like, ten years ago. I walked in, took one look and remember thinking: "Oh, I'm in the wrong place. These are all somebody's parents!"

But I really have to finish the book. And 2 short stories. I will be SO happy when I do!

JULIA: Hank, I'm coming down to your house to make sure you actually get into the pool this summer!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Finish novel, finish novel, finish novel.... LOL. Actually, it's not due until October 1st, but that doesn't mean that I don't have to write like it's due September 1st, as damned slow as I am. BUT, I am not traveling, I have a brand new gorgeous flagstone patio and new landscaping, and I mean to enjoy them!

In fact, Julia, I crossed several things off my summer bucket list this past weekend: 1)Visiting Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas. This new park is built OVER the freeway, and it's incredibly cool. My daughter took me for a birthday lunch at the restaurant in the park and it was amazing. I want to go back with at least one of the dogs and sample things from the many food trucks. 2) On Saturday we had a barbecue and sat on the deck and new patio. Julia, I hope you like yours as much!  3) On Sunday, I took a real day off. Did only minimal chores, read some of the NYT (which has been piling up for a couple of months), sat on the aforementioned patio in the cool morning shade with a cup of tea, watching the dogs play, AND best of all, I spent an hour in my hammock, just looking at the trees overhead. Absolute bliss.

So I want to do all of these things some more. And make homemade lemonade and root beer floats. I want to take a photo of the Sno Cone stand down the street just at dusk. I want to sit on the front porch and watch the fireflies, ditto a summer storm. I want to watch fireworks on the 4th (we totally missed it last year...) , and I want to go to the wonderful farmer's market here early on Saturday mornings.

Hank, I am so envious that you are getting to see YoYo Ma play Bach... 

JULIA: I, too, have to finish novel, finish novel, finish novel. Sadly, it's not a special summertime event - as I tell my students, being an author is like having a term paper due...forever. If anyone from my publishing house or my agency is reading this, rest assured that I'll only just slip in my summer bucket list items between relentless bouts of writing!

How about you, dear readers? What's on your list for summer?

Daniel Friedman on Amazon v. Hachette

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Delighted to introduce Edgar-nominated and Macavity-winning novelist Daniel Friedman (DON'T EVER GET OLD, DON'T EVER LOOK BACK), who's here talking about Amazon, Jeff Bezos, Amazon v. Hachette, and the odds of getting an agent at a -fest or -con.

Take it away, Daniel!

DANIEL FRIEDMAN: When Susan asked me a few weeks ago to write a blog post about the feud between Amazon and Hachette, I was surprised, because I thought for sure that the issue would be resolved before this was posted.  I was wrong.  But a lot has already been written about Amazon and Hachette, so I just want to say this:

People who love books tend to love bookstores.  We love the idea of there being places full of books, staffed by people who love books and like to talk about books.  When you’re an author, you travel around and you meet booksellers, and their passion for literature is inspiring.  And, if you’re a book person, when you walk into a bookstore, you’re home.

I’m just not sure how much that’s going to matter in the long run, and here’s why: If you want to buy a hardcover adult novel that’s not a New York Times Bestseller, most bookstores are going to be selling it for the full retail price of about $25.  Amazon will be selling the hardcover for between $15 and $18, and the e-book for $10-12.  

One thing everyone who works in publishing knows is that Jeff Bezos doesn’t care about books.  He famously decided to become a bookseller not because he loved books or literature, but because he identified books as a product that people would buy online.  

Books are relatively inexpensive, so buying them online doesn’t carry a lot of risk.  You can obtain all the information you need to know to make a purchasing decision for a book without holding or examining the object.  Books are not like an electronic device that people want to handle and play with and compare to other products before buying.  Books are not like clothes that you need to try on before purchasing.  

In other words, Bezos decided to sell books because he saw bookstores as a particularly vulnerable retail category; stores we didn’t really need.  And as horrifying as that is to people who love bookstores, the success of Amazon over the last 20 years, and the collapse of once-beloved music and video stores seem to suggest that the market is moving towards e-books.

Printing and binding and warehousing and shipping and shelving books in a commercial space with air-conditioning and a staff of people who need to buy food and shelter costs a lot of money.  Amazon eliminates all these costs, and efficiency and lower prices tend to win out in the end.

The good news for bookstores is that the shift is going to be slow.  In 2010, Borders had over 500 superstores in the United States, and by the end of 2011, it had zero.  That massive, rapid contraction in bookstore retail space made a lot of room for remaining booksellers to coexist with Amazon for a while.  And a lot of readers are still resistant to reading on screens, even if they spend $500 more on print books every year than they’d spend buying the same books on Kindle.

For authors and publishers, things are moving a little faster.  If you’re a writer whose books are published in hardcover, but don’t get prominent bookstore placement and discounts, and aren’t stocked in discount stores like Target and Costco, e-books are going to be a much larger percentage of your sales than they represent for trade publishing overall.  And if you’re going to break out, you’re going to have to break out on Amazon.  That means that going forward, as bookstore presence matters less and less, the publishers that are going to do best for their authors are the publishers that are most adept at selling e-books.  That means better data, smarter marketing that directly targets readers most likely to be interested in a particular book, and pricing strategies designed to maximize visibility in Amazon’s rankings.  

Hostility to Amazon is counterproductive, unless publishers can find an alternate venue to sell e-books, and ignorance of how Amazon works is detrimental for authors and inexcusable for publishing professionals.  The goal of every publisher’s marketing department should be to know the ins and outs of Amazon better than Hugh Howey.

That doesn’t speak to what’s going on with Hachette right now.  Nobody outside of Amazon and Hachette seems to know exactly what Amazon is demanding, and it’s very likely unreasonable.  I don’t think Hachette should capitulate, and it will likely be better for most authors if Amazon is the entity that ends up backing down.  But authors need to view Amazon as an opportunity, and publishers need to be thinking about how their strategies need to change in a changing marketplace.

One other thing: The CraftFest and AgentFest portions of the ThrillerFest conference just wrapped up.  I think conferences are a great way to meet other writers, and there’s a lot to be learned from the panels and craft discussions.  

However, aspiring authors should not feel they need to attend a conference to pitch agents.  I think a lot of authors believe pitch-sessions at conferences are a way to skip the query-letter stage of the submissions process and get a bunch of full-manuscript requests.  

This isn’t really true; although an agent may tell you to send your manuscript because they are hesitant to reject you to your face, manuscript requests from conferences are less likely to lead to offers of representation than manuscript requests from queries for precisely this reason.  

And if your query letter and first few pages aren’t generating manuscript requests,  it’s likely that there’s some problem with your concept or your prose that will be just as evident to agents who look at your requested manuscript after a conference.

While many authors do meet their agents at conferences, I found my agent by submitting an unsolicited query letter, and I know a lot of other writers who did as well.  I don’t think any aspiring writer should feel they have to spend money to submit to agents, and I don’t think anyone should believe that there are shortcuts in the process.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Thank you so much, Daniel. You'v given us a perspective that (correct me if I'm wrong) hasn't come up in the Amazon v. Hachette debates.

Reds and lovely readers, what are your thoughts on Amazon? E-books? Hachette? And what do you think about Daniel's thoughts about agents at the various -fests and -cons?

Daniel Friedman is a graduate of the University of Maryland and NYU School of Law. He lives in New York City. His first novel, DON'T EVER GET OLD wasnominated for the Edgar, Thriller, Anthony and Macavity awards, and was  optioned for film by the producers of the "Sherlock Holmes" movies. His second book, DON'T EVER LOOK BACK, was released in 2014.