Inventing a Mystery Series that Sells: An Interview with Leslie Caine, Part I

DC: Bestselling authors Kathy Reichs, John Grisham and Robin Cook write thrillers based on their own professions (ie. Forensic Anthropologist, lawyer, doctor). You are a trained professional decorator. Do you think it's a good idea to "write what you know"? Is this a formula for success?

LC: If only it were that easy. I'm a firm believer in augmenting that adage to be: Write what you know and what excites you sufficiently to always want to learn more about. (Not exactly advice that trips off the tongue, is it?) I once spoke on a three-author panel entitled, "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit," and we all agreed that we weren't "telling lies," that our casts of characters-even though they exist only within our pointy heads-were exploring and experiencing truths about the human condition. Yes, I'm a trained interior decorator, I have a bachelors in journalism, and I'm also a trained computer technician and repaired computers for IBM for a few years. I can speak with authority about all three careers, but my heart pulled me the most strongly toward design. So that, for me, is the litmus test: finding wherein your passion lies and writing about that particular field.

DC: Most authors believe that the biggest factor in making an author a brand name is promotion. Literary agent and author Donald Maass disagrees in his book WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL. He thinks a great story matters above all else. He gives an example of one of his new clients who spent all of her advances and royalty earnings from her first five novels to her publicist. You have a publicist. What is your take on this? Is it a good idea to invest in a publicist when promoting a new book or series?

LC: I hired an Internet publicist because I recognize my weaknesses: I'm not a good salesperson. Most of my time goes into writing. I've been told that J.A. Jance once said that, to be successful in today's super-competitive marketplace, an author has to spend at least one hour promoting for every hour he or she spends writing. I would much rather hire someone to do this. I loved Donald Maass's book, and that's coming from someone who dislikes the overwhelming majority of writer how-to books. This is such a difficult business. Odds of making

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