Simon Wood interview: Paying The Piper

Paying The Piper by Simon Wood

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Simon Wood is an ex-racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an occasional private investigator. Simon has had over 150 stories and articles published. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies and has garnered him an Anthony Award and a CWA Dagger Award nomination, as well as several readers’ choice awards. He's a frequent contributor to Writer's Digest. His books include WORKING STIFFS, ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN, PAYING THE PIPER, WE ALL FALL DOWN and TERMINATED. As Simon Janus, he’s the author of THE SCRUBS and ROAD RASH. His next title is DID NOT FINISH due out in September.

Can you sum up PAYING THE PIPER in no more than 25 words?

A serial kidnapper resurfaces to target the reporter whose ambition botched the last kidnapping.   The kidnapper wants the reporter to atone for his interference.

What was your motivation for writing it?

Most of my books are inspired by news stories that normally fall through the cracks.  PAYING THE PIPER  is a rare exception.  I just wanted to do a kidnap story and I wanted to do something different with the sub-genre.  I wanted the ransom to be something other than money and far harder to obtain.  The whole thing developed from there.  The book is filled with compromised characters from the protagonists to the villains.  They're all forced to examine their past actions.

How much difference does an editor make?

An editor makes all the difference.  No writer can be totally objective about their own work.  My background is engineering and every design had to get by a checker and an approver.   I treat my writing the same way.  I need the pushback and challenging insight that an editor’s fresh pair of eyes brings to the situation.  I’d rather an editor see the weaknesses in my work and not the reader.

How much difference does a good cover make?

I know people say you can't judge a book by its cover, but a good cover does draw the eye and leads someone to check out the blurb, then a chapter or two and if that impresses they’ll buy the book.  It all stems from a good cover.  It’s the gateway to a book purchase.

Do you have any other projects on the go?

In June, DID NOT FINISH comes out in hardback.  It’s the first book in a new mystery series coming out that's set in the world of motorsport.  Twenty years ago, I was a competitive racecar driver and a lot of nefarious activities took place during my time in the sport, so it’s been a labour of love to combine my love of crime fiction and motor racing in a book.  I hope I can give some insight into the criminal potential that surrounds this professional sport the same way Dick Francis did for horseracing.

What's your favourite part of the writing process?

I love writing the first draft.  I’m excited to see an idea evolve day by day.  There's nothing finer than typing the words THE END for the first time.   It’s a real high.  Sadly, that high ends when I have to start editing the next day.  J

If you had to re-read a crime novel right now, what would you choose?

THE LONG GOODBYE by Raymond Chandler.  I discovered Chandler’s work when I was teenager and THE LONG GOODBYE was probably my least favourite book, but I reread it as an adult and I saw the complexities of the central characters that I’d missed previously.  I love the compromised characters at the centre of the story and how they deal with their personal conflicts.  It’s a marvellous study of human frailty.

What's the oddest question you've been asked in an interview?

At a book signing, a slightly odd man (if I’m being kind) staggered over to me and asked me “What do you think of lesbian serial killers?”  He proceeded to explain lesbian serial killers were the idea for his novel.  When I suggested some interesting plot twists, he screamed that it was his idea and no one was touching it.  I learned a valuable lesson, don’t mess with lesbian serial killers.

Paying The Piper by Simon Wood

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Jon Bassoff interview: New Pulp Press

Jon Bassoff is the founder and publisher of New Pulp Press. He was born in New York City but currently resides in Colorado with his wife and two children. In addition to his work as a publisher, Jon teaches high school English and writes disturbing novels under various pen names. Email him at editor@newpulppress.com.

Can you provide an overview of your publishing company?

New Pulp Press was founded in 2008. We’re a small publisher of crime fiction, and we usually release somewhere between four and six books a year depending on our collective mood. We avoid overly sympathetic protagonists, instead focusing on con-men, losers, and sociopaths. Raw and desperate tales drenched with nihilism and loathing. 'Feel-bad' books, is what I call them.

How do you decide which titles to publish?

We’re bored and cynical, just like everybody else. Although we dig Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, we’re tired of all the knock-offs. We’re fricking obsessed with Jim Thompson, but there’s only one Jim Thompson. We’re looking for . . . something. And maybe we’re not always completely clear what that something is. But to paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart: We know it when we see it.

I will say that we usually publish novels driven by interesting (often psychotic) characters, as opposed to those with highly complex plots. And we’re suckers for  unreliable narrators (see Thompson, Patrick McCabe, Patrick McGrath etc.) Psycho-noir is the subgenre our books are often placed in.  

What's your bestselling crime title and why do you think that is?

Our two biggest sellers are Nate Flexer’s THE DISASSEMBLED MAN and Jonathan Woods’ BAD JUJU. Flexer’s success is a bit of a mystery—his audience seems to be exclusively bored housewives and the criminally insane. Meanwhile, Woods is just a flat-out remarkable writer as well as a tireless promoter. And it didn’t hurt matters that his book was featured in New York Magazine.

How important is digital in relation to paper?

I’m still trying to figure that. There’s no question that digital will continue to take up a larger and larger portion of the market. How large of a portion, and who will ultimately control that medium, is still anybody’s guess. I’d like to think that there will always be a place for that physical book, but I know some folks younger and wiser than me who disagree. I do think many publishers are still in denial of the ebook revolution. They had a business model that worked and now they’re getting a little anxious. But those that remain in denial will be left behind. And here’s the reality: we’re going to see the gradual loss of bookstores until they will one day be extinct or nearly extinct. And with ebooks and print-on-demand technology, we’ll also see traditional publishers becoming less relevant. Is that a good thing? The hell if I know.  

