A tour of the genresence for a series and win over bookstores. New authors also get very
little in the way of advertising and promotional help from their pub-
lishers. It is a tough road.
Fortunately, mystery authors who are willing to push themselves
rather than wait for their publishers to do it will find that many
stores are wonderfully receptive to such efforts. In the U.S. there are
at least sixty highly active independent bookstores specializing in
mystery fiction. (Some forty of them have even formed the IMBA,
the Independent Mystery Bookstore Association.) The relationship
that these stores have with their customers is very special. Favorite
authors are "hand sold" to readers, and newsletters and signings are
regular features for them.
Indeed, independent bookstores have a higher share of total
sales in this category than in any other. Marketing to them with
postcards, flyers, bookmarks, and such is one route to try. More use-
ful are in-store signings; since these bring in customers most stores
like them. Of course, the distances involved can be prohibitive for
many authors, but dedicated authors are beginning to band togeth-
er to share costs for group signing tours.
For authors of limited means there are other options. Convention
appearances are one. While not as plentiful as in the science fiction
field, there are several big mystery conventions every year
(BoucherCon, Malice Domestic, and Left Coast Crime being three of
the biggest). In addition, there are perhaps a dozen regionals.
The Internet is another option. The electronic bulletin board
DorothyL is one of the principal meeting places for fans and
authors. There are scores of printed newsletters, too, an additional
opportunity. Some authors have also made a small splash by writ-
ing for the field's many magazines and semiprozines. Mystery Scene,
for one, welcomes articles from authors.
Awards should not be discounted, either. Smart authors make
sure that their publishers submit their novels for the Edgar, the
Shamus, and the Nero Wolfe. (Other awards like the Dilys, the
Macavity, the Anthony, and the Agatha are awarded by popular vote.)
Review mailings and publicity can also be handled on the cheap,
though it is important to know how to do it properly. (For tips, see
Chapter 11.)