Your views wanted please

[Iain Parke]

Hi – as a crime fiction fan can I ask you:

Q1 – how do you find new crime writers to read?

Q2 – what leads you to try a crime writer for the first time?

My 'agenda' is simple, I’m an indie crime writer (www.bad-press.co.uk) and I’m looking to see how I could go about reaching more crime fiction readers with my work – and avoid too much BSP - so many thanks in advance for all your comments and feedback.

I'm genuinely interested to see what you as readers have to say. 

Rgds Iain

[Andrew Graham]

I know this may sound obvious but i tend to read the back of the book to see if the synopsis excites me enough. I then read the first page, and if that still hasn't put me off I give the book and author a try.

[Iain Parke]

Hi - agree & understand the 'blurb' is critical in deciding whether to buy, but to get to read the blurb you hae to have found a new writer to start with so how do you pick up a new one to look at?

[Suzanne]

What newspapers still have book reviews? The NY Times, the Washington Post, Philadelphis Enquirer... Please add to this list.

[Linton Robinson]

Hate to tell you but you're not get reviews from them.  You almost certainly won't get reviews from daily papers in your own home town... or you would have had them already.  Most papers won't touch self-published books, or even most small-press books.

You'd be better off building list of bloggers and email lists of indie reviewers.    A review in a crime magazine is worth more than in a daily. 

[Iain Parke]

Agreed, hoping for a mainstream press book review as an indie is an unrealistic expectation, they aren't interested. Getting a mention in national press (as opposed to a review) can be easier and when I did it once I had a doubling of sales for a few months and it generated my TV deal 

Specialist interest press reviews can be had & be very worthwhile.