Vincent Zandri's Blog - Posts Tagged "itw"
ThrillerFest Report No. 1
The following blog is now appearing at The Vincent Zandri Vox: http://vincentzandri.blogspot.com/201...
I've never been a huge fan of organized travel tours.
You know, eat when you're told, sleep when you're told, get off the bus and shop when you're told, use the bathroom when you're told.
For me, most of the fun and adventure of travel is getting lost and emersing yourself in the customs and lifestyles of the foreign destination you've landed in.
The same can be said of writers conferences.
I generally avoid them because it's one of those things where you have to be "on" all the time and subject to a schedule. You know, kind of like hanging out at the in-laws for the weekend. Anyone who's ever been married or close to me knows that I abhor schedules. I haven't had a proper job in almost two decades and when it comes to being on-time or one of the go-with-the-flow guys during the weekend college buddy get-together-on-the-golf-course, I can be relied upon about as much as the location of the next funnel cloud. I don't golf. It's too boring.
Ok, that said, I am however looking forward to this year's Thrillerfest in NYC, ITW's featured annual event of some pretty heavy hitting thriller writers. Naturally some of the attraction is NYC itself. The concrete jungle is one of my homes. I'm going to be speaking on the panel for "Foreign Destinations" at 3:00PM on Saturday, and I have a lunch set up with an editor on Friday, plus my publisher will be there, but otherwise, I will look forward to hanging at the bar with a bunch of other cool writers, and taking in some awesome restaurants, like Deux Amis on 51st street and second ave tonight.
This is a great year of change not only for writers but publishers, agents and marketing people also. So no doubt there will be some pretty lively discussions about our future. Things are so hot right now in the industry I wouldn't doubt it if some tempers begin to flair. But I would imagine all arguments will be friendly. Unlike visual artists, writers always seem to be in competition with one another, but organizations like ITW (and believe me, I usually stay away from organizations or any kind, including religious, academic and political) have a real benign way of bringing everyone together for a good cause and good time.
So "solidarity" is the word of the weekend at this year's ThrillerFest!!!!
More to come tomorrow when I will no doubt be nursing one of several anticipated hangovers!
Ciao Ciao for now!
Concrete Pearl
I've never been a huge fan of organized travel tours.
You know, eat when you're told, sleep when you're told, get off the bus and shop when you're told, use the bathroom when you're told.
For me, most of the fun and adventure of travel is getting lost and emersing yourself in the customs and lifestyles of the foreign destination you've landed in.
The same can be said of writers conferences.
I generally avoid them because it's one of those things where you have to be "on" all the time and subject to a schedule. You know, kind of like hanging out at the in-laws for the weekend. Anyone who's ever been married or close to me knows that I abhor schedules. I haven't had a proper job in almost two decades and when it comes to being on-time or one of the go-with-the-flow guys during the weekend college buddy get-together-on-the-golf-course, I can be relied upon about as much as the location of the next funnel cloud. I don't golf. It's too boring.
Ok, that said, I am however looking forward to this year's Thrillerfest in NYC, ITW's featured annual event of some pretty heavy hitting thriller writers. Naturally some of the attraction is NYC itself. The concrete jungle is one of my homes. I'm going to be speaking on the panel for "Foreign Destinations" at 3:00PM on Saturday, and I have a lunch set up with an editor on Friday, plus my publisher will be there, but otherwise, I will look forward to hanging at the bar with a bunch of other cool writers, and taking in some awesome restaurants, like Deux Amis on 51st street and second ave tonight.
This is a great year of change not only for writers but publishers, agents and marketing people also. So no doubt there will be some pretty lively discussions about our future. Things are so hot right now in the industry I wouldn't doubt it if some tempers begin to flair. But I would imagine all arguments will be friendly. Unlike visual artists, writers always seem to be in competition with one another, but organizations like ITW (and believe me, I usually stay away from organizations or any kind, including religious, academic and political) have a real benign way of bringing everyone together for a good cause and good time.
So "solidarity" is the word of the weekend at this year's ThrillerFest!!!!
More to come tomorrow when I will no doubt be nursing one of several anticipated hangovers!
Ciao Ciao for now!
Concrete Pearl
ThrillerFest: Day 1.25
The following blog is Now Appearing at the Vincent Zandri Vox: http://vincentzandri.blogspot.com/201...
Landed in NYC late last evening, but managed to crash the opening cocktail reception on the ballroom floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel beside Grand Central Station. Authors Steve DeWinter and Rebecca Holdsworth were already working the crowd. I bumped into...literally...Mysterious Bookstore Owner, publisher, and all around man-about-town Otto Penzler. When I said, "Hey Otto," he searched for a nametag on my person, but I hadn't yet registered. Finished the reception by chatting it up with Cosmo Editor in Chief and bestselling novelist Kate White, who hails not far from my hometown. What an awesome person.
My publisher and stud man, Aaron Patterson showed up at the hotel bar, and we downed a few while speaking about world domination for our StoneHouse/StoneGate titles. My own THE REMAINS jumped 3000% that afternoon to break the Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Kindle E-Books for the second time this year. Serendipity? Divine Providence? Freaking luck? Hard bloody work? Who knows...Probably all of the above.
Awesome steak frit and red wine at Deux Amis last evening in Hell's Kitchen.
Today, lunch with Abby Zidle of Simon and Schuster at 12:15, and from there, the Photographic Museum which is not far from here. Photo-journalism's home...
I'm hot...I'm on fire...It's my time....Or so I keep trying to convince myself...But that's just silly.
Mostly I'm just humbled by the collection of talent at this thing. Makes me want to write harder...
More to come....
Ciao Ciao
VZ
The Remains
Landed in NYC late last evening, but managed to crash the opening cocktail reception on the ballroom floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel beside Grand Central Station. Authors Steve DeWinter and Rebecca Holdsworth were already working the crowd. I bumped into...literally...Mysterious Bookstore Owner, publisher, and all around man-about-town Otto Penzler. When I said, "Hey Otto," he searched for a nametag on my person, but I hadn't yet registered. Finished the reception by chatting it up with Cosmo Editor in Chief and bestselling novelist Kate White, who hails not far from my hometown. What an awesome person.
My publisher and stud man, Aaron Patterson showed up at the hotel bar, and we downed a few while speaking about world domination for our StoneHouse/StoneGate titles. My own THE REMAINS jumped 3000% that afternoon to break the Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Kindle E-Books for the second time this year. Serendipity? Divine Providence? Freaking luck? Hard bloody work? Who knows...Probably all of the above.
Awesome steak frit and red wine at Deux Amis last evening in Hell's Kitchen.
Today, lunch with Abby Zidle of Simon and Schuster at 12:15, and from there, the Photographic Museum which is not far from here. Photo-journalism's home...
I'm hot...I'm on fire...It's my time....Or so I keep trying to convince myself...But that's just silly.
Mostly I'm just humbled by the collection of talent at this thing. Makes me want to write harder...
More to come....
Ciao Ciao
VZ
The Remains
The Future of Publishing: An Insider's Scoop
The following blog is "now appearing" at the Vincent Zandri Vox: http://vincentzandri.blogspot.com/201...
Just back from Thrillerfest sponsored by ITW, and my head is spinning with all that I learned "behind the scenes" from some pretty heavy-hitting insiders. I'm not going to name names or anything like that because most of what I'm about to tell you you already know or have surmised in your thoughts. But to hear these things spelled out and confirmed by some heavy-hitting legacy authors, editors, and agents hits home.
1. The mass-market paperback will become extinct in 2012. It will give away to the more popular E-Book.
2. Legacy publishers are smartly acquiring the E-Rights to their author's back-lists.
3. Many legacy publishers will be publishing E-Books beginning in 2012 at an average price of $2.99 in order to make them better able to compete in the marketplace. These E-Books will effectively replace mass market paperback.
4. More agents will become E-Book publishers in 2012
5. More agents will drop out of the business altogether in 2012
6. Many legacy editors who have been working in the business for 20 years or more, will become freelance editors.
7. Google E-Books will be the one online store to give Amazon Kindle some serious competition (maybe).
8. Barnes and Nobles will close more stores.
9. More traditionally published authors will explore both indy and self-publishing via E-Book in order to increase their bottom lines. At the same time, they will be reluctant to hand over E-Book rights to the legacy publishers.
10. The 2012 book signing phase of ThrillerFest will include technology that will make it possible for authors to sign E-Books.
11. E-Book Kiosks will soon become as common as Coke machines.
Well, that's just of a few of the changes coming down the pike. Like I've always said however, I believe it's in an authors best interest to engage in a variety of publishing. 1/3 legacy; 1/3 indy; 1/3 self. In a perfect world, that is. I'm still heavy on the traditionally based indy, but I remain open to the future of publishing and the tremendous opportunities that will be available to us as full-time authors.
Concrete Pearl
Just back from Thrillerfest sponsored by ITW, and my head is spinning with all that I learned "behind the scenes" from some pretty heavy-hitting insiders. I'm not going to name names or anything like that because most of what I'm about to tell you you already know or have surmised in your thoughts. But to hear these things spelled out and confirmed by some heavy-hitting legacy authors, editors, and agents hits home.
1. The mass-market paperback will become extinct in 2012. It will give away to the more popular E-Book.
2. Legacy publishers are smartly acquiring the E-Rights to their author's back-lists.
3. Many legacy publishers will be publishing E-Books beginning in 2012 at an average price of $2.99 in order to make them better able to compete in the marketplace. These E-Books will effectively replace mass market paperback.
4. More agents will become E-Book publishers in 2012
5. More agents will drop out of the business altogether in 2012
6. Many legacy editors who have been working in the business for 20 years or more, will become freelance editors.
7. Google E-Books will be the one online store to give Amazon Kindle some serious competition (maybe).
8. Barnes and Nobles will close more stores.
9. More traditionally published authors will explore both indy and self-publishing via E-Book in order to increase their bottom lines. At the same time, they will be reluctant to hand over E-Book rights to the legacy publishers.
10. The 2012 book signing phase of ThrillerFest will include technology that will make it possible for authors to sign E-Books.
11. E-Book Kiosks will soon become as common as Coke machines.
Well, that's just of a few of the changes coming down the pike. Like I've always said however, I believe it's in an authors best interest to engage in a variety of publishing. 1/3 legacy; 1/3 indy; 1/3 self. In a perfect world, that is. I'm still heavy on the traditionally based indy, but I remain open to the future of publishing and the tremendous opportunities that will be available to us as full-time authors.
Concrete Pearl
