The Worth
By E.A. Aymar (also E.A. Barres)
Is It Worth it?
A reader asked, in regards to a comment in my last newsletter about the organizations I've worked for:
"Does all that work help sell books?"
Well...
There are two answers to that question.
There's the short answer, which is no.
And then there's the idealized answer, which is something like, "How dare you? I did this work out of charity and an altruistic sense of purpose!" (This is a lie. Kind of a lie, anyway.)
I initially started working for (which means volunteering my time) for different organizations as a way to network, and as a way to raise awareness about my own writing. When I started working for the International Thriller Writers (initially handling the social media for their debut writers), I did it because ITW meant a lot to me. After my first book was published, ITW's debut program was one of the most welcome and supportive groups I knew. And some of my closest friends in writing came from those ranks. I was honored to support them.
Later, when I was asked to take a bigger role in ITW and re-launch The Thrill Begins, I saw it as an opportunity to work closely with friends, enhance voices (writers-of-color and women, in particular) that needed to be heard, and learn the essentials of running a web 'zine.
And when I was asked to serve on ITW's Board, I saw it as an opportunity to further that work, but also get an inside view into the highest levels of crime fiction writing and publishing, to see the perspective of men and women who have made successful livings as writers. I had the chance to sit at the same table as Lee Child and R.L. Stein and David Morrell, and chances like that don't come often.
All of that was worth it. All of it provided, for better or worse, what I'd initially sought.
And, on its own, none of that sells books. Plus it takes time, which is a precious resource for any writer. Yes, you make friends and connections, and those are invaluable, but friends and connections can come any number of ways. There's also the risk, particularly when you join the leadership of an organizations, that you'll have to support and defend the choices of that organization, and that's no small risk these days - consider the chances of adversary as greatly as you consider opportunity.
And, just as importantly, but less obvious - remember that you are, first and foremost, a writer. Because other people won't.
I realized, while working in ITW, hosting D.C.'s Noir at the Bar series, and being asked to moderate an increasing number of in-person and virtual events, that I was being seen as a facilitator. I'm good at that stuff, one of the advantages of being an extrovert in a field dominated by introverts. I say that with confidence, but with the keen knowledge that there are only certain things I'm good at. Trust me, no one's going to ask me to shoot baskets or do long division or babysit. But working for an organization or speaking to groups...that I got.
And this was the risk. That's how people saw me. They stopped seeing me as a writer.
My writing is more important to me than any organization. Yes, volunteerism gives me the opportunity to affect change, and to further my voice...but those are things that also happen through books. And essays. And columns. That's where I want my most powerful work to reside. If I have the chance to be well-remembered, then it's my characters and stories I want to live long after I do. Long after any of these organizations exist.
If you're considering working for an organization, as the person who reached out to me is, then it's something I do recommend. But make sure:
1. It's an organization you'd be willing to defend and also walk away from.
2. You have the time to do it. Volunteerism, especially at first, almost always requires more than you realize. Particularly if you want to be good at your job, and you should always want to be great at your job.
3. You can do more than contribute. Or rather, re-consider the notion of contribution. You'll be given a job, but you should always have the desire to "grow that job," to enhance it beyond what it originally is. Maybe you're tasked with handling the social media. Make it your personal goal to grow those followers and engagements. Which is why...
4. Do something you're interested in. If someone asks me to be the treasurer of an organization, or the Chief Financial Officer, or the guy who does long division, I'll politely decline. I'm 46 and, look...at this point of my life, I'm not going to get better at math. But there are other ways I can contribute, and ways I can contribute where others can't. Know your strengths, and focus them appropriately.
This is a wonderful profession to be in, and it's one that needs and often welcomes change. Once you have a voice, it behooves you to use it. But don't forget where, and how, you want your words to echo.
Hey! It's that book I wrote! Click HERE or in the graphic below for more info!
Pursuit of the Truth
By K.D. Richards
Security expert Ryan West’s worst fears come to life when hotel CEO Nadia Shelton is pushed in front of a taxi and nearly killed. Someone will do whatever it takes to find the brother Nadia thought was dead, and the only way Ryan can protect her as they uncover the truth is to stay strictly professional. But the sparks igniting between them are nearly impossible to ignore.
The Great Filling Station Holdup
Edited by Josh Pachter
In The Great Filling Station Holdup, editor Josh Pachter presents sixteen short crime stories by sixteen popular and up-and-coming crime writers, each story based on a song from one of the twenty-nine studio albums Jimmy has released over the last half century, from Leigh Lundin’s take on “Truckstop Salvation” (which appeared on Jimmy’s first LP, 1970’s Down to Earth) to M.E. Browning’s interpretation of “Einstein Was a Surfer” (from 2013’s Songs from St. Somewhere).
Murder My Past
By Delia C. Pitts
Harlem private eye SJ Rook wants to forget his past. Ex-soldier, ex-drunk, ex-tramp are titles he's eager to bury. He's building a new life at a neighborhood detective agency. And he's working on a solid relationship with his crime-fighting partner, Sabrina Ross. But without warning, Rook's past returns with a vengeance in the enticing form of his ex-wife. Visiting New York for a convention, Annie Perry is a self-made millionaire with more than business on her mind. She's confident, alluring, and ready to rekindle feelings Rook thought he'd left far behind. When Annie is murdered shortly after their reunion, her death sends Rook over the edge. To find her killer, he must delve into her past, even if it hurts.
The Stories We Tell
By Liz Milliron
It’s December 1942 and Betty Ahern is enjoying her fledgling career as a private detective, investigating everything from missing jewelry to wandering boyfriends. But when Bell Airplane co-worker Emilia Brewka, whose grandmother recently died, wants Betty to prove the death was murder and not natural causes, Betty thinks Emilia’s grief has her seeing things that aren’t there. After a member of the visiting Polish government in exile is murdered, she learns the grandmother may have contacted him about a secret involving a wealthy Buffalo family–a secret that goes all the way back to the Old Country and the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war. Suddenly, murder looks more than possible. Betty and her friends travel between Buffalo’s working-class neighborhoods and the city’s high society, determined to unearth the secret and find justice for Emmie’s grandmother. But mixing with the upper class quickly becomes dangerous and potentially deadly—both for Betty’s career as a detective and herself.
Chasing the Pain
By Matthew Iden
“If you’re reading this, then you haven’t heard from me in three weeks, maybe more. If that’s the case, call Marty Singer. He’ll know what to do.”
That’s the note Elizabeth Reynolds, ex-wife of friend and former US Marshal Karl Schovasa, hands retired cop Marty Singer. Schovasa’s missing after trying to guide a young addict away from being exploited by a fake rehab center, and all signs point to foul play. In a bid to save both of them, Marty heads south to Palm Beach to take on a cabal of crooks, con men, and drug dealers that operate at will up and down the East coast. They’re the masterminds of a scam worth millions...a scam they’re willing to kill for if it stops Marty from Chasing the Pain.
Blood Grove
By Walter Mosley
It is 1969, and flames can be seen on the horizon, protest wafts like smoke though the thick air, and Easy Rawlins, the Black private detective whose small agency finally has its own office, gets a visit from a white Vietnam veteran. The young man comes to Easy with a story that makes little sense. He and his lover, a beautiful young woman, were attacked in a citrus grove at the city’s outskirts. He may have killed a man, and the woman and his dog are now missing. Inclined to turn down what sounds like nothing but trouble, Easy takes the case when he realizes how damaged the young vet is from his war experiences—the bond between veterans superseding all other considerations. The veteran is not Easy’s only unlooked-for trouble. Easy’s adopted daughter Feather’s white uncle shows up uninvited, raising questions and unsettling the life Easy has long forged for the now young woman. Where Feather sees a family reunion, Easy suspects something else, something that will break his heart.
