What Will Our Own Neil Nyren Talk About?

[Jack Getze]

One of Crimespace's most illustrious members, SVP, Publisher, and Editor in Chief of G.P. Putnam's Sons, Neil S. Nyren will address the New York Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America April 6th.

 

The MWA mailer says, "The Nyren Eye has become the stuff of whispers and legend, the unseen force behind a string of publishing greats. What we call remarkable editorial vision --after surviving over twenty-five years in the industry -- he calls business as usual. But there's no doubt about his record...Among the authors benefitting from his acute perspective are: Clive Cussler, Patricia Cornwell, Tom Clancy, Jack Higgins, W.E.B. Griffin, John Sandford, Dave Barry, Daniel Silva, Ken Follett, Frederick Forsyth, Robert Crais..." and more.

 

Okay, Neil. What are you going to talk about? And how about a quick preview?

[I. J. Parker]

Having had an important man like that address us in the past is certainly a big compliment to Daniel's Crimespace.

 

Muttering:  So where is everybody these days?

[Benjamin Sobieck]

I've noticed the same thing, I.J. I went away from CrimeSpace a few months (and writing crime fiction) to work on some other projects, and "came back" this week. Normally, the threads are pages and pages long.

 

What happened? Is there a killer picking off CrimeSpace members one by one and tossing them in shallow graves? Or are they just focusing more on writing than networking?

 

Back to the thread at hand. Jack, will his talk be available online anywhere?

[Jack Getze]

For MWA members, yes. I was hoping Mr. N would give us a preview.

[Dana King]

I hesitate to say this, but my attendance has dropped off lately, mainly because, to my eye, a much higher percentage of the posts, both in blogs and the forum, are self-promotion. We used to get a lot of thought-provoking posts that inspired long threads. How much can you say to, "Buy my book?" "My book was reviewed here." "Buy my book again (second time this week)?"

No offense to those who are trying to carve a niche for themselves, but those are self-limiting discussions. To me, the best way to promote yourself in a site like this is to be interesting and entertaining, maybe even provocative. get people to thinking what you write is worth their time to read, you know what you're talking about, and you express yourself well. Then make it easy to find your books or blog. 

I'm no marketer, but when dealing with the kind of discerning audience Crimespace attracts (both readers and writers), shouting "READMEREADMEREADMEREADME!!!" two or three times a week may well be counterproductive.

Eric Christopherson is doing nicely with his Kindle book, and he's never in your face. he's smart, engaging, and entices people to want to read him. That may lead to a slower start, but it has to wear better.

[I. J. Parker]

Amen!

[Jack Getze]

Glad you said something, Dana. It's not just the blatant self-promotion, either. It seems like so many people here only talk about their latest review, their latest guest blog, their latest book signing. 

Plus, there seems to be a rash of the worst, most amateurish cover art/video feeds ever on the left. Do people really buy books with covers like that? And I thought mine were lame.

[Benjamin Sobieck]

I admit my eBook is amateurish, but what the hell, it's more of an experiment anyway. I'm totally with you about covers. They just get worse.

 

It's the cover that's now drawing lines between the good and bad – from the reader's standpoint. You CAN judge a book by its cover when there are 9 million new titles published every hour.

[B.R.Stateham]

Don't know about the others. But for me--busy writing.

[Jack Getze]

Me, too. I just finished another novel -- well, finished until my readers get thru it.

[B.R.Stateham]

Neil should have some interesting points to make concerning his visions of the current publishing industry.  May not agree with them--but they're always thought-provoking.

[Eric Christopherson]

And where is that nutty professor from the upper midwest somewhere? Jon something, wasn't it?

[Benjamin Sobieck]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMIIIISSSSSSSSSSS!!!

 

Maybe he's wrapped up in all the goings-on in Madison.