Writing Bestselling True Crime and Suspense: Break into the Exciting and Profitable Field of Book, Screenplay, and Television (Writing Guides) (Paperback)

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True-crime writing is at a crossroads. Ever since Truman Capote's In Cold Blood (published in 1966), there has been a market for deeply researched, literary true-crime hardcovers that are usually several years in the making. But because of the proliferation of tabloid television, made-for TV movies, and "insta-books," it is increasingly difficult to whet the appetite of an already saturated readership. This primer on writing true crime, by Tom Byrnes, reflects just that schism: while the book's focus is on the writing of lengthy, novelistic true crime, the editors interviewed lean decidedly toward those books written and published seemingly overnight.

Still, Writing Bestselling True Crime and Suspense is a fine introduction to the genre, with advice strewn throughout from the likes of Ann Rule (The Stranger Beside Me), Harry MacLean (In Broad Daylight), and Jack Olsen (Son: A Psychopath and His Victims). True crime takes a certain type of writer, one willing to face years of research, hundreds of interviews (some with psychopathic murderers), hours of tedious testimony, plenty of hanging around waiting for people to say something interesting, and possible death threats (but, hey, they're usually from people already on death row). And the writing itself is complicated. "No matter how bad the crime was or how bad the criminal was," says author Jaye Fletcher (A Perfect Gentleman), "describing the crime itself only takes four pages. So what do you do with the other four hundred?" If you can figure that out, you'll find, as Byrnes says, that "crime does pay--especially if you are a writer." --Jane Steinberg

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Crime Does Pay! -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Prima Lifestyles (October 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761510265
• ISBN-13: 978-0761510260
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,295,288 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Crime CAN Pay, April 23, 2001

By	Teraisa J. Goldman (TrueCrimeFanatic.com) - See all my reviews

True Crime sells, and you may as well be the one to write it. Writing Bestselling True Crime and Suspense is the best tool on the market today for future crime writers. Tom Byrnes--the author--shows you how to get a story, decide if it's right for you and for the Reader, then leads you to finding more information and ultimately to writing the story. But wait! There's more (no, not Gingsu Knives)... he goes even further and tells you how to sell it. If that weren't enough, the back of the book has passages from other well known True Crime writers/producers. You get the picture, now buy the book!