Booksellers from coast to coast like craft cozies (traditional mysteries with a craft or hobby focus) and find them popular with their customers.

“Cozies in general, and those where the reader learns something new, are big for us and have been over 18 years. I have long been a supporter of the paperback original mystery books and these often fall into that column. I always thought that publishers were willing to take more risks in this category but the publishing landscape has changed. Still, it is a big favorite among women for whom reading is their principal form of entertainment and often they enjoy a craft or two,” says Mary Alice Gorman of Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, PA.

“In our store we have two different kinds of mystery shoppers. One is going for a ‘pop’ mystery thriller like James Patterson or Vince Flynn, but the other wants to give something new a chance,” explains Brent Humphreys, book team leader at Davis Kidd Booksellers in Nashville TN. “These are some of our more loyal customers; they play a more critical part of an independent booksellers’ customer base. This type of person who comes for a specific read, whereas someone who buys the ‘pop’ mysteries is more of an impulse buyer. In other words, cozies drive traffic to our store.”

Craft cozy authors are a regular feature of many writers’ conferences, where they are popular panelists, appealing to fans of all ages and sexes. This year at Malice Domestic, the Killer Hobbies blog sisters appeared as a panel to discuss “the hobbies that drove them to murder.” (http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com) Among the authors’ many revelations came the admission that they take their crafts very seriously. “We’ve all seen how hobbies can heal,” said Camille Minichino (aka “Margaret Grace”) author of Mayhem in Miniature, one in a series of books about dollhouses. “Working on a favorite pastime can help people through times of stress, build bridges between the generations, and bring joy to life.”

Jim Huang of The Mystery Company in Carmel, IN, likes craft cozies enough to spotlight them this fall at Bouchercon. The huge fan conference will include an ongoing craft room where authors will demonstrate crafts all day and invite attendees to try their hand at a new hobby. “Crafts have brought generations of women together," Jim said, "The craft room may be new to the convention experience, but the familiar ritual of working together on a project will help readers and writers to connect in a comfortable environment."

Bringing generations together is another special feature of craft cozies. Many of our books are “clean” enough for parents to share with their teens. Our genre maintains a taboo on explicit sex, shocking violence, gore and other staples of more mainstream mysteries. In short, we’re called “cozies” because we offer a cozy reading experience.

“I think it’s only natural that crafts and cozy mysteries have found a successful coupling, all in the word cozy,” explains Jessica Faust of BookEnds, LLC, A Literary Agency. “The crafts that seem to resonate most with readers are those that are the most cozy—anything relating to yarn or needlework for example, or any craft that can be done in that same cushy chair in front of the fire. The rise in popularity of knitting among not just crafters, but anyone and everyone made the knitting mysteries a natural hook and that’s ultimately what publishers are looking for, a craft that transcends the crafting community and extends to anyone looking to take up a new hobby or learn a new skill.”
            
Ah, so the authors of cozies have two missions: We must teach a new skill and write a good story. Next week I’ll share with you some of the ongoing industry research that a successful craft cozy demands.

Posted by: Joanna Campbell Slan

For one blissful year, my family and I lived in the tiny village of Sunningdale, Berkshire, United Kingdom. I’m not surprised that Dame Agatha set her traditional mysteries in small English villages. I can tell you why: There are no secrets in a village.

At the tea shop, we gossiped with the proprietor, who knew exactly which couples were having fights. At the vet’s office, we cooed over the neighborhood dogs. We knew which pooch had a bad case of fleas. On the train, we rode next to the village estate agent. We knew exactly which houses were for sale and could list all their features.

Every cozy features an amateur sleuth who unravels the crime. For an amateur snoop to solve a crime, to match wits with the experts, he or she must have special skills and knowledge. In cozies, that means the suspects must all know each other.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t live in an English village.

But crafters form their own tightly knit (sorry!) communities, complete with their own jargon, inside jokes and celebrities. From that perspective, crafts and hobbies are custom-made for the traditional mystery genre.

Mentioning specific products is one way authors prove they are citizens of their “villages.” When Terri Thayer writes about quilting, she can mention Eleanor Burns and all her readers know (wink, nod, wink) that Terri is a quilter. When Betty Hechtman writes about crocheters being looked down upon by the knitting community, readers who prefer hooks over sticks commiserate.

As further proof we know our topics, craft cozy authors are expected to include hints, tips, projects, patterns and/or recipes. In fact, the quality of those extras is one of the ways our readers can judge our expertise.

