Thursday, July 9, 2009

Organizations for Mystery Writers

I've been making a list of the organization websites I need to visit to update my book release information or add new blog posts. These organizations I've joined might be helpful to writers looking for additional ways to promote their own books. Today's post is especially for mystery writers.

Mystery Writers of America has the most extensive opportunity for regular members, offering an online author's page with bio, book covers, book synopses, and individual blogs. Sisters in Crime lists books in print for published authors. And our regional Sisters in Crime organization is gradually expanding the information listed for its published authors. These are the sites I'll be updating over the next week.

Mystery Writers of America and Author's Page

Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America (author news and links to websites -- no author page)

Sisters in Crime Authors/Books (in alphabetical order--no author page)

Sisters in Crime -- Rocky Mountain Chapter (authors' page and interview)

I have not yet established a presence on any of the mystery reader sites. Has anyone else tried them out? Do you think they're useful?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Haven't tried any since that's not my genre, but I think you're on the right track by checking them out.

Marvin D Wilson said...

I'm not in your genre so can't help much. But good start to a list!

The Old Silly

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

This reminds me that I need to send Sisters in Crime a check for my dues!

Reader sites....I'm starting on this, Patricia. I think they could be really helpful, but I don't want to seem like I'm horning in just because I have something to promote. So..I'm a little hesitant but really interested. Do you have a good approach to use with them?

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

joe doaks-Author said...

Patricia, you’re just becoming an invaluable source of information for me. Time and again, you do the “heavy lifting” of digging up and sharing useful sites and information.

For readers of this comment, let me share that Patricia knew I was casting about for some mystery-related information, dug up same, put it in an email and sent it too me. How nice is that. Graciousness is a wonderful thing.

Thanks, Patricia.

Best regards, Galen
Imagineering Fiction Blog

Patricia Stoltey said...

Aw, Shucks, Galen. So kind of you to say that. But it wasn't as much work as you might have thought. I gave a workshop at the Northern Colorado Writers Conference earlier this year and had handouts for mystery writers with some of that info on it.

Elizabeth, it appears most of the reader sites like authors to put their info out there and share a little of their personalities. I think long blasts of BSP are frowned upon, however. I'm interested in Library Thing (a fellow author an librarian led me to that one) and think I'll go there first. I like the notion of showing folks my "keeper" library and then seeing what they read and value as well. I think if you join in the spirit of participant, instead of author, if works fine.

There are also the lists such as Dorothy L. I love that one, and mostly lurk there as a reader rather than author, reading book reviews and following interesting discussions. I mostly post on that one if I've added a new author interview to the SinC-RMC site, do a mini-review of the latest good read, or when I have something of value to add to a thread. I don't self-promote there there very much.

Helen Ginger said...

Good sites Patricia. Have you thought of Murder Must Advertise?

Helen
Straight From Hel

Alan Orloff said...

How about International Thriller Writers?

http://www.thrillerwriters.org/