Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Bestselling novelist who joins publishing discourse, highlights criticism and industry analysis, and boosts book talk.
Success Varies: Most Books Never Consistently Hit Bestseller
Same. Mexican Gothic did very well, but nothing else of mine has sold at that level. Novels like Untamed Shore have sold very few copies. And then there are books like The Beautiful Ones, which sold small numbers of copies in its original release but eventually found a bigger audience with a new edition. I also have friends who sell ok in some markets (Germany, or only in audio) and not so much in others. Most people are not runaway successes project after project.
Corporate IP Buzzwords Reveal Desperation, Not Innovation
It feels like we're getting one of these press releases every other day. I get it. The let's 'leverage IP' corporate lingo is bounced around so often I imagine publishers are thinking WOW WE COULD GET RICH. But there's something...
Help Promote My Novel by Adding It Online
Folks, I get a lot of views for stuff that is not my books but this is how I pay my bills. So here's some stuff you can do to help me out: 1. Add my novel The Intrigue to...
Read Gahan Wilson’s Tale, Then Thank Me
Do the following: 1. Get a copy of Blood is Not Enough: 17 Stories of Vampirism edited by Ellen Datlow 2. Read “The Sea Was Wet as Wet Could Be“ by Gahan Wilson 3. Thank me later
Enter to Win an Advance
Want to win an advance review copy of my upcoming novel, The Intrigue? Follow the link below, open worldwide. https://gleam.io/oCX31/the-intrigue
Experience 15 Classic Mexican Noir Films in Vancouver
The Mexico Noir series that I curated for @viffest opened Thursday & I was there to give a chat. We began with "La Otra" and will be screening a total of 15 classic films from Mexico's Golden Age. The series...
Undertone: Ambitious Audio-Driven Canadian Horror Worth Watching
Went to see Undertone yesterday, which is a fairly sharp Canadian horror movie that relies on audio to tell its story. I always admire low-budget productions that have ambition, and if you're a horror fan I think you'll enjoy this...
New DRC: 1940s Mexican Noir Con Artist Tale
Reviewers/booksellers: If you use Edelweiss, there's now a DRC of my novel The Intrigue. A sexy, smoldering noir set in 1940s Mexico about a con artist who targets women through lonely-hearts ads. Request it: https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=0593874358&g=4400
Get 25% Off “The Intrigue” Pre‑Order Now
It's that time of the year when every author posts about the 25% off B&N pre-order sale. The details: BN Members, online only 3/24-3/26, 25% off list price at checkout with coupon code PREORDER25 on ebooks, audiobooks, and physical books....
Guard Your Unique Voice From AI and Over‑Editing
So two things quick: one of the most important things a writer has is a voice. A voice is honed, developed over time. AI can rob you of your voice because by design it's generic. Whatever is uniquely you is...
Self‑Publishing: Running Your Own Small Business for Control
True that. Self-publishing means becoming a small business owner. And the reason why many people say they're going towards self-pub is precisely to maintain more control.
Nostalgic for Grungy Lit, Pre‑ordering Acid Green Velvet
I read Lost Souls in the 90s so there ain't anything that can shock me. Also went through a lot of Tanith Lee, including the Blood Opera books. The Cypher was pretty good, too. Missing that grungy vibe so I've...
My Career Predates Mexican Gothic, Not a Debut
I saw something online today and it tends to happen to me so I'll talk about it: Mexican Gothic was my sixth novel. At the point I'd had four different publishers and had received nominations and recognition for some of...
Physical ARCs of “The Intrigue” Arriving Soon
For any one who is curious about promo related stuff, my publisher is going to start sending out physical ARCs of my 1940s noir The Intrigue at the end of the month. Some ARCs were already gifted at a couple...
Grateful for the Flood of TBR Shelf Additions
Too many folks to reply to, but thanks to everyone adding this to their TBR shelves on Goodreads and/or Storygraph today. *tips hat*
Rediscover Forgotten Neo‑Gothic Gems Worth Reading
Reposting this because I really think there are many people who would love to read this if they knew it existed. There are so many books that are forgotten and I can just feel they could find a new audience...
Tim Powers' Overlooked Masterpiece Merges Romantics with Vampire Horror
Apropos of the Gothic moment what with talk of Mary Shelley and the Brontes in recent months, Tim Powers' The Stress of Her Regard is about Romantic poets battling ancient vampire like entities. Won the World Fantasy Award back in...
Never Paid for It; Laziness Beats Payola
Yep. I've placed on this list at times and have never paid for anything. No need to talk about payola when it's likely human laziness.
Enter Giveaway, Support Noir Novel & New Paperback
I'm here for fun BUT I also need to pay my bills. So 1) there's a giveaway for review copies of my novel The Intrigue, a 1940s noir about a romance scam artist. If you're a Goodreads user and you...
Publishers Stagger Writer Signings and Panels at Conventions
If you squint some publishers do a version of this when they send 3-4 of their writers to Comic Con or another major trade event (I've done this with Del Rey) and they're signing at the booth at different times...
Remember When Books Came with Rip‑Out Order Forms?
I realized just now that I'm so old I remember when books would have a section called "you would also like" and/or have order forms you could rip out. The market was different back then and certain books (like SFF)...
Print Publishers Demand Optimal Length; Ebooks Allow Flexibility
Book length is a lot more important for traditional publishers because too long & it might be too expensive to print, but distributors/stores also don't like super skinny books that much. But someone whose main market is ebooks, as is...
All My Book Options Have Lapsed, No Adaptations Yet
Someone was asking me how the adaptation of Mexican Gothic is going, I think because of the recent Wuthering Heights film and Pride & Prejudice movie announced. I talked about this maybe two years ago? Can't recall. But that option...
Digital Galleys Slash Costs, Boost Review ROI
Before Netgalley and other electronic galley systems, a publisher had to print and mail a ton of books. This was terribly expensive. $600 for a publisher is much more affordable than mailing even 100 books. A good review rate is...