Vol. 3_No. 2 Carmel, Indiana September 22, 2007
Speed City typically meets on the 4th Saturday of the month.
RACING CAN BE MURDER LAUNCH PARTY!
October 7, 2007
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
NEXT MEETING:
November 17, 2007
10:30a.m. critique group
11:30a.m. business meeting
12:00p.m. guest speaker: TBA
HOLIDAY PARTY
November 17, 2007
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
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.
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
Business Meeting:
The meeting was opened by Brenda Stewart.
Incorporation and Finances:
We’re incorporated! We have 18 months to file for federal status at a cost of $300. We aren’t quite prepared for that expense right now as we have expenses related to the RACING CAN BE MURDER anthology. We owe Jaci Muzamel for postage, Tony Perona for the RACING CAN BE MURDER launch party invitations, Brenda Stewart for party supplies and the Speed City SinC website domain registration renewal.
We aren’t tax exempt until we file the federal papers.
RACING CAN BE MURDER Launch Party:
The RACING CAN BE MURDER anthology is supposed to be shipped from the printers on Thursday, September 27th.
The RACING CAN BE MURDER launch party is schedule for Sunday, October 7th from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at The Mystery Company. We’re expecting anywhere from 100 - 200 people. Parking shouldn’t be a problem with four lots in close proximity to the store. Lucy Schilling suggested placing checkered flags along the various parking lots. She’ll look into getting that done.
Please order your copies of RACING CAN BE MURDER via The Mystery Company’s RACING CAN BE MURDER page located here or pick them up at the store on or after the 7th. For out-of-town folks, remember that shipping is free at The Mystery Company.
The following members volunteered to help out with the party. If you would like to volunteer, please e-mail Brenda.
Debi Watson: setup and cookies
Andrea Smith: drinks and ice
Lucy Shilling: chips and dip
Brenda: brownies, cheese and crackers, plates, napkins, utensils
Note: Members who purchase supplies, please keep your receipts so you can be reimbursed. Supplies can be dropped off on Saturday, October 6th from 10:00 - 5:30 p.m. There is some room for refrigerated items.
Volunteers, if you can, please arrive to set up for the launch party at noon on Sunday!
Over 450 invitations were mailed out. We expect anywhere from one to two hundred to attend the party. The media, as well as people from the track, have been invited. Tony Perona will be doing a radio interview, as are Brenda Stewart and Wanda Lou Willis. In addition to local media efforts, Debi Watson has talked Shore Magazine into writing about the anthology next spring, just in time for the big race.
RACING CAN BE MURDER Media Events:
Tony Perona, co-editor of RACING CAN BE MURDER, and Tom Doherty, owner of Cardinal Publishers Group, will be on the Amos Brown show Monday, October 1st at 1:00 p.m. They will be talking about our anthology. The station is WTLC 1310 AM. Tune in if you can!
Brenda Stewart and Wanda Lou Willis will be on WIBC for another RACING CAN BE MURDER interview. An e-mail will be sent out when details are known.
Speakers' Bureau:
Jim attended a Sisters in Crime meeting with the big New York publishers and learned that they feel authors should be pursuing more events to promote their books, especially with libraries. The New England Chapter of SinC is doing very well with this initiative by implementing a Speakers' Bureau, so we’ve decided to follow their lead.
Check out the New England Chapter page here.
A Speakers' Bureau will benefit authors and should also become a useful resource for librarians who are looking for speakers to fill their programs.
So, Speed City will develop a Speakers' Bureau. We'll develop a web presence and a printed booklet that can be distributed in person and mailed to Indiana libraries. The Bureau will also help coordinate speaking engagements.
We will begin work on the 2008 booklet immediately so copies will be available for the ILF Indiana Library Federation event to be held November 13th - 15th.
If you’re a SinC published author and would like to participate in the Speed City Speakers' Bureau, please send the following information to Brenda via e-mail. Due date is October 6th.
What you need to submit
•professional author photo
professional author photo•biography (100 words)
biography (100 words)•bibliography
bibliography•topics you are qualified to speak on
topics you are qualified to speak onAn example of the required format follows these minutes.
Nomination Committee:
We’ll need volunteers for the Nomination Committee as we prepare to vote for a slate of new officers. The vote will occur in November.
