From Book to Movie to Merchandise

DVD Cover

by Paula Gail Benson

I first heard about The Sheep Detectives when I saw a promotion by Hugh Jackman saying he had agreed to appear in the project. I was intrigued by the subject: a shepherd is killed and his flock of sheep decide they must find the murderer. Most people at this point would question what type of movie this was: (1) animated, (2) for children, or, (3) as one of my friends asked when I described it, “is this like George Orwell’s Animal Farm”?

To take those questions in order: (1) yes, there is animation; (2) no, it’s not written for children, although adults might decide they could share it with their children; and (3) no, it’s not another Animal Farm, although there are some satiric elements in the story.

Here’s a brief summary: George, the shepherd, takes good care of his flock, including reading to them from classic murder mysteries at the end of the day. While George assumes the sheep cannot understand, they actually do. In particular, Lilly, the smartest sheep, has become adept at solving the mysteries before they hear the end. When Lilly discovers George lying still in the meadow just outside his trailer home, she finally accepts the fact that he is dead and that the local law enforcement officer will need help to solve the crime. With the assistance of other members of the flock, Lilly investigates and maneuvers the clues so the officer will discover them. Fortunately, the officer comes to appreciate and rely upon their detective skills and finds the true killer.

The Sheep Detectives comes from Amazon studios and is available through Amazon Prime. Along with Hugh Jackman as the shepherd George, the cast includes Emma Thompson as the lawyer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the voice of Lily, Bryan Cranston as the voice of a reclusive sheep Sebastian, Patrick Stewart as the voice of an aristocratic and unyielding elder sheep Sir Ritchfield, and Brett Goldstein as the voice of twin rams, Reggie and Ronnie, who enjoy bashing things.

I must admit I had to watch the film a couple of times just to be able to identify everyone. There are two casts, sheep and human, each with numerous characters.

Multiple viewings helped me to appreciate the witty lines and funny bits. For instance, when the sheep first must cross the road to leave their pasture, they are terrified by it. As they cower on one side, a chicken walks confidently over the asphalt.

The more I watched the film, the more I wondered about its basis. Checking on Amazon, I learned the source material was a German author’s book, Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. It had been translated into English and had a sequel, Big Bad Wool. Swann grew up in Munich and has degrees from Munich University. She also has written a series of mysteries about Agnes Sharp, a senior detective.

As I looked through Amazon, I realized an industry had developed to promote The Sheep Detectives. You can buy guides to explain the book and movie symbolism, stuffed animals, tee shirts, tumblers, cups, totes, and pins. An incredible variety.

It made me wonder, could this type of commercial enterprise have developed around George Orwell’s Animal Farm? I ran a search on Amazon. It’s out there. Posters, tee shirts, vintage collectors’ editions.

Tin Decor as sold on Amazon

Have you ever been surprised by literary merchandizing?

Lily as sold on Amazon

Winter Lamb Tumbler as sold on Amazon

Slowing Down Has Its Benefits

Slowing Down Has Its Benefits by Debra H. Goldstein

Recently, I had surgery. It ended up neither as extensive as expected nor as painful as predicted (Tylenol and a few muscle relaxers took care of everything for the first few days). Recovery has gone very well as I’ve worked to be a model patient – walking, drinking water, being kind to myself, and pacing my return to my regular Energizer Bunny status. Still, there are restrictions, including no lifting over ten pounds or flying for eight weeks. 

Being forced to slow down has had some benefits. I’ve read a book from my TBR pile each day or two days since I stopped taking the muscle relaxers, become a pro at doing online jigsaw puzzles up to 300 pieces in an amazingly quick amount of time, gotten ahead on some of my behind-the-scenes-blog obligations, printed out lots of short story calls, caught up on my backlog of magazines, and made notes on the two longer pieces I’m working on. I’ve also enjoyed leisurely visits from friends (who, based upon the cookies and other treats they have brought, know how much I enjoy chocolate) and, of course, the grandkids (I did have to take a nap after the first one of those). 

What I haven’t done is much actual writing. It isn’t a matter of writer’s block or post-surgery brain fog, but more of the need to slowly think things through respecting the pieces I’m working on. It has been exciting to consider different approaches to what I’m writing. The result is that what I have produced has been more thoughtful and I think better written. 

For example, I had a short story, “Musicians of Bremen,” published in early June in the Wish Upon a Crime anthology edited by Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson. Each story in the book is inspired by a fairy tale. In my case, I took the characteristics of the four animal characters from the original story and transferred them into the four main human characters of my tale, which incorporates the Holocaust, October 7th, and the Violins of Hope project. After my surgery, Art Taylor allowed me to explain my process for coming up with the story in his wonderful “The First Two Pages” blog ( https://arttaylorwriter.com/2026/06/23/the-first-two-pages-musicians-of-bremen-by-debra-h-goldstein/  ) In writing my piece, I realized that slowing down the story and the action before reaching a big bang instead of beginning with the bang is what makes this story all the more powerful. (true confession: I think it is one of my best stories).

It’s funny, but in writing the blog for Art, I understood that the slower process of my recovery is much like the analysis necessary to make my work better. Consequently, although I’m not writing as much per day, I’m much more satisfied with the words I’m producing.

Have you ever found that slowing down helps you produce a better product whether it’s writing or something else in your life? 

When Release Day Becomes Just Another Tuesday by Sarah E. Burr

My twenty-sixth book comes out this Tuesday, July 21. Even typing that sentence feels surreal because there was once a time when I couldn’t imagine having one published book, let alone enough of them to fill an entire bookcase. You might think I’m counting down the hours until release day with butterflies in my stomach, constantly refreshing my sales dashboard and planning an elaborate celebration. Truthfully, those butterflies flew off ages ago. While Get a Candle on Crime prepares to make its official debut, I’m already focused on my next project and feeling stressed because I’m behind on my word count.

These days, release week looks surprisingly similar to any other workweek. I have another mystery underway, a daily writing goal looming over me, and all those empty pages waiting to be filled. My newest book is about to enter the world, yet most of my attention is fixed on the story that comes after it. I’ll spend release day answering emails, sharing promotional posts, updating links, and attempting to meet my word count. Such is the occasionally strange and highly mechanical nature of being a writer by trade.

I remember the giddy anticipation surrounding my earliest book releases. Books one, two, and three felt like enormous events because I had spent years dreaming of becoming a published author, and suddenly, I could hold the proof of that achievement in my hands. Each release carried the weight of a major milestone, and I could hardly believe a story that had once existed only in my imagination was available for someone else to read. There were nerves, too, because I had no idea whether anyone would buy the book, enjoy it, or discover a typo on page three and immediately alert the authorities. Every click, comment, review, and sale felt momentous.

I’m not sure exactly when that feeling began to change. Maybe it happened around book sixteen, when I realized I had developed a reliable publishing routine and knew what needed to happen at every stage. Somewhere along the way, publishing became less mysterious and more procedural. Finish the manuscript, revise it, send it to editors, review the edits, format the files, upload them, order proof copies, schedule promotional posts, send newsletters, and update the website. Then, almost before the current book has had a chance to stretch its legs, begin writing the next one.

A book release used to feel like the grand finale, but now it often feels like one more deadline on a calendar crowded with deadlines. The publishing machine keeps moving, and writers must keep moving with it. There’s always another manuscript to write, another promotion to plan, another email to answer, and another empty document blinking impatiently from the computer screen. For a while, I worried that this shift meant I had lost something important. Was I no longer excited about my own books, or had I begun taking an extraordinary accomplishment for granted simply because I had been fortunate enough to experience it so many times?

I don’t think that’s what happened. I think the magic moved. The moment a retailer changes a book’s status from “preorder” to “available” no longer makes my heart race, but hearing from a reader who stayed up too late because they needed to know what happened next certainly does. The magic is in receiving a message from someone who connected with a character or seeing a photo of my book beside a reader’s favorite mug or beloved pet. It’s learning that one of my jokes made someone laugh during a difficult week or that one of my fictional friendships reminded them of someone they love.

A book becoming available for purchase is ultimately a technical event, but a book being read is a human one. Perhaps that’s why release day feels different after twenty-six books. At the beginning of my career, publication itself was the dream, and seeing my book listed for sale was the culmination of years of hope and work. Now, publication is the mechanism that allows the real dream to happen. It creates the opportunity to connect with readers through stories and to discover what those stories become once they no longer belong only to me.

I’m still learning how to make peace with the more mechanical parts of this profession. I’m trying to pause long enough to recognize what each release represents, even while another word count waits impatiently in the wings. So, on Tuesday, I’ll raise a glass to Get a Candle on Crime, but I’ll probably also write, check emails, update a few links, and worry about whether I’m making enough progress on my next mystery. Release day may not feel the way those first few releases did, and there may be fewer butterflies and more boxes to check. But somewhere, a reader will open the book for the first time, and that’s when the magic begins.

Authors, has the experience of release day changed over the course of your career? Readers, what makes a new book release feel special to you?

Read Get a Candle on Crime today: https://books2read.com/u/3Gn0jL

Reflection on Kindness and Character Development by Judy L. Murray

With August quickly approaching and summertime being a favorite for most everyone, I decided to make a couple of reflections. They may even encourage your character writing progress while reducing a bit of stress.

As writers we tend to be very aware of our surroundings and the people we come across, either friends or strangers. Today, I’m focusing on instances that remind me this world is full of kindness.

*My husband and I belong to a local yacht club of about three hundred members. It’s been on the northern Chesapeake Bay for over a hundred years. It isn’t glitzy. It depends upon volunteers to keep the shrubs clipped, the docks power washed, the moorings dropped and pulled. We live about ten minutes away. Others live out of the area. Some within walking distance. If we have a big storm threatening the coastline I’ll ask my husband if we should drive to the club to check our boat’s lines in order to weather the sea changes. “No need,” John says. “There’s always someone walking up and down the docks and checking their neighbors’ lines.”

*Our neighborhood is uniquely surrounded by Elk Neck State Park, Maryland. Each time a neighbor is faced with a challenging illness or the loss of a loved one an email message is sent out to everyone. We call it the Extend-A-Hand program. A struggling neighbor can count on cards, phone calls, and dropped off meals. They know they’ve not been forgotten.

*It is 90 degrees and the woman in front of me is driving past the entrance of a grocery store. Two raggedy men are sitting under an overhang on a nearby sidewalk. The woman stops then parks in the fire lane. She jumps out, hands each of them a bottle of water, then jumps into her car and pulls away.

*I am antilitter obsessed. It’s just one of my ‘things’. It’s my habit to keep kitchen bags and rubber gloves in the rear seat pockets so I can pull over and pick up litter when I spot it on a town roadway or anywhere I’m traveling. As I sit at a red light approaching an intersection far from my home, I watch two men picking up litter along the shoulder. I can’t help but smile. I’m not alone in my efforts. I give them a thumbs up.

Can you tell me a story in ‘Comments’ of a recent kindness you witnessed? Or is there a scene in one of your stories that demonstrates a character’s kindness and helps strengthen the depiction of their personality?

Happy summer!

Judy L. Murray, author of the award-winning Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series

P.S. If you are seeking a mystery with a summer setting my Peril in the Pool House might be perfect for you! “Be prepared for a long night. You won’t be able to put it down!” – a reader

The Twist by Nancy L. Eady

When I was in the ninth grade, my family lived in a Northern Virginia suburb. I was standing on our back deck one Saturday afternoon in the fall, enjoying the sight of the meadow at the back of our house surrounded by colorful leaves while I leaned into the cool, crisp breeze blowing towards me. Above me was one of those perfect cerulean blue skies you only see in October. But then I heard an unearthly, wailing sound that reminded me of whale song. For about two beats of my heart, it was eerily beautiful. I won’t ever forget the shock I felt in my stomach when I realized I was hearing the howling of a dog in pain. I whirled inside, found my mom, and the two of us tried to figure out where the sound was coming from, and if there was an animal that needed help. About the time we figured out the sound was coming from behind a house across the street and up the hill a little bit, it had stopped. When we got to the house, we knocked on the door and the man who came to the door told us that everything was fine and there were no problems. Mom asked around and found out the next day that the neighbors on either side of the man suspected him of beating his dog, a beautiful 1 year old golden retriever and wanted to report him to the Humane Society. I immediately agreed to testify to whoever I needed to about the sound I had heard. Fortunately, the shelter didn’t need my help, but very quickly the dog was removed and re-homed.

