From the Top

President’s Message

Greetings, PSWA Membership!

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones well. I also know that not everyone is in a season of ease, and for those facing challenges, I send my sincere prayers for healing, comfort, and strength.

There’s a lot happening within PSWA, and only so much space to share it—so here are the highlights.

Our membership renewal notices went out a couple of weeks ago, and I was genuinely overwhelmed by the speed of your responses. Thank you. Yes, dues increased slightly this year—as I’ve mentioned before, the cost of everything has gone up—but your quick renewals show how strongly you value this community. That means a great deal.

Last year, the Board of Directors voted to clarify our membership rules and renewal cycles. Unless you renewed early and already have credit for next year, all current memberships will expire on January 1, 2026. Members who have not renewed by February 15 will lose “member in good standing” status.

The easiest way to avoid any disruption is simply to renew before December 31, 2025.

Now for something exciting: next year’s conference is shaping up to be exceptional. I don’t want to spoil any of Kelli’s surprises, but her team has assembled an impressive lineup of speakers and panels. You’ll definitely want to be a part of it.

Our new website is also progressing. I’ve seen page proofs, and things are coming along nicely. Once it goes live, you’ll see a much smoother process for memberships, renewals, and conference registration.

Lastly, I’ve been working on updating our bylaws and developing formal policies and procedures for PSWA. These changes don’t usually affect day-to-day membership, but they are essential for the long-term health and continuity of the association—especially as new Board members step into leadership roles. Once the new website is ready, these documents will be posted so everyone can view them.

Thank you for your ongoing support, enthusiasm, and commitment to PSWA. This organization is strong because of its members—you.

As we move into the holiday season, I want to wish everyone a safe, enjoyable, and restorative time with family and friends.

Steve Ditmars
President

Vice-President’s Report

As Vice-President, I’m also the chair of Membership, and am pleased to report that our membership keeps growing. We now have 103 active members, which includes four corporate members, and nine life members. It’s a testament to the value our colleagues place on the conference, writer’s contest, the listserv collaboration, and the collegiality of PSWA that we both attract new members and keep the ones we have.

Please help me welcome the new members who’ve joined PSWA since the conference: Anthony Arcado, Justin Bocock, Scott Harding, Sue Hoge, Renae Janacek, and Jennifer Oberth. Happy Holidays!

Darlene Record
Vice President

Treasurer’s Report

Annual Dues

It’s time for PSWA’s annual membership fees. Many of you have already paid, and thank you. If not, please submit your $85 dues by January 1, 2026, to keep your membership active and retain access to all PSWA benefits. As Steve explained, we do have a short grace period, but it makes our job of planning much easier if we have the dues on time. We offer several payment methods:

Website button – the simplest way
PayPal – log in, choose “Send Money,” enter pswatreasurer@gmail.com as the recipient, specify the amount and purpose (dues, conference, workshop, etc.), select your funding source, and complete the transfer
Zelle – send your payment through your bank’s Zelle service to pswatreasurer@gmail.com

If you encounter any issues, email me at peacock.kelli3@gmail.com or pswatreasurer@gmail.com, and I’ll be happy to help.

Maintaining PSWA’s Financial Health

Your dues fund insurance, transaction fees, website hosting, and other essential organizational expenses. To save costs, monthly board meetings remain virtual, with the savings earmarked for a PSWA website redesign and to cover any leftover conference costs.

When last year’s conference didn’t quite break even—leaving us about $1,200 short—the board recognized that a modest increase in dues and conference fees is necessary, in order to keep pace with rising costs. For example, the Orleans has raised its fees by $3,000 this year.

Thank you to everyone who supported the 2025 conference and our website redesign—especially our sponsors, program advertisers, and anonymous donors. You have made it so much easier to move forward with programming and plans for 2026. I look forward to everyone’s continued support for next year’s sponsorships and our 2026 conference!

