POISONED PEN PRESS / SOURCEBOOKS NEWS!

Poisoned Pen Press, one of the most respected mystery publishers in the world, is joining forces with top independent publisher Sourcebooks.

“It’s a privilege to integrate Poisoned Pen Press with an independent, innovative publisher that shares our core values and has raised teamwork to not just the way it operates but to an art,” said Barbara Peters, editor in chief of Poisoned Pen Press, and Robert Rosenwald, president and founder of Poisoned Pen Press, in a joint statement. “We know that what started small twenty-one years ago has, like Sourcebooks, continually grown. To enhance the experience of our authors and their readers, as well as of our staff, this is the right time, with a fantastic fit, for Poisoned Pen Press to become the mystery imprint at Sourcebooks. In conversations with our authors, they are equally thrilled to be moving forward this way.”

Sourcebooks will acquire the majority of Poisoned Pen Press titles as part of the deal. The Chicago-based publisher, which recently expanded into the mystery category, will add its own titles to form the Poisoned Pen Press imprint. The Poisoned Pencil young adult mysteries will move to Sourcebooks’s fast-growing Fire imprint, which currently accounts for 50 percent of sales reported by Bookscan in the young adult thriller category.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring Poisoned Pen Press’s illustrious name and roster of authors to Sourcebooks,” said Anna Michels, senior editor, Sourcebooks. “Over the past twenty-plus years, Robert and Barbara have curated a list that is unparalleled in terms of editorial excellence and appeal to the mystery reader, and our shared goal is to continue that tradition of publishing superb content while implementing a commercially oriented vision of wider distribution and increased marketing support. Sourcebooks and Poisoned Pen Press coming together really feels like a joining of powerful forces, and I can’t wait to work with Robert and Barbara to create amazing things for all the authors housed under this new imprint.”

Rosenwald founded Poisoned Pen Press two decades ago, inspired by new print-on-demand technology to bring books back into print, but it swiftly evolved into publishing new crime fiction. He named it Poisoned Pen Press in tribute to wife Barbara's legendary mystery bookstore of the same name. The press quickly evolved into an award-winning independent mystery press, publishing about sixty original books annually.

Poisoned Pen Press books have won or been nominated for every major award in the mystery genre. Peters and Rosenwald have been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bouchercon crime and mystery conference (2008), the Poirot Award bestowed by the Malice Domestic board of directors to honor individuals other than writers who have made outstanding contributions to the genre, and the Ellery Queen Award at the 2010 Mystery Writers of America’s annual dinner honoring writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry.

“We are thrilled to welcome Poisoned Pen Press’s extraordinary and diverse range of authors to the Sourcebooks family,” said Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks publisher and CEO. “I love the way that Barbara and Robert think about mystery, and I look forward to doing what Sourcebooks does best—building big success for Poisoned Pen Press authors with broader sales distribution and innovative marketing. We love to support fellow entrepreneurs, and I can’t wait to work with Barbara, Robert, and our new Sourcebooks staff to expand their amazing impact in the world of mysteries, suspense, thriller, and horror.”

Peters will continue to acquire front list titles as editor in chief of Poisoned Pen Press, while Michels will also acquire new titles and oversee the imprint. Rosenwald will stay on as director of development of the imprint. Most Poisoned Pen Press employees will be retained and continue to work out of their Scottsdale office. The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona, will remain under its current ownership.

About Sourcebooks 
Sourcebooks is a thriving entrepreneurial company that brings extraordinary authors to readers in the most dynamic, data-driven ways. We create books that transcend categories and defy odds and have been honored with hundreds of national bestsellers and awards. We are home to enthusiastic, book-loving employees who are dedicated to connecting books to readers in new and innovative ways. Story by story, book by book, we have touched over 100 million lives. Join us as we change 100 million more. Visit sourcebooks.com for more information.

Poisoned Pen Press to Publish British Library Crime Classics and Spy Classics Series in US

Here's something to celebrate. I spoke to Rob Rosenwald, President and Publisher at Poisoned Pen Press, at Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime about the PPP new venture--Publishing British Library Classics and Spy Classics in the U.S. I've now read several of these long unavailable novels, and I can tell you first hand that they're wonderful. Great books and beautifully done editions.

Here's the Press Release from Poisoned Pen Press.

Poisoned Pen Press announces the upcoming release of titles from the British Library Crime Classics series and the British Library Spy Classics series. Poisoned Pen Press will serve as the US publisher for the Crime Classics and Spy Classics series. 

The celebrated British Library Crime Classics and Spy series features historical mysteries rediscovered by the British Library. Focused on the Golden Age of British crime writing, the series includes works by both recognized and lesser-known writers. Poisoned Pen Press will release the first two titles in the Crime Classics series—Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston and The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude—in May 2015. Twelve additional titles, including two British Library Spy Classics, Trouble on the Thames by Victor Bridges and The Traitor by Sidney Horler, will follow later in 2015. Beginning in 2016, Poisoned Pen Press will be in sync with the British Library’s publishing schedule, with one title slated for release each month. 

