The Irrelevant Bias Of The New York Times

I know a lot of you have been asking me to give details of my last trip to Vegas with the man I’m going to refer to as R.  I will say Vegas was everything R. promised and more.  But that’s all I’m going to say.  It has come to my attention that R.’s last true love may be reading my blog and I know from personal experience that even when a relationship needs to end, even when we’re the ones who take steps that ensure things actually WILL end, it is still painful when it is truly over.  I’m not interested in making anything harder for anyone and in that spirit I’m going to at least temporarily refrain from detailing my current dating life in a public forum.

So instead I’m going to address the other thing people keep asking me about, Jennifer Weiner’s and Jodi Picoult’s recent condemnations of the literary critics fawning over male authors while completely dismissing women authors, particularly those who have the audacity to write women’s fiction.  To demonstrate their point they have been drawing the public’s attention to the copious reviews of Jonathan Franzen’s latest novel, Freedom.  Franzen writes about relationships and families but as Weiner pointed out to NPR, when he writes about these issues the reviewers say he’s writing the “American Story” while when women write about the same issues their books are dismissed as chick lit.  Picoult’s criticisms are pretty much the same.  Their main beef is with the New York Times who they say will only review books written by women when they think the subject matter of the book will appeal to white men and even then male authors are given some level of preference.

The New York Times insists that there is no bias employed in regards to which books they choose to review. One New York Times defender even went on to list the three female critics whose reviews are frequently featured in their periodical. Of course that’s sort of the I’m-not-racist-some-of-my-best-friends-are-black response to the issue and it doesn’t ring true.  Particularly not when you look at a recent study conducted by FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting) that showed that between February 2009 and January 2010 95% of the politically themed books reviewed by the Times were written by white authors.  87% of them were written by men.  Now I don’t doubt that there are more politically themed books written (or at least published) by white men than by ethnic women but 95% is a suspiciously high number and I don’t know that you can explain it without admitting to at least some unintentional bias.  And really, can someone please tell me the last time a female minority novelist who WASN’T writing about civil rights and/or racial inequality in one form or another was reviewed by the Times?  

The very idea that having women or minorities on the New York Times staff is going to help the situation is just silly.  Any first year sociology student will tell you that minorities (and for the purposes of this post I’m including women as being their own minority group) will turn against their own in order to gain acceptance within a corporate culture or judgmental work environment.  My ex-boyfriend, a lawyer who frequently represented police officers, would often point out to me all the times in which black police officers would purposely engage in racial discrimination against black suspects just so they could gain the approval of their white peers.  I’m not saying that this is the norm but it would be naive to say it doesn't happen a lot. And the few people I know who used to work at the New York Times freely admit that they were always under a lot of pressure to appear to be as intellectual as possible. If you need to be an “intellectual” and you are given the very clear signal that enjoying a certain kind of book is unintellectual then you’re not going to review the supposedly unintellectual book no matter what your sex or race might be.  It won’t even matter if you secretly believe that the book you feel you must dismiss might be addressing important issues of our time.  Unless the Times purposely directs their reviewers to represent more diversity in genres they will continue to overlook quality women’s fiction.  

But then again, who cares? A few years ago an independent study was done showing that a book review in the New York Times spikes sales for the book that was reviewed for just about twenty-four hours and then the sales drop right back down to where they were before. That’s true regardless of whether it was a good or bad review.  I’ve had my work featured in the New York Times before. Once they dedicated an entire paragraph to me in a trend story dealing with “Chick-lit murder mysteries” and yes, the reviewer made sure readers knew that she didn’t entirely approve of the genre .  My book was also mentioned in Maureen Dowd’s column when she went on a humorous tirade condemning all books with pink covers.  I responded to that column here.  
As far as I can tell my sales weren’t affected one way or another by the attention.  

But when I got into Cosmopolitan magazine , that was a different story...

My first review in Cosmo was exactly two sentences long.  They said that Sex, Murder And A Double Latte was a “red-hot-read” and packed “more jolt than a Venti Frappucino at Starbucks.” That’s it. Two sentences next to a tiny picture of my book.  Shorter than the paragraph the Times gave me.

On the day that Cosmo issue was released my sales rank on both Barnes & Noble and Amazon went from somewhere in the 5000 range to being the 18th bestselling book on their site/stores.  Within days I was officially on Barnes & Noble’s Mystery Bestseller list and it wasn’t long before regional talk shows and radio shows were requesting interviews.  When Cosmo actually printed a two page excerpt of my sex scene from  Passion, Betrayal And Killer Highlights in their June issue a year later it got enough attention to piss off the religious right who said in an article circulated on the Christian Wire News Service that the excerpt was leading America’s youth into temptation.  I was less surprised by the criticism than I was by the fact that the religious right was reading Cosmo because I’m pretty sure they’re not reading the New York Times.

