Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The End of Five Star Mystery Line

The volatility and unpredictability of the publishing world hit home last week for Five Star/Gale, Cengage authors. Our publisher has decided to drop the mystery line and focus on the Western and Frontier Fiction lines, though it will publish all those titles already contracted. I read through the list and found my name there, as I expected. Five Star will publish the fourth in the Anita Ray series, When Krishna Calls, and the fifth novel will sit unfinished on my desk a little longer, but I will finish it.

Five Star/Gale, Cengage appended a list of publishers of mystery fiction, to help authors find a new home for their work. This was considerate and I hope it will prove useful.

The ending of the mystery line hasn't upset me as much as I thought it would. My heart goes out to the other writers who have seen their first book pushed aside for months, contract talks silenced, and future books left in the slush pile. If I were at an earlier stage in my career, I would be devastated at least for a while, but too much has happened recently to let this drag me down.

For the last few years I've considered myself fortunate to be published with Five Star. They have a good reputation for their fiction lines, treat the writers fairly (at least they've always treated me well), and are easy to work with. But complacency is dangerous, and the jolt from Corporate probably means now is the time to try something new.

Perhaps the reason I'm so calm about the changes at Five Star is my perspective. Last year, in late 2015, Harlequin Worldwide Mystery accepted For the Love of Parvati, the third Anita Ray mystery, for the mass market paperback line, and then asked to see the second, The Wrath of Shiva, which they promptly accepted also. I didn't tell them they'd turned the book down two years earlier. But that was then, and this is now. New editor, new tastes, new policy. I signed the contract and received the first payment.

In February 2015, almost exactly a year ago, I sent Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine a short story. They accepted it yesterday. I had been thinking about withdrawing it, to save the editor the trouble of rejecting it. I wrote The Strand to withdraw a short story they'd had for almost two years and the editor said he never saw it and would I send it again? I did.

Well over a year ago an agent asked me about what I was working on, we talked, and one thing led to another, which in the end turned into a new novel. It's different from anything else I've tried, though it is a mystery. I like it, she likes it, and we hope someone else will like it. Who knows? But it is ready to go out into the world and find a home.

The day before I received the email from Five Star announcing the end of the mystery line I had sent a query about the seventh Mellingham/Joe Silva mystery. At the moment the novel is homeless, but I'm sure I can figure out something.

Five Star was founded by Ed Gorman and Marty Greenberg, to provide an opportunity to writers who were dropped by their publishers in the 1990s, when publishing went through a period of upheaval. Scribner went from 24 mysteries a year to 12, more stand-alones than series. Lots of well-published, talented writers were looking for a home for at least a few books, and Ed and Marty stepped up. Since then, the publishing world has changed even more, and the opportunities are now in self-publishing and the numerous small presses popping up all over the map. Writers have to be savvier and more astute in business practices, but the opportunities are there, just different.

I don't try to make sense of the publishing world. I write, I submit, I write some more. Change is inevitable, and it's been a fact of my professional life from the beginning. In 1985 I signed a contract with G.K. Hall, and the next day it was taken over by Macmillan.

I will miss Five Star in the years to come, especially the editors I've worked with. I have no idea what the future holds, but I invite the writers whose careers have been temporarily disrupted to consider this an opportunity to try something new and perhaps better. In any event, take the long view. There is always more to come.


25 comments:

  1. Patience in regard to two of my favorite mystery series is not on my menu.

    I can't wait! Another Anita Ray AND another Joe Silva!

    Where do I set up the picket line???

    Please just keep writing them. The publishers WILL get the message!

    A fan.

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  2. Kathleen, thank you for this wonderful note. It's a great morale booster.

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  3. Great post Susan. Same thing happened with the Expressions line. The Visionary was one of the last books published in that one. SAD...

    I wish ALL Five Star authors and staff the best of God's blessing!
    PamT

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  4. Thanks, Pam. We'll all survive and go on to other things. Five Star has done their best to cushion the blow.

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  5. Susan, it sounds as if you are doing amazingly well-- this may actually be a good thing for you -- though not so for many other authors. I almost signed with Five Star but picked Barking Rain Press -- so glad I made that decision.

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  6. Judy, thank you for your note. Yes, things look good now, but they were different a year ago when Worldwide hadn't taken a book for reprint, my short stories languished, and I had no idea what would happen with the next Anita Ray. That's why I tell people to think about the long term. Circumstances change, and in my case for the better. Yes, this newest change could be good for me also. Good luck with your work with Barking Rain Press.

