April 15, 2005
Received a copy of the potential book contract from my agent today. This is for The Devil's Pitchfork and the contract is with Llewellyn publishers. I won't jinx anything or otherwise stick a wrench in the works, but it was interesting. I had a few questions for my agent that had less to do with the contract and more to do with things like distribution, publication date and format, and promotional plans. The answer to all seemed to be, "I don't know, but if we get through the contract I'll ask." Fair enough. Irene also has some thoughts on offering the follow-up to them, so we'll see what happens. I'll keep my emotions under wraps on this for the time being, but the longer I make my bread and butter off writing the more pleased I am to have a book contract every year, even if it's not the juicy life-changer you're hoping for. The task, then, is to build up your readership and figure out what promotional activities work and don't eat up your time and money.

It's otherwise a sort of lazy Friday, or it has that feel. Leanne (my wife) and I'll be going to the funeral viewing later in the day and that tends to put a bit of a crimp in any day. Otherwise it's been a straightforward kind of writing Friday, setting up a few interviews for next week, interviewed a medical practice management guy and transcribed it, sent off some queries and did some research for a new marketing campaign aimed at medical copywriting.

I received literature in the mail today about The Broadmoor, a resort in Colorado where I intend to place the next novel. Looked through it, whistled at the prices, checked out the maps and in general think it's a good location for what I have in mind.

I'm also considering puttering around with another female PI novel, maybe make it light and funny, ala Janet Evanovich. We'll see. Only so much time to go around and if I get the contracts with Llewellyn, I'll be busy working up marketing plans, trying to work things out with a publicist, and working on the follow-up. Meanwhile, the bills keep coming. Of course, I've got a Megan Malloy manuscript languishing at High Country and also being considered elsewhere, so somthing moving from there could derail any thoughts of yet another series character.

Have a good weekend.
Best,
Mark Terry