A quick update on some stuff

Including that I'll be going dark for a little bit...

Photo by Viktor Forgacs - click ↓↓ on Unsplash

Hey everyone! It’s been a minute. I just wanted to pop in to say things are going to get a little quiet around here.

Last week I met with my agent to discuss 2026 and beyond. Pretty soon all my current contracts will be fulfilled, so we have to go hunting for more.

This kind of thing happens every few years and it’s a little scary and a little exciting. Part of me fears that no one’s ever going to want another book from me ever again, or maybe I used up the allotment of words I get in this lifetime, and the tank is now empty.

But, it also means I get to work on new stuff! I like new stuff. Amongst that new stuff, if you’re curious, is:

• What I’ve been referring to as the “kid’s book,” which I wrote for my daughter, which my agent informs me is middle grade and not YA, and that’s fine. He likes it, and it needs a little work to get it ready for submission.

• I’m putting together a proposal for a non-fiction book that I am very excited about. It will be an incredible physical challenge and also requires a lot of travel.

• The assassins are not done—I’ve got ideas to keep me going after the fourth (which I’m almost done with). But also I’ve got some other books I’d like to write. Hopefully Putnam wants to keep me around!

• While me and my buddy Jeff are thinking of the Detour books as a trilogy, the third book isn’t officially signed yet… so, you know, tell your friends about it. Maybe buy an extra copy to level a table. Every little bit helps.

• I’m working on two TV pilots for… reasons.

Because I’m going to be pretty busy on my writing stuff, I’m putting a freeze on blurbs and freelance editorial work.

Freelancing is fun, but it takes time. As for the blurbs… I did something like a dozen in the past few months and I need a break.

I should note, too, as a policy going forward, I’m no longer doing pre-pub blurbs. That means blurbing books before they go on submission. I talked about why I don’t like doing them in the Ten Blurb Commandments, but just to reiterate…

Pre-pub blurbs should not be a thing. First, because the book might not be picked up, so that’s a bunch of time and effort for something that’s not a sure thing—I could have given that time to a book that was definitely coming out. Second, it creates a terrible precedent, that your ability to get published relies on who you know. It means that people who aren’t as connected are starting off on their back foot.

Dear agents and publishers, please stop this. It’s not fair to the author asking for the blurb, and it’s not fair to the author being asked. I’d love to say that we live in a perfect world where the work should speak for itself, and I know it’s doesn’t—but we shouldn’t be investing in mechanisms that make it harder on some people.

End rant.

Most likely, too, I’ll be stepping back from the conferences a little bit. I’ll be at Left Coast Crime in San Fransisco (partly to see family), but otherwise… I’m starting to wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze. It’s a huge investment of time and money to sit on a panel for 45 minutes and maybe sell a few books? Maybe?

I’ll miss my friends terribly, but that time and money is starting to feel like it would be better invested into the books I want to write.

So anyway, that’s where I’m at. I may pop in here from time to time. If you’re looking for a blurb or to work with me in a freelance capacity, or you’ve got an event coming up, or you’re looking for a short story for something—it never hurts to ask. You might catch me in a rest period where I can better commit the time!

Okay folks, time to do some work. See ya.