Literary Spotlight: Steve Rigolosi

Steve Rigolosi is the director of market research and development for W.H. Freeman & Co. a scientific publisher and the author of Tales from the Back Page series. His first novel, Who Gets the Apartment? won Deadly Ink’s Award for Best Mystery of 2006. His second book in the series, Circle of Assassins followed in 2007. Androgynous Murder House Party was released in June.

Q: How has being in marketing influenced the ways in which you market your books? Any tips for other writers?

A: I think one thing the job has taught me is that all marketing messages have to be clear, direct, and simple. Subtlety gets us nowhere! The most important thing about marketing a book is being able to describe it in two sentences that grab a person's attention. I find that the people who are most interested in my books are the ones who ask questions after I tell them a little about the series. If the conversation ends after my oft-rehearsed synopsis, I usually take it as a sign that I haven't landed a new reader! I also think it's important to talk about the tone of your books. So, for example, if someone asks me, "Which of your books should I read?" I usually ask, "Do you prefer something light or serious?" If they say "serious," I recommend Circle of Assassins. If they say "fun," I recommend Androgynous Murder House Party.

Q: Androgynous sleuth-narrator Robin Anders moves along the story of your new book, Androgynous Murder House Party. You have said that “you not only have to guess who the murderer is, you have to guess if he’s a man or a woman. In fact, you have to guess the gender of ever main character in the story.” How is this mystery -within –a- mystery a way to create a unique niche within the genre?

A: On one level, I think it plays with the most basic facet of human existence--whether a person is male or female, and how communication styles differ among the genders. So it's a suspense technique to keep people reading to the end of the book, because they have to figure out not only whodunit, but also the gender of all the characters. At another level, though, the whole idea is to grab people's interest in a market where it's really difficult to gain any attention because the competition is so intense. I'm hoping that readers find the idea provocative enough that they're willing to try reading AMHP instead of, say, the latest Janet Evanovich or James Patterson.

Q: Considering the stiff competition in the mystery market, how important is it to find such a unique twist to attract readers?

A: I think it's extremely important, but it's so hard to answer this question in the abstract. I think so many professional mystery writers actively try to appeal to their audiences, but there are so many ways to do it. The hook can be extremely simple or extremely complicated. At the simplest level, you can try to appeal to people who love cats or dogs, and you'll have a built-in audience. At the more complicated level, you can try playing with narrative structure, the timeline, or character development. I like to try new things that will keep the readers guessing, or give them a reading experience that they haven't had before.

Q: When asked, you described your writing as “quirky.” Explain.

A: I think it's "quirky" in that I haven't tied myself down to one series character, and each of my three books has a different style and tone. So I think it's quite possible that someone who loves Androgynous Murder House Party (and God willing there will be some) might go to Circle of Assassins expecting something equally outrageous and satirical, only to be disappointed because Circle is much more of an intensely psychological book.

Q: Many well known authors tout the advantages of signing with a big publishing house. What are some of the advantages of having your book published with an independent publisher like Ransom Note Press?

A: My editor and publicist have been hugely supportive of my work and have encouraged me to try new things and not to worry about sticking to a formula. Having that kind of support is extremely helpful when you're trying to juggle a lot of other responsibilities, including a full-time job and a long commute. I also feel very grateful to Ransom Note Press for being willing to take a chance on a new novelist at a time when it's harder and harder to get published or find a dedicated agent. My editor is a wizard with words and has improved each and every one of my books, and my publicist comes up with great tag lines. He's the one who came up with "Can the mysteries of gender and sexuality be solved?" for Androgynous Murder House Party. I love it and wouldn't mind seeing it on bumper stickers!

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact, Touching The Dead and Vampire Resurrection, and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.