OTTO PENZLER is one of the icons of the mystery-publishing and bookselling worlds. Yes, that Otto Penzler. Owner of New York’s legendary The Mysterious Bookshop. Founder of The Mysterious Press and Otto Penzler Imprints. Columnist. Edgar winner. Editor of multiple crime fiction collections. Even TV show host.
LINDA: What do you feel is the difference between a collector and a reader?
PENZLER: All collectors are readers, few readers are collectors. Collectors have a mission, which is to accumulate what they want to own and keep. If they are not collecting first editions, or another specific kind of collection (all Dell map backs, say, photoplay editions, books set in Paris, books by British women authors, biblio mysteries, etc.), they’re probably accumulating books, rather than collecting.
LINDA: Do you consider someone a collector if they buy paperbacks?
PENZLER: Only with the definition above. E-books? No. Later printings? See above. Signed first editions? Of course. Rare editions? Of course.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in your own book buying patterns?
PENZLER: I’m a bad example since I have about 60,000 books, virtually all first editions. My big change is that I buy far fewer books than I used to because it’s difficult for me to find good books that I don’t already have.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in others’ book buying patterns?
PENZLER: As a publisher (The Mysterious Press, an imprint of Grove/Atlantic) I have seen the same changes from, say, 10 years ago, as numbers of hardcovers have decreased, mass market paperbacks have decreased, trade paperbacks have increased, and e-book sales have skyrocketed. As a bookshop owner (The Mysterious Bookshop), again from 10 years ago, sales have been dramatically reduced, first because of the proliferation of chain stores (Borders and Barnes & Noble, especially), then, even more seriously, by the ubiquity of Amazon. However, over the past two years, sales have improved, possibly as a backlash against Amazon and the closing of so many independent bookstores, not to mention Borders.
LINDA: How do you feel about these changes?
PENZLER: I’d prefer to have more people buy books of any kind—stated as an author, a bookseller, and a publisher.
A remarkable duo in the arena is BARBARA PETERS and ROBERT ROSENWALD of the beloved Poisoned Pen Bookstore and Poisoned Pen Press, located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
BARBARA PETERS responds from the bookstore/bookselling perspective.
PETERS: I think of collecting books as like collecting art: signed first printings (not editions, you have multiple printings of a first edition) are the quest. Readers will read content on any platform. Collectors are looking to shape some sort of gathering of signed or unsigned first prints. But too often collectors don’t have a coherent plan: i.e., completists, a run of everything by a writer or writers; a collection by subject matter (all PI novels, all locked room mysteries, all spy novels, etc.); a collection by region (all Michigan authors or landscapes) etc. etc. Fewer people are risking first novels. Fewer are buying special limited editions.
In my case my collection keeps evolving, I discard some authors and take on new ones. Dictated by how I feel about later work. Or sometimes, sadly, how I might come to feel about an author since a hazard of working with them is that occasionally one grows disenchanted. Sad but true. People who collect art seem able to move past the personal but who knows if they might if they worked alongside an artist.
ROBERT ROSENWALD, publisher of Poisoned Press, is Barbara Peters’ partner in crime—and in life.
LINDA: What do you feel is the difference between a collector and a reader?
ROSENWALD: Regarding books, I feel it’s important to distinguish between a collector and an acquirer. In my opinion for someone to be deemed a collector he must be passionately interested in the subject(s) he collects, learns all he can about his subject, reads all he can in that area, and primarily concerns himself with the integrity of his collection. An acquirer, in my opinion, is more concerned with the value of his collection than the integrity of it. I feel that all collectors are readers but not all readers are collectors. The distinction among formats is irrelevant to whether one is or is not a collector, although the monetary value of a collection is certainly affected. But I see no distinction between a collector who has a mix of used paperbacks, ebooks, signed first editions, and audio books and a collector who has nothing but signed first editions and rare edition other than what their collection is worth in money TO SOMEONE ELSE.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in your own book buying patterns?
ROSENWALD: I don’t buy as many Dover editions. I almost never buy poetry any more. I buy more business books.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in others’ book buying patterns?
ROSENWALD: It seems to me there are more acquirers than there used to be and probably about the same number of collectors. I think that many of the more successful bookstores have imbued in their customers a desire to acquire books under the rubric of collecting and thus been able to expand sales. I am neither dismissing this behavior nor criticizing it—just commenting on it—and in fact I complement those who have done so. I do think that books have considerable value and that a group of books (may commonly be) called “a collection,” (but it) rarely is actually one, though the difference may just be semantic.
MAGGIE GRIFFIN, formerly co-owner of the infamous Partners & Crime—now closed, but once one of NYC’s hottest crime fiction bookstores—and currently web maven and more for thriller author Lee Child (and others) provides her perspective.
LINDA: What do you feel is the difference between a collector and a reader?
