“To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself…—Mark Twain
People often ask how I wrote 37 books and had them published. The truth is that it’s wasn’t that hard and while a .lot has changed since the pandemic began, most of the steps involved in getting a How-To book published are straightforward:
- Find the publisher’s Acquisitions Editor. Often it’s on the publisher’s website but don’t forget Writer’s Market that’s available on Amazon for around $20. The book lists publishers by category and provides contact information and how they prefer to be contacted.
- Write a query letter or e-mail, whichever the publisher prefers. This is a concise description of who you are, what the proposed book is about and why you’re the ideal person to write it.
- Be patient. If they didn’t like your idea you may get a rejection letter or may never hear from them. Don’t be discouraged. I sent dozens of queries to a publisher who rejected every one of them. One day, their Acquisitions Editor called asking why I stopped sending proposals. I explained that since she rejected everything I previously sent “why should I bother.: She asked for more ideas so I tossed out an off-the-cuff idea and she said, “I’ll send you a contract tomorrow.” She did, I signed it, and ended up writing four more books for them. That first book is shown at above right.
- Be persistent. If the publisher likes your idea then they may ask for more information, photos, and have a whole series of hoops for you to jump through mainly of a CYA nature for them. It’s annoying but unless you’re a superstar influencer expect it.
- Follow through. When you sign the contact be sure to honor the terms. If they give you a deadline, meet it. You’ll have to work on the book every day in order to meet that deadline. If they give you technical specifications on how they want the image files and what format the text should be, follow them.
Book of the Week: Arrowood by Mick Finlay ($7.99)
…while old folk clutched walls and railings lest they should slip on the slick cobbles, sighing, muttering, hacking up big gobs of germs and firing them into the piles of horse dung as collected at every corner.—Mick Finlay, The Murder Pit.
The above quote is from one of Mick Finlay’s Arrowood series of Victorian crime novels and is why I describe his look at Sherlock Holmes’ London as gritty. If these sorts of descriptions, liberally sprinkled throughout the first two novels I’ve read, do not put you off, you’ll probably like this series that is literally a look at one of Holmes’ contemporaries. Finlay’s protagonist, William Arrowood’s often offers his take on specific Holmesian cases that might make a die-hard Sherlockian not a fan of this series. But if you’re more open-minded about about your choice of mystery fiction, you will love this intricately crafted and plotted look at Arrowood and his faithful associate Barnett, who is the narrator of the story, his Watson if you will..
William Arrowood is more of a character in Rumpole of the Bailey mold and often spends the first part of his interview with a new client trying to talk them out of hiring him. But you know he’ll take on their case. In this first book of the series; it’s a French damsel in distress looking for her brother who has disappeared. Or has he? Arrowood and Barnett arrive on these pages with a back-story of dealing with not necessarily a Napoleon of Crime but a Victorian era crime boss named Cream, who comes back into their lives after their previous unpleasant dealings with him.
Finlay packs a lot of detail, action and interesting characters into this 384-page paperback including Arrowood’s own Baker Street Irregulars, although in this case it’s just a single street urchin name Neddy. Arrowood also has his own Lestrade named Inspector Petleigh who’s part of the local police force but Lestrade’s name also pops up occasionally.
Finlay has crafted a complex and engaging mystery that continually pulls you in one direction then another in the opposite all the while layering on his realistic look at the more seedy parts of Holmes’s London. Both Arrowood and Barnett and the whole cast of characters, even its villains, will capture your attention and keep you riveted to the pages. The book is a great read, cleverly executed by someone who’s clearly a talented and inventive writer and someone who offers a unique take on the Victorian mystery genre. I loved the book and am enjoying its follow-up, The Murder Pit, which at this point has taken off into new and somewhat disturbing (I think) directions.
Just a reminder: Podcast #3 is live now on my YouTube channel, Joe Farace’s Videos, featuring a look at the Leica Z2X and my experiences shooting 22-year old Agfa color film in a 40-year old Canon SLR, plus some information on where I get my ideas for blog posts!