But then again, of course they’re reading Cosmo because they know that Cosmo’s readers respect that magazine’s opinion enough to actually buy the books they tell them to buy just as Cosmo respects its readers’ tastes enough to review books that they might want to read.  The Times doesn’t seem to care about what many of their readers want from a book.  In their effort to only  review books that they think are deep and influential they themselves have ceased to be influential at all.  So at this point I’m happy to let them review exclusively white male authors or female authors who write for that specific demographic. It simply doesn’t make much of a difference.

Their lose, not mine.  


Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!

Some Guys REALLY Know How To Spoil A Girl

On August 10th I wrote a blog post titled Help Me Find My Lost Faith In Love.  I explained that after one too many betrayals of trust I had come to the reluctant conclusion that romantic love isn’t as valuable or as durable as we’re all led to believe and that the cost of love lost was greater than the benefits of love found.  I mentioned that I had stopped dating because I could no longer imagine pursuing something that was so insubstantial.  And yet I also wrote that I desperately wanted to be wrong about all that.  I wanted my faith in love back even more than I wanted a man in my life because faith equals hope.  And yes, I wanted to be able to enjoy romance without always questioning the motivations of the person making the romantic gesture.   

So I took a deep breath and started once again giving out my number to men who asked for it and who also seemed somewhat interesting.  I figured I’d be seeing several different people in hopes of finding one that I liked well enough to go out with more than one or two times.  

It hasn’t worked out that way At. All. I’m dating one  guy who happens to be a Hollywood director/producer/screenwriter.  After our second date he told me he had to go to Vegas for a few days because of a show he is shooting there and he wanted to know  if I would allow him to fly me out to meet him for the weekend.  He even offered to get me my own suite at the hotel.   My first reaction was, “This guy’s insane.  I barely KNOW him, I can’t weekend with him in Vegas!”

Believe it or not this kind of thing has happened to me before.  I’ll go out with some guy who is incredibly successful and he’ll offer me some extravagant gift or allude to luxuries he will provide me if I stick with him for a while and I always walk away because I feel like they’re just trying to buy my affection.  

But what never occurred to me before was that the reason I was walking away from those other guys was not because they were offering me something expensive (which to them usually wasn’t very expensive at all) but because I wasn’t all that into them to begin with.  To accept costly gifts from someone you’re fairly ambivalent about feels kind of gross and whorish.  But the thing is I’m in no way ambivalent about this guy. He’s smart, incredibly talented, funny, charming, a great conversationalist and just...well, intriguing. He interests me more than any guy I’ve met in a very long time.  So I said yes. I would accept his offer to fly me out to Vegas for the weekend (I’m leaving this morning).

I had no idea what I was agreeing to.

First his personal assistant called me to arrange for my flight.  He explained that his boss (my date) was going to have to leave early on Sunday because he was doing something with HBO for the Emmys but I was welcome to stay in Vegas as late as I like.  So I figured, what the hell? I’ll leave Sunday night and take Sunday afternoon to myself to explore the city of sin.  The assistant then told me that there would be a limo waiting for me at the airport to take me to our hotel...which happens to be a 5 star hotel and my room would be a VIP suite.

My date then emailed me the itinerary of the trip.  He will meet me at the hotel and after I settled in we could go to the pool where he has arranged for us to have our own private cabana that comes complete with its own mist to keep us cool. Then we will go to Cirque de Soilel before dining at his favorite Italian restaurant.  After that we could hit the casinos.  “I won’t spend too much time gambling,” he said, “but who knows, maybe I’ll win.  How about this, if I win we’ll take $500 or whatever and buy you a new pair of shoes at the Barney’s near the hotel.”

In my entire life I’ve never spent $500 on shoes. It just doesn’t seem pragmatic to invest that much in something that’s going to be on my feet. But then the one thing everyone knows about Vegas is that it is NOT a city that values pragmatism.  

He then went on to tell me that my hotel suite will be available for me all day on Sunday. I won’t have to check out until I’m ready for the limo to take me back to the airport. He’s also sending me a list of spa services.  I’m supposed to tell him which ones I want and then he’ll set it up for me so that Sunday can be a “spa day.”

