Monday, July 24, 2017

When Is the Best Time for Book Publication? By Jacqueline Seewald





Some people might say that the best time for book publication is any time at all. I agree to a certain extent. We want our books to go forth and flourish. But are there better times for this to happen, times when readers are more likely to buy and read our work?

Here’s a surprise: According to BookBaby, the Christmas holidays are not the best time for new or self-published authors to set forth their books. BookBaby observes that because established authors target this time, new authors tend to be at a disadvantage. Buyers looking for gifts mostly buy well-known authors and not new writers.

So when would be a preferable time to publish? BookBaby believes January and February show a definite increase in book sales over the holidays for newbes. However, the largest volume of book sales according to their statistics comes in the summer months.


This is another surprise for me since the two books of mine that were published in July and August respectively both received low sales and limited reviews. Therefore, I am not personally big on summer publication, although BookBaby does offer stats to support their view: There are over $3.4 billion in sales during summer, according to their industry sources, compared to about $2.9 billion spent for holiday gift giving.

Fellow writers and readers, what has your own experience been? When do you buy books if you are a reader? When do your books sell the best if you are a writer? Let’s share info!



Monday, July 10, 2017

Summer Reading: Women of Mystery

Summer is the perfect time to spend some time vacationing or just relaxing. Sit in the sun, lie on a chaise poolside, rest by the ocean or a lake, or under the shade of a tree, sip a cool drink, and read a book—hard cover, soft cover or digital.

Mysteries remain one of the most popular genres for summer reading. Why? Because they entertain us. They also engage our intellect in a satisfying manner. Of the most popular women mystery writers, few are young. Each has a popular mystery series. Who are some of these women writers of mystery fiction?

Janet Evanovich
Tess, Gerritsen
Louise Penny
Sue Grafton
Sara Paretsky (I just finished FALLOUT and it’s a winner!)
and the Queen of Suspense herself—Mary Higgins Clark

Lots of good summer reading on the bestseller list as well.
For instance, Paula Hawkins has a new thriller INTO THE WATER.I recently read Joanne Fluke’s BANANA CREAM PIE MURDER, #21 in her Hannah Swensen series and still going strong. I’m looking forward to the next one. The book on my nightstand I just finished reading is Molly MacRae’s PLAID AND PLAGIARISM. Molly used to be a fellow Five Star/Cengage author. So I was particularly delighted to read another of her fine novels.

But what about some of the excellent women authors that write for small independent presses and provide us with quality mystery series but don’t get as much publicity because they are not with the big publishers?

I recommend Patricia Gligor’s Malone series; her latest novel
MARNIE MALONE is a perfect summer read for those who enjoy mystery thrillers. Check it out on Amazon. I also recommend my latest novel THE INHERITANCE, a romantic mystery thriller, as well as the 4th in my Kim Reynolds librarian sleuth series THE BAD WIFE.

If you’re in the mood for Southern gothic romantic mystery thrillers, I recommend two--Susan Coryell’s BENEATH THE STONES and my own novel DARK MOON RISING. Both can also be checked out for reviews on Amazon.

Some other women mystery writers I recommend because I’ve read and enjoyed their mystery series novels are: Nancy J. Cohen (Bad Hair Day Series), Alice Duncan (Spirits cozy mysteries), Susan Oleksiw (mysteries set in exotic India) and Maggie Toussaint who has several series and displays a fine sense of humor.

There are many other fine women mystery writers who can be added to this list. As a reader and/or writer are there any authors and/or books you would like to recommend for summer reading? Please share!