Holiday Party at the Mystery Company:
Once again, there will be a Holiday Party at The Mystery Company featuring many of Indiana’s mystery authors. So, mark your calendars!
Holiday Party @ The Mystery Company
November 17, 2007
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
The party will follow the regular Speed City SinC meeting. Come early and prepare to stay all day and enjoy good food, great company, and get a head start on your holiday shopping.
Books make wonderful gifts!
Our Guest:
We were delighted to have Kitty Smock join us to talk about what authors should do when they want to work with a library to promote an author event. She is the Public Relations Writer for the Hancock County Library which is located in Greenfield, Indiana.
photo by Kit Ehrman
Kitty Smock speaks to Speed City Sisters in Crime @ The Mystery Company
Kitty's development of this topic came about after she wrote a lengthy e-mail to the Indiana Writers Workshop, describing what she looks for the writer to do when they have an event.
What can an author do to get noticed? Contact the ILF (Indiana Library Federation) and ask to be put on the conference agenda. They have authors come in to speak and sell books at the conference. They may not sell many books, but word-of-mouth builds name recognition. There's a large annual conference and smaller, regional conferences throughout the year. ILF might be interested in hosting local authors from Racing Can Be Murder.
INCOLSA - is an initiative by the state to provide services and help librarians use technology. There’s a list serve component, too. It can be like SPAM, but Program Directors are interested in hearing about authors. Ask a librarian you may be working with if she could mention you on INCOLSA’s list serve.
Kitty also told us a few good jokes.
“What do you call 50,000 geeks playing Monopoly?”
MicrosoftThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives money to libraries for computers. Libraries are moving toward technology all the time.
“How many reference librarians does it take to screw in a light bulb?”
One, but she’ll have to get back to you later. If an author goes to a library to speak, she probably will not be paid, except possibly for being reimbursed for gas. Building name recognition is the key. Word of mouth is key. Always ask if you can sell books.
photo by Kit Ehrman
Kitty, making a point during her talk @ The Mystery Company
Say you want to know what kind of library you’re dealing with before you approach them. You can go to http://www.statelib.lib.in.us
click on: Library Development Office
click on: Public Libraries
click on: Statistics
There, you’ll find a list of libraries and all kinds of statistics, from square footage to circulation to money use. You’ll see how much they spend on programming. You can visit their websites. A library's website will tell you how savvy they are. You can see if they are into having speakers.
Some libraries are bare bones with only a director, part-time staff, and student workers. If a library doesn't get much support from the community, it might not be worthwhile going there.
Libraries have to justify their existence every day. Their budget comes from property taxes. (Except for Hancock County Library. They’re the only library in the state whose budget comes from income tax.) The library board is comprised of members of the community. The library director has to justify the library being open and spending money. Kitty’s library has a counter at the door. They keep track of circulation. Not all of their programs are related to reading, but they still boost circulation. They may have a concert, a non-book related event, but circulation will go up during that time. When people come to the library, they often check out books.
“What happens when you have a glass that’s half full?”
An optimist will say it’s half full. A pessimist will say it’s half empty. An engineer will say it’s twice a big as it needs to be.Anyway, librarians are in a constant battle to justify the library’s existence. Librarians read, but they are not paid to do so. When selecting books, they rely on reviews in BookList, The American Library Association, and various publications. Writers should try to get their books reviewed as much as possible.
If you are an author with an ALA or Booklist review, that will help you get noticed.
When you approach the library to ask for a speaking engagement, approach the right person: the Program Director. Follow the chain of command. Call them up. Ask if you can send information and a photograph that they can use in their publicity efforts. They are desperate for you to call and do the work for them because they are so busy.
Ask if they have a newsletter.
When sending a photograph, send a professional quality, 300 dpi .jpg. Avoid the boring headshot. Check out Tony Perona’s knife shot. This photo gets results!
You may have to write the press release yourself, so, Google the town. Look up the local government or Chamber of Commerce. Their websites should list the local media. Use the ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLE BOOK 2003 so that you use the proper format in your press release. Don’t use opinions in your press release, but use factual statements that sound like opinion.
List where it’s at, what it is, and when.
It’s also good to have a hook, a short opening line that evokes curiosity. This is basic journalism. Don’t repeat anything. Write with a conversational style that is not flip or superior-sounding. Don’t ask questions in your press release. It’s annoying.
Write a short summary. Simple is better. No adverbs or adjectives. Get rid of the passive voice. Use present tense.
Kitty recommends THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk and White.
Send the press release by e-mail. Then the recipient doesn’t have to type it. Also, attach the release as a Word attachment. Write PRESS RELEASE in the subject line. In the body of the e-mail, or possibly in the subject line, let them know that the press release is also attached as a Word doc. Write: FOR RELEASE -- Word Version Attached.
Keep it brief, but list awards and reviews.
At the bottom of the page, list your name, address, phone, website, e-mail. Make it easy for them. Some papers will be happy with a professional photo and a detailed caption.
When sending material to a small library, remember they may not be able to handle a lot of information in the e-mail, so send the author photo .jpg in a separate e-mail. Write: Photo to follow at the bottom of the press release so they know it’s coming.
Brenda Stewart, Debi Watson, Kitty Smock, Lucy Schilling, guest Suzanne Leiphart,
Andrea Smith (back to camera)
Publicity:
Many small papers are part of a chain. Some very small papers just sit and wait for people to send them information, and they print all of it. Larger newspapers are more discriminating.
The press release should be sent out two weeks before the event for weekly or daily papers. If a holiday is approaching, send it before the holiday.
If you're sending a press release to a monthly paper, send it the first day of the month before. The Indy Star doesn’t want a photo, probably for legal reasons. They don’t use press releases, either. They want to send out a report to write an article, not regurgitate press releases. But, you can get into the Star’s calendar. Send in your information a month ahead of time. calendar@IndyStar.com or 317-444-6407. Intake information goes to the same place.
Authors might get an article in the Star if they contact a reporter, directly, from one of the regional supplements: from Star Metro East, Star Metro North, etc. Call and ask for a name and phone number. These reporters are always looking for a story.
Ask the librarian if they want to do the press release, or do they want you to do it. If they're going to do it, send them information they can work with.
You can also send press releases to Indianapolis Woman and Indianapolis Monthly. Send three months in advance.
REMC has a calendar in their publication. Contact information can be found in the publication. Send in two months ahead of time.
Television:
Network TV stations probably won’t cover events outside Indianapolis, except in larger towns such as Carmel or Fishers. You can sometimes get on smaller community television calendars and websites.
Radio:
Follow the form of a Public Service Announcement. This will be an abbreviated press release. Keep it short. Read it aloud, then put the number of seconds on the top of the page. Also include “for use through” and add the end date.
For big radio stations, you have to know someone.
Other venues:
If the library belongs to the Chamber of Commerce, then an author might be able to send a “Chamber Blast” through them.
Web presence:
You need a website if you’re serious about your writing. And, you need a professional author photo (not just a head shot) in high resolution (300 dpi) for press releases and posters. Also include a smaller resolution photo for Web publications. It’s a good idea to give the photos a page of their own, separate from a home page. That way the large files won’t slow down the main page as it loads. You'll also need a biography and a list of your books. If you have received awards and have reviews, post them. List your appearance on your website, too.
Kitty recommends INFLUENCE - SCIENCE & PRACTICE by Robert B. Cialdini.
The ALA (American Library Association) sets aside weeks for various programs, such as teen week, etc. If you can speak to a program that matches their topics, approach your library and see if they will apply for a grant. A&E gives grants.
photo by Kit Ehrman
Speed City Sisters in Crime Speakers' Bureau Example Profile:
Kit Ehrman
After discovering the works of Dick Francis, Kit Ehrman quit her government job and went to work in the horse industry. Twenty-five years later, Ehrman combined her love of horses and mysteries by penning the award-winning, equine-oriented mystery series featuring barn manager Steve Cline. Published by Poisoned Pen Press, the series has received outstanding reviews in The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, The Denver Post, and the Chicago Tribune among others. The latest, TRIPLE CROSS, is a 2007 Best Book of Indiana, a ForeWord magazine Book-of-the-Year Medalist, an IPPY Award Medalist, and a BookSense Notable book.
TRIPLE CROSS, 2006
COLD BURN, 2005
DEAD MAN'S TOUCH, 2003
AT RISK, 2002
topics:
writing, plot, character, setting, research
website:
