Japan's largest publisher has bought the rights for Whiskey
Sour. I'll post more info as it comes in.
Since I'm a big fan of Japanese pop culture, I find this
extremely cool.
12/13
Sisters in Crime Annual Luncheon
Sisters in Crime is one of the largest mystery organizations
in the world, and I was thrilled to be keynote speaker at
the Midwest Chapter's annual holiday bash.
The lunch went very well. I met a lot of great people,
bored the audience for a solid 90 minutes, and gave out a
lot of free stuff.
If you aren't a Sister yet, what are you waiting for? Get
with the program and join up at www.sistersincrimechicago.org.
12/10
Cemetery Dance Magazine Sale
My short story Forgiveness was just picked up by Cemetery Dance, widely
acknowledged as the premiere horror market in the world.
The tale asks the age-old question, "What happens to
serial killers when they get old?"
The answer, I assure you, is nasty.
Scheduled for issue #48, coming out March of 2004.
12/08
Futures Mysterious Anthology
Sale
Are you an FMAM reader? If you're a mystery fan, you should
be.Futures Mysterious Anthology
Magazine has been one of the bright lights in the
mystery fiction world for the last seven years.
My story Whelp Wanted is appearing in their October issue
in 2004. It features one of the ongoing characters in the
Jack Daniels universe--her ex-partner turned P.I. Harry
McGlade.
Harry has done it all, but he's about to add dognapper to
his resume. When a rich client hires Harry to find his
stolen Shar-pei, McGlade believes he has a sure-fire
scheme to get it back.
But with Harry McGlade, nothing is ever sure fire...
12/01
Whiskey Sour E-Book
Lt. Jack Daniels and company have entered the electronics
age. Besides the hardcover of Whiskey Sour coming in 2004,
Hyperion is also planning to release the title in several
electronic formats.
So you'll be able to download a shot of Jack to your Palm,
Microsoft Reader, Adobe Ebook, or computer.
11/09
Publisher's Weekly Article About
Me
Well, not a whole article, but a nice mention in an article
about series characters in mysteries. You can read the
article here.
Somehow, PW printed my name as Bill. I double-checked my
birth certificate, and found that they are incorrect. My
name is actually Joe. My editor, Leslie Wells, has no idea
how they made the mistake.
Personally, I was considering changing my name to Bill
anyway, so it's very serendipitous.
11/04
Writer's Digest Magazine Sale
Want to find out what happens after you sign with a big
publisher? In the June issue of Writer's Digest, I tell all.
From galley edits to soliciting blurbs, my article After the
Sale goes into depth previously unseen in the world of
How-To magazines.
Two more of my horror stories will soon be hitting a
bookstore near you. The multi-talented Jeanne Cavelos is
currently editing The Many Tales of Van Helsing
anthology for Ace books. It will include my novella The
Screaming. The trade paperback will be released in
April of 2004.
Also scheduled for print is Redux , a tale of ghostly
vengeance for the upcoming anthology
Spooks to be
released by Twilight Tales
sometime this year. I'll keep you posted.
10/24
Magna Cum Murder Mystery
Conference
Magna is the longest
running writing conference in the world, held yearly in
Muncie, Indiana. I met a lot of cool people, gave a way a
lot of free chapbooks, and had a wonderful time.
Next year it promises to be even better. If you're free,
check it out.
10/21
How to Land a Literary Agent
One Night 7-10 PM College of Dupage Continuing Education in
Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Go to www.cod.edu for more
information.
We all know the Catch-22 of publishing-- you can’t get
published without a literary agent, and you can’t get an
agent without being published. But this is not true!
Instructor Joe Konrath had three agents (and offers from a
dozen more), without publishing a single word. Whether you
write fiction or non fiction, this course can show you how
to get a New York agent’s full attention. Bring a snack,
your book proposal, and your questions about the
publishing industry.
Missed the class? Don't worry, I'll be teaching it again
this Winter.
10/13
Schaumburg Township District
Library
I'll be doing a "Publish Your Fiction" workshop with Robert
W. Walker from 7PM to 10 PM.
Check out www.stdl.org or
call 847-985-4000 for more info. The Schaumburg Library is
one of the biggest and best in the Midwest. This class is
free, but space is limited, so arrive early!
10/1
Live HWA Chat at 9:00pm Eastern
Missed the chat? No problem! The entire transcript is
available on my website.
Go to the Tips Page to find
out the real story behind my publishing contract, my
career, and my many secret shameful fetishes.
9/8
Pre Order Whiskey Sour
Sure, it's no being released until June of 2004, but you can
pre-order your very own hardcover copy of Whiskey Sour at
Amazon.com. The cover price is $23.95, but at Amazon it's a
steal at only $16.77. Here's the link.
Walmart.com is also selling my book for $15.60. Do a
search on J.A. Konrath or Whiskey Sour.
8/25
Jack on Audio
Brilliance Audio, the nation's largest independent audiobook
publisher, has acquired the audio rights to the first three
books in the Jack Daniels series.
Whiskey Sour will be coming to a stereo near you, June
2004!
8/15
Horrorfind Weekend
Horrorfind Weekend in
Maryland was exhausting, but a lot of fun. I got to meet
many cool authors, some really crazy fans, and bought so
many books I hurt myself trying to pick up my suitcase.
I'll be there again next year, for sure.
7/18
Schaumburg Township District
Library
Many thanks to Susan Gibberman for hosting such a fun and
informative event. I'm looking forward to coming back in
October.
6/14
Of Dark and Stormy Nights
Conference
Great conference! I met a lot of cool people, passed out a
hundred free chapbooks, and my How to Get Published panel
with my good friend Robert W. Walker went very well.
This was a lot of fun. I passed out free copies of my new
chapbook, The Shed and Other Stories. The cover was
done by graphic novelist Tim Broderick, and
came out pretty damn cool. See for yourself.
4/27
Jack Daniels locked room
mystery sale
My locked room mystery, On the Rocks , has just been
accepted by the premier genre fiction market in the world, Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine . I just signed the contracts, and
should be hearing soon which issue the story will be
printed in. Since I've been a fan of EQMM for over twenty
years, this is a huge deal for me. And for Jack Daniels as
well, who always felt that particular case showcased her
crime solving talents. More info will be posted as it
becomes available
I love Ellery Queen!
4/17
World Horror Conference
I had a wonderful time at my first conference. Besides
getting to meet some amazing writers, I also spoke on
several panels without making a fool of myself, actually
signed some autographs, and had my first official
scheduled reading-- and let me tell you, all modesty
aside, I totally blew away all the people who attended my
reading. All three of them.
But even reading to a nearly empty room was fun, and
something that every writer should experience. A healthy
dose of humility now and then is a good thing.
For my next conference, I'm going to get the publicity
machine up and running earlier, and I fully expect to
double my reading attendance.
I'll be teaching two continuing education classes at the College of Dupage
in Illinois this Fall:
How to Land a Literary Agent
Go Pro: Surefire Steps to Selling Your Fiction
Both classes are my design and I'm pretty jazzed. Exact
dates will be posted when I know them.
2/16
Short Story Sale
I just sold Finicky Eater , a short story, to
Horror Garage Magazine.
Issue #7 is now available-- head over to Tower Records to
pick it up!
1/28
Three-book deal!
I signed a three-book deal with Hyperion Books ,
for the Lt. Jacqueline Daniels mystery series. Jack is a
tough Chicago Violent Crimes cop who chases serial
killers. The first book, Whiskey Sour , will come out in
hardcover in Spring of 2004.
The second book, Bloody Mary, is slated for 2005, and the
third, Rusty Nail, will see print in 2006.
