Thriller writer, archaeologist and traveller
In 1997 I wrote a crime novel in which villains exploited this thing called the Internet - it was science fiction, I was told, so was never published. In 2025 it would be old hat. I was an early user of the internet, having flirted with JANET at university in the 80s then using the... Continue Reading →
#17 in an occasional series on writing non-fiction If you are self-publishing or are with a small press who will play ball, you can employ a number of sophisticated strategies, particularly if promoting e-books outside your local region. You will need to study the various techniques on offer and apply them rigorously. These are in... Continue Reading →
#16 in an occasional series on writing non-fiction As marketing is such a big subject, I've spread it across three blogs. Here we have a quick look at the mechanics of your book marketing plan in the twenty-first century. Identify market channels before you even begin to write. If your primary audience will be inhabitants... Continue Reading →
#15 in an occasional series on writing non fiction The cover image is a bit of fun - it's not the way to market a book! Marketing is the really tough challenge and can take as much time as writing the book itself. I’m not a marketing expert and it’s something I have personally struggled... Continue Reading →
#14 in an Occasional Series on writing non-fiction If you are an aspiring novelist, this is where your dreams can die. A minority of people who start writing a novel succeed in completing a readable book, and only a fraction of those will find a traditional publisher. Sadly, unless well written and edited to high... Continue Reading →
The name's Monaghan, Jason Monaghan. Conference Season morphs into Crime Reading Month and I was off around Yorkshire talking at library events. First stop was Wakefield, with panel sessions in the main library and useful chats with fellow writers out in the lobby where several of us set up stalls. Curiously for a crime writing... Continue Reading →
June is National Crime Reading Month, with events being held at libraries and bookshops all over the country. I'll be appearing at three events. The first is a free all-day event at Wakefield Library with a host of other authors - I'm on the 'Murder Mystery' panel. It will be a popular day so booking... Continue Reading →
Four days of panels and author interviews, up to three parallel sessions and a lively atmosphere where writers and readers of crime fiction mingle in equal quantities; that's Crimefest. I could fill the blog with simply a list of speakers and topics, but instead will focus on a few inspiring writing ideas coming from the... Continue Reading →
Conferences and festivals come thick and fast this time of year. Normally, April sees the Crime Writers' Association annual conference, but it wasn't to be held this year. As soon as we heard the news, half a dozen of us in the conference bar decided to bag the now vacant slot in the calendar. Over... Continue Reading →
Suddenly we’re out of winter and into conference season. It’s a joyful time of travel, meeting friends and colleagues, and talking writing or archaeology (and sometimes both). Conferences and festivals tumble one after the other in the run-up to Easter, which is why I haven’t been blogging and now have a backlog to report on.... Continue Reading →