Secrets of Success

Interview with Chicagy mystery author Libby Fischer Hellman

By Randy Richardson

Chicago mystery author Libby Fischer Hellman shares with us a few of the secret ingredients that led to her being "an overnight success that was five years in the making."

From Amazon Shorts to blogging (recently Libby began group blogging as part of The Outfit with some of Chicago's best known crime writers including Sara Paretsky and Barbara D'Amato), Libby shares some of the secrets to her success.

Undoubtedly, you'll want to save and share with your friends these book marketing tips from one of Chicago's busiest and most successful authors.

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CWA : You’ve had four novels published. How did that come about? Were you one of those rare overnight successes?

Libby :I was an overnight success that was five years in the making. I started writing fiction in 1996 after my father’s funeral. It was that cut and dried. At the beginning, I thought I started writing as a way to deal with my grief, but I realized later that wasn’t the case. My father was a very practical, down-to-earth businessman. He expected me to “contribute”, to make a living, to support myself. Something as “frivolous” as writing, where there was no guarantee of success, or measurable objective, was just not on his radar. I’ve decided that his death freed me – in a way – to pursue that, although I didn’t know it at the time.

I still can’t believe that I wrote my first novel in 4 months. Now it takes me a year – or more. But I didn’t know what I didn’t know then. I spent the next five years learning what I didn’t know – the craft of fiction. I signed my first contract in 2001.

CWA : What, if any, are the advantages of being an author living in Chicagoland? What are the disadvantages?

Libby :As we’ve noted, I’m originally from Washington DC, and coming to Chicago was like a breath of fresh air. I remember watching the local news in Chicago (I moved here when Walter Jacobson and Bill Kurtis were a team) and thinking “how parochial”. But I soon realized – hey, this is really what local news is all about. Washington was a national city, almost surreal in its obsession with the nuances of national politics and the federal government. But after living in Chicago for a few months, I grew to appreciate Tip O’Neill’s philosophy that “all politics is local” – it was refreshing to see scandals in the park district, Greylord, Cook County, the Sheriff’s office. That’s local. And so Chicago.

I also love the diversity. Every neighborhood is a different universe. The sights, the smells, the colors. Even the street signs are in foreign languages. I love exploring, making field trips, taking pictures, talking to passers by – that’s how I get the feel of the neighborhood. You don’t find that diversity in DC.

The only disadvantage, I think – and I hope we are all working to dispel it – is the perception (by people who don’t know any better) that Chicago is simply fly-over country ... a gray, dismal cold city full of Mafiosi and devoid of charm. For some reason, people don’t associate Chicago with the same glamour or allure as NY or LA. It’s the “working city”… but for me, that makes it one of the most exciting cities in the world. It’s a city of “real people” ... with real secrets and passions that can and should explode across our pages.

CWA : Any thoughts on why more publishing houses and literary agents haven’t roosted in Chicago?

Libby :I think the above response gets at the answer. As long as the major publishers are in NY, that’s where the peripheral members of the industry will be. And I don’t see that changing. However, there are some excellent “Fly-Over Country” publishers these days… Bleak House Books in Madison, Five Star in Michigan (isn’t it?), as well as some boutique houses (Jim Huang’s Crum Creek Press in Indianapolis), so the landscape is starting to evolve.

I know there are agents here, but, again, if the people you’re pitching are in NY, it makes sense to have most of the agents there. Or in LA (for film)

CWA : Have you ever considered, or would you consider, moving to New York or Los Angeles to be closer to their respective literary offerings?

Libby : No. However, some members of my family have moved to LA recently, and my kids keep talking about it, so there may be other reasons to consider a move. But it would only be a limited thing … say one or two months a year. I can’t see myself not writing about Chicago. And to write about it, I think I need to live here.

CWA : You’ve got not just one but two publishers for your current book. Most authors would kill for just one. How did that come about and what’s the reasoning behind it?

Libby : My initial contract was for 3 paperback originals with Berkeley Prime Crime. When they saw the mss. for AN EYE FOR MURDER, they liked it so much they thought the best way to market it would be to sell the subsidiary rights to a hard cover publisher so it would be reviewed more extensively. Poisoned Pen Press was that publisher. They published EYE, then published each one after that (there was never any guarantee … Barbara Peters had to approve each book). So I was a lucky beneficiary of Berkeley’s marketing strategy. I really had nothing to do with it. However, I am incredibly grateful to Poisoned Pen – they really put me on the map with their promotional efforts. They will be bringing out my first book, AN EYE FOR MURDER, in trade paperback this winter after Berkley decided not to. So I’m especially grateful for the new life Poisoned Pen gives authors.

CWA : I’ve heard you talk about the short lifespan of a novel. How much time do you have to sell a book today and how does that affect the way you go about marketing it?

Libby : Sara Paretsky says the shelf-life of a novel these days is somewhere between the milk and yogurt. I think she’s being generous. No, seriously … I think you have about 6 weeks to make a splash with a book. After that, it either has legs (borrowing from show biz) or it disappears.

Which means most of the marketing has to be done BEFORE the book comes out. You need to create a “buzz” ... through ARCs, blurbs, and other types of positioning well before the release date. Oh …it doesn’t hurt to have your publisher’s support either ... they can introduce you to distributors, influential bookstores, and, of course, arrange for co-op advertising in the chains. Barring that, it’s a tough market. Individual authors need to be creative. And energetic.

CWA : You’ve recently started blogging on Amazon.com, as part of the Amazon Connect. How has that gone? Has there been any noticeable impact on sales as a result?

Libby : Unfortunately, not that I can tell. But I applaud Amazon for trying to help the mid-list author. Notwithstanding the fact it helps them too.

CWA : What are the pros and cons of blogging? Should all writers be blogging?

Libby : Boy, I’ve been up and down and around that issue for the past year. With over 35 million blogs these days, I think it’s presumptuous to think that your blog is going to make a difference. However, I have seen some authors get a following because of their blogs (Joe Konrath, in particular – you should ask him). And I know publishers tell authors to start a blog as a marketing technique. I’m even going to be starting one with several other authors ... I never thought I would. But there is something about “branding” – and, whether we like it or not, blogging is one way to introduce and reinforce a “brand”… i.e., an author.

CWA : You’ve also recently started selling short stories through Amazon Shorts. How has that gone? Are you finding that there is a market out there for short stories?

Libby : I love Amazon Shorts, and I think it’s a wonderful market! I intend to publish more stories on Amazon Shorts when they’re written. Take a look at some of the authors who have stories there: James Lee Burke, Audrey Niffenegger, Jeffrey Deaver, Jacqueline Mitchard .…I’m thrilled to be in their company. Again, you have to hand it to Amazon for trying to think “out of the box” ... in a way that helps authors at the same time they help themselves. It was an ingenious idea.

CWA : What’s the biggest mistake that authors make when it comes to promotion? What’s the biggest mistake that you’ve made when it comes to promotion?

Libby : I think the biggest mistake authors make is demanding that a bookstore, or event promoters include them without thinking about the intended audience for that store or event. Ideally, authors should decide in advance who their audience is and how to reach them. If a specific venue fits their objectives, great. But authors who just want to show up everywhere need to think more carefully.

My biggest mistake? Hmmm .… I think at the beginning my biggest mistake was not doing drop-ins at the chains. They are increasingly a make-it-or-break-it venue, and I should have pursued them more aggressively. I do now, in addition to the independents, of course. I probably should have pursued off-site events more aggressively too.

CWA : What trends are you currently seeing in the mystery field? Book publishing in general? Are there any roads that are more open to aspiring authors than others?

Libby : There are always trends, and the pendulum does seem to swing back and forth. For example, I keep hearing that chick-lit is over. Now the trend seems to be for paranormal mysteries. And kick-ass female protagonists. The thriller market is bulging. And I think PI novels are on the verge of making a comeback.

As far as general book publishing, unfortunately, the situation is grim. Big publishers are looking for the next DaVinci Code, and they’re either giving some authors outlandish advances while keeping others at a subsistence level. Which means the mid-list author is being squeezed. Publishers also expect authors to do the lion’s share of marketing these days, on their time and their dime, which squeezes authors. The overarching influence of the chains and individual venues like WalMart has also contributed to the “streamlining” of lists these days. And the declining number of readers in this country will eventually have a devastating effect. (I could speak on each one of these at length...don’t get me started…)

I do believe we are at a crossroads in our culture, where the written word is competing with TV, cable, and increasingly, the Internet. And I’m not sure where it will all end up. I was optimistic that JK Rowling had spawned an entire new generation of readers, but I see my own teenage daughter surf the net, IM her friends, and explore MySpace rather than read a book. And she loved Harry Potter. I don’t know. I’m not particularly sanguine about the future.

CWA : You write a series? Is that by choice or because that’s what publishers want?

Libby : Actually, I started writing a series, and yes, that’s what publishers typically want in a mystery. However, I’m now writing several “stand-alones”, any one of which could conceivably be expanded, if necessary.

CWA : What percentage of your time would you estimate is spent on writing a novel versus promoting it?

Libby : It’s about 65-35 promotion vs writing for me.

CWA : What trends are you currently seeing in the way that books are marketed? Do you find them to be for the better or for the worse?

Libby : More and more authors are turning to video clips about their books, and I love that ... you see them on peoples’ websites. It’s a nice development. Blogs are also proliferating. I think the jury’s still out on how effective they are, but we’ll see.

I’d like to see someone start a directory of book clubs – I think that’s an untapped market for authors. I also think video-conference signings might be the wave of the future. And I like the idea of off-site events, i.e., an author presenting at a corporation during lunch, that kind of thing.

However, bottom line, the most effective marketing is still done by the publisher. They, as opposed to the author, have more resources and can make a difference, whether it’s sending out 10,000 ARCs as was done with the DaVinci Code, touring an author extensively, or introducing them to major chain buyers. That’s still the mother lode.

CWA : From a marketing perspective, what’s the one piece of advice that you would give to an aspiring author?

Libby : The most important thing an aspiring writer can do is find a writing critique group and be an active member– that’s how you will improve your craft. Bottom line, without a top-notch mss, marketing doesn’t matter.

As far as marketing goes, join the writing associations in your genre or your location and go to meetings. Volunteer some time – you’ll meet people, network, and gain valuable knowledge about the way agents, editors, and publishers work. Write short stories and look for markets to submit them to – they are the best way to start getting a name for yourself.