What I experienced in that second of shock was the twist, a shift in my perspective, a turn from the reality I thought I was living in to the reality that was. 

A couple of years later, we had moved to Alabama, my parents had gotten a difficult divorce, and my mom had full custody of myself and my sisters. Burning with filial piety and the desire to do something really nice for her, the three of us very inexperienced cooks decided we would surprise her when she got home from work with Crepes Suzette for supper. It didn’t go well. By the time Mom got home, the kitchen looked like the Swedish Chef and the garbage disposal had gotten into a food fight with pancake batter and cream. She smiled, showed us how to finish the dish correctly, and told us how much she appreciated our efforts. We were so proud to have done something nice for her. 

I never knew how much that moment cost her until I walked into my own house twenty years later after a long day at work to see the mess my daughter had made while trying to make me a cake. To be fair, her mess was a lot worse even than ours had been because she believed recipes were unnecessary. Flour mixed randomly with eggs and sugar and scorched at 400 degrees for an hour in the oven has a very distinctive smell. Just as with the more horrifying incident with the golden retriever, I experienced the twist, my brain latching on to the existing reality rather than the reality I thought I had been living in when I tried to make my mother Crepes Suzette. 

Good mystery writers have mastered the twist. Carefully, they send us down a cultivated trail of clues, red herrings and misdirection guiding us to believe one thing, then showing us at the end how the truth was something else entirely.  

What techniques have you found helpful when plotting (or editing, for you pantsters out there who were just as surprised as everyone else to find out who the culprit was when you finished your first draft) your own mysteries to send the reader in one direction while making sure the truth lies in another? Are there any hard and set rules you like to follow? What was the best twist you ever read in a mystery novel? 

Some Thoughts About Murderers by Marilyn Levinson

As a mystery author, I get to decide which of my characters will be murdered. I also get to decide who will do the murdering. The big payoff for mystery readers is discovering the killer's identity at the end of the novel. Equally intriguing is learning why he or she committed the crime.

Murderers in traditional and cozy mysteries are not always the most obvious characters. While some are inherently malevolent and carefully plot their misdeeds, others are ordinary except for the reason why they see killing someone as the necessary solution to their problem. 

Why does a character murder? A simple list might be reduced to revenge, jealousy, money, and the fear of being exposed. But unless the murderer's a serial killer or a hired assassin, his or her reason for killing is personal and driven by strong emotions, misguided information, or despair. Or possibly madness. Then there are characters who become murderers through so-called accidents and explain: "I didn't mean to hit him so hard," or "I only meant to teach him a lesson."

Sometimes a character murders for reasons that have roots in the past. The impact of an earlier murder affects the present and another victim is murdered. This occurs in Death Overdue and Checked Out for Murder in my Haunted Library series as well as in Death on Dickens Island.

I make sure that my murderers play an active role in my mysteries. I once stopped reading a well-known author because in one of her books the murderer rarely appeared. Not fair. Readers should have the opportunity to get to know the murderer as well as he reveals himself to the other characters. And he'd better have a darn good reason for killing.

How do you decide who your murderers will be?  

Killer Questions - Favorite Word Games

 

Killer Questions – Favorite Word Games

Are you obsessed with playing word games on your phone? Most of the Writers Who Kill are, too. Here are our respective favorite games:

Molly MacRae: Boggle, Wordle, and a game my dad and I played where we’d trick each other into saying something that sounded like thank you so we could then say you’re welcome. It worked best if we let days or weeks or months go by to lull the other into unsuspecting. As an example, one day, I pretended to forget what armored vehicles are called and asked Dad, saying, “You know what I mean—the ones with the treads.” “Tanks,” Dad said. Dad started the game by giving me a math problem one day—“What’s 5Q plus 5Q?”  

Mary Dutta: The NY Times Spelling Bee and Wordle

Debra H. Goldstein: The NY Times Mini and Midi Crossword Puzzles and Wordle

Shari Randall: Every morning I do the Wordle, and my hubby and I do Connections at lunchtime. For group games, I adore Scrabble, and even though I don’t have a competitive bone in my body, if you play Scrabble with me, look out! I play to win.

