Vol. 3_No. 1 Carmel, Indiana July 28, 2007
Speed City typically meets on the 4th Saturday of the month.
NO AUGUST MEETING: FIELD TRIP TO CHICAGO, INSTEAD.
NEXT MEETING:
September 22, 2007
10:30a.m. critique group -?-
11:30a.m. business meeting
12:00p.m. guest speaker: TBA
FUTURE MEETINGS AND EVENTS:
October 20, 2007
(Date changed to avoid Magna cum Murder conflict)
10:30a.m. critique group
11:30a.m. business meeting
12:00p.m. guest speaker: TBA
MEETING LOCATION:
The Mystery Company
233 2nd Avenue SW
Carmel, IN 46032
317-705-9711
800-643-6737
CRITIQUE GROUP
SinC members who have not joined the critique group but are interested in doing so need to contact Pat Robertson at:
TO JOIN SPEED CITY SINC:
You must be a member of the National Sisters in Crime Local chapter dues are $15.00, due on or before October 15, 2006 and payable to SCISinC. You can mail your application and check to:
Pat Robertson
554 Miami Street
Ellettsville, IN 47429
E-mail Pat Robertson if you need an application or additional information.
INDIANA SISTERS IN CRIME CHAPTER OFFICERS
(January 1, 2007 - January 1, 2008)
Brenda Robertson Stewart, president
317-831-1566
Andrea Smith, vice president
Pat Robertson, membership chairman, 812-876-7772
Jim Huang, program chairman
Vicki Stewart, treasurer
Kit Ehrman, secretary, newsletter editor
Mark Zacharias, communications chairman, (webmaster)
Sheila Boneham, critique group chairperson
CALL FOR GUEST SPEAKERS
Give Jim a hand in finding interesting guest speakers by providing the following information:
GUEST SPEAKER CONTACT INFORMATION
•
name, job title
name, job title•place of employment
place of employment•address
address•phone
phone•fax
fax•e-mail
e-mail•website if applicable
website if applicable•suggestions for topic(s) the speaker is qualified to speak about and that the group would find interesting
suggestions for topic(s) the speaker is qualified to speak about and that the group would find interesting•list of published works if applicable
list of published works if applicable•your connection to the speaker—how you know him/her
your connection to the speaker—how you know him/her•permission to use your name in the initial contact
permission to use your name in the initial contactSend your information to Jim Huang
Put SinC Possible Guest Speaker in the subject line.
WEBSITES OF INTEREST
If you’re a chapter member with a mystery website, and you would like it listed here, e-mail Kit Ehrman.
WEBSITES OF INTEREST TO WRITERS
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
Want to see what happened at an earlier meeting? Visit the newsletter archives page.
MEMBER NEWS:
Kit Ehrman's latest release in the Steve Cline
Mystery Series, TRIPLE CROSS, was named
the 2007 Best Book of Indiana.
~~Speed City members, share your news.~~
E-mail news releases to Kit Ehrman.
SPEED CITY
Indiana Chapter of Sisters in Crime News
SPEED CITY
Indiana Chapter of Sisters in Crime News
compiled by Kit Ehrman
Directions to the new MYSTERY COMPANY:
It's easy to get to the new Mystery Company from the old location. Leave the old parking lot and turn right, heading north on S. Rangeline Road. Pass beneath a steel Arts & Design District arch that spans the road. Almost immediately, make a left onto 3rd Street SW. Third Street SW dead ends at the Monon Trail. Make a right onto 2nd Avenue SW. Go a half block. The new store is on the right. Additional parking is across the street.
Mapquest Map
The Mystery Company phone # 317-705-9711
Authors on the Road
Mark your calendars!
SILENCED CRY by Marta Stephens, the first in a series of crime/mystery novels, was released in April 2007. An August virtual book tour will give readers further insight into the book and the author. The tour will kick off on Monday, July 30, at 7:30 p.m. EST with a talk on the Internet Voice Radio. Other planned virtual events throughout August include guest blogs, interviews with the author, and a chat session.
Events details and links are available here. This link will provide you with a way to receive reminders of the events by e-mail, on your calendar, or on your web. I look forward to your comments on the blogs and hope you can join in on the chat! For more information about “Silenced Cry” and the virtual book tour, please visit, www.martastephens-author.com and please feel free to share the information about the tour and these links with others.
Marta Stephens
SILENCED CRY
A Sam Harper Crime Mystery
ISBN 978-1-905202-72-0
Released April 23, 2007
Many thanks to Andrea Smith for taking the July 28th minutes!
Business Meeting:
There was a brief discussion of the Sisters in Crime Speed City Chapter’s August trip to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Chapter President Brenda Stewart confirmed those members who will be making the trip. Brenda is finalizing transportation and will confirm cost with members attending.
Treasurer’s report:
The chapter currently has $756.60 in the treasury.
Racing can be Murder Anthology:
Jim Huang reported he’s finalizing paperwork for those authors who have stories in the Racing Can be Murder anthology to purchase copies at a discount.
All authors will receive one copy of the anthology and will be able to purchase additional copies at a 51 percent discount. Book orders from authors will be due Aug. 25 with books in store by September 22.
Brenda reported marketing items such as bookmarks will be created to help promote the anthology when it’s released. Bound galleys will be sent to media outlets such as the Indianapolis Star to encourage them to run reviews. In addition to library programs and a panel at the Magna cum Murder mystery conference in Muncie, work is being done to have the anthology included in the Kentucky Book Fair in November.
Critique Group Discussion:
On August 8 at 7pm, Phil Dunlap and Suzanne Harding will lead a discussion at the Mystery Company on organizing critique groups and participating in critique groups.
Guest Speaker – John Fisher, former Barnes & Nobles community relations manager
John Fisher, who served as community relations manager for Barnes & Noble stores in Carmel and Lafayette for six years, provided tips for getting local bookstores to carry your book.
Some highlights of John’s talk:
Barnes & Noble is committed to the local community and local authors and wants to make sure local authors are represented.
Barnes & Noble is committed to the local community and local authors and wants to make sure local authors are represented.All shelf space is money. Barnes & Noble doesn’t keep a lot of back stock. Books are on the Barnes & Nobles shelf an average of 120 days.
All shelf space is money. Barnes & Noble doesn’t keep a lot of back stock. Books are on the Barnes & Nobles shelf an average of 120 days. Barnes & Noble considers authors who have demonstrated sales, have a book that’s returnable, and the author’s has ability to promote his or her book. The burden is on the author to promote. And promotion is absolutely critical to the success of the book.
Barnes & Noble considers authors who have demonstrated sales, have a book that’s returnable, and the author’s has ability to promote his or her book. The burden is on the author to promote. And promotion is absolutely critical to the success of the book.To increase your chances of getting your book in your local Barnes & Noble, be sure to talk to the right person, which is the community relations manager. If you can get the community relations manager to read and like your book, you can have some success.
To increase your chances of getting your book in your local Barnes & Noble, be sure to talk to the right person, which is the community relations manager. If you can get the community relations manager to read and like your book, you can have some success.Be upfront and identify yourself as the author. Emphasize the local angle of your book.
Be upfront and identify yourself as the author. Emphasize the local angle of your book. Don’t order copies of your book to make it appear that the book is selling.
Don’t order copies of your book to make it appear that the book is selling.Don’t mail bomb the community relations manager. In order words, don’t inundate the store with emails and too much information.
Don’t mail bomb the community relations manager. In order words, don’t inundate the store with emails and too much information.If you get a signing with Barnes & Noble, remember the organization has strict regulations about signage and handouts.
If you get a signing with Barnes & Noble, remember the organization has strict regulations about signage and handouts.Store placement makes a difference. End caps help sales. Books that are displayed in the open get picked up, touched, analyzed. Books that are faced out get noticed so you want your book to have an attractive cover and spine.
Store placement makes a difference. End caps help sales. Books that are displayed in the open get picked up, touched, analyzed. Books that are faced out get noticed so you want your book to have an attractive cover and spine.Some Q&As
Q: What is the publishing industry doing that’s hindering book sales?
A: Publishers are overproducing books.
Q: Can the book chains create bestsellers?
A: We have created some instant bestsellers. The Thirteenth Tale is an example. If Barnes & Noble focuses its power in a certain way, it can definitely help book sales.
Barnes & Noble has a review program focused on helping new talent by reviewing new authors’ books. This program can help sales.
Q: What has changed the face of bookselling?
A: Box stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco selling books with huge discounts. They’re expecting to make their money when customers buy other items. We’re likely to see booksellers such as Barnes & Noble selling more and more boutique items like gift items and music.
This is why the independent bookseller has to continue to exist. They’re not encumbered by corporate boards. Independent booksellers are treasurers.