Robert Rosenwald, President and Publisher at Poisoned Pen Press, said he was intrigued when initially approached about publishing the series in the US. According to Rosenwald, “The British Library Crime Classic and Spy Classic series are outstanding collections of books written at a time when there was no such thing as genre fiction. As a mystery book publisher with over 700 mysteries in print, we felt Poisoned Pen Press was uniquely positioned to fill the role of US publisher for these extraordinary series. We are thrilled to be able to bring these titles, many of which have been unavailable to the public for years, to the US.” 

Rosenwald added that Poisoned Pen Press is honored to publish works that laid the groundwork for popular crime fiction: “The British Library Crime and Spy Classics series provides important historical context for mystery enthusiasts. These titles are written by authors who were pioneers in crime fiction—the original masters of crime fiction writing. One of the May releases on our list, The Sussex Downs Murder is written by John Bude, which is the pen name for Ernest Elmore, co-founder of the Crime Writers’ Association. These are important books for readers, for writers, and for libraries.” 

Poisoned Pen Press will publish each title in the British Library Crime and Spy Classics series in both trade and eBook formats. Each title will feature cover art chosen by the British Library— smart, old-fashioned designs befitting these golden age crime tales—as well as introductions by well-known experts. 

Founded in 1997, Poisoned Pen Press is an independent publisher specializing in the highest quality mystery books. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Poisoned Pen Press is one of the largest publishers of hardcover mysteries in the world. Visit the new Poisoned Pen Press author blog and Discover Mystery™ at: www.poisonedpenpress.com.

Discovery Mystery Award

Poisoned Pen Press Announces the First Annual Discover Mystery Award: This Spring, Poisoned Pen Press will award a $1000 cash prize and publishing contract to the winner of the inaugural Discover Mystery Award.

This is a first book contest specifically for unpublished writers trying to break into the mystery genre, the Discover Mystery Award will include a $1000 cash prize, the Discover Mystery title, and a publishing contract from Poisoned Pen Press. The Discover Mystery Award is now open for submissions. Entries must be received by 11:59 PM Pacific on April 30, 2012, and the Discover Mystery Award will be presented on May 31, 2012.

For the first time in its history, Poisoned Pen Press is opening their submissions to previously unpublished writers through the Discover Mystery Awards Program. Writers now have the opportunity to submit their manuscripts to Poisoned Pen Press without the need for a query letter—or the worry of having a manuscript rejected outright.

Writers unpublished within the mystery genre are invited to submit their original mystery fiction manuscripts of between 60,000 and 90,000 words. A $20 entry fee applies for all submissions. For full details, eligibility requirements, and manuscript submission instructions, visit: www.poisonedpenpress.com/contest

Entries submitted for the Discover Mystery Award will be judged by members of the Poisoned Pen Press editorial staff, along with celebrity guest judge, Edgar® Award-winning novelist Dana Stabenow.

Jessica Tribble, Publisher at Poisoned Pen Press, stated, “At Poisoned Pen Press, we take our mission to discover mystery very seriously and pride ourselves on finding great new voices in the world of mystery fiction. We are looking for fresh, new voices and created the Discover Mystery Award as a means of giving unpublished mystery writers an open invitation to submit their manuscripts to Poisoned Pen Press. We would like to encourage writers to pull out that manuscript they’ve had hidden in their desks, dust off the keyboard, and finish that mystery, or finally do something about that novel idea that has been bouncing around in their heads. We can’t wait to see what we’ll discover.”

In addition to the grand prizes, Poisoned Pen Press will also provide support in publicizing the winning work, and sharing information with prominent booksellers. However, should no entry meet the standards of the editorial team, Poisoned Pen Press reserves the right not to declare a winner, or to offer the cash prize without publication.

2011 Library Giveaway from Poisoned Pen Press

Poisoned Pen Press announced the winners of their 2011 library book giveaway.  In conjunction with the American Library Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, Poisoned Pen Press offered librarian attendees the opportunity to win $500 in Poisoned Pen titles donated to a library of his or her choice.

The four winners, selected at random, are:
1. Denise Wilson, who donated to St. Charles Parish Library in Destrehan, Louisiana
2. Michael McIntyre, who donated to Lake County Public Library in Merrillville, New York
3. James Bennett, who donated to the Chazy Public Library Chazy, New York
4. Allyson Dyer, who donated to the Bristol Library in New Harbor, Maine

Each library will receive a donation of $500 worth of Poisoned Pen Press titles.

Robert Rosenwald, Poisoned Pen Press Publisher and President, commented, “In this age of budget cuts and library staff reductions, Poisoned Pen Press felt compelled to offer a special promotion for libraries. It was an honor to give back to the library community, a community that has supported Poisoned Pen Press, its mission, and its catalogue of titles, for nearly 15 years. We extend our congratulations to each of these winners and our special thanks to the loyal and dedicated librarians for their service to readers and communities across the country.”

Visit Poisoned Pen Press on the web at:  www.poisonedpenpress.com.  Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pppress

Good going, Poisoned Pen Press!

Vicki Delany: D is for Delany

The Alphabet Meme is rolling along, and glad that we don't have any purists in the group. We'll go back to C and here's another D. D is for Delany. Today I welcome Canadian mystery author Vicki Delany. Standalones vs. Series? Always a dilemma.

Vicki Delany's newest book is Among the Departed, the fifth in the Constable Molly Smith series from Poisoned Pen Press. If you’d like to read the first two chapters, go to: www.vickidelany.com. Follow Vicki on Facebook, www.facebook.com/vicki.delany and on Twitter @vickidelany.

VICKI DELANY: 
Standalones vs. Series

As all mystery readers know, there are two basic types of crime novels: Standalones and series.

Standalones, in which characters appear once, never to be seen again, verses series, in which the same character or characters feature in book after book.

As a reader as well as a writer, I am torn as to which I prefer.

A standalone novel gives the protagonist that one opportunity to achieve great things; to have that grand adventure; to meet the everlasting love of their life; to conquer evil, once and for all. In a standalone, the characters face their demons and defeat them.

Or not.

My first books were standalone novels of suspense. In Scare the Light Away the main character confronts, for one last time, the debris of her traumatic childhood. In Burden of Memory, the protagonist faces down the ghost of a past that is not hers, but is still threatening what she holds dear.

Then I switched to writing a series. And found that series novels present a different problem. The central character, or characters, confronts their demons, but they do not defeat them. Their weaknesses, all their problems, will be back in the next book. In each story the series character stands against, and usually defeats, someone else’s problem or society’s enemy, but she or he moves only one small step towards the resolution of their own issues, if at all.

It can be a challenge to keep the main character interesting and growing and changing but to do it so slowly that the reader’s interest in the character can be maintained over several books and several years.

In the Constable Molly Smith novels (In the Shadow of the Glacier, Negative Image), set in a small town in the mountains of British Columbia, Molly is haunted by the death of her fiancé, Graham. It was a meaningless, preventable, tragic death and, even in her grief, Molly knows that returning to the small town in which she grew up and becoming a cop won’t help her to make sense of Graham’s death. But she does anyway, and as the series unfolds, Molly is able to confront the gulf that Graham’s death has left in her life and, eventually, move on. By the time we get to the fifth book in the series, Among the Departed, Molly has put Graham’s death behind her, and said her good-byes. Now that she has a new man in her life, new problems arise. Here’s a sample:

As she headed for the passenger door, Adam pulled her into the shop doorway. The babbles on display sparkled in the lights of the windows, a row of gorgeous engagement rings front and center.

“See anything you like?”

She looked up at him, a joke forming on her lips. The words collapsed back into her throat. His dark eyes were serious, his handsome face intent.

She’d wondered why he parked on the main street when plenty of parking was available nearer the concert.

“Molly,” he said, his voice very deep.

She turned her head quickly. “They’re all beautiful. Dreadfully expensive I bet. Let’s go. I’m beat.”

She dashed for the truck, and whatever he had meant to say remained unsaid.

The series format allows me to slowly and gradually explore people’s complicated relationships while at the same time the police are working to find a killer.

Yet it is also important that books in a series don’t flow into each other so much that readers beginning a series in the middle will be lost as to what’s going on. It can be a balancing act, to create a plot that’s self-contained within each individual book, but still allows the characters to grow and to change over time.

Now that the fifth Molly Smith book is out in the world, I’m taking a break from Trafalgar and writing a new standalone for Poisoned Pen Press. New book, new characters, new setting, new challenges.

This one is tentatively titled Walls of Glass (also under consideration, More than Sorrow. Any opinions?) Like my earlier book, Burden of Memory, Walls of Glass is a modern gothic. The traditional British gothic is making a comeback. (Who knew? Not me when I started.) This style of book seems to be suited strictly to standalones. Consider: The character visits at a place with which they are unfamiliar. They come across a long-buried secret that has the potential to still harm people of today. The protagonist must uncover the secret by the end of the book and the consequences of that secret must be traumatic and important.

Hard to do that in a series, I’d say. It might be a bit contrived to keep coming up with yet another skeleton in yet previously unknown another family castle.

Series or standalone? Ultimately it is up to you and me, the readers, to decide.

I suspect we’ll vote for both.