Lori Roberts Herbst: Cryptogram. Addictive and fun.

Grace Topping: Scrapple

Korina Moss: I play the NY Times daily games – Connections, Wordle, and Letter Boxed. 

K.M. Rockwood: NYT crossword (not that I finish it often)

Margaret Hamilton: Pictionary

Elaine Douts: Word Search and Cryptograms in the weekly newspaper.

Susan Van Kirk: Connections and Strands (NYT)

Kait Carson: Wordle, Spelling Bee.

Sarah E. Burr: I do enjoy Wheel of Fortune, which I guess is a glorified Hangman.

Martha Reed: Completing my current manuscript (joke).

James M. Jackson: Wordle—when I remember to play.

Heather Weidner: Scrabble, Wordle, and crossword puzzles

Annette Dashofy: Wordle

What Can I Get You to Drink? By KM Rockwood

I love Dashiell Hammet’s Nick and Nora Charles mysteries.

He only wrote one as a novel, The Thin Man, but the characters lived on in a series of movies, radio broadcasts, TV shows, a Broadway presentation, and another stage play.

A quick aside—originally, the thin man referenced in the title was not Nick himself, who was described as overweight and out of shape. The thin man was the victim, Clyde Wynant. When the novel was adapted for a movie, William Powell, a much more attractive man than the written description might imply, was selected to play Nick Charles. Nora was played by Myrna Loy.

With the dashing, svelte Powell as Nick, the “thin man” soon became synonymous with Nick Charles in the public’s eyes.

One thing that caught my attention was the constant consumption of alcohol by the characters. As all creative works, the stories are products of their time.

Prohibition had just ended in 1933. The country was in the throes of the Great Depression. A glamorous couple, especially one with a character (Nick) who rose from a poor immigrant background to great wealth, appealed to the public.

Nick and Nora’s drinking reflect their identity. Urbane, witty, and effortlessly stylish. Along with other comic aspects, their tipsy exchanges lighten the tone of the murder investigations, making the stories feel more entertaining than grim. Nick’s perpetual drinking, and his casual side exploits in search of a drink at inopportune times, display nonchalance in the face of danger.

Alcohol drenches much of the Golden Age detective fiction, although its purpose was often functional rather than psychological.

Agatha Christie used drinks, both alcoholic and non-, as a murder vehicle. In Sparkling Cyanide, poisoned champagne shows up at a dinner party. Death in the Clouds brings us murder by coffee.

Dorothy Sayer’s Lord Peter Wimsey is particular about his wine and port, signaling

education, wealth, cultural sophistication, and a casual acceptance of class structure, with him decidedly in the upper echelons.

Ngaio Marsh often used drinking parties to create crowded, chaotic environments where motives and opportunities for crime were rampant. In Vintage Murder, a celebration featuring wine sets the stage.

As the mystery genre advances, we see more characters turning to alcohol as a crutch or an escape, sometimes to the point of interfering with their ability to proceed with the tasks at hand.

Is the consumption of alcohol important to your characters? Do they drink to socialize? To celebrate? To forget? Or do they abstain?

Give 'Em Back: A Guest Post by Patricia Sargeant

Many thanks to the Writers Who Kill authors for inviting me to visit. I’m thrilled to be here.

I love the sound of the term “reversion of rights.” It’s not just the alliteration but also the definition. In publishing, reversion of rights—also referred to as “termination of transfer”; more alliteration—means authors get their work back. Quoting from the University of Houston Libraries website, “In the U.S., termination of transfers laws enable authors to regain rights in their works that might have been signed away—even if their contracts contain language to the contrary.” (Emphasis by University of Houston Libraries.)

 

Some authors don’t see the point of getting back the rights to a book that already has been published. What would they do with it?

 

Tell me why

Here are a few of the reasons reversion of rights is important to me (no particular order):

·      It’s my work and I want it back.

·      I can reissue the book to generate additional income.

·      I can use the book as a reader magnet for my e-newsletter.

·      It’s my work and I want it back.

·      I can continue the series.

·      I can repackage/rebrand the series.

 

Did I mention it’s my work and I want it back? So, how do we do that?

 

Step 1: The book is mine.

One of the first things I do after signing a publishing contract is put my reversion of rights date on a calendar. Yes, it’s that serious to me.

 

Years ago, one of the professional writer organizations I used to belong to provided members with a template reversion of rights letter. Each time I send a reversion of rights request, I personalize the content and email it to the publisher’s contracts lawyer. Usually, I receive an insultingly rapid response, confirming my rights reversion. (They could at least pretend to be sorry to see me go.)

 

That confirmation email is important. Some platforms require authors verify they’ve received the rights to their book back.

 

Step 2: All the words

In most cases, publishers no longer have the production file for your book. Ask for it, but be prepared to hear it’s been destroyed. Sadness. But never fear. You’ve got plenty of options for recreating your text files.

·      I always keep two author copies of my books. I use one to break apart and scan when I’m ready to reissue it. I’ve purchased a low-cost, serviceable scanner.

·      If you’ve kept your final manuscript electronic file, you can update it.

·      There are services you can pay to scan a copy of your book.

 

Worst-case scenario, you retype your manuscript. I can hear your screams.

 

Step 3: Cover me

In most cases, reversion of rights refers only to the text of your book. Usually authors don’t have any claim to the cover. I know; tragic. But again, you have options, including:

·      Sites on which you can find designers to create your cover;

·      Online companies that offer template covers;

·      Product-specific videos that teach you to design your own covers.

 

One final comment as I hope our Writers Who Kill authors don’t notice I’m going over my word count. (More contractions!) Please make sure your book is copyright protected.

 

Thank you again for this opportunity to visit with the Writers Who Kill community. I’m so grateful.

 

This post is a brief overview of the process for reissuing your book. If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer.

 

Bio: Patricia Sargeant writes romantic suspense. She also writes cozy mysteries as Olivia Matthews and romance as Regina Hart. Her work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, and Library Journal. Patricia is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, Cozy Mystery Crew, and Chicks on the Case. Visit her online at PatriciaSargeant.com and check out her Peach Coast Library books here.

AUTHOR BRANDING: WAS MINE A MISTAKE?

by Korina Moss 

Branding. It’s a word that I’m sure writers have heard after they’ve signed their first publishing contract or are writing their first novel. As an author, you want to stand out from the crowded field, which means you have to do more than market your book, you have to market yourself. This is where branding comes in. Branding helps readers identify you, helps them to feel a connection with you and your books, and lets them know what they might expect from your writing. 

Consistency is the key to branding. Ideally, you want to be easily identified. You should attempt to maintain a consistent look on all your social media, your website, and in your newsletter. You can do this by choosing a color palette (ideally similar to your books), color tone, fonts, and even creating your own logo. 

The background of my website has 
a huge cheeseboard

For instance, if you use bright jewel tones as your signature colors, readers will know to stop and look for you when those colors show up on their timeline. They’re more likely not to miss an event you’re attending or when you have a preorder sale. 

Is there’s something from your genre that readers can associate with you? If you write British cozy mysteries, perhaps you could make a quick “good morning” reel every Monday morning while drinking a cup of tea. If a dog or cat is featured in your mysteries, you’ll want to feature your own dog or cat on your platforms.

Is there something featured in your series that will make you stand out? Lucy Burdette (the pen name for Roberta Isleib) has a long-running Key West Food Critic Mystery series. She also happens to spend most of the year in Key West, so much of her social media features her life in Key West. We get to see the places she mentions in her books, and we get a little peek into her life too. It’s definitely a plus to set your series in the area where you live, even if it’s a fictional town. 

Lucy Burdette's IG post with a photo of the
Key West restaurant from a snippet from her book. 

When I was deciding how to brand myself before my Cheese Shop Mystery series came out, I had to consider what I wanted my identity to be. I’d hoped I would have a long and varied career, so although cheese was the obvious branding choice, going all in with it might not be a smart move in the long run. Ultimately, I decided to heed a variation of the advice editors give to new writers when starting a series: Don’t save anything for later. I was writing a Cheese Shop Mystery series, and I wanted to stand out and be noticed. I decided not to worry about later and go all in on cheese.

Wearing my cheese earrings
my publicist gave me

I named my newsletter subscribers Team Cheese and used the hashtag #teamcheese in most of my social media posts until eventually, most reviewers and bloggers who mentioned me on social media also used the hashtag. My first year at the Malice Domestic fan convention after my book had released the month before (and I’d already been branding myself for many months), I was regularly called “the cheese lady” by readers when they’d forgotten my name. It was ok—they knew my book! I've received wonderful cheese-related gifts from readers. I can’t tell you how many cheese memes, funny cheese reels, and cheese board posts I still get tagged in and messaged to me. And the message always says, “I saw this and thought of you.” It was exactly what I wanted—when cozy mystery readers see cheese, they think of me.

My St. Martin's editor and me in my cheese shirt
at Malice Domestic

I was shocked when my first book and I were well known enough in the mystery community to be nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel, and two more books were nominated for Best Contemporary Novel the following two years. I’ve had a lot of great opportunities and decent sales. 

However, now that my Cheese Shop Mystery series has ended, do I still want to be known as the cheese lady? Probably not. Oops. I still go to events and sell my books, and I don’t have another series coming out imminently, so I’m backing away slowly from the cheese. I still post on National Cheese Day (and all the variations of it), but I’ve changed my newsletter sign-off from “Cheers to Cheese” to “Keep it Cozy.” I’ve left the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen blogging group where recipes and cheese played a big role and focused on my author role in the Facebook group Cozy Mystery Crew. Every three weeks, I spend a day with our members, where we chat about what’s going on in my life and theirs. Cheese isn’t totally off the table (pun intended), but it takes a backseat now when I speak about my life and my books. 

In a way, I’m back to step one in deciding how to brand myself. It’s not exactly where I want to be, but on the other hand, I can’t deny that my strategy worked in the moment. 

You get to decide what’s right for you, but you can’t go wrong with these simple steps for starting your branding journey:

1. Take time to decide how you want to define yourself. Try to identify your point of difference, the thing that sets you apart from other authors in your genre. What kind of vibe do you want to give off?

2. Build your presence – Start with two platforms and decide how many you can handle. (They take more time than you think.) Create a website. Join online groups and organizations in your genre to interact with readers and writers in a personal way, not as a salesperson. Get to know your target audience, which will help you make decisions about your branding. 

3. Be consistent – Use the same profile photo across all author platforms. On social media, your website, and your newsletter, consider using the same color palette, fonts, type of music, illustration elements, and perhaps even a logo. Consistency will lead to recognition.

Readers: Think of your favorite author. What elements make up their brand? How does it match up with their book(s)?

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, as well as two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free seasonal newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

WRITERS ORGANIZATIONS: The Importance of Bringing Back In-person Meetings

By Lisa Malice, Ph.D.

My daughter’s best friend was recently in town for a few days from Atlanta, where she works for a major home improvement company headquartered there. Hired during the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked from home for four years until last year, when every house-bound employee was ordered back into the office during the regular workweek.

Anne was initially reticent about the change in work environment. She’d been used to working flexible hours from home and other locations (such as my daughter’s home in Florida). She got used to the isolation, meeting up with co-workers and bosses virtually, completing tasks on her own without anyone’s help, working days without wearing business clothes or make-up.

Now, a year later, Anne knows that returning to the office was the right thing to do for the company, and more importantly, for herself.

Why do I bring this up? For one simple reason. When Covid-19 hit with the mandate to isolate, our writing community did exactly what corporate America did—told everyone to stay home. Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and Sisters in Crime (SinC), two crime-writers’ organizations with chapters across the globe, did their best it could to keep everyone connected by harnessing the power of video streaming services, such as Zoom and Google Meet. These virtual meetup platforms ensured its members could easily connect, learn, and support each other, as well as offer programming to mystery, suspense, and thriller readers everywhere.

My FL Sisters in Crime Chapter hosted virtual programming in January 2021 as part of the Southwest FL Book Festival, highlighting the work of authors from all across the U.S.A.

The best of these programs outlasted the pandemic because they offer something uniquely enjoyable that is impossible to offer in-person. 

Virtual book clubs, such as The Back Room (TOP), a 90-minute program twice per month that brings readers face-to-face to with four authors to learn about their latest book, talk about their writing processes, and otherwise discuss their life as writers (https://the-back-room.org). 

(BOTTOM) I enjoyed talking with members of the Delta Sigma Pi alumni book club after the launch of my debut thriller, Lest She Forget.

The lingering use of Zoom for chapter meetings, however, leaves me with mixed emotions. On the positive side, these hybrid meetings allow me to attend in-person when the location is within a ninety-minute drive, otherwise, I join in virtually to avoid a three-hours roundtrip on the road. What I miss is the opportunity to hang out with my fellow writers, grab lunch, discuss opportunities to work together, and best of all, share what’s going on in our lives—as friends do! If chapter meetings consistently drew good crowds, I would make that time-consuming round trip.

Unfortunately, this hybrid format has made many chapter members complacent, like corporate office workers, too comfortable to meet up in person for meetings.  Like returning to work in corporate America, there are so many benefits, both personally and productively, to in-person meetings.  

Fortunately, my MWA chapter here in Florida is taking charge to create regions across the state to encourage members meeting up, getting to know one another, and supporting each other with local events and programming, while keeping chapter meetings online for all to engage in virtually.

The Forbes Human Resources Council (www.Forbes.com) recently published an online article on 18 Overlooked Benefits of Returning to the Office for Work. Many of the points apply to hanging out together after meetings, such as over lunch, or using other opportunities to get to know one another better, such sharing a book fair booth. Here’s my take as a writer and psychologist on the five most relevant benefits for writers getting back together in person as much as possible:

1) BEING LIVE CAN'T BEAT LOOKING AT SOMEONE’S HEAD ON A COMPUTER SCREEN

Virtual meetups cannot offer anything near what in-person experiences can when it comes to building strong human connections. Being physically close, able to sense emotions, observe nonverbal cues, and even offer the occasional hug, are key to growing strong, stable trusting relationships. Isn’t that what we all need to advance our writing careers?

2) SHARED EXPERIENCES 

We make friends by sharing our experiences as writers, and to do so in-person nurtures our shared identities, values, and spirit that we are all in this writing and publishing business together.

3) MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Connecting with other writers in-person is a healthy coping mechanism. Writers can be isolated, even around their own family and friends, who can’t possibly relate to the emotional and psychological needs that it takes to publish fiction like other writers can. Whether you’re a novice writer or a NY Times bestselling author, we all need to talk to others in the business as a form of stress relief from frustrations and doubts, as well as joys and successes.

4) MENTORS FOR NEWEST WRITERS

I felt like the newbie author that I am last week meeting up in Tampa with three area MWA authors with hundreds of books published among them. They enjoyed getting to know me, giving me tips and encouragement for getting that next book done.

That same week, I had dinner with five other MWA members, two authors and three emerging writers at very different stages of their careers. It felt great hearing about their writing journeys and offering advice to reach that next milestone, whether it was reviewing a query letter to send to agents and editors, or suggesting resources for learning to edit that first draft. These young writers were very appreciative, just as I was when I was just starting out.

5)     GOAL CONTAGION.

Goal contagion is exactly what it sounds like—people catching on to the excitement of what you’re trying to achieve—in this case, write, publish, and sell books—and jumping in to help make it happen.

 

For me, being an active member of the writing community, especially as a volunteer, helped me land not just an agent, but got me a bigger advance from my publisher once that contract was on the table. Why? Because having friends in the business helps sell books. Even before the launch of my debut novel, I had friends offering blurbs, reviews, marketing help, social media exposure, even a spot on a local TV news channel.

As an active chapter leader for SinC and MWA, my enthusiasm and hard work putting together for a variety of community outreach programs caught on with other members, who were glad to join in and help get the job done. Over the course of two years, we grew our chapter from 30 people to nearly 100.

I would be nowhere on my writer’s journey without getting to know people in the business and energizing them to join me in the adventure of a lifetime. I hope we all will continue to make it happened for each other.

What about you? How have connections built in-person made a difference in your life with regard to achieving your goals in life?