Low E-book Pricing: Is Cheaper Cheapening Books?

By - August 4, 2012

Does the selling of e-books at cheap prices hurt the publishing industry overall? Are authors with six-figure deals the only ones affected? A few thoughts on self-published e-books, their price points, and why either matter. Read more »

What's the Big Idea?

By - July 19, 2012

One of the things every writer will be asked at some point or another whether they're published, unpublished, trying to publish, or anything in between is, "Where do you get your ideas?" Over the years, I've answered this question many ways. The top two answers (depending on whether or not I'm controlling my smartass gene on any given day) traditionally have been... Read more »

Thrilled!

By Colby Marshall - July 16, 2012

I just arrived back home from Thrillerfest, a four day long conference in New York City that celebrates thriller books and those who write them. I heard some great panels and learned a lot from bestselling authors like Sandra Brown and Catherine Coulter. I particuarly enjoyed panels featuring Peter James and Ann Rule. Jack Higgins took over this year as Thrillermaster. I got to pick up some brand new books by some of the ITW writers as well as had a chance to network with some of my favorite thriller writers such as R.L. Stine, Jon Land, Lisa Gardner, and more, as well as a chance to meet some authors I'd never had the pleasure of knowing before. (The picture at the right is of me with one of my absolute favorite authors, Lisa Gardner, author of domestic suspense.) Read more »

The Blood and Guts of Publishing

By Colby Marshall - July 8, 2012

I'm so excited to announce today that the ink has dried on my contract, and my debut thriller, CHAIN OF COMMAND, is set to be published in 2013! Which brings me to the reason for this post today: the glamour of that beautiful day when the contract made it to my hands. Read more »

Performance Anxiety for the Keyboard

By - May 31, 2012

You might read that phrase and think it's about one thing and one thing only, but the truth is, performance anxiety can exist in the writing world. For this thriller writer, it's that horrible fear that, as your reach the climax of your story, you won't be able to please the reader the way you hope to (Oh, baby!). Read more »