It’s a little overwhelming but then again, how could I not be excited about this trip?!  And then there’s the guy himself who, as I said, I find very appealing.  My cynicism is still there. I visualize it as being like a lamp post in the middle of a hurricane. I’m clutching to that cynicism with both arms in order to keep my feet on the ground but it’s impossible not to be at least somewhat moved by the force of the wind that is trying to sweep me off my feet.  

I don’t know what the future holds but what I do know is that dating has become a lot more fun.

Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!

Recommend-A-Book-Wednesday: Nicci French's Catch Me When I Fall

 In my novel, So Much For My Happy Ending, I explore what it’s like to have a spouse who is bipolar and refusing treatment.  In Nicci French’s book, Catch Me When I Fall, the story is seen through the eyes of Holly, a woman who actually is bipolar.  That’s not an easy thing to write.  Someone who is manic and out of control like Holly isn’t a reliable narrator. The reader is forced to figure out what is reality and what is a distortion created by a disturbed mind.  French makes her task even more challenging by adding a crime that Holly is being framed for.  Holly knows she’s being framed but why would anyone believe her? She lies all the time. She manipulates people. She is incredibly egocentric and completely out of control.  It’s not only possible that someone like that would resort to all sorts of illegal activity it’s probable.

It’s all very complicated and in the wrong hands this story would have been a hot mess. Holly isn’t just flawed, she’s a disaster.  You can see why her family, friends and even the readers of the book might be against her.  And yet French manages to make it clear that her destructive behavior is stemming from an illness that Holly has very little power over.  Even when Holly doesn’t see it herself we see that she’s sick and even when you want to smack her you still ultimately want her to be okay. You want someone to force her to get the help she needs.  And the mystery surrounding the crime and the set-up doesn’t get lost in all this dysfunction. On the contrary it becomes all the more suspenseful due to the confused and distraught observer.  Every element of the story enhances the other elements. It’s complex but never confusing.  It’s dark but never loses it’s entertainment value.

Nicci French is actually a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. They usually write suspense novels filled with explicit sexual exploits and whatnot. Catch Me When I Fall is different than their other books.  Personally I think it proves that this writing team is not only talented but has range.  So check it out and be sure to add book recommendations of your own in the comment section! My To-Be-Read pile of books on my nightstand is getting a little low!

Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!

I'm A Year Older & Fairly Happy About It

For those who don’t know, Sunday was my birthday.  My last birthday fell right after a break-up from a 2 year relationship. I was depressed and feeling a little lost.  Considering some of the not-so-happy events of this last year I didn’t expect this birthday to be much better.

I was wrong.

In the last month things have been turning around for me...or perhaps my perspective is just changing.  Most likely both.  It’s not that life has gotten easier exactly (although there do seem to be more opportunities opening up) but for the most part it just seems that life has become more...well, fun.

The friendships I’ve made over the last few years are growing stronger and I’m reconnecting with old friends who I hadn’t spoken to in years. I’m planning a “Girls Weekend” with a bunch of women who I used to go to high school with.  I’m singing karaoke, going salsa dancing, meeting celebrities, trying new foods. I’ve actually started a correspondence with one of America’s bestselling authors whose work I adore and who has taken it upon herself to advise and help me as I enter a new stage in my career. And to that end the Sophie books seem to be inching closer to making it onto TV.

As for the physical aspects of getting older...well there’s no denying that I look older than I did a few years ago. It’s harder for me to go without a decent night’s sleep than it used to be and when I do have a night of insomnia dark circles will appear under my eyes to announce my plight to the world. My smile lines are a little more pronounced. My eyelids are a tiny bit more droopy although the only way someone would notice that is if they spent several minutes staring at them in...oh, I don’t know...say a mirror thinking “Look at that crease! My eyelids are drooping! I’m getting ooooold!” Not that I would know anything about that.

And yet I know I’m in better shape than I was when I was twenty. Yes, I’m a bit thinner than I was then but more importantly I’m much stronger.  The male attention hasn’t dwindled too much and the attention I do get is no less flattering.  I’m dating and enjoying it...a lot actually.  I believe I’ll blog more about that point on Thursday.  

My son is doing well. I still worry about him but then again, I’m a Jewish mother. Worrying is a job requirement.   And I do see opportunities opening up for him too.  Unfortunately many of the opportunities (educational, social and physical-health-wise) are going to cost me a lot of money but I’ll find a way to scrape up the funds I need in order to ensure that he’s okay.  