Kelli Peacock
Treasurer

Conference Program Report

“Lucky 21” – PSWA’s 2026 Conference

Start planning for PSWA’s next conference, July 9–12, 2026, at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The pre-conference workshop will be Thursday, July 9, and the conference itself with start with a reception that evening and run all day Friday and Saturday, and a half-day Sunday. Our theme, “Lucky 21,” promises an unforgettable lineup, thanks to the work of the conference Here are highlights:

Featured Speakers

Public Safety presentations—
Allan Fox will discuss a “Cold Case Analysis: A Woman Exonerated After 30 Years in Prison”
Ellen Kirschman and James L’Etoile will present “The Serial Killer Next Door — Why the Public Fascination with Mass Murderers and Serial Killers?”
Joe Haggerty will share his experiences in “What Prostitution is Like on the Street and Who’s Behind It”

Craft presentations—
Mike Brandt – “First draft –Tricks to Perfecting a Dynamite Story”
John Gilstrap – “Developing A Point-of-View Character”
Kelli Peacock – “What to look for in hiring an editor.” Without an editor, your manuscript will never reach its full potential—period.

Marketing Presentations—
Jim L’Etoile – “The Author’s Toolkit”—You’ve written the book, now the hard part begins.
Allen Grimes – “The Mystery of Advertising” Advertising your book can be as challenging as writing it.

Hotel Reservations & More

For those who like to plan ahead, you can make reservations by phone, call 800-675-3267, and reference group code PSWG26C.

Our annual conference is a prime opportunity to showcase your name and books for an enthusiastic audience. While it’s safest to bring your books with you, some members do want to send them ahead to the Orleans. Please see the website for details on how to do this to make sure they arrive safely and on time.

Pre-Conference Workshop

On July 9, 9 am–4 pm, join Kelli Peacock, Colin Conway, and John Gilstrap for our Pre-Conference Workshop. We are working on the program as this goes to print, and details are forthcoming. And don’t forget that workshop attendees can receive a free manuscript review (details on the PSWA website).

How You Can Contribute

Your advertising and sponsorships not only give you and your books visibility, they help keep registration fees affordable. In fact, your contributions strengthen PSWA, year after year. We’re excited to offer a number of creative ways you can participate. Please see the PSWA website for the details of each of these sponsorship opportunities:

Conference Sponsorships
Program Advertising
Conference-Bag Swag
Refreshment Sponsorships

Thank you for your support and participation. We look forward to making the 2026 PSWAConference our best yet!

Kelli Peacock, Conference Chair and Workshop Coordinator
Thonie Hevron, Speaker Coordinator
Barbara Hodges, Panel Coordinator

2026 Writing Competition

The holidays are right around the corner, which means the 2026 PSWA writing competition is coming right up, with entries accepted starting January 1. I always look forward to seeing our members’ writings. Because last year’s costume contest at the Awards Ceremony was such fun, by popular demand, we’ll hold another one this year. Get your ideas and costumes ready.

The 2026 competition will have a few changes. We plan to announce the three finalists in each category on June 1. Writers will know then that they’ve won an award, they just won’t know whether it is the gold, silver, or bronze medallion until the ceremony. Knowing a book is an award-winner helps with promotion and visibility. This change gives winners an extra month to refer to themselves and their publication as award-winning ahead of the conference. We’ll have a special table in the conference bookstore for the award-winning books, and finalists will have a special name-tag ribbon—“award winning author,” maybe.

The PSWA writing competition judges are all award-winning authors themselves and avid readers in the crime fiction genre. So, rest assured that your writing will be judged by a person who knows a winning entry when they read it.

When you fill out your entry form, please make sure all your information is correct and legible. Also, if you’ve submitted an entry that you’ve co-authored and want your co-authors to be included on the award if you win, then make sure their names are also on the form. We want the awards to read exactly as members want them, but, surprise, we’re not mind-readers.

The writing competition entry forms will be on our website soon. If you have a question, email me at barbaramaehodges@gmail.com. So again, Happy Holidays.

Barbara M. Hodges
Writing Competition Chair

Member News

Conference Survey Results

We appreciate everyone who took time to complete our recent survey regarding the conference, with special thanks to Frank Scalise for crafting the questions. Your feedback has been invaluable to the planning committee for 2026. Based on your responses, we’ll retain both the workshop portion (63% in favor) and Sunday programming (67% in favor) for now, though we remain open to adjustments in future years.

Your interests clustered around a few key areas:
1. Craft Development (24%): Including dialogue techniques, humor writing, building tension, genre mastery, character arcs, and creating compelling backstories.
2. The Business of Writing (33%): (a) promotion (17%), incluidng building your platform, advertising effectively, maximizing appearances, and leveraging social media; and (b) publication pathways (16%), including navigating self-publishing, agent relationships, contract essentials, Amazon strategies, and expanding into audio and digital formats.
3. Public Safety Expertise (23%): (a) professional