“Be careful what you wish for,” goes the old saying, “because you might just get it!”
I love being the author of a craft cozy, and I know that other writers envy me my secondary market of crafters. My scrapbooking friends are convinced I have a dream job. Their perception is that I have turned my hobby into gainful employment. “You get to scrapbook all the time,” they say.

They’re only half right. Mainly I get to write about scrapbooking. When I actually get down to the business of sticking photos on paper, it’s usually in response to an assignment. Point of fact, my most recent scrapbooking project was a page for a charity auction. This week, I’ll work up cool projects for the online scrapbooking magazine I send semi-regularly to subscribers. (You can sign up for the magazine at my website www.joannaslan.com) It’s my job to show off the latest and greatest techniques. Now that I have a reputation to uphold, sometimes scrapbooking is almost as stressful as it is fun.

My craft cozy author friends and I share a dirty little secret: Writing a hobby-based mystery is like doing double-duty. I have two masters to serve: my crafters and my readers. The downside is that I rarely get to take on projects of my own choosing.

Granted, I do get to attend prestigious scrapbooking events. But while I’m there, I’m often too busy selling books to take in the sights.

I’m even busier at conferences where I’m scheduled to appear both as an author and a guest instructor. This week I did prep for a class at the Great American Scrapbook Convention in Arlington TX. “Somebody” has to put together the curriculum and the handouts. “Somebody” has to get those handouts duplicated. “Somebody” has to pre-kit all that stuff, which is industry jargon for prepping all the tiny pieces of paper, supplies, and what-nots. That “somebody” is me.

Why do I put myself through all this? Three simple reasons: 1.) To stay current 2.) To make contacts and 3.) To sell books.

That’s the proper order. I can’t count on the fact that I’ll sell books at any given venue. My dear friend, Shirley Damsgaard, author of the Ophelia and Abby series, has taught me to “look for the pearl.” Often, that “pearl” is a new contact who might be willing to mention my new book Cut, Crop & Die on her blog.

So, yes, I’m one lucky girl. I’m blessed to have found two creative endeavors that provide me with endless hours of joy: scrapbooking and writing murder mysteries. It’s a good thing we don’t actually have to kill people to write about that!

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

I am under contract to my publisher for fifteen books. It’s like being blessed and cursed at the same time. Sweet and sour. Every author’s dream and every author’s nightmare.

The contracts are for twelve books in my Odelia Grey mystery series and three in my Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series. The manuscripts are due approximately six months apart. That means I write, deliver, edit, deliver, read the author proofs, deliver, launch, market, and promote two books a year.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that I also work 40+ hours a week as a paralegal in a law firm?

I am not afraid. I am not afraid. [Taking a deep breath.] I am not afraid.

Maybe if I keep saying it over and over, I’ll believe it.

Most newbie authors think the hard part is writing the book. That once The End is typed, the vacation begins, preferably on a warm beach with a mai tai in each hand, while awaiting the hoards of offers he or she is sure will come. For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that an offer does come in from a publisher and you, the author, accepts it. Now is the time to put down the drink with the little umbrella and gird your loins for the fight ahead. Because, take it from me, the really difficult work begins as soon as your manuscript is accepted by a publisher.

From the moment you affix your signature to that publishing contract, your time is not your own. You become a brand. A property. An author in search of a reader base. You will spend time traveling to conferences and book festivals. Time on library panels and courting book clubs. Time thinking about, preparing and sending mailers and press kits. Time with online social networks. Time answering mail from readers. And, yes, even time blogging. All this in addition to the aforesaid writing, editing, and delivering of manuscripts.

And you will spend money. A lot of it. And it will be your own cash, not your publisher’s. You will become a master juggler of time, money, family, and even a day job. Oh, and if you think you will be able to quit that day job any time soon, think again. Unless you grab a six figure advance right out of the gate, or end up on the New York Times Best Seller List, or become Oprah’s new BFF, you might want to keep punching that time clock.

