I was one of the first INKSHARES authors back in 2015. 

That manuscript was the only fiction I’d ever written and having heard the apocryphal tales of JK Rowling’s 500+ rejections before she sold Harry Potter, I felt vulnerable entering the competitive "Be My Agent! Publish My Book!" space. So I opted for INKSHARES’ kickstarter-type process and have never regretted it. That experience formed the foundation for my current full-time career as an author with an agent and two-traditionally published books! 

Still, getting one’s work in front of new readers is never easy.  

So here goes...

KILLER NASHVILLE READERS CHOICE: VOTE NOW

My latest mystery/thriller Under A Broken Sky is up for a 2023 National Reader’s Choice Award from Killer Nashville!! 30 seconds of your time to vote here now at the link below would  help others learn about my writing (and see INKSHARES "on my resume") through this fan-driven recognition!!  Nothing to buy. No list to join. Nominees are alphabetical by last name.  Deadline to vote is 9 PM CA time Monday July 31st. (Thank you for considering this, though I understand completely if it’s not a fit for you.)

 Happy Reading and Writing!  

ps If you’re  a writer engaged in the daunting process of chasing a preorder goal right now, stick with it. If you have questions  about that or other writer-ish  things, shoot me an email at kris@kriscalvin.com.

KRIS CALVIN 

https://killernashville.forms-db.com/view.php?id=246688&utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_campaign=Readers%20Choice%20Special%20Outreach&_kx=u-xkF4b_yvtEt_pbGyIy1XhFDggbrDTFWD0AnXBldqc%3D.XcKV6z

 No matter what type of publisher you have...

Publishing my first book with Inkshares  was the best thing I could have done for my career as an author! Today, I have my second book out, and it’s on a traditional contract with a NY publisher. But no matter what type of publisher you have, you have to  share your work yourself. I don’t think mass emails work. 

Below is the email I developed and sent individually to my close friends and colleagues to celebrate my new book birthday today. (Feel free to use as template/cut and paste if helpful.)

Wherever you are on your writing journey, hang in there and best of luck! If you’re a reader only, thank you for the support you give us! 

Best,

Kris 

Note: If you buy the book today, it will help support my fledgling career as an author since rankings of sales at launch signal to independent booksellers & Amazon that this is a book worth promoting and featuring! If you buy the book in the next 3 days—ebook, hardback, or audiobook—100% of the royalties will go to NoKidHungry.com, a nationwide effort to help end childhood hunger in the US. If you buy the book anytime, it helps. 

Publishing  Here and There...

ONE MURDER MORE, a traditional mystery, was one of Inkshares first books. Published in 2016, it was a good experience. I believe had I not gone with Inkshares initially, I would never have been published! I just didn’t have it in me to  weather the rounds of agent queries and unsold manuscripts that so many of my author friends describe. 

Once I had that first book "out there", I felt I  could take a chance on what might happen if I went the so-called "traditional" (old-school) publishing route.  My thriller, ALL THAT FALL, first for me in that genre, is coming out next week with a NY-based traditional publisher, Crooked Lane, distributed by Penguin Random House. 

My experience with the different types of publishers has, at least so far, been more similar than not. I’ve had about the same level of attention given to, both very responsive to my questions, and both (and I found this surprising with the traditional publishing) allowing me significant input into the title and cover design. With respect to marketing, both gave what you might expect  for an unknown author in a genre, meaning some (which is important, and I’m grateful for that) but not a lot. 

 

My advice if you are a writer is, to the extent you are able to (I know it’s hard), don’t worry too much about "how" you will get published. Try something, and if that doesn’t work for that book, try something else. The beauty (and the frustration) of being a writer in this day and age is you have options to get your book in front of readers, from  traditional to hybrid to self-publishing.  And you’re on your way, you’re on Inkshares,  that shows you’re serious about it!  

If you’re a reader or  writer and  interested in learning a little more about my path, my process and my books:

https://www.kriscalvin.com/meet-kris-calvin/

(Unfortunately, this update is balking right now at making the link live.  If it doesn’t work to click on it, you can get there by entering kriscalvin.com in your browser.)

Here’s a sampler (this link works): my interview this week in The Big Thrill Magazine: https://thebigthrill.org/2021/03/up-close-kris-calvin/…

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Happy reading and writing!