GRIFFIN: The difference is in how they treat the books they own. Collectors treat them with care so they remain as pristine as possible—sometimes buying a copy to read and another copy to collect in order to leave one copy unaltered. Readers are looking for a good read, they often share their books with others and aren’t obsessed with how the book looks or where they purchase it (new, used, from the library, or borrowed from a friend). For them it’s solely the story that matters. With collectors it can be the story but also the legacy of the author, the scarcity of a first print, the uniqueness of a signature and/or inscription. So many details for a collector, and so less complicated for a reader.
LINDA: Do you consider someone a collector if they buy paperbacks? E-books? Later printings? Signed first editions? Rare editions?
GRIFFIN: All the above, except for e-Books and later printings, can be valuable collectibles as you know. I think readers who collect later printings are a different breed because they’re keeping favorite author/series near to hand to reread at their leisure or as a way to keep the story fresh in their minds, like when you pass a favorite book on a shelf and it makes you smile because you just love that book.
E-books? They’re engineered to collect like dust on a DVD player but they have no value beyond the story itself. Seriously, when I’ve purchased an e-book that I end up hating—it still becomes part of my cloud library. I’m not about to delete it permanently—keeping it around is a great way to remember which authors or series you want to avoid in the future (and ensures you won’t accidentally buy it twice.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in your own book buying patterns?
GRIFFIN: Still reading like a maniac.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in others’ book buying patterns?
GRIFFIN: Linda, I’m out of the retail biz for a year now but I sense that digital book sales, while still in a growth pattern, aren’t doubling and tripling when you’re not looking (as they have done in the past upon occasion). Can it be that a predictable percentage of e-books vs. print editions will be possible for publishers soon? We can hope!
LINDA: How do you feel about these changes?
GRIFFIN: I’m a big advocate of digital books for all the obvious reasons. In a sales environment, e-books are on a level playing field with digital movies, games and music—they can all be impulse buys. Bu
ying a book in a bricks and mortar store requires you to remember the name of the author and/or book, that the store be open when you walk by, that the book be in stock when you’re there...An e-book can be purchased two seconds after your friend recommends it if you’ve got your smart phone with you. Voila!
That said, I expect a lot more from the technology and it’s not there yet. I still prefer reading print books.
SCOTT MONTGOMERY is the crime fiction coordinator at BookPeople, a highly popular bookstore in Houston, Texas...(Scott received his initiation into the crime fiction sales world at The Mystery Bookstore Los Angeles—and, for his sins, survived and thrived).
LINDA: What do you feel is the difference between a collector and a reader?
MONTGOMERY: For me it’s a difficult to separate the two, since most of the collectors I know, love to read. I would say someone who is “just a reader” has little interest in acquiring. They have no problem selling or giving away most of the books they read. A collector is looking for certain authors or printings to obtain.
LINDA: Do you consider someone a collector if they buy paperbacks?
MONTGOMERY: I have a lot of collectible paperbacks. Many because of the artists, like Sternankos Shadows or Frank Frezetta’s covers for Robert E Howard. E-books? I’d say no. It’s hard to consider someone a collector if they don’t have to negotiate home or apartment space. Later printings? Yes. One of my prize possessions is a signed copy of my favorite Elmore Leonard novel, Freaky Deaky. 3rd printing, but it reminds me of the day I discussed the book with him, while he autographed it. Signed first editions? Definitely. Rare editions? Of course.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in your own book buying patterns?
MONTGOMERY: I tend to focus on older books, because of the e-book, many authors seem to have less chance of being reprinted.
LINDA: What changes have you noticed in others’ book buying patterns?
MONTGOMERY: Our store has had its best years in the last four. There seems to be a better awareness of titles. (I noticed this change) about four years ago with the rise of the e-book.
LINDA: How do you feel about these changes?
MONTGOMERY: I think since the e-book and social media groups ...have created more conversation about books and books stores that have adapted to the changes are thriving.
Linda S. Brown was the Assistant Manager of The Mystery Bookstore Los Angeles for six years, where she leveraged her love of crime fiction into a position in which she developed and coordinated author events, acted as liaison with publishers and public relations firms, and coordinated media campaigns. Linda is now Book Lover at Large, reviewing and blogging about crime fiction for her own blog among others. And a full-time mom.
[email protected]
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LindaSueBrown
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/linda.s.brown
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Powerful and Fast Paced Adventures
By Amy Alessio
Issue 56
Teen mysteries continue to thrill with exciting plots and tight action. More and more adult readers are discovering why books for teens still dominate the bestseller lists and movies.
In the sequel to her bestselling The Testing, adult and teen author Joelle Charbonneau brings readers back into the future with Independent Study. Cia is forced to study Government, her last choice, for her career. She can’t bring herself to believe the recording she made of what happened to her during the Testing. But she discovers that students who drop out are indeed killed, and that motivates her to investigate further. Her new field places her close to governmental leaders and though she has to undergo more rigorous and dangerous quests, she is learning more about who is behind the murders and plots in her society. This trilogy is gaining momentum with plenty of action and shocking surprises.