Did Agatha Christie have hobbies? I can only infer from her character Mrs. Marple that she did. The elderly sleuth engaged in bird-watching, knitting, gardening, and doing needlepoint. One of her pastimes proved the perfect training ground for an amateur crime solver. “My hobby,” she said, “is studying people.”

Next week I’ll cover what booksellers and publishers think about craft cozies.

Wikipedia defines a “tipping point” as a level at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable. This year craft cozies achieved that status when four of the five Agatha Award nominations given by Malice Domestic for Best First Novel went to books in this sub-genre.

What exactly is a craft cozy? It’s a mystery book featuring an amateur sleuth who is either a practitioner of a craft/hobby or involved in the craft/hobbies world. In other words, the protagonist could be a scrapbooker (like my own Kiki Lowenstein in Paper, Scissors, Death), a golfer, or a knitter, or a caterer (like Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Schulz, one of my personal faves).

A craft cozy follows a certain set of rules: no explicit violence or sex, no (or minimal) foul language, and no real danger to kids or animals. The mystery must be fair-play, which means an astute reader might be able to solve the crime by following the clues. The protagonist is usually female, and she is part of a community. A subtle contract between reader and writer also demands that the protagonist actively unravel the mystery herself, as well as get herself in and out of hot water. No fair calling in the cavalry!

Readers have grown to expect a little more from a craft cozy than just a good story. The best books include recipes, tips, projects, and/or patterns. I went a little further than most by actually including a coupon from Snapfish.com for 50 free digital prints.

There are lots of reasons why craft cozies are so popular. And misunderstood. Over the coming weeks, I’ll share the inside scoop on writing, marketing and selling a craft cozy.

First, let’s explain why craft cozies matter in this industry. And why a publishing insider (that’s you, dear reader) should nod your head approvingly the next time you see one of our books at your local bookstore.

“I figure there are only 30,000 dedicated mystery readers out there,” says Jon Jordan of Crimespree Magazine. By that he means people who would tell you that they ONLY read mysteries. We’re not including those who add a few mysteries here and there to their well-rounded diet of book choices.

Let’s do the math: If every one of those 30,000 folks bought a copy of my Agatha Award nominee Paper, Scissors, Death, I’d sell 30,000 books. Cool beans. I’d be a publisher’s dream. After all, by one estimate 97% of all titles sell less than 1,000 copies.

But what if every scrapbooker in the U.S. bought a copy of the second book in my series, Cut, Crop & Die? Then I’d sell 4.5 million copies.

I’m not the only author who can point to a large “alternative” market for her title. Rosemary Harris wrote Pushing Up Daisies, the first in a series featuring gardener and landscaper Paula Holliday, to appeal to the 35 million folks who call themselves gardeners.

“It’s less about being a slamdunk (if you garden or scrapbook you must buy this!) than it’s way to show that our heroines have something in common with the average American reader,” says Rosemary. “It’s familiar but new, which is what most of us are looking for, including mystery readers.”

The impact of the economy makes cozy mysteries more and more appealing as people turn to their hobbies for ways to save money. Julie Hyzy, author of State of the Onion, the second book in a series featuring a White House chef, has discovered that the interest in cooking is growing—in part because more folks are eating at home. Julie appeals to her fan base by not only giving them the inside scoop on how the White House kitchen functions, but also by sharing yummy recipes.

In a crowded, competitive mystery market, finding a niche is just good business. Next week, I’ll explain why crafts and hobbies offer a great setting for a whodunit.

Posted by: Joanna Campbell Slan

Back on January 1st, you may have made a resolution. In the spirit of a new year, you may have created an entire list of resolutions for 2009. Your list might have read: Lose ten pounds, quit smoking for good, be nicer to people who bug me, finally write that novel.

Here’s the thing. Scores of folks make weight loss or a new exercise routine one of their resolutions, but by February, most have slipped or given up altogether. The gym I attend was jam-packed in January. I remember overhearing a woman on the treadmill beside me say to her friend, “I give the fresh meat two weeks. We’ll have the gym to ourselves by February.” Unfortunately, her snide remark could also apply to a long-term goal like writing a novel.

Like good health, writing takes discipline. I know you’ve got a job, kids, a house, pets, in-laws, and an inbox filled with time-consuming emails. Me too! But if you want to do this thing—be a writer, that is—you’ve got to get started. You’ve got to work like you’re ALREADY published. Give yourself a year to write a book and start now. Seriously, mark it on your calendar. Today is the day!