I guess the biggest difference between my mood during last year’s birthday and this year’s birthday is that I’m feeling (dare I say it?) optimistic.  I’m a little afraid that I’m jinxing things by even saying that but there it is.  I think there might be some very good things ahead.  I’m not really sure what form those good things will end up taking but perhaps that doesn’t matter so much.  Perhaps what’s important is that I’m enjoying the moment more than I am stressing about the future.  It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do that. It might be the best birthday gift I’ve ever given myself.



Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!

A Free Starbucks Gift Card Is Only A Quote Away

Sorry for having been MIA for a few days (been doing a little traveling and a lot of writing). It occurred to me while looking at the calender this morning that we are now officially in the last days of summer. All of my books are considered “summer reads” so it seems to me this is the time to hold a contest for my readers.  Here’s what I’m thinking:

Make your favorite quote from any of my Sophie books a Tweet or a status update on Facebook and you could win Sophie’s dream prize: a $100 gift card for Starbucks.  

For those who wish to Tweet: Include the quote, an abbreviated link ( bit.ly  is always a good way to abbreviate links) to the webpage of your favorite bookseller that features the book your quoting and include the hashtag #SophieK.  Don’t bother trying to include the title of the book  in question or tagging me in the Tweet, you’ll never make it all fit within 140 characters. That’s one of the reasons you’ll have to include the link to the book on a booksellers website; without that no one will know what your quoting. You’ll need the hashtag so I can track your entries.  

For my beloved fellow Facebook users, just put the quote in your status update and tag me at the end so I can see that you’ve done it.  The link to your bookseller of choice can be included in the first comment under the update.  

Each Tweet and Status update using a different quote will be considered an entry and will get your name entered into a drawing. You can enter as many times as you like and on September 7th, the day after Labor Day, a winner will be randomly selected. So now at least one of you will have enough coffee to get yourself or your child to school on time.

Here are the Sophie books you can quote in order to enter:
Sex, Murder And A Double Latte, Passion, Betrayal And Killer Highlights, Obsession, Deceit And Really Dark Chocolate,                   Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss and Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress

 








 Good luck and happy reading!



















Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!

It's Not What You Drink It's How You Look While Drinking It

Every Sunday night I put my son to bed, make myself an original (usually fruity) vodka martini, pour it into my martini glass and watch True Blood.  But last Sunday my allergies were bothering me and as some of you know, alcohol can actually make allergies worse so unless things are really bad I won’t drink when my sinuses tell me I should be abstaining.  But still I REALLY didn’t want to give up my True Blood tradition. That has become a sort of sacred hour for me  My “mommy time.”  Whatever it is I’ve been stressing about (and there’s always something) gets put aside and I just lose myself in leisure and for some reason that cocktail completes the picture.

But of course sinus pain ruins the picture completely so after some deliberation I went out and got myself an Izzie and poured it into a martini glass. Immediately I was happy again because while a cocktail is nice a martini glass is fabulous. I’m not sure why that is.  Something about its sleek lines say, “look at me. I’m beautiful, I’m elegant and when you hold me you will be in full leisure mode.” It doesn’t matter if your drinking from such a glass in a bar or a living room filled with discarded toys.  If your holding a martini glass you have removed one degree of separation between you and Cary Grant. Pile your hair up on top of your head and you could be Audrey Hepburn.  Martini glasses make the world a better place. Period.

So I strongly suggest that everyone have at least two martini glasses in your house, apartment or dorm room (even if you’re single you’ll need two because eventually you’re going to break one). If you’re not a drinker pour your favorite non-alcoholic beverage into it. Sometimes it’s not about getting a buzz on. Sometimes it’s just about de-stressing and being fabulous.

Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!

Can You Judge A Reader By Their Book?

So as I mentioned in my blog a few days ago, I am now easing my way back into the dating scene. This last week I met a date at a local restaurant. I arrived prepared, wearing my smile, heels and invisible bullshit detector. I was sure that the combination would enable me to catch and lob back any curve balls he might throw my way. As is always the case on my dates with new men the conversation turned to books (oddly enough I’m never the one to bring this topic up).  After asking me a little about my own work and then admitting that he read nonfiction almost exclusively, the man I was dining with explained his theory that you could tell a lot about a person based on what kind of books they read.  “For instance,” he said, “what book is on your nightstand right now?”

Uh-oh.

It’s not that I didn’t have a book on my nightstand and I certainly hadn’t forgotten the title or the author. I am currently reading Jennifer Weiner’s Fly Away Home. I’m really enjoying the book and I’m finding it hard to put down...but do I want to be defined by it? That doesn’t seem fair at all!  As much as I love Weiner why does she get to define me? If any book is going to define me shouldn’t it be one of my own?!

Of course that was part of the problem.  All Mr. Nonfiction knew about my relationship with the literary world was that I wrote novels with titles like Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress and now he would know that I was spending my late evenings and early mornings reading a book that he would inevitably dismiss as fluffy chick-lit. Of course Weiner’s books, while fun and highly humorous, aren’t exactly fluffy. They deal with relationships, women’s roles in society and finding one's place in the world without bending to the force of others' unrealistic expectations.  But how on earth could I say all that without sounding absurdly defensive. It was, after all, possible, even probable that he didn’t think the question: “What are you reading?” was incredibly loaded and it was definitely probable that he would think I was crazy for thinking that it was! And it was very, very probable that his conclusions about the state of my sanity would be completely on target!

But then I realized that the question and the entire premise of his theory would be more sound if you were going draw conclusions about a person based on the last FIVE books they’ve read. If that had been his question I could have said, “I’m currently reading Jennifer Weiner’s Fly Away Home. Before that I read James Gleick’s Chaos (a nonfiction book about the development of Chaos theory), Toby Barlow’s Sharp Teeth (gritty and poetic novel about werewolves), Alison Weir’s The Lady In The Tower (a nonfiction account of the fall of Anne Boleyn), and re-read David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day (because Sedaris’ essays, while frequently poignant, always make me laugh out loud).

Weiner, Gleick, Barlow, Weir and Sedaris with my own books sprinkled in like little punctuation marks. Yes, you probably could at least partially define me by that combination. Fantasy, humor, feminine introspection, a small dose of neurosis, a bit of scandalous history, a little fluff and a little intellectualism (or, you could combine the last two qualities and say I’m into fluffy intellectualism).  Unlike my date, it would never occur to me to only read nonfiction anymore than it would occur to me to only read fiction and certainly not one genre of fiction. Perhaps that’s why certain...well for lack of a better word, book snobs are so dismissive and derisive of books like mine or Weiner’s.  Could it be that they don’t know how to mix it up? Are they like the wine connoisseurs who wax poetic about the $200 bottle of reserve Cabernet they consumed with last night’s dinner without ever being able to appreciate the truly refreshing quality of a $3 beer on a hot summer day?

Maybe.

Anyway, I decided to give my date the name of the last five books I had read even though that’s not what he asked for.  If you’re going to draw a conclusion about a person it seems to me that you should be able to consider as much evidence as possible.

In other words, you can’t judge me by the book on my nightstand UNLESS you add it to everything else on my bookshelf.

Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!

Recommend-A-Book-Wednesday: Alina Adams & Media Tie-In Novels

Every Wednesday I recommend a book for people to read, mostly fiction but sometimes I'll recommend a book that might be helpful for both published and aspiring authors. This time I'm going to do both. Alina Adams, a New York Times bestselling and award winning novelist, has written several romances and, more recently, several media tie-in novels. She is currently one of the most successful authors in the world media tie-in books, a genre that is currently extremely popular although many of us (including myself) know very little about the inner workings of that area of publishing. For those who are interested in what tie-in publishing is all about or think you might want to enter that area of the publishing field the new e-book,  Tied In: The Business, History and Craft of Media Tie-In Writing should have most of the answers you seek.  Adams contributed to that book so rather than review it myself or review her soap opera tie-in novels (which are incredibly fun and should appeal to all romance readers regardless of whether or not they watch soaps) I have asked her for an interview so that she can describe what she does and what her books are all about in her own words. So without further ado here's the interview. Enjoy!

Tell me a little about the tie-in soap opera books you wrote, Oakdale Confidential, The Man From Oakdale and Jonathan’s Story.

"Oakdale Confidential" was tied-in to the soap opera, "As The World Turns" 50th anniversary of broadcasting in 2006.  It spent several weeks on the NY Times best-seller list and was featured on the show itself.  "Jonathan's Story" was a tie-in to "Guiding Light," and told the story of several characters' exploits while they were off the canvas, so that you had to read the book to figure out their deep, dark (is there any other kind on soaps?) secret when they returned.  "The Man From Oakdale" also tied into "As The World Turns" and just won a Scribe Award for Best Tie-In Fiction at Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego.

Congratulations on the Scribe Award! How did all this start? What gave you the idea to write soap-opera tie-in books?

Soap fans are the most loyal fans in the world.  Sometimes, five days a week isn't enough for them.  They want to know everything about their favorite characters, and some things are just impossible to cover on-screen.  That's where the books come in.  Watching is one thing, but now you get to be privy to their innermost thoughts, too!

Was it difficult writing for characters that were created by someone else and who existed in a different forum? Was there any concern that you would write something that could interfere with a plot twist on the actual soap down the line?

The books were very much a joint venture.  I worked with the shows' producers and headwriters to make sure that what I wrote in the book worked exactly with what they were putting on the air.  As for writing characters created by someone else, it was a unique challenge, but a fun one!  These characters all come with so much (in some cases decades' worth) of history, which means they could do almost anything... except when they couldn't.

Did you write the books exclusively for the fans of the shows or do you think non-viewers would find the books appealing as well?

The goal from the start was to write books that non-viewers could enjoy.  The titles are all stand-alone, albeit they are also packed with in-jokes for fans in the know.  (How's that for having it both ways?)

Before you were writing tie-in books you were a bestselling romance novelist.  The genre is frequently dismissed by critics but others claim there is no better launching ground for a career in publishing than romance and many of the most successful authors in the world have chosen that as their primary genre. What are your feelings on the subject?  Do you recommend others start their careers in romance?

You should write in the genre you love.  If you love romance novels, then by all means, write romance.  If you don't, however - don't.  Readers are smart, they can smell insincerity.  Don't try to fake enthusiasm for angsty, teen vampires if you do not truly love angsty teen vampires - despite the fact that they are seriously selling right now.  Anything you write, do it with genuine passion.  Otherwise, it becomes... work.

You’re currently writing stories online for ANOTHER WORLD characters.  Can you tell me a little bit about this project and what inspired it?

"Another World Today" (http://www.AnotherWorldToday.com), the officially sanctioned continuation to NBC's soap, "Another World" and Mindy Lewis' Twitter (http://twitter.com/MelindaSueLewis), the on-going story of "Guiding Light," are Soap-Opera 3.0.  First there was radio, then there was television, and now, the Internet.  Both are ways to get your serial drama fix in a new way.  Mindy's Twitter is a daily family saga told 140 characters at a time, while "Another World Today" is updated twice a week and features narrative text as well as video clips.

Okay, I’m having a hard time conveying my own saga in 140 character tweets. I’m rather impressed that you can pull that off for a fictional character.  So who is your target readership for these stories and tweets?

I have two target audiences, soap fans, of course, especially those who still miss "Another World" and "Guiding Light" since they were taken off the air.  But also romance readers who may never have given soaps a try because it either didn't work with their schedules or because the concept didn't appeal to them.  Now that the soaps are in on-line text and video form, I hope fans of romantic family sagas will check us out and see what they've been missing (you can read us on your computer, your phone, etc...).  After all, when you really get involved with a story, you hate for it to end.  This way, it never has to.

Do you have any recommendations for those who are interested in writing their own tie-in novel? How would someone even approach a venture like that? Would they start by writing several chapters? Or just a proposal and outline to be presented to the people whose approval you need?

The Tie In Writers Association has just published an e-book, "Tied In: The Business, History and Craft of Media Tie-In Writing" covering all aspects of the business.  (I have a chapter dealing specifically with soap tie-in writing called, "Doing It Daily.")  It can be purchased via the "Another World Today" site: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/aw_today.html.  Just as a general overview, you don't want to write a proposal for a tie-in book.  What you do want to do is take your previously published work and make sure that it gets in front of the editor hiring writers for a given project, with a letter explaining why you would be a perfect fit to write this particular tie in.  Just being a fan of a show or movie isn't enough, it's good to explain why your style would mesh with theirs - having your own voice is great for publishing original work, but for tie-ins, you want to show that you can sublimate it to the larger vision.  Do not pitch story ideas until asked.  You get into all sorts of thorny legal issues that way.  And remember, most of all, if you aren't having fun writing... you aren't doing it right.  (And there are way, way, way many easier ways to make a living.)


Yeah, I can’t really think of any publishing job that is suited for those who want to get rich quick.  Thank you so much for explaining a genre that has, up to his point, been a complete mystery to me.

And again, for my author blog-readers who are interested in getting into the tie-in field I really do recommend you check out Tied In. I’m pretty sure it’s the only book out there that explains how to approach such a venture. And if you're a romance reader check out Alina's novels and online reads! . I haven't watched a soap opera in  years and yet I've thoroughly enjoyed them!

Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series
and
So Much For My Happy Ending
Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!