Behind the Scenes of a Double Release by Jennifer J. Chow

November is a busy month for me. It’s not because of NaNoWriMo, which I’m unofficially participating in. And it’s not because of Thanksgiving, which I’ll be hosting this year. Instead, November is a double release month for me. I have the Midnight Hour anthology releasing on November 9 and Book 3 in the Sassy Cat Mysteries coming out on November 30.

 

Originally, the two landed on the same release day, but the publication dates have since shifted. I’m actually glad for the change. (It’s kind of like when I thought I’d be theoretically happier raising twins instead of a single baby—before realizing how much work that would take.)

 

My two new book babies have opposite literary personalities. My contribution to Midnight Hour is a short story while Mimi Lee Cracks the Code is a full-length cozy mystery. “Midnight Escapade” is also grittier; Kirkus Reviews says: "Jennifer Chow follows two old high school friends whose decision to meet in an escape room has unexpected consequences."

 

Mimi Lee Cracks the Code is in the same vein as my previous light-hearted Sassy Cat Mysteries, except this time it features a romantic getaway to Catalina Island gone wrong. Publishers Weekly says, “Chow offers original characters, clever banter, and a laid-back California vibe. This is perfect for lovers of crime-solving animal cozies.”

Differences in Marketing

Dual releases mean different ways of marketing:

MIDNIGHT HOUR	MIMI LEE CRACKS THE CODE
Collaboration between authors who share resources	A dedicated marketing team focused on online reach
Multiple virtual bookstore events across the nation	An official in-conversation event with another author and a few local bookstore events
Fun videos (Dynamic promo graphic and TikTok video)	Fun giveaways (e.g. Riddling Mysteries and Mysteries for the Modern Reader*)

 (*The Mysteries for the Modern Reader giveaway is happening now until November 19.)

Certain things remained the same. Both books got trade reviews, with Midnight Hour earning a starred review from Publishers Weekly. They also both made it on must-read lists: Midnight Hour on Black Fiction Addiction, and Mimi Lee Cracks the Code on POPSUGAR.

Division of Labor

To keep track of two releases, I created a master calendar. Next to each activity or event, I make sure to specify which book I’ll be focusing on. I have updated bios on hand: mine is on my computer while the anthology contributors have listed theirs on a shared document. I’m also planning on marking passages in advance for each book, so I’ll be prepared for a reading. 

Observing Self-Care

Admittedly, all of this can be stressful. That’s why I make myself:

·         Take a break: I pause to go outside or just daydream for a moment

·         Focus on the near future: Concentrate on things I need to do one week at a time

·         Get a treat: Celebrate completing an item on my to-do list, whether that’s a reward of a mug of steaming tea or a slice of cinnamon sugar pumpkin bread

 

How do you balance multiple pressing tasks?  

Book Versus Anthology by Jennifer J. Chow

I just finished going through the first pass pages (a typeset manuscript resembling the finished product) for an upcoming anthology, Midnight Hour (Crooked Lane Books; September 7, 2021). 

I’ve also been polishing up Mimi Lee Cracks the Code, the third book in my Sassy Cat series at the same time. As I toggled between the two tasks, I was made aware of some differences between launching a novel and an anthology. Let me share some of my thoughts . . .

 

Cover:

For my books, the art department usually provides me with their vision, and then I offer suggestions on how to tweak it to match my plot.

 

In an anthology, the cover has to represent so much more than my single story. It has to tie together all the works and appeal to everyone’s tastes. This is no small feat, especially since there are twenty authors in this collection! (On the bright side, we’ve already started an informal discussion in the group about initial art concepts.)

 

Edits:

When I go through edits for my Sassy Cat Mysteries, I know the story inside out. This makes the revision process flow easily.

 

For the anthology, I looked over my own work. However, as requested by the editor, I also went over the other stories, concentrating on minor errors, like typos. It was interesting to see how a single theme resulted in so many unique written creations. It was definitely an honor to read such amazing stories.

 

Dedication and Acknowledgments:  

I enjoy creating the dedication and acknowledgments pages in my books. I’ll usually rotate the people I dedicate to and double-check my list of people to thank, making sure I don’t leave anyone out.

 

For a collaborative project, though, how will we divide this task? It’ll be interesting to see what we end up with.

 

Overall:

I, of course, love launching new Sassy Cat mysteries into the world. There’s a joy to revisiting a close-knit community and bringing my vision to life once more.

 

However, there is something special about a collective effort. I’m excited for the upcoming Midnight Hour because it features newer writers alongside more experienced authors. It also showcases a breadth of stories, in both plot and characters.

Writers: Have you ever been a part of an anthology, and what was your experience like?

Readers: What’s an anthology that has stuck in your mind, and what was its theme?

Innovating With Short Stories by Jennifer J. Chow

 

I feel like there are authors who excel at short stories. I’ve enjoyed various such authors over the years, from O. Henry to John Updike to Sarah M. Chen. I’ve written a few myself, but it takes a different sort of skill to craft a novel than a short punch of a tale.

 

Last year, I decided to challenge myself by writing to a theme and submitting my work. I’m happy to announce that my short stories were accepted by two anthologies. The first, Festive Mayhem, is a collection of holiday-themed tales of suspense and mystery. The stories range in flavor from warm and cozy to downright cold. Here’s a rundown of the works you’ll find in the collection:

 

• "The New Year's Hex" by Carolyn Marie Wilkins. Carrie McFarland finds her New Year's plans derailed when a psychic vision pulls the 1920s African American amateur sleuth into someone's evil scheme.
• "Pipe Dreams" by S.G. Wong. In this hard-boiled Crescent City short story, infatuation and passion drive Minnie Chen straight into danger as she tries to best the City's most glamorous private detective in a reimagined 1930s-era Chinese Los Angeles.
• "A Christmas Tip" by Elizabeth Wilkerson. A surprise Christmas bonus becomes too tempting for Philadelphia nursing assistant Brianna Byers to resist—even if accepting requires some skillful skirting of the law.
• "The Stranger in the House" by Stella Oni. This London House Mystery prequel stars Elizabeth Ojo, a Nigerian housekeeper at a posh guest house, who finds her Christmas intersecting with that of a mysterious resident in trouble.
• "What Lies Inside" by Kia Dennis. A tormented university professor falls deeper and deeper into a destructive obsession in this harrowing tale of love and longing.
• "A Deadly First" by Delia C. Pitts. Thanksgiving takes a fatal turn when New York private eye SJ Rook finds himself thrust into his first murder case in this darkly atmospheric tale of noir.
• "The Holiday Murder Mélange" by Myra Jolivet. This Sarah Doucette Jean-Louis short story follows the Creole P.I. around the San Francisco Bay Area on her quest to figure out who killed a man outside of her office.
• "Those Holiday Blues" by Jennifer J. Chow. Jasmine, aka "Jazz," can't escape the tragic past when an old boyfriend asks to meet on the anniversary of his mother's death.
• "Holiday Holdup" by Paige Sleuth. In this Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Short, Imogene Little gets tangled up in a Christmas Eve bank robbery orchestrated by none other than Santa Claus himself.

 

The second anthology releases in fall of 2021. Spearheaded by our very own Abby L. Vandiver, it’ll be published by Crooked Lane Books. The collection will feature original mystery and crime stories from nineteen authors of color. 

 

(Photo credit: Abby Vandiver)

Although my mystery writing specialty is cozy series, I’ve veered off course for these anthologies. The stories in them are more chilling than my usual fare. I think I needed a break from the same type of writing, and I also wanted to stretch my creative wings. Sometimes I doubt myself and wonder if I should have strayed from my typical writing style. Share your thoughts below.

 

Do you prefer stories similar to an author’s previous works? Why or why not?