Network Effects of Book Sales

I don't write to sell books. I write so people can have an experience which leaves them a little different than before. Nonetheless, sales are important to me as (1) money into my account (Who doesn't like that?) and (2) validation that people are actually reading my stuff. And maybe if they like it they'll tell other people about it and I'll get more readers.

For me M = RN, where M stands for the size of the market for my book, R stands for the total number of readers, and N stands for some multiplier. That is, for every R readers, my market expands N times. The more people who read this one, the more will read the next one.

What do you think about this? I'm interested to know. Post a comment. And Christmas is coming up, click on Amazon.com and order my book for a friend or relative.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, click on hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, on www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Three parts of stories

Alice said that telling a story is easy. You start at the beginning. Then go right through to the end and then stop.

Generally I think of stories in three parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end. If you think of a 300-page novel, the first part would run from pp. 1-99, the second from p. 100-199, and the third part from p. 200 to 300, about. Generally the first part of the story introduces the characters, starts the story, begins to get intriguing and so forth. The middle section is the most challenging. Often stories drag here. You have about 1 page to interest a reader. I try to start out with the actual event that whoever's solving it has to solve. The only purpose of that first page is to hook the reader. Then, introduce something new at the beginning of the second part. You have to rehook them. I try to have lots of things happen and I try to decrease the length of the paragraphs and the sentences to move people along faster. The last part should be moving straight downhill to the end. Alice said telling stories was easy. You start at the beginning and go right through to the end and then you stop. Were it that simple.

What do you think? I'd like to know. Come and post a comment.

Writing to me is an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, to www.yourstopforrealesstate.com/blog.

Recovered Memory

While I was researching this book, I read a very moving story of a young pianist who had developed the annoying habit of forgetting her music during performances. This is every artist's nightmare, whether an actor who forgets his lines during a performance, or a painter who forgets the idea he had behind a painting. Every musician has gotten lost in the middle of a concert, but it was so troubling to this pianist she quit performing. She found that she had been abused as a child and this was causing her problem. She eventually got beyond it and went back to conertizing, but I thought I would build it into the story.

What do you think? I want to know. Come and post a comment. Christmas is coming, so order a copy of the book right from this blog.

Writing is an entrepreneurial activity for me. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Henry's Optimism

Henry Harrier is an incurable optimist. Like Landy Cole, one of his inspirations, everything will be "fine."

On p. 174, they have gone to Lancaster, PA. Julie says, "I just hope they have a 9-1-1 system here. Henry pats her on the arm and says, "Stop worrying about me. I'm fine."

Landy is always fine, and at 100, I'd say he's doing fine for his age. And when people ask him about things, he says, "It'll be fine."

Christmas is coming. Order a copy of my book for a friend or loved one. You can download it for free or buy it through amazon.com.

Writing is to me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Henry

Agents? Who Needs Literary Agents?

A literary agent, whose blog I subscribe to, and whose name I shall not mention, asked how much responsibility should be placed on an agent when a book doesn't sell. People had various opinions, and of course this agent had what they call today a "highly nuanced" response. The fact of the matter is if writers would take their own future in their own hands, you wouldn't need the agent in the first place, and the question would be moot.

What do you think? Post a comment. And Christmas is coming. You can order a copy right off my blog here or go to Amazon.com.

Writing for me is an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate is to www.yourstopforrealestate.con/blog.

Dreams and Solving Mysteries

Sherlock Holmes used to smoke tobacco to solve problems. It could be a 3-pipe problem, which meant he had to think longer. Some problems are solved in dreams. I sometimes wake up with the solution to a problem I'd been wrestling for a while. In reinventing my entrepreneurship course. I had literally an "aha" moment in which I got the solution.

On page 164, Henry realizes the solution to the murder of Ian in a dream. Then he shows his stubbornness in leaving the hospital AMA (against medical advice). And against Julie's wishes, too.

