A writer, reloaded

A nice review came via Jeremy Warach at his site. Thanks to Jeremy for taking the time to read The Last Track. Check out his vignette section where he captures some pretty interesting ideas in a very short entries.

Since publishers hate paying for hotel accommodations and many authors are too neurotic to wait in security lines these days, 2010 just might be the year of the virtual book tour. Instead of actually meeting people face to face, authors interact with readers via the feisty proxy that is the Internet, appearing on a number of sites over the course of several weeks as a guest blogger, reviewer or interview subject. No exception around these parts.

See, the first virtual book tour for The Last Track ended on July 31. I can see doing another one. Or more precisely, I bet I do another one. But first things first.

With a long weekend to reflect on the journey, a few rules of virtual touring actually wrote themselves–though usually the day after I needed them. Lessons for the next tour, I suppose.

Towards that end, here’s some tidbits that can help with future virtual tours. Or call it what I wished I knew about touring beforehand. First a little background about who hosts these tour stops.

There is an ever growing network of really dedicated book review sites emerging across the Internet. While the caliber of the reviews varies from site to site, as does the writing, generally readers become online reviewers because they love books. They read lots of books by choice, and enjoy writing about the ones they like. And these online reviewers operate at the cusp of an emerging trend in publishing, whereby readers learn about new authors not from a press release from the same six publishing houses or public relations firm, but from fellow readers. Power readers as it were, and many of them are authors by avocation as well. In years to come, publishers will court the most important of these sites like they do the brick and mortar review services.

Their growing influence being noted, you never really know who is reading a review site until the comments appear for your book entry. Therefore, it pays to revisit tour stops one, two, four and seven days after the entry first appears. The source and intent of the comments that appear after the fact can be surprising.

Second, have a very brief author bio handy. By brief bio, I mean between five to eight sentences. Frankly I think that’s a good length for author bios, brief and long version alike, but that’s just me. Like the internet in general, if people have to scroll to the end, they generally will not. Needless to say a very streamlined version of my bio developed for the virtual tour will appear in the FAQs soon. No scrolling necessary. I swear.

Last, once the virtual tour starts, be ready for anything. Like your phone dropping a call right as a live podcast begins. Or your cat getting a urinary tract infection. Or maybe even the day after the tour wraps, your site ( which worked without any mishap for seven years ) gets hacked.

Just saying. It could happen.

Stopped by Barnes and Nobles today and found this in the magazine section:

Besides interviews with thriller and mystery writers, and reviews of their work, Mystery Scene Magazine is the go to place for mystery fans about upcoming events and releases. So check it out!

Whenever a vacation ends, it evokes the same feelings when attending funeral services for a distant relative does. Just like the departed, vacations always pass too quickly and I regret not knowing them better while I had the chance.

In all, a productive break from the day job–largely because of what I tossed to the curb. Shredded reams of old paperwork in the home office. Donated clothes that stopped fitting–or how I learned that light beer did not discourage blubber accumulation, only that it contained less calories than standard hops. Replaced a very scratched up bedroom set with new pieces from Furni. Also recycled some old electrical gear coalescing at the bottom of the closets. Basically got all the major distractions out of the way so I can write without interruption when at home.

Though mentioned before, July brought two traditional reviews for The Last Track, one in Mystery Scene Magazine ( #115 not yet on the stands, me thinks ) and another in the Midwest Book Review. There is a reason I’m bringing this up again, since it dovetails with the eternal lesson of publishing.

Both the publisher and Ellen had warned me about the lag time between publication and the bricks and mortar review coverage filtering back to base. Honestly, I didn’t quite believe them. I probably even said something like, “No way.” Even though the reviewers usually receive titles months before release, reviews appearing months or even a year after the launch is the norm–unless your last name is Flynn-Nolan, Patterson, King or Grisham. Surely they were kidding. Oh well, color me converted.

So like everything else in the writing process, usually getting what you want takes time, and the distance between you and that point is inversely proportional to your patience for said outcome.

Much thanks to Barry Eva at A Book and a Chat for a live podcast interview this Thursday night. Barry is everything an author wants in an interviewer: personable, prepared, humorous and able to navigate the unexpected hiccups. Definitely made me look a lot more amusing and interesting than in real life.

And I got this cup:

Download the Book and a Chat podcast interview
Listen at BlogTalkRadio – Across the Pond

Even after five times around the block, shuttering the tech department for the summer and transitioning into rental mode for the summer, still takes longer–and much more work–than planned. This year comes with additional considerations, as half of the academic wing is under construction, and we’re cutting over to a fiber optic internet connection. Add in some vacation days, a hip flare, and the usual summer projects makes for busy Writer guy. Next year, summer should be more tranquil. Looking back at older entries from the same time period, though, reveals this prediction has been made before. In any case, somewhat normal posting will resume soon.

July’s leg of the virtual tour began Monday. Or was it Tuesday? Anyway, the tour page has all the latest links and tour stops information. Except for a podcast next week, all the work on the tour is done. At least the work that involves me. Which means a lot more free time for writing.

Speaking of writing projects, Mystery Scene Magazine ( Issue #115 ) has a review of The Last Track which should land around July 29, 2010, and appear in Borders and Barnes and Nobles ( and many fine booksellers ) shortly thereafter. Can’t lie, I’m pretty psyched about that one. The editor requested a picture that may appear alongside the review.

About the old familiar black and white photo. Certainly got some mileage out of that shot, and completely by accident. Taken by a friend, it was intended as solely filler for a photo class portfolio. Final assignment called for nine pictures; they were short one and I was around. Would have stayed only in their portfolio, never to be seen again.

But then Chuck Palahniuk offered excellent advice for writers in regarding author photos during an interview. A pearl something like: “Get your author photo taken now, because by the time the book comes out, you’ll look a lot older.” Very good advice. Recycling is not just something one should talk about; it means taking action. And the plan of action means recycling that photo for awhile.

Maybe indefinitely. Or at least until the hair goes gray.

Four days and four guest posts/interviews left to write for the July leg of the virtual tour. Sometime next week, I’ll return to posting somewhat normally. You know, on my own site.

Oh, and the good news alluded to last week? The first print review for The Last Track is now available in Mystery Scene Magazine, Summer Issue 2010, Issue #115. With a very respectable subscriber base, the must have magazine for mystery fans also is for sale at Barnes and Noble, Borders and other fine booksellers.

While I don’t have a PDF scan of this review yet, the publisher forwarded the review along. My favorite line is the last:

. . . Brody is such a riveting character that he could easily anchor an entire series.

Betty Webb, Mystery Scene Magazine