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  7. Susan, you have a great attitude about this situation, which tells me you'll do well, no matter what happens next. I was really shocked to hear that Five Star was discontinuing mysteries. Westerns? I can't imagine they'd sell more of those than mysteries. But time will tell. Good luck to you going forward.

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    1. Thanks, Jan. Personally, I think they're making a mistake and should continue the mystery line. It's such a stable one. But we'll see what happens.

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  8. What's interesting is that I have a friend (actually former business associate) Stone Wallace, who was dropped by Berkeley as they are dropping their Western line, which is what he writes -- but then they are also downsizing their mystery line as well.

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    1. Judy, maybe your friend should try Five Star. I'm sorry to hear that about Berkeley--didn't know that. I have a lot of friends/colleagues who write for them. I guess we're in a period of upheaval--again.

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  9. Susan, what a great outlook to have in this crazy publishing business. Like you, I don't worry about the forces beyond my control. It wouldn't stay fun if I did!

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    1. Thanks, Gigi. I'm not sure how I would have handled this if it had occurred a few years earlier, but now is now. I'm looking forward to whatever the future brings.

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  10. Susan, thank you for your calm words and encouraging outlook. I am a Five Star orphan, with two books in a series published with them, but I am excited to explore other possibilities. I am grateful Five Star took a chance on me. Now, on to other projects!

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    1. Yes, Catherine, I too am grateful Five Star took a chance. I learned a lot, worked with a number of great editors, and have five books (so far) to show for it (with one to come). Change is inevitable. Good luck with your work and I hope you discover lots of opportunities.

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  11. Well put, Susan. Thanks for sharing your long-term perspective. And congratulations on all the new stuff, including the paperback contracts!

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  12. Thanks, Edith. As you know, we never know what's coming next. Good luck with your new series as Maddie Day.

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  13. Thank you for sharing your perspective. The industry changes are daunting for newbies like me to experience. It is encouraging to see how well your write and submit philosophy has worked for you. Best of luck!

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  14. Yes, Micki, this business is daunting but we're lucky to be in it. So keep writing and sending out and eventually you'll get where you want to go. Good luck. Thank you for adding to the discussion.

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  15. Hi Susan,

    Not sure if you know me but I work with Encircle Publications. Part of Encircle (ENC Graphics) were/are the cover design team for the Five Star line. We're trying to find a way we can reach out to all the Five Star writers affected by this move. We're now a fully fledged publishing services company that can help any independent author self publish and look as good as the professionals. You've already seen some of our work. We have editors, professional designers and all the other tools you'd need to see your projects to the marketplace. We're aware that many of the Five Star Mystery authors might not want to go the independent route and prefer the traditional model. We're not quite set up for that yet as our current main publishing avenue is poetry but we're certainly open to talking with Five Star authors about the possibility of teaming up and forming an imprint. At any rate. We know we can help you folks out. Feel free to reach out. You can visit our website at: encirclepub.com

    We look forward to hearing from you. Best of luck.

    Devin McGuire

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    1. Devin, I just reread your comment and realized I originally missed the part about your being a publisher of poetry. Thanks for reaching out to Five Star authors and keep us updated.

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  16. Thanks for sharing about The End of Five Star Mystery Line...........

    OnlineGatha - eBook publisher

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    1. Thanks, Vikash. I took a look at your site--very comprehensive and interesting.

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  17. Hello Susan,

    Thank you for your article. www.ePublishingWorks.com is currently working with a number of former Five Star Authors.
    Several authors have active series titles where the initial title in the series was published by Five Star and is still under contract. The Five Star titles aren't selling due to no marketing and generally lack-luster promotion. Are you aware of any situations where Five Star has released titles from their contract?
    It seems unfair to hold an author's work hostage, not promote it, and basically kill the sales of an otherwise good series.
    We've tried to reach out to Five Star with no success. We've even offered them a better deal than they have currently. It seems they can't think outside their current state or maybe I've yet to find the right person.
    Just wondering your thoughts.

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  18. Hello Susan,

    Thank you for your article. www.ePublishingWorks.com is currently working with a number of former Five Star Authors.
    Several authors have active series titles where the initial title in the series was published by Five Star and is still under contract. The Five Star titles aren't selling due to no marketing and generally lack-luster promotion. Are you aware of any situations where Five Star has released titles from their contract?
    It seems unfair to hold an author's work hostage, not promote it, and basically kill the sales of an otherwise good series.
    We've tried to reach out to Five Star with no success. We've even offered them a better deal than they have currently. It seems they can't think outside their current state or maybe I've yet to find the right person.
    Just wondering your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete