Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I had an ‘oops-moment’ the other day when someone emailed me and asked me to explain what a cozy mystery was.

This is what happens when you get so close to your subject that you don’t adequately explain it.

Cozies are subgenres of the mystery genre. Mystery, actually, is a genre with many subgenres. Cozies are basically traditional mysteries featuring an amateur sleuth. The reader receives the same clues as the sleuth and solves the case alongside her. These mysteries are frequently humorous, character-focused, often (not always) set in small-towns, and are part of a series. You’ll never find explicit descriptions of violence, dark themes, or much profanity in a cozy mystery.

When I talk about what I write, I’m always very specific (which is probably why I don’t even think twice when I use the term ‘cozy’ anymore.) The reason is that when I interact with people in the industry, they’ll ask me different questions based on my answer to “What do you write?” If I say I write cozies, another mystery writer might ask what my hook is (I write a Southern culinary mystery series and a Southern quilting mystery series.) If I said I was a police procedural writer, they might ask where I’d found my forensics research. If I said I wrote thrillers, they might ask if I wrote at all from the killer’s POV.

If I say I write mysteries, it just doesn’t explain much about what I’m actually writing. So I’m usually more specific.

Sometimes I get dinged for being specific. I remember a conversation with an aspiring author I had once. He asked what I wrote. “Traditional mysteries,” I answered. “What do you write?”

He gave a bit of a smirk and said, “What I write can’t easily be defined or pigeonholed.”

I just smiled back, but what I was thinking was, “Well, that’s a problem.”

Because agents, editors, publishers—they have only so many hours in their day, like the rest of us. It sure does help to be able to quickly categorize a manuscript.

And, honestly, the more narrowly you’re able to make that categorization, the better. So maybe you haven’t just written a children’s book. Maybe it’s actually YA. Maybe it’s not just YA—it’s dystopian YA. If you can accurately pinpoint what you’re writing, you’ll know where to direct your queries to agents or editors (because they’re usually fairly specific as to genres they’re looking for). And they’ll read your query and know what specific elements they’re looking for when they read your manuscript—because the elements will be fairly common to that genre.

So, taking cozy mysteries as an example. Any agent or editor worth his or her salt is going to know that a cozy mystery is probably going to be around 75,000 words, won’t have much profanity, won’t have explicit descriptions of the dead body, will have an amateur investigating, and will frequently have some sort of a hook—it will be a culinary cozy, or a gardening cozy, or a crafting cozy. These are things they will be looking for as they read.

If an agent, in particular, gets something across her desk that’s not easily defined—well, what’s she going to do with it? How is she going to sell it to an editor—who is looking for something specific to appeal to a particular reader base.

I think, also, that it’s easier to get your foot in the door if you’re writing genre fiction. There are tons of readers out there for any given popular genre—fantasy, SF, romance, mystery. These are dedicated readers who will read each month’s new releases in their favorite genre (my son is one of these. I just print out the new releases in his favorite genre each month and head to the bookstore.) So you’ve already got a reader base. This helps because, above all, you want to sell books to stay on the shelves.

I’m going to add this addendum to the post because I’ve had some questions on the cross-genre phenomenon. To me, it’s a great opportunity to reach different (more) readers. I think that the problem would be, in a query, if a writer said something like: My book will appeal to fantasy, Sci-Fi, romance, and mystery readers. I think I’d pick the two strongest elements of the novel and put those in the query. Or, just focus on one element: My book is a mystery with a strong romantic subplot. A second challenge is shelf placement, once the book is published. I have a friend who has written books that are cross-genre mystery and romance and it seems like every store has her books in a different place. It can be frustrating to readers who are looking for her books. But this is getting to be less of an issue as everything moves online.

What genre (or subgenre) are you writing or reading?

One of the best bits of advice I picked up last week was this gem from the Gatekeepers Post: author publicity makes better sense than book publicity.

It’s something I think I’ve tried to do—promote my name(s) as opposed to individual titles—but I’ve never really thought about the why behind what I was doing.

As the article mentioned, books do have a fairly short shelf life in bookstores (online, obviously, longer.)

Also, titles and series change. Just as I’ve got you remembering that I’ve got a book out that’s titled Delicious and Suspicious, Finger Lickin’ Dead gets ready to launch.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve only got so much room in my head for titles. Especially if an author is particularly productive. I’ll definitely remember an author’s name and I’ll be able to recognize a book’s cover art. A title? Probably not.

So I put my name out there. It’s on Facebook, it’s on Twitter. It’s on my blog. And I have my covers right up there with me—they’re splashed on my Twitter background, are uploaded on Facebook, and are in my sidebar. I visit blogs and my name and comment stays behind to show I was there. And I try very hard not to talk about my book. I mean—it’s obvious I’ve written a book or two. If someone is interested, they’ll check them out.

Promoting a book can get obnoxious. There are many, many books that I feel have been over-promoted and overexposed by publishers, authors and PR people. It really lessens my desire to read the books. It’s a shame, because what I was usually interested in was the author. And the author obviously didn’t get it and shoved the book’s title down our collective throats, instead.

Which will ultimately be around the longest—us or a particular title? Unless we’re as unfortunate as Stieg Larsson, we’re the ones who’ll be out there writing long after the books are gathering dust.

The nice thing about promoting our name is that it also gives our books exposure. I’ve gone into the bookstore many times and asked for “the latest Elizabeth George” or “the new M.C. Beaton” or “the last release from Deborah Crombie.” I don’t even remember the title of the book I’m looking for. But I sure remember the authors.

I’m definitely promoting my next release…in the short term. But my long-term strategy is basically author branding (although I do hate that term.)

Do you find that authors’ names are easier to remember than their titles (if the books are regular releases and not a really hyped title…e.g. Da Vinci Code, etc.)?

Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past week.

I’m delighted that now we have an efficient method of locating resources on writing topics when you need them—via the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine and software engineer and writer Mike Fleming’s ingenuity. The links I tweet (which are writers’ blogs, agents’ and editors’ blogs) all are added to the engine to make it easier for you to access the information you’re looking for.

Addressing social issues in mysteries–without being preachy: http://bit.ly/fh9nbJ @mkinberg

Getting in the mood to create: http://bit.ly/eD6Pbk

The answer is in the work: http://bit.ly/fNH4vY

Need help pacing your story? http://bit.ly/gbXFZH

The Whole Story: Plotting Multibook Goals: http://bit.ly/hIh6g6

The Missing Link–NaNoEDMo: http://bit.ly/fTvkRx

A screenwriter answers industry-related questions: http://bit.ly/hTvKwn

Memo to Publishers: 8 Things NOT to Say: http://bit.ly/ibPPPC

An agent on why assistants should be respected: http://bit.ly/ffRUwj

The 3 Integral Components of a Story’s Beginning: http://bit.ly/fi924u

Does agent location matter? (Should you query agents in other countries?): http://bit.ly/g243yw

10 Ways to Piss Off Your Readers So They Never Become a Customer: http://bit.ly/f8VFA2

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: GINGER CAKE http://bit.ly/hg5z4K @CleoCoyle

Konrath with numbers to encourage self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/efxnFG via @evil_avatar

11 Tips To Help Make Writing Easier: http://bit.ly/gd3Qkr

OMG! You can totally see her double spaces (on the double-space controversy): http://bit.ly/fEyjkK

How to use your blog to market your writing: http://bit.ly/hOTZDr

5 Ways Authors Alienate Readers on Social Media Sites: http://bit.ly/gcrbdE

Using Fear To Create A Dystopian World: http://bit.ly/eGljfm

Charles Dickens – Three Principles of Writing: http://bit.ly/hBTSp2

Need help with scene transitions? http://bit.ly/fivggV

Prologues: Not as Evil as You Think: http://bit.ly/gZnJDM

A writing checklist: http://bit.ly/gyLEuT

How to Make the Most of Procrastination: http://bit.ly/goAZPx

The Psychology of Character: http://bit.ly/hFvDhd

The Pros and Cons of Freelance Writing Online: http://bit.ly/hdYrmf

8 Tips for Dealing Calmly with Criticism: http://bit.ly/idWRoK

Think kids are more creative? Think again. Think Like a 47-Year-Old to Boost Your Creativity: http://bit.ly/i7yNvO

The power of the short sentence: http://bit.ly/dSZGAf

Best Articles This Week for Writers 2/18/2011: http://bit.ly/dSy1TV @4kidlit

How to Help Google Find Your Site: http://bit.ly/fqpVbO

Science Fiction vs. Science Fantasy: http://bit.ly/hUSzVO

10 Tips for Effective Book Covers: http://bit.ly/hyxL68

Don’t lose your reader–use basic dialogue tags: http://bit.ly/eIY2Yj

Author Publicity Makes Better Sense than Book Publicity: http://bit.ly/e9VQe3

Your Author Photo: Posing Tips: http://bit.ly/f4Hudu

Scientists Date Unreadable Manuscript: http://bit.ly/h0Dxri

On Moral (Fantasy) Fiction: http://bit.ly/hkYp2T

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake http://bit.ly/fzv2nu @CleoCoyle

Why Twitter freaks one writer out: http://bit.ly/eYaH95

Modern Heroic Fantasy: Vibrant and Diverse or Bankrupt and Nihilistic? http://bit.ly/fivaFa

SFF and the Classical Past, Part 3—Heroic Romans: http://bit.ly/haDuCX

Author John Scalzi’s perspective on Borders and what it means to writers’ pocketbooks: http://bit.ly/hKNMVO

14 helpful writing links: http://bit.ly/gYFpt0 @matthewschulz

5 Ways a Character’s Job Affects Your Story: http://bit.ly/dH3H74

One Writer’s World-Building Tools: http://bit.ly/exo8m0 @SINCnational

The Care And Feeding of a Writer – Perseverance: http://bit.ly/f9W9EA

What’s popular on the WKB search engine today? http://bit.ly/g9fTqf

Screenwriters: How To Have a Successful Staffing and Development Season: http://bit.ly/i5Bk9N

A Bankrupt Borders Makes Everyone Poorer, Especially Authors: http://aol.it/exuY5E

Making It Your Business: Setting Goals: http://bit.ly/ggnnpQ

Building our protagonist: http://bit.ly/hpg7BQ

A screenwriter answers “What show should I spec?”: http://bit.ly/hmMn9i

How to Break Up With Your Writing: http://bit.ly/eKtysP

What Julie and Julia Can Teach Us About Writing With Gusto: http://bit.ly/h0z9DF

Seven Tips to Grow Your Mailing List: http://bit.ly/e3mGhq

Oh no! Melodrama! — Avoiding the Reader Eye Roll: http://bit.ly/eeGTC6

Countdown of Ways to Keep a Novel Pacey: http://bit.ly/fbQ7eM

5 Traits Of Common Writing Scams: http://bit.ly/fmSoqW @ajackwriting

No Pain, No Gain: Killing Your Darlings: http://bit.ly/gaAOQf

Blog Tours For Authors: The 5 Commandments Of Blog Tourists: http://bit.ly/hsjqFU @thecreativepenn

When Overriding-Control-Disorder Meets Writing: http://bit.ly/hFfxni

How to Beat the Fear of Being a One-Book Wonder: http://bit.ly/eazKuS

Worldbuilding: How description reveals the focus of your narrator: http://bit.ly/hXRa4a @JulietteWade

5 Things Publishers Need to Know About Mobile Apps: http://bit.ly/eXK5Nl

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Cheddar Corn Muffins http://bit.ly/ejRYRs @CleoCoyle

The Bankrupt Nihilism of Our Fallen Fantasists: http://bit.ly/hgKFCR

Writers and Unrealistic Goals: http://bit.ly/hblWMK

Zombies Rule, Vampires Drool: http://bit.ly/htKGXC

(In)Flexibility and the Writing Process: http://bit.ly/idIsIU @bluemaven

7 Pep Talk Points About Writing: http://bit.ly/ezMUn6

Ideas for finding more time to read: http://bit.ly/eHuAxe

An agent explains ISBNs: http://bit.ly/hPE7f2

5 Things To Do In Your First 3 Paragraphs: http://bit.ly/h7lIUS

Too many great links to bookmark? Try searching my tweets: http://bit.ly/dYRayA

How to Meaningfully Grow Traffic to Your Site/Blog: http://bit.ly/fSmEcz @janefriedman

Character motivations versus plot motivations: http://bit.ly/ekGZVP

A screenwriter asks, “Does Having an Agent Allow You to Live Outside L.A.?” The answer: http://bit.ly/eg5XZw

The full list of Borders stores to be closed (via Publishers Weekly): http://bit.ly/fELOT3

3 Strategies for Snaring the Senses: http://bit.ly/dPRC0y

Enough! Four cover tropes that should be retired: http://bit.ly/eb88ha

Scenes–what they are and how to write them: http://bit.ly/e2gxeE

Dialogue tips: http://bit.ly/fmaY0A

E-Publishing: Choices and Pitfalls: http://bit.ly/eEoSro @authorterryo

What one writer learned from screenwriting: http://dld.bz/NhWm

The Black Moment—When is it Dark Enough? http://bit.ly/gTwrnp @joanswan

Capitalization after colons: http://bit.ly/eVbM4j

Phrase Frequency Counter for Writers: http://dld.bz/NdUk @galleycat

How to Crush Clichés: Nix ’em or Fix ’em: http://dld.bz/NdUc

Borders Pulls the Trigger on Chapter 11: http://bit.ly/hUD8cw (PW)

Tax advice for writers: http://dld.bz/NdTz and http://dld.bz/NdTH

The 3 Integral Components of a Story’s Beginning: http://dld.bz/NdNg

5 Reasons You Might Be Hearing No: http://dld.bz/NdNd

An agent on the reasons behind the length of book production: http://dld.bz/NdMS

An agent answers 10 quick questions: http://dld.bz/NdTR

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Creamy Corn Soup http://bit.ly/f89AQR @CleoCoyle

Personality types on Twitter–avoid being a ‘Debbie Downer’: http://dld.bz/NdMs

A Twitter round-up listing new agents and agent advice: http://dld.bz/NdFj @HeatherMcCorkle

Self-Editing Part 2: Writing Style: http://dld.bz/NdEW

The Second Golden Rule of Writing: http://dld.bz/NdER

What we say when we don’t speak. Or 5 ways to put a sock in it: http://dld.bz/NdEM

Wait—Who Said That? Keeping Your Speakers Straight: http://dld.bz/NdEz

Is your book’s setting ho-hum? http://dld.bz/KNYg

How to Impress Blog Visitors Before they Start to Read: http://dld.bz/MTwD

Laying clues to your character’s personality: http://dld.bz/Nd9w

Making Your Characters a Character: http://dld.bz/MTwg

10 misconceptions about public libraries: http://dld.bz/MTwd

Don’t Go It Alone: Relationship-building for Bloggers: http://dld.bz/MPHF

Is the future of physical book publishing the same as the future of reading and writing? http://dld.bz/MPHq

5 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present Tense: http://dld.bz/MPFU

A writer on the importance of networking: http://dld.bz/MPFx

10 Ways to Embarrass Your Character: http://dld.bz/MPFh

Are You Ready to Freelance? A Quiz to Find Out: http://dld.bz/MPFb

Writing What You Don’t Know: http://dld.bz/MPEr

Head-hopping and a POV review: http://dld.bz/MPEm

An Agent Answers: Question from a Writer – What about older writers? http://dld.bz/MPDF

2010 State of the Computer Book Market, Post 2 – The Categories: http://dld.bz/MPGa

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: A Classic French Dessert: Chocolate Pots de Crème from Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/eJHxMh @CleoCoyle

4 Steps to Podcasting Success: http://dld.bz/MPCm

Love Your Novel: Just Don’t Let it Take Over Your Life: http://dld.bz/MPCc

The Dangers of Dating a Writer: http://dld.bz/MPBJ

Love letters–to our manuscript: http://dld.bz/MSkY @elspethwrites

For Valentine’s Day: 10 Sexy Innuendos From Great Literature: http://dld.bz/MMvm

6 exotic places to meet your manuscript: http://dld.bz/MPAa

For a monthly recap of the most popular tweets and searches on the Writer’s Knowledge Base, sign up for our newsletter: http://dld.bz/MNU9

A screenwriter with a screenwriting bible: http://dld.bz/MMwu

Descriptive Passages, Part III: Action: http://dld.bz/MMuj

14 ways to love what your manuscript loves: http://dld.bz/MTx5

How did the search engine for writers come about? http://dld.bz/MMup

The Best Way to Make Time for Passion Projects: http://dld.bz/MMuf

Tips for Writers: How To Use Social Media: http://dld.bz/MMsZ

The lost art of editing (Guardian): http://dld.bz/MMsU

Starting Your First Blog? 29 Tips, Tutorials and Resources for New Bloggers: http://dld.bz/MMsE

One arrow to shoot at a target? An agent responds: http://dld.bz/MCd5

What makes writers special: A valentine from an editor: http://dld.bz/MAu7

Borders expected to file bankruptcy this week–and an examination of what led to its demise (including bar codes): http://dld.bz/MPBe

8 Signs Your Writing Is Stuck in a Rut – and Why You Should Care: http://dld.bz/MCdg

Writing the Natural Way: Drawing on What Your Know: http://dld.bz/MCde

Turn your screenplay into a novel: http://dld.bz/MCc7

For Valentine’s Day–The 10 best love stories – in pictures (Guardian): http://dld.bz/MAu9

Advice on Online Presence from Publishing Experts: http://dld.bz/M797

A Love Letter to Writers’ Spouses: http://dld.bz/M78G

10 Websites For Writers: http://dld.bz/MMw2 @ajackwriting

You know you’re a book blogger when… http://dld.bz/M78t

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Last Minute No Panic Valentine Treat http://bit.ly/erIZGy @CleoCoyle

The E-Book Royalty Mess: An Interim Fix: http://dld.bz/M78n

Tips for dealing with hand and wrist pain from writing: http://dld.bz/M78g

That elusive voice: http://dld.bz/M77T

Twitterific–the week in tweets: http://dld.bz/MEe2

Writing sex–the ‘why?’ : http://dld.bz/M77J

Best tweets for writers (week ending 2-11): http://dld.bz/MDzC @janefriedman

Ready to query but don’t know where to start? http://dld.bz/KNZk

Is Your Writing a Fling, or the Real Thing? http://dld.bz/M779

The Four Essential Stages of Writing: http://dld.bz/M77s

Making Your Writing Exciting At the Sentence Level: http://dld.bz/M76F via @SouthernBella03

Get the big picture of your novel: http://dld.bz/M767

The Rules of SciFi: http://dld.bz/M76r

7 Habits of Serious Writers: http://dld.bz/M75Z

17 Reasons Why Entertainment Weekly Is Wrong About Romantic Comedy: http://dld.bz/M75N

Tool for Writing Longhand: http://dld.bz/M75t @CherylRWrites

Great Openings in Kid/YA Lit: http://dld.bz/KVqQ

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Please welcome guest blogger Vicki Delany – ta dah! http://bit.ly/dX1X9w @CleoCoyle

Roles That Bind: Roleplaying Games and the Fantasy Genre: http://dld.bz/M78H

Writing Inspiration, Beating Blocks And How To Manage Your Time With K.M.Weiland: http://dld.bz/M5xC

The Essence Of your Book and The Unexpected Value Of Twitter: http://dld.bz/M7Pn @ajackwriting

One song to the tune of another – dos and don’ts of mash-ups and juxtaposition: http://dld.bz/M5xP @dirtywhitecandy

Character checklist: http://dld.bz/M75e @SouthernBella03

Beyond the most common fiction mistakes: http://dld.bz/M5wU @victoriamixon

You Know You’re A Writer When…12 reasons: http://dld.bz/M7ye @JulieeJohnsonn

How a Blogging Platform Can Aid Novelists – And Other Questions Answered: http://dld.bz/M5wJ @thecreativepenn

How similar are you to your protagonist? http://dld.bz/M5w4

“If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.”

Stephen King, On Writing

As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m reading Stephen King’s book, On Writing. Although he approaches writing differently than I do (and obviously, his method has brought him a lot of success), I did agree with the point he made about the need to read.

I’ve always been a huge reader…there are books on my Kindle, books spilling off my shelves, books in my huge pocketbook, books waiting for me on hold at the library.

This year, one of my goals is to find more time to read.

Last year, I spent a lot of time writing. I wrote, actually, three books in the space of a year. I promoted two books. Many days, I ran out of time to read.

The last few months, though, I’ve been able to pack more reading in, even though I’m writing a new series for Penguin. That’s because I’ve got a variety of different things to read and I’ve got them available to me everywhere I go.

I’ve got different types of reading: non-fiction, short stories, periodicals, lit fic, and other genres.

I’ve got books in the car, in my purse, in my laptop bag, on my bedside table, and in the kitchen (we won’t talk about my housekeeping right now. Things are looking cluttered.) :)

The #1 biggest thing I’ve done to help me read more frequently? Is buy a Kindle. I’ve got many different types and lengths of books and periodicals on my e-reader, and the Kindle is so small that I can easily take it with me wherever I go.

There was a post this week on the Gatekeepers Post blog that had tips for finding more time to read. I’ll let you read the whole article, but here are some of the tips they provided:

Read on the treadmill at the gym
Take a book to the movies and read during previews
Read to someone else: your students, children or elderly relatives
Download audio books to your computer from your public library and listen while working
Check out books on tape from your public library and “read” in the car
Join a book club.

How do you find time to read?

Each month, I wait for my book club’s pick with some trepidation.

Book clubs are frequently fond of books that make me wince a good many times during the course of the novel. These books are usually pretty popular with readers, though, and do sell well.

I just have a hard time stomaching the content.

I didn’t used to be such a delicate, sensitive, squeamish reader. I’d read just about everything and, while I might skim during some sections, I wouldn’t just stop reading a book because of the subject matter.

I think I started noticing the shift around the time my first child was born. (Yes, we’ll blame parenthood. :) ) It also bothered me when I watched movies. My husband rented Saving Private Ryan and I wouldn’t watch D-Day. “Elizabeth!” I remember him saying, “It’s not gratuitous in any way. You should watch it—it’s supposed to be very much like the actual event.”

Precisely why I didn’t want to watch it! And those guys were too young to have to go through it all—they were practically children. I ended up watching D-Day with my hands mostly over my eyes.

So excessive violence, gore, and child-in-danger stories… I just can’t handle them.

And my book club has taken on a few child-in-danger stories, probably because it’s a group of (mostly) moms.

This month’s pick, to be discussed next week, is Room by Emma Donoghue. As soon as I heard the subject matter, I was worried. The waiting list at the library for the novel was huge, so I bought the book online, downloaded it to my Kindle and hoped it would be something I was able to finish.

The reader who chose the book said that I shouldn’t have a problem with it—although the story revolves around the fact that a woman and her five year old son are held captive in a one-room prison that the child was born in. So far, I’ve found the book really interesting. Disturbing, yes, but not explicitly horrific.

As a reader, my tastes seem to change over time. Right now, I can only handle so much violence against children or animals. And frequently, lately, I’ve been looking for lighter reads—nothing too dark or disturbing.

As a writer, I know I couldn’t write anything really dark right now—I can’t read it, so how could I write it?

I just finished writing the rough draft of a book that included a fairly dramatic death. I’m writing cozies (traditional mysteries where the murders happen offstage), so I’m definitely thinking about my reader—many of whom share my dislike of explicit violence and gore. I wrote very carefully, giving the death a certain impact, but not exploiting the violence by using graphic detail.

But it still bothered me! And I’d made it up!

Are you able to write subject matter that would be difficult for you to read? In other words, does the writing put a filter in place for you or does it make you even more engrossed and disturbed by the material? (I’d like to think I can write with some detachment, but I’m starting to wonder if that’s the case.) And–do your tastes change, in either reading or writing?