Author Interview ~ Karen Olson

Karen E. Olson is the Sara Ann Freed Award-winning author of the Annie Seymour Mystery Series. Annie Seymour is a tough-talking police reporter in New Haven, Connecticut, whom the Chicago Sun-Times compares to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, "but based more in reality." Olson spent more than 20 years as a journalist in Connecticut. She lives in the suburbs of New Haven with her husband, daughter, and two cats. Her website is www.kareneolson.com and she blogs about writing and books with the FirstOffenders at www.firstoffenders.typepad.com.

What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

The third Annie Seymour mystery, DEAD OF THE DAY, came out in November 2007, and the fourth in the series, SHOT GIRL, will be out in November 2008. DEAD OF THE DAY is more thriller-like than the first two books in the series, SACRED COWS and SECONDHAND SMOKE, and deals with the issue of illegal immigration. In SHOT GIRL, I changed it up a bit and Annie is an unreliable narrator facing the apparent murder of her ex-husband.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.



It took me 15 years to get published. I wrote two other mysteries before SACRED COWS, but they’ll never see the light of day. While my agent had been submitting SACRED COWS to editors, I entered the Sara Ann Freed Memorial Award competition at Mysterious Press, the mystery imprint at Warner Books. I was at my desk editing the car and truck section of the New Haven Register when my agent called to say I’d won and the book would be published. I can’t remember finishing the car and truck section that afternoon.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Every writer experiences self-doubts, so of course.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

While it took me a long time to find an agent and get published, I tried to do everything right: writing queries, joining a writers’ group, getting as much feedback as possible on my work, rewriting, revising, continuing to write through the rejections. I don’t remember making a “mistake” per se, it’s just a long, arduous process.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

Be persistent and keep writing.

How do you craft a plot?

I start with a crime or a dead body and figure out the backstory and whodunit and fill the middle in as I go.

Do you begin writing with a synopsis in hand, or do you write as the ideas come to you?

I’m a seat-of-my-pants writer. I do have to write a synopsis for my editor, but it’s usually something I throw together without thinking too much about it. Because within the first 50 pages, I’m usually not writing the book in the synopsis anymore. The characters take hold of the story and move it forward, and I’m just along for the ride.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

I wish I had the Internet when I started looking for agents. It’s so much easier now to query agents and get information about how to write queries and proposals.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

I’m don’t think it’s exactly a setback, but in 1998, my husband and I went to China and adopted our daughter. I didn’t write for about a year afterward, learning how to be a parent to a toddler. I began writing short stories again, and then started writing SACRED COWS.

How do you think reading the work of others helps you as a writer?

Reading is invaluable to a writer. By exposing ourselves to other writers’ styles and stories, we can begin to find our own voices.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

Whenever I finish a book, I think it’s the best one I’ve done. Granted, I’m learning with each book, so there’s a little bit of truth to that. I particularly enjoyed writing DEAD OF THE DAY because of its incredible fast pace, and SHOT GIRL was very challenging because Annie is an unreliable narrator. I think I pulled it off, and I can’t wait to hear reader reactions when it comes out.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Publishers are always on the lookout for that Big Book, which is most times a fluke. Writers should be given more time to grow a readership.

How many drafts to you edit before submitting to your editor?

I usually write two drafts, submit to my editor, and then my editor sends me notes and I revise again.

We often hear how important it is to write a good query letter to whet the appetite of an editor. What tips can you offer to help other writers pen a good query?

Make it short and sweet. The agent/editor will be weighing how you write on the basis of that query. It has to be the best thing you’ve ever written, the description of the plot and main character should be compelling, and you should include something about yourself that shows why you are the best person to write this book.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Never.

How much marketing/publicity do you do? Any advice in this area?

I speak at bookstores when my books are released, always go to book groups when invited, go to conferences and speak on panels. I make up bookmarks and business cards. For DEAD OF THE DAY, I did a blog tour the first week the book was out, guest posting on various book blogs and even a knitting blog.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

I’ve gotten a lot of emails from readers who love Annie and want more. I was surprised after SACRED COWS that so many readers were invested in Annie’s love life. I love hearing from readers, and I get a fair amount of emails from people who used to live in the New Haven area and love reading about it, recognizing landmarks and longtime restaurants. The best email I received from a reader was a soldier stationed in Afghanistan who said I’d brought a little piece of home to him.

Parting words?

After SHOT GIRL, Annie is taking a vacation. I just signed a new, two-book deal for a new mystery series that will feature a tattoo shop owner in Las Vegas. The first book, which is still untitled, may be released as soon as next August or September.

Thank you so much for having me here!