You will fear bad reviews, writer’s block, computer crashes, family emergencies, and even head colds. All of which get in the way of your creativity and deadlines. Most of all, you will fear low sales and being dropped by your publisher.

Such is the life of an author, especially in today’s uncertain publishing environment. Sure you want to be one? Think about it. Think long and hard. Take off the rose-colored glasses and take a good look at what’s ahead. Learn from those of us who have gone before you.

Being an author is the toughest job I have ever had. At times, it has leveled me to a sniffling bag of mucous and/or a screaming banshee. I’ve even suffered from unproductive inertia for days at a time. But while it saps my strength and often leaves me gasping for breath, it also revitalizes me in ways nothing else has never done.

So far, of the fifteen books under contract, I have delivered five Odelia Grey novels and one Granny Apples novel. I have a very long way to go.

No, I am not afraid. I’m scared spitless.

Posted by: Sue Ann Jaffarian

During the next two months, Publishing Insider will host four authors from Midnight Ink as guest bloggers. Midnight Ink, an upstart imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide, is dedicated to publishing great mysteries. Several writers from the small, independent press have banded together to produce a group blog at Inkspot.

The very idea I’m a ‘‘publishing insider’‘ seems unreal. I keep waiting for someone to yank back the curtain like in the Wizard of Oz, revealing me spinning knobs to sustain the illusion.

That said, I have been doing the author thing since my series debut, Mama Does Time, came out last fall. The second book, Mama Rides Shotgun, is out in July. I can clearly see contrasts now between my former profession and my current one. And, as Dorothy said after the tornado dropped her into Oz: ‘‘Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.’‘

So, here are Five Differences Between Newspapers (“Kansas’‘) and Book Publishing (‘‘Oz’‘):

No. 1. People in publishing are snappier dressers. I once had an editor at a Florida paper with food stains so abundant on his shirt that no one needed the lunchroom’s chalkboard menu. Reporters simply studied the color and consistency of the latest spill to guess the daily special.

No. 2. The news measures deadlines in hours, even minutes. When I saw my first publishing contract, with a due date almost two years hence, I thought it was a typo. Authors (generic term; not this specific author!) also get more wiggle room. Blowing off deadlines at a newspaper is a firing offense.

No. 3. Newspaper editors yell more. Some of my Midnight Ink book colleagues may have a different take. Then again, they’ve never cowered as an editor bellowed across the newsroom: “Sharp! Get your ass in here. This story sucks!’‘

No. 4. Authors wear more hats. When I worked for USA Today and other papers, my role in putting together my stories was narrow: Reporter/Writer. It was someone else’s job to write the headlines, to market the paper, to sell the paper. Since my series began, my hat wardrobe has multiplied. Some fit. Others, like my promoter hat, not so much.

As a reporter, I got used to doors being slammed in my face. Comes with the job. But the rejection wasn’t personal. I represented ‘‘the newspaper.’‘ It’s far worse standing in the aisle at Barnes & Noble, hopeful smile on my face, ‘‘my baby’‘ in my hand, and being brushed aside. I haven’t reached the point yet where that doesn’t feel personal.

No. 5. Say you write books, and people’s eyes light up. Say you’re a reporter, they run the other way. Being an author seems glamorous (Ha! We know better, don’t we fellow authors?) I believe the journalist’s job is essential and important—a fact that those people who rank reporters somewhere beneath lizards and above lawyers will realize once all the newspapers are gone and it’s too late.

OK, side rant over ....

Along with the eyes lighting up, though, people constantly tell authors: ‘‘I could write a book if I just had the time.’‘ When I had a USA Today cover story reported and written from Cuba, or one from a hurricane-ravaged city, or one tracing the path of a serial killer stalking college girls, no one ever told me: “I could do that!’‘

But everyone thinks they can write a book. And sometimes, when I’m out there in my promoter’s hat, trying to break out from the multitudes, it seems that everyone HAS.

Posted by: Deborah Sharp

Three years ago, I started blogging with Madam Mayo to help promote Mexico: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, my anthology of 24 Mexican writers. But a blog, to my happy surprise, turned out to be much more than a mere promotional tool. Yes, I still blog about my books and readings and so on, but I mostly blog about whatever interests me, and I often invite guest-bloggers. I’ve recently added widgets including a micro-blog within the blog (Twitter)... but that’s another subject. My point is, blogging is still such a new genre, or tool or platform or whatever-you-want-call-it that I don’t think we’ve yet settled on what exactly it is and how best to go about it. Herewith my take on it as of March 2009.

Three assumptions: you already know how to write; you aim, at least in part, to gain more visibility for your writing; you respect your readers and would like to have more of them.

Make it easy on your reader’s eyes.

The black background is my number one pet peeve. A close second is the deep purple background. Third: the navy-blue background. Yes, it’s fun to play around with all those pretty colors (and white text on black, orange text on black, boy howdy, turquoise on avocado!)—but isn’t the idea of a writer’s blog to capture readers? That means words. Words are a strain to make out on a dark page. An example with a nice white background:
Ask E.T. (Edward Tufte)

Also easy-on-the-eyes:
Utter Wonder. The Idle Thoughts of C. Monks.

Make it clear in the sidebar who you are and what your blog is about

A picture helps (though for the shy, a snapshot of the dog or desk will do), as does a brief bio.

Two very different writers’s blogs, both with clarity of authorship and purpose:
Medieval Woman: Blogging With Historical Fiction Writer Susan Higginbotham
Barbara’s Blog: Barabara Ehrenreich Comments on Working in America
 
Make it easy for your reader to find your works

You don’t have to be super-slick about it, but do the reader a courtesy by making it easy for her to find your books, articles, workshops, events. That means links, whether to your web page, to amazon.com, your publisher, your local independent bookstore, or all of the above.

In these blogs, the writer’s works are listed in the sidebar and with links:
Chico Lingo (Sergio Troncoso)
Sandra Gulland Notes on the Writing Life
Seth Godin's Blog

If you use images, do so thoughtfully

Long strings of photos and videos are about as welcome as Aunt Marty’s after-pizza snore-fest-of-a-slide-show of her camping trip, OK? Just because the jpegs are in your computer, that doesn’t mean you have to shovel them all out onto the blog. Be selective. Not all writers’ blogs have photos, nor would I suggest that they all should, but a writers blog with thoughtfully selected photos is a joy.

Two favorites:
Christine Boyka Kluge
David Lida’s Mostly Mexico City

With whatever frequency you choose to post, try to be more-or-less consistent

Last I checked, the Great White-Bearded Blogging Committee in the Sky has not yet convened, so there are not any Rules about how often you should post. That said, readers will tend to abandon a blog when long stretches go by with nary a word.

Posting frequently (almost daily):
E-Notes by E. Ethelbert Miller

Posting only on Mondays:
Clusterfuck Nation by Jim Kunstler

Make it easy for the reader to subscribe by RSS feed and/ or e-mail

Some good examples:
Right-reading
Collin Kelley: Modern Confessional

Choose the titles of your posts with a view to the search engines

"Here’s an interesting book" is far less effective than the bulls-eye specific "Best of Contemporary Mexican Fiction"
or, say, "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili"

With search-engine friendly titles, many of your readers will find your posts via searches, long after they have disappeared from your main page and into the recesses of the blog’s "archive." And porquoi pas?

Consider inviting in other voices via comments and / or guest-blogging

It used to be a staple of blogging advice that a blog should allow comments. But as many writers with blogs know, the comments section can sometimes be disquietingly quiet or flooded with cranks and SPAM. I don't allow comments at Madam Mayo, though I do invite them with a link on the sidebar to my e-mail that says, "Comments?"

A blog with lively conversation in the comments section:
El vino y la hiel (Agustin Cadena)

A blog with frequent guest-bloggers:
Work-in-Progress (Leslie Pietrzyk)

Further reading:

Blogging for Dummies by Susannah Gardner and Shane Birley, Wiley, second edition, 2008

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Posted by: C.M. Mayo