Kris 

Today I have a cameo over at WriterTypes!  Eric Beetner  and S.W. Lauden are genius authors in their own right, but they’ve also developed a  podcast for writers and readers that satisfies even non-podcast-junkies like me!  Author Interviews, flash fiction,  book reviews and an "un-paneled  panel". (That last is where  I  have my minute of fame!)  

https://soundcloud.com/user-910265603/writer-types-episode-2-joe-r-lansdale-jess-lourey-reed-farrel-coleman?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=twitter  

Please take a listen and let me know what you think. Thanks! 

Kris 

Does any author like to write  a synopsis??
I certainly don’t, but I need  one for my second Maren Kane  thriller.  Do you have comments/edits on the below draft?  Please be brutal!  I have no ego investment in  what I’ve written here. I think the idea behind a  synopsis is to keep it  short and easy to read, but to  include enough (hopefully) tantalizing details  to  make someone (you!)  want to read the book! Maybe  there are other goals? Thanks  for  any  thoughts/suggestions you might have. Kris

Under The Rainbow (Working Title) 

A Maren Kane Thriller 

Maren Kane is tired of the ugliness and stress of working in politics. She leaves her position as a lobbyist and partners with her sister-in-law to open a state-of-the-art preschool and childcare center just blocks from California’s capitol building in Sacramento. Given the location and Maren’s connections, the city’s elite line up to enroll their offspring. The governor is among the first, securing spots for his four-year old twin granddaughters. But when Maren’s best friend, Polly, is wounded in what appears to be an escalating gang war, Polly’s 15-year old son, Jake, goes missing with the Governor’s twins, and Maren’s beloved father, who she hasn’t seen since childhood, shows up Maren’s carefully-laid plans for a more peaceful life implode! With her dad in tow she sets out to find Jake, desperate to do so ahead of a government team who views Jake as a suspect and his life as expendable. Maren uncovers a murder and kidnapping plot linked to police and politicians, reeking of corruption and violence, and finds herself thrown back into a world she had vowed to escape, this time with potentially life-threatening consequences.

A little help? ... 

Please  consider "liking" my public Author page on Facebook. Click on the link below and then click on "like", that’s it! My FB posts  will not show up in your feed, there is no follow-up.

https://www.facebook.com/Kris-Calvin-152337814840172/

 By clicking like you help others know that I have "fans"/readers.  I have 300 "Likes", my goal is  400 by the end of the week. A heavy lift, but every "like" helps. (If you’ve already done so, THANK YOU! See below for one more way you can help.)

https://www.facebook.com/Kris-Calvin-152337814840172/

Thanks for everything!

Kris

ps  If you’re willing to go  an extra step, after you "Like"   my Author page, share on your FB  page and ask your friends to do the same! Thanks!

https://www.facebook.com/Kris-Calvin-152337814840172/

One Murder More is the winner of the 2016 Silver Falchion Award in the categories of Best First Novel, Best Political Thriller and Best Female Private Eye/Sleuth! 

I was nearly speechless at the podium all three times at the  award ceremony in Nashville last night, and haven’t improved much since!   

Thank you for your ongoing  kindness and support as readers and fellow writers, and to Inkshares for a terrific partnership that made my book a reality!

Kris  

What?? What?? What?? One Murder More = Finalist for 2016 Silver Falchion award in THREE categories: Best First Novel, Mystery/Crime Novel and The Judges’ Choice Award!  Past finalists for the Silver Falchion include Stephen King, John Sanborn, John Lescroart and Robert Dugoni. I’m headed to Nashville this weekend for the awards banquet at the incomparable #‎KillerNashville  conference! Will I see you there? (C’mon, use those miles, it’s Nashville!) "Killer Nashville is one of the most popular conferences in the country for writers and readers... Established by writer and filmmaker Clay Stafford in 2006, the conference assists authors in the craft of mystery, thriller, suspense and crime fiction writing. Stafford and American Blackguard, Inc. also work to further various literacy programs throughout the year. As a part of both encouraging and rewarding writers in their varied fields, the Silver Falchion Award is given to outstanding books published in the previous year." Thanks for taking this journey with me, and thanks to Inkshares for an incredible partnership! Kris    www.kriscalvin.com