How much difference does a good cover make?

Damn straight it makes a difference. Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you sure as hell can buy a book based on its cover. We take a lot of pride in our covers and have been fortunate to have employed several talented artists including Kenney Mencher, Lou Beach, and Richie Fahey. Of course, due to New Pulp Press’s limited funds, these guys have basically been doing charity work for us. Beats saving the earth and feeding the hungry, that’s what I always say.

What's your favourite aspect of being a publisher?

I like providing a sort of immortality for our authors—long after they’re worm food, their words will still exist in an attic or landfill somewhere. Call it a God complex.

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a publisher?

I think we’re willing to take chances on material that others wouldn’t. Books that don’t fit neatly into a particular genre. I’d like to think that New Pulp Press treats their authors well, that we respect them as writers and not just commodities. Biggest weakness: we don’t pay our authors and artists as much as we’d like for the simple reason that we don’t sell as many books as we’d like. 

As a reader, how would you describe your taste in crime fiction?

I like it dark and sick. I like protagonists with major weaknesses. I like moody atmospheres. I like seedy/creepy settings. In other words, my crime fiction should be just like Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law’s house.

I’m not a big fan of crime fiction series. I don’t like knowing when I pick up the book that the protagonist will be there for another volume. I don’t like that certainty. I’m tired of most detective or police procedural books. I’m not a big fan of serial killers, although I do like psychopaths and spree killers.

What are you reading now?

I’m reading Dirty Snow by Simenon. Moody, moody, moody. The guy published 200 or so novels and every one I read is high quality. In fact, it makes me a little resentful to know that an author could be so prolific.

Who's your favourite living writer?

I don’t know if I could pick a favourite, but Patrick McCabe is right there near the top. The Butcher Boy and Winterwood were two of the most chilling novels I’ve ever read. McCabe is a master at creating compelling and unreliable narrators. A few of his books have been disappointments, but the ones that are good are damn good.

What are the biggest problems facing publishers these days?

The fact that people don’t want to pay for creative content anymore. I’m guilty of it just like anybody else. You want to hear a song—go on YouTube. Want to see a movie—download it. Why would books be any different? People aren’t so moralistic that they will choose to buy something if it’s available for free. So how do publishers stay ahead of that technology curve?

What are the greatest opportunities facing publishers these days?

In some ways there has never been a better time for breaking into publishing. Ten years ago, I never would have been able to start up this company. Without major capital, the business was completely closed off. To realize that we have been able to put out 13 or so books in just a couple of years, 13 great books that never would have seen the light of day, well that’s pretty exhilarating. Without all of the technological changes that publishers grumble about, New Pulp Press wouldn’t exist.

Kent Westmoreland interview: Baronne Street

Baronne Street by Kent Westmoreland

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Kent Westmoreland drifted into New Orleans several years ago and immediately immersed himself in the dark underbelly of the city.  He has been known to hang out with con men, bluebloods, wise-guys, politicians, and the occasional honest cop.  He credits his relationships with these unsavory types as the basis for his novel BARONNE STREET and his Burleigh Drummond short stories. His website is: http://www.kentwestmoreland.com/

Can you sum up BARONNE STREET in no more than 25 words?

When an ex-girlfriend is brutally raped and murdered, New Orleans fixer Burleigh Drummond must rely on his Machiavellian skills to solve and avenge her murder.

What was your motivation for writing it?

I wanted to write a novel that was heavily steeped in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, but with a protagonist who would go against type for the hard-boiled genre.  He wouldn’t carry a gun or use his fists.  His weapons would be brains, charm, and aplomb.  Occasionally trickery, blackmail, and bribery would be employed; I never intended for him to be a choir boy.

Ever tried your hand at screenwriting?

I’m actively seeking a buyer for the film rights to BARONNE STREET.  I hope to have a hand in the screenplay.  Though no readers or reviewers have mentioned it, there’s a little something in the third act I want to change.

If you had to re-read a crime novel right now, what would you choose?

The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler.  The running commentary on the breakdown of the nuclear family astounds me.  In 1949 this breakdown was just beginning in the United States, yet Chandler accurately predicted the long-term impacts it would have on society.  I also like that at the end Marlowe is not sure if he really understood the case or accomplished anything.  The existential Chandler novel.

How do you feel about reviews?

Reviews are a valuable promotional tool.  I try not to get the big head from the positive ones and don’t get offended by the negative ones.   The negative reviews are more beneficial to me as a writer.  That reviewer might be helping me identify a weakness.  I’m realistic enough to know I can improve.

How do you feel about awards?

Like reviews they help get the word out and generate interest.  Hopefully interest generates sales.  Besides, who doesn’t want to be told their work is good and receive a prize, too?

What was the last good eBook you read?

John Raven Beau, a hardboiled police novel, by O’Neil De Noux.  Set in pre-Katrina New Orleans, police officers are being ambushed and murdered.  The force becomes desperate as the ambushes escalate and they have no leads.  John Raven Beau, a half-Cajun and half-Sioux police officer, begins his own hunt for the killer. De Noux’s novel is compelling and gritty as his work always is.

From an artistic rather than financial perspective, what book do you wish you had written?

That book would be The Horse Latitudes by Robert Ferrigno.  I love the voice, the rhythm, the characterizations, the narrative drive, everything.  When the novel was first published I was an evangelist for it.  I even purchased copies and insisted my friends read them.  I have not found Ferrigno’s subsequent novels as compelling, but obviously many others do.

Baronne Street by Kent Westmoreland

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