The Taking by Kimberly Derting combines science fiction with mystery for an out of this world experience, literally. Where could sixteen year old Kyra have gone for five years? All she knows is that she was fighting with her father one minute, saw a flash of light, then woke up in a gas station—five years later. She still had on the same clothes, and has not aged. Everyone around her has changed, from her parents to her boyfriend. Her father talks about alien abduction, and doctors are confused by her medical status. She finds others like her and some enemies in this exciting start to a new series.
After Jenna Samuels collapses and her brother races her to the hospital, everything changes. She learns she has not been sick recently, but poisoned, and her brother is now an angel after being in a crash on the way to the hospital. Everyone can see him, and he, Jenna, and his new heavenly boss Amber put the clues together to solve the mystery that led to him entering The Sweet Dead Life in this funny new series from Joy Preble.
The black and white panels of the graphic novel mystery The Lost Boy lend to the spooky sense and pace of this engrossing missing person story. Nate finds a tape recorder in the room of his new house and finds himself involved in the long ago story of a missing boy. A local girl helps him gather clues as dark forces gather in the woods on the edge of town. The swirling energy is related to the Lost Boy and Nate tries to learn what happened before it is too late for the town.
In an emotional and realistic Edgar nominee title, Criminal brings readers back through what happened to Nikki when she loved her boyfriend Dee and would do anything for him, as she relates the story from prison. Nikki was charged with helping with a murder. She drove Dee away after he said things went wrong and he had to shoot someone. Now in prison and thinking back, Nikki sees that Dee had motives for using her that she never suspected. Facing the truth isn’t easy.
Author Tom McNeal combines mysterious cakes, a ghost, and a boy in his clever intrigue, the Edgar nominated Far, Far Away. Jacob Grimm narrates this from his ghostly state, and follows the story of Jeremy and Ginger and what happens to them after eating the enchanted Prince Cakes. The Finder of Occasions is watching and waiting for something the reader knows not. Jacob can talk to Jeremy but the boy has to save himself and others in this marvelous intersection of history, fairy tales, and modern mystery.
All the Truth That’s in Me is narrated by a young woman who can no longer speak, but who can tell readers her story with evocative scenes juxtaposed with her stark new reality. Judith and another girl from the small town of Roswell Station disappeared two years ago, and only Judith returned, mutilated. The judgmental townsfolk, and even family members, now regard her with revile and suspicion. She does find some allies and soon the strength to communicate again, to save her town. It is easy to see how this unusual, excellent title earned an Edgar nomination.
Readers will find stories and characters to remember with these thrilling selections.
Works Mentioned:
Berry, Julie. All the Truth That’s in Me. Viking, 2013. ISBN 9780670786152.
Charbonneau, Joelle. Independent Study: The Testing, Book 2. HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014. ISBN 9780547959207.
Derting, Kimberly. The Taking. HarperTeen, 2014. ISBN 9780062293602.
McNeal, Tom. Far Far Away. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. ISBN 9780375849725.
McVoy, Terra Elan. Criminal. SimonPulse, 2013. ISBN 9781442421622.
Preble, Joy. The Sweet Dead Life. Soho Press, 2013. ISBN 9781616951504.
Ruth, Greg. The Lost Boy. Graphix, 2013. ISBN 9780439823319.
Amy Alessio is an award winning teen librarian. Her latest reference title is Mind Bending Mysteries and Thrillers for Teens (American Library Association, 2014). Her first young adult mystery Taking the High Ground was published in 2013 by 4rV Press. She has adult mystery short stories with recipes available for Kindle. She is obsessed with Vintage Cookbooks and Crafts. Learn more at http://amyalessio.com/.
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Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy
By Erica Ruth Neubauer and Beth McIntyre
Issue 56
DANCER, DAUGHTER, TRAITOR, SPY is a young adult (YA) set during the 19
80’s. The main character Marina, is studying at the Bolshoi ballet company in Moscow. Her mother Sveta is a famous prima ballerina, but she has a problem: visions of terrible things that have happened in the past. When Sveta sees something terrible that the Russian government covered up, she cannot keep silent, and winds up institutionalized. Marina and her father have to flee the country and seek asylum in America. Marina isn’t sure who to trust in her new life—it seems that her father is keeping company with the local mafia, and that her new dance partner may be much more than a dancer—he may be a spy. Marina must decide who is telling her the truth—and who may know the truth about her family.
Erica Ruth: Tell the truth Beth. Is the reason you liked this book so much because it has to do with the ballet?
Beth: That may be some part of the truth, or A truth if not THE WHOLE truth, and it’s for sure true. Yes. I liked this book because it had to do with the ballet.
Crimespree Magazine #56 Page 9