Are you interested in this? Post a comment. Remember, the book might make a good present for your friend or family member who appreciates classical music and good mysteries. You can order it right off the blog here.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Mainstream publishing is dead

Mainstream publishing is dead. I declare it right now. Mainstream publishing is dead. Democratization of the means of production and distribution have killed it.

Mainstream publishers have not disappeared. There will always be those who desire to reap profit off the labors of writers who just want people to read what they write. If I were a literary agent, I would start polishing up my resume. Or get with it and start a print-on-demand company of my own. Which is better, continuing to swim upstream or jumping in a lifeboat and going with the flow?

What do you think? Post a comment.

Writing is to me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Henry and George Smiley

On p. 163, Henry goes to see a woman who he used to work with him that can confirm a crucial detail. He solved the puzzle in his dreams, and he just needs one more piece. I remember a section in Smiley's People Smiley, played in a wonderfully understated way by Alec Guinness, goes to visit an old co-worker who had a steel trap for a mind. She's a little daft, but she still remembers things and is able to supply crucial information. I drew inspiration from this terrific scene in the book dramatized in the terriffic BBC production.

We can often draw energy when two characters are combined in this way. And if our readers are literate, they will note the similarity of our characters with those in the stories in which those characters live and further resonance is achieved.

If you want a nice Christmas gift for a friend or relative, try downloading this from the site, or go to amazon.com and buy it with one click. And I'm interested in what you have to say. Come and post a comment.

Writing to me is an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for my entrepreneurial real estate blog go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Wordspy.com and Neologism

Neologisms are words that are used commonly but has not yet made it into the dictionary. They tell you what's new on the block. Most of them are silly, but some, like the word "cleanout", are very useful in communicating. A "cleanout" is the act of taking everything out of a house and hauling it away. If a house is part of an estate sale, this has to happen because the buyers have to get it empty except for what has been listed in the contract.

Neologisms give the writer ideas for new stories. Maybe you did a cleanout and found something, like a dead body. Maybe your identity was stolen because whoever did the cleanout got some records of yours. Maybe you run a company that does cleanouts and when you arrive to find the house already cleaned out, something happens. Maybe the buyers agreed to take the house without a cleanout, then weird things happen that eventually are traced to the stuff in the house that wasn't cleaned out. See the story possibilities? You could have a character who speaks only in neologisms. Done with restraint, that one culd be really funny. Wordspy.com is an excellent source of these new words.

What do you think? I'd like to know. Post a comment. And remember Christmas is coming, so if you want a good book for a friend or loved one, order one right from here, or download it for free.

Entrepreneurship informs all my professional activities. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial writing, to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

Edited Honesty

On p. 156 Will tells Julie "everything." Julie is, of course, Henry's daughter, and she's a little of a composite of my two wives and someone else. "Everything" isn't everything, as he holds back his involvement with the guys that ran him off the road and tried to kill him and almost killed Henry in the process. So Will edits what he tells people. Are we like that?

What do you think? Post a comment. And Christmas isn't far off. Download a copy for free or order a copy from amazon.com right from this blog.

For me, writing is entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Vision and Character

On pp. 148-9, Henry describes a dream he had.

"Neither of us said anything for a few minutes. Then, I said, "Wow. Quite a vision."

Henry said, "If I could just understand--.

I shrugged and said, "I'm not much of a vision guy."

This is another example of Leakage, where an aspect of a character kind of emerges bit by bit. And knowing this, you can tell why Will acts as he does.

What do you think? I want to know, so post a comment. And Christmas is almost here. If you have a loved one or friend who lives classical music and murder mysteries, get them a copoy.

Writing is an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurship informs my writing. Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com for my entrepreneurship course and to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog for entrepreneurial real estate.

The Author's Presence in the Work

No matter what we do, a good writer will be present in the story. The better the writer, the more present he or she will be, but you'll have a tougher time locating him.

I met someone last night who is reading my book. She says she feels like she knows me from Will's character. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but as I thought about it more and more, it was gratifying because it means that I'm able to create for at least this one reader, who lives in Seattle, an entertaining experience presence and a strong voice.

A strong voice is necessary for keeping people reading and enjoying your book. And that's what I'm aiming for: a partnership between me and the reader. I put the time in up front to produce a readable and entertaining book. The reader agrees to buy it, enjoy it, and tell others about it.

What do you think? Post a comment. And Christmas is coming, so if you have a friend or relative interested in getting a present for Christmas, there you go.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Jung, Characterization, and Story Telling

On pp. 148-9 Henry describes a Jungian dream. When I was writing this I read a lot of Jung, whose discussion of archetypes I thought had great promise for advancing my ability to tell a story by fleshing out a character more deeply. Jung shows us how seemingly banal events can give us great insight into the inner life of a character. For example, Jung tells of a client who was walking across a field and saw a red barn. Seeing that red barn unlocked for the client many memories to which the client had previously had no access. In this way, we can use cues to show readers many things about a character than tell the reader about the character.

If you're interested in this, go look at Jung's work. He broke with Freud over the interpretation of dreams. Freud thought dreams were clues to something else. Jung saw them as things important in themselves. Maybe they were both right. If you have an opinion on this, post a comment. And Christmas is coming, order a copy off this website.

Writing for me is an entrepreneurial activity. If you're interested in my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Choosing a Title

Choosing a title for your book is tough. It's as much a marketing decision as anything else. Many people will, on the basis of the title alone, decide to look (or not to look) at the book, solely on the basis of the title. But the title you choose also reveals the way you think of your story. The folks at Book Surge didn't like my title. They said it sounded like a medical treatise or something. I kept it that way because it's descriptive of the book. Maybe I should get rid of the word "case." What do you think?

The title I chose harks back to Arthur Conan Doyle's story: "A Case of Identity". Doye's stories don't usually begin with the word "case" but they were definitely presented that way. I saw a list once of famous books and the authors' original titles. The differences are quite substantial, and funny, as though For Whom the Bell Tolls had originally being titled The Time Pillar Took Out the Garbage(Not really the original title.)

If you're interested in this post a comment. I'd like to know what you think.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Buying my book

A friend of mine wrote me that she got her local library to purchase a copy. That's great, because it gets the book in the hands of more people. You hope one of them gets very excited about my work and tells lots of people. They buy it and on and on. It's called "Network Externality," this word-of-mouth marketing. It's also called viral marketing and customer evangelizing.

Remember, Christmas is coming up. Buy a copy for a friend or loved one and work your gift list down. And I want to hear what you say, so post a comment.

Writing is to me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com.blog

Speaker Attribution

Who says what to whom is key for keeping the reader reading. If the reader can't figure out who's saying what to whom, he or she will get discouraged and go do something else like take out the garbage or clean the basement. It's not like there's a dearth of other books to read or other media to pay attention to these days. The reader's attention is a valuable asset all writers are trying to get.

I get tired of writing "he said" and "she said" all the time. I prefer stripped dialogue where just the dialogue is presented less the references to who spoke. That works well as long as there are just two people, the context is clear, or the dialog doesn't go on too long. Toni Morrison used to confuse the hell out of me by running on so long I couldn't remember who the characters were, even. Cormac McCarthy sometimes leaves me totally at sea. He doesn't even use quotation marks which makes me have to figure out what's narrative and what'd dialogue. But these writers are so wonderful, I forgive them this.

My rule is no more than 3 lines of stripped dialogue on a row without a "said" or some other form of speaker attribution. Of course, maybe I'm easily confused.

What do you think? Post a comment. And since Christmas is coming, buy a copy of this mystery for a friend or loved one.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial experience. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Writing Partnership

Writing involves a partnership with the reader and the writer. The deal is this, if you read my book, you will participate in the creation of the story by imagining it into reality. A book is just ink on paper. It has power when it resonates with readers and they imagine it into life.

What do you think? Post a comment. And Christmas is coming; you can order a copy of the book right from here.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activityFor my entrepreneurship blog, read www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Persona

Wikipedia, the free, on-line encyclopedia, describes a "Persona" as a "second self":

Criticism of poetry and fiction refer to a "second self" created by the author and through whom the narrative is related. Importantly, attributes and attitudes associated with the persona are understood to be separate from authorial intentions, per se, though there may in fact be some overlap between the two.

It is this persona through which all dialogue, narrative, and exposition are filtered. It's the voice of the writer. It's where narrative drive comes from. It determines word choices. It is, in short, everything.

What do you think? I'm interested in your opinion. Post a comment. Also, Christmas is right around the bend. Why not a good mystery for your friends and loved ones. You can order it for them right off this blog.

Writing is to me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Traffic as a Metaphor

I heard a radio psychiatrist say that frustrations from traffic are really manifestations with one's frustrations with not getting ahead fast enough in life. I decided to used this to help flesh out Will's character.

On p. 149, Henry is riding with Will:

I must have been sighing loudly because Henry leaned forward.

"What's the matter," he asked me.

"This traffic. I just want to go faster than it's letting me."

He nodded and leaned back. "Just bear with it, and you'll get there," he said.

Ever feel frustrated stuck in traffic? Maybe it's just your overall frustration with how your life is going.

What do you think? Post a comment.

Writing is an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, to www.yourstopforrealestate.com.blog

Recall Tape

On p. 145, Henry goes to pay his respect to James's wife. James had gone out earlier in the day and had been killed mysteriously. Brian, James's son, is with her and lets Henry and Will into the house. James's wife is still in shock and talks to Henry as though he was James coming back from his walk. She narrates the entire sequence of events from when James got a call, what he said, and so forth. Is what she's telling him helpful to Henry's investigation? And should Will be nervous?

I'm interested in what you think. If this grabs you, post a comment. Christmas is coming up. You can order a copy of the book for your friends loved ones right from this blog.

Writing to me is an entrepreneurial activity. If you want to see my entrepreneurship course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate practice, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Paranoia

Paranoia involves an unreasonable fear of something. On p. 144, Will and Henry are going out to visit James' wife. James was killed. A car follows them. Will is uncomfortable about it.

Here's a snippet of dialogue:

"Probably nothing," said Henry.

Yeah, just being paranoid," I [Will] said

Henry cocked his head. "What have you got to be paranoid about?"

I shrugged. "Same reason we're in a hotel I guess." Henry nodded.

Here Will deflects the direction of the conversation away from a subject he's uncomfortable talking about. Henry seems satisfied, but is he? What is he thinking? Because we only have him from Will's perspective, we have to guess. My guess is that he isn't.

What do you think? I'm interested in your opinion. If this resonates with you, post a comment. Christmas is coming: go order a copy for a friend or loved one.

Writing is to me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Dialogue and Good Writing

Dialogue is one of the three aspects of a story. Dialogue is useful for bringing intimacy to the reader and building character. It can also be used to move plot, but many writers make dialogue do too much. Often they get into long discussions of this or that. Often this information can be better conveyed through narrative.

I'm interested in what you think. If you have something to say, post a comment. Remember that Christmas is not far away. Need a present? You can order this right off this blog.

Publishing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for my real estate blog, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com

The Front Cover

The folks at Booksurge.com tell me I have to have artwork on the cover or the book won't sell. I chose to go with a nice blue. The other side of the coin is that artwork can turn off a potential reader. In marketing these days, we need to be counterintuitive. Like Jerry told George on the popular sitcom Seinfeld, "Think what you would do, then do the opposite."

I've seen the Kearney mystery reposing on consignment in Robbins Books, and it definitely stands out on the mystery shelf, because it has no artwork. An unmarked police car would stand out if it were among only marked police cars.

Does this resonate with you? If so, let me know. Post a comment. And remember, Christmas in coming. Think about this book for a friend or loved one who loves mysteries.

Publishing is to me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

More on "in scene" in The River Runs Through It

Robert Redford's film, A River Runs Through It is about one of the most beautiful and poetic films I can remember seeing, except perhaps for King of Hearts. Toward the end of Redford's film the story telling makes a choice between presenting conflict in scene or not in scene. Brad Pitt's character, Norman MacLean's troubled and reckless younger brother, who had accumulated so many enemies that one or more of them would eventually kill him, is beaten to death with the butt of a gun.

The film could have shown the beating in scene with blood spatters and scrunched up faces, etc. If the Coen Brothers had made the film, it might have gone that route. Instead the film presented the death as information Norman gives to his parents, dramatizing their shock and sorrow over it, without dialogue, but narrated by Redford's voice. It might have had more impact had they shown the beating, but the screenplay went a different route. Was it better? Those watching the film have to decide.

Are you interested in writing? If this grabs you, post a comment. And Christmas is coming--order a copy of the Case of the Kearney Music School Murders for a friend or loved one who loves mysteries or classical music or both.

Publishing is to me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

In Scene and Story Telling

In deciding how to tell a story, the writer has to decide whether to present material "in scene" or not. In scene means that you re-enact the conflict right in front of the reader. Off-scene happens where the reader just learns about it.

Laurel Yourke defines a scene as "a visceral enactment of characters in conflict, creating movement rather than inactivity, and suggesting the illusion of a motion picture rather than a photograph or a summary." See p. 202 of Laurel's book, Take Your Characters to Dinner (Lanham, NY: University Press of America, 2000). The writer needs to have the best stuff in scene.

And Christmas is coming. For a friend or family member who is or knows a mystery or classical music lover, order a copy right from this blog. And if what I say grabs you, post a comment.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Pipe Smoking and Problem Solving

On p. 123 Henry smokes a pipe when he works on a problem. This is a clear throwback to Sherlock Holmes who rated problems according to the number of pipes full of tobacco he had to smoke to figure them out. Henry didn't always have to smoke to figure things out, but this time he does.

If what I say resonates with you, post a comment. And Christmas is coming up. If you need a present for someone who loves murder mysteries or classical music or both, order this one right from here.

Writing is an entrepreneurial process. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Orlando Cole's 100th Birthday

Orlando Cole, the model for Henry Harrier, just had a celebration at the Curtis Institute in his honor. The man has trained 3 generations of American professional cellists. They populate virtually every American symphony orchestra as well as European, and Lynn Harrel, who's had a very successful solo career, was his student.

He was a founding member of the Curtis String Quartet which lasted for 50 years and was the first American trained string quartet to tour Europe. I played with him informally in family chamber groups for a few years before he, unhappy with his declining physical skills, decided to stop playing in public. When asked about his decision, he'd say, "By the time I got warmed up, I'd be worn out."

At the celebration, two of his students played Gian Carlo Menoti's Suite for Two Cellos and Piano. You may remember Menoti. They used to televise Amahl and the Night Visitors every Christmas when I was a boy. Thankfully they gave up on it after a few years.

There was a reception afterward, and then Deb and I went out to dinner with him and Deb's brother and sister-in-law who had driven down from New York City for the occasion.

Christmas is coming pretty soon. Got a family member or friend who likes mysteries or classical music, have them order a copy right from this blog.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. If you like what I say, post a comment. Or, subscribe to my blog and have entries sent to you every day. For my entrepreneurship blog, go to hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.

Self-editing and Entrepreneurial Writing

We writers who publish through print-on-demand publishing have to become good self-editors. Or they have to employ an editor. Self-editing is not something I do well. I can edit other people's stuff, but not my own.

I'm fortunate to have a good friend who's both good and a friend and edits my stuff for free because she likes me and she likes to edit. Still, though, I see little typos and stuff that none of us has caught. I won't tell you where they are, though. You might not see them.

If this grabs you, post a comment. And Christmas is coming. If you have a friend or loved-one who has someone on their list a person who loves murder mysteries and/or classical music, order a copy from this blog.

Writing for me is an entrepreneurial process. For my entrepreneurship course, go to hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog.