Validation

I don’t know anyone who writes with the specific objective of winning an award. Nor do my author friends list best seller lists as their reason for creating.  It is still true that most of us long for those things, not so much for the sales and money those things bring but for their inner value.  Bestseller lists suggest love and respect from readers.  An Agatha award from Malice Domestic or a Lovey from Love is Murder is validation from fans of your genre.  An Edgar or Nebula award gives a writer validation from his or her peers.

I hadn’t thought about other possible sources of validation as a writer until I received an email from fellow mystery author Neil Plakcy.

I’ve known Neil for three years, since I reviewed his novel Mahu Blood for the International Thriller Writers’ newsletter The Big Thrill.  At the time it was the latest in his much-respected Mahu mystery series, set in Honolulu.  Neil also teaches at Broward College in Florida and recently contacted me because he was assembling materials for a new version of their mystery fiction course.

Neil had read my essay, “Black Ain’t Nothing But a Detective’s Color,” which was published in the summer 2007 issue of the Mystery Reader’s Journal.  In that piece I discuss how being Black makes a detective different.  I was pleasantly surprised when Neil asked permission to incorporate my essay in his mystery course. He explained that many of his students were coming from a multi-ethnic community and that my essay would be valuable to those students.  I could help them understand African-American characters in crime fiction. 

And more, it’s a Master Course which could be taught by multiple instructors over a period of years.  So going into the future it could be that hundreds of people who want to learn how to write mystery fiction will read my essay as part of their course of study.

Of course I still long for fan accolades, reader appreciation and peer endorsement.  But I never realized how much academic validation might mean to me.  It says something about my understanding of my genre that makes me glow with pride. 

And as I prepare to write the next Hannibal Jones novel I’m thinking that all I need to do now is live up to it.

Working the Web

I've been trying to get some buzz going for the imminent release of Russian Roulette and things are happening on line. You'll have to pardon my ego while I share my good fortune.

First, the Crime Critics website posted a very nice review of Russian Roulette, the very first advance review published. Crime Critics is one of the best mystery review sites on the net, and I'm flattered that they plugged my newbook so soon.

The same week I recorded a short promotional video for Russian Roulette, in which I personally explain my new novel. It's on You Tube and several other web sites.

Also, I was interviewed by mystery author Jean Henry Mead on her website, Mysterious People. She is an excellent interviewer who prompted me to reveal some new sides of my work.

And the lovely video trailer for Russian Roulette went live a couple days ago - it's down below this post. By now I'm sure you've found it on this page. Circle of Seven Productions does the BEST work!

Russian Roulette was not my only writing effort to turn up on line. A blog post on The Stiletto Gang highlighted the new journal called “The Writer's Journey.” This new manual for authors is a collection ofwriters' essays on the craft and business of writing fiction. It'salso obviously a journal with pages left for authors to write abouttheir own journey. Thirteen writers contributed to this manual,including yours truly. Aspiring authors can e-mail me at ascamacho@hotmail.com to learn how to get an autographed copy of the manual from me.

While monitoring the internet for my activity it is sometimes surprising what Google Alerts will turn up. I found out that you can order copies of The Troubleshooter in India. I had to do some research to figure out what Rs 1143 is in American money.

And finally, the trailer for Blood and Bone turned up on a web site for African American Scholarships. Maybe someone will use it for a fund raising event. Check the posting on African American Scholarships.

Will all this internet activity really translate into book sales? I'll let you know.