The Sign of the Gallows
By Susanna Calkins
London, 1667. On her way to a new market to peddle her True Accounts and Strange News, printer's apprentice Lucy Campion quickly regrets her decision to take the northwestern road. Dark and desolate, the path leads her to the crossroads - and to the old hanging tree. She doesn't believe in ghosts, but she's not sure ghosts don't believe in her. But before she even reaches the crossroads, she's knocked off her feet by two men in a hurry. What were they running from? To her dismay, she soon discovers for herself: there, dangling from the tree, is the body of a man. Did he commit self-murder, or is there something darker afoot? The more Lucy learns, the more determined she is to uncover the truth. But this time, even the help and protection of magistrate's son Adam, and steadfast Constable Duncan, may not be enough to keep her safe from harm . . .
Dead on the Delta
By Sherry Knowlton
Botswana protects its wildlife with strict policies and an entire army deployed to combat poaching. So Alexa and Reese are shocked when poachers wipe out an entire herd of elephants. At the site of the mass slaughter near their lion project, they promise authorities that they'll watch for suspicious activity as they travel the Delta. When the country's strict wildlife conservation policies come under debate in the capital, tensions flare and Alexa begins to suspect the ongoing poaching incidents may be about even more than the illicit ivory trade. Especially when a close friend dies when caught in the crossfire. After an alarming series of near escapes, gunmen attack the safari camp where she and Reese are staying, and Alexa must brave wild animals and the dangerous labyrinth of Delta channels in a desperate attempt to save the hostages, including the man she loves.
I'm fortunate to share a publisher (Crooked Lane Books) with Melissa Colasanti; fortunate, because it gave me the opportunity to read her wonderful, twisty, suspenseful, emotional novel They Call Me Elizabeth Lark before it was published. I talked with Melissa prior to that, when Crooked Lane gave her an offer and she was considering signing with them, and she was warm and funny and I'm so happy that, just this week, They Call Me Elizabeth Lark is on bookshelves. If you haven't read it, please do. You'll be sucked in.
And a writer Melissa recommends? Wendy Heard.
Wendy Heard is a fabulous thriller writer. Her books are tense, gritty and have me flying through the pages. She also does a wonderful job with LBTGQ rep.
To learn more about each writer, click the photos above.
SleuthFest (In Your PJs)
This is my first year taking part in SleuthFest, and it's going to be a lot of fun! It's a straight shot of a festival, meaning that all of the panels are one after the other, so you don't have to pick and choose what you see. I'm going to be co-hosting (with Raquel V. Reyes) a Noir at the Bar for the conference on Friday night, March 19th, and then moderating and participating in a panel about planning a book launch on Saturday morning, March 20th. To learn more about the festival, click HERE.
It's contest time! The monthly contest winner wins copies of the books listed in my "Two Writers You Should Read" segment. So, for this month, the winner of Call Me Elizabeth Lark and the forthcoming She's Too Pretty To Burn is:
crash_@_.net
I had two columns up in the Washington Independent Review of Books last month. For the first, I asked four writers to list their steamiest passages. Because, you know, Valentine's Day. For the second, I interviewed Sherry Harris and John Copenhaver about Sisters in Crime newest award, The Pride Award for LGBTQIA+ writers.
And, wow, also, I talked A LOT. I did three podcasts, all about writing and publishing and They're Gone. I'm a proud member of (and Bookstore Liaison for) Crime Writers of Color, and Robert Justice interviewed me for that organization's wonderful podcast. The gang at Ink Heist had me on to talk about all things writing and we spent an inordinate amount of time laughing, so I consider that a good show. And Stephen Usury had me on at Book Talk, and we discussed the twists and turns of They're Gone. Please note that all of these hosts had smooth, melodic voices while I sounded like a mouse on crack. Sorry about your earholes.
Until next time, stay safe. Much love to all of you, and Happy Reading!