I’ve heard many different stories about how what writers accomplish each day. Some write 1,000-2,000 words and some try to knock off three pages. I try to complete a task such as a highly descriptive scene, a long section of dialogue, the editing of a single chapter, or the plotting of the next one. I don’t outline the whole book and will suggest that you don’t either. Map out three chapters and start hammering away on the keyboard. Once you’ve written fifty pages, map out three more.

If you can’t write every day then don’t, but it’s easier to write a page a day than seven pages on a Sunday night. Think of it as eating sensible meals instead of binging. You’ll feel better if you crank out something each day. I write in the mornings because my mental abilities start declining after five p.m. Try to find your good time to write and if that silly job interferes with your ideal time then beg, borrow, or steal minutes away each week to devote to your project. And save the editing until the chapter is done. Don’t second-guess your writing as it streams forth or you’ll stifle the creative flow.

Lastly, get a separate calendar for your writing project. Give yourself a few weeks to sketch your characters and plot out those first three chapters. Then, mark your calendar with some goals. Let’s say that you’ll have fifty pages done by the first of August. If you succeed, then celebrate on that day with a huge cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. Why not, you’re not still on that diet, are you?

Posted by: J.B. Stanley

With several books published, and a big fat historical novel forthcoming this May, it might seem I just karate-chop my way through any writer’s block. In fact, for me as well as for many more prolific writers, it’s a daily struggle. Writer’s block can have a multitude of sources, but one that is almost universal is disorganization. It’s difficult to start on chapter 15 when you can’t find your notes—or when you’re facing such a Himalaya of notes that, well, to say the same thing, you’d have to spend an eon sorting it all out before you could sit down to write. I don’t think we need Dr. Freud to analyze this one. It’s a pedestrian problem with pedestrian solutions. Here are mine.

1. A small (purse-sized) notebook and/or 1/4" stack of blank index cards
I always carry these with me to jot down ideas, words, overheard dialogue, and sometimes even drafts of paragraphs or outlines of plots. By writing things down, I don’t lose them and also—this is subtle, but crucial—by keeping pen and paper with me at all times, I signal to my "artist self," I’m ready to write.

2. Post-Its
I buy the canary-yellow 1 1/2" x 2" blocks in bulk. I use them for the same purpose as the notebook and blank cards (and I sometimes carry these in my purse as well). Post-Its have the added advantage that I can stick them on drafts, other notes, and inside the covers of the books I’m reading, to note any vocabulary or syntax I’d like to use in my own writing.

3. Paper, Paperclips, Staples, Stapler, Scissors, Tape, Rubberbands, Paperweights
It’s important to keep these organized and at hand. I keep mine on a tray—having them all together makes it easier to find them and easier move them for dusting.

4. Pens, Colored Pens, and a Yellow Highlighter
These require their own a special mug, the wackier the better.

5. Files and a Filing Cabinet (or 10).
Lest the piles of little cards and Post-Its start sprouting out there! The more filing cabinets the better, but if you don’t have the room, filing tubs (plastic boxes with handles) and "banker’s boxes," inexpensive cardboard boxes for files, work well. Be sure you clearly label the boxes— best to use one of those blank index cards for that purpose.

6. Stack of Tabbed Folders and a Labeler
The benefits of using tabbed folders I understood, but a labeler? What was wrong with neatly hand lettering a label, for heaven’s sake? But when I finally took David Allen’s advice in Getting Things Done and started using a labeler—mine is a Brother PT-18R—I realized what I had was—I’m not kidding—a mental health tool. Chapter 4? Labeled. Notes on Minor Characters? Labeled. Very Zen.

7. Stack of Large Manila Envelopes
For any files that get too fat and filled with too many Post-Its and index cards. When I’m ready to sort through it all, there it is. Meanwhile, the envelope gets labeled.

8. Two Corkboards (as Large as Possible) and Plenty of Tacks.
I use the first cork board for blocking out whole chapters and the arc of the plot. Ideally, the cork board should hold a minimum of 20 pages of writing. The other cork board? That’s for the usual stuff that ends up on a cork board like filings to a magnet: tickets, souvenirs, photos, take-out menus, drycleaners’ receipts, etc.

9. Log Book
This is your witness, your shoulder-to-cry-on, your champion, and if nothing else, once you’ve finished, an illuminating record.

10. Manuscript Box and Ribbon
The ribbon—preferably a nice silky one—goes around the manuscript, not the box; this makes it easier to lift it out and keeps the pages from flying around.


For further reading:
David Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Regina Leeds, Zen Organizing: Creating Order and Peace in Your Home, Career, and Life
Julie Morgenstern, Organizing from the Inside Out

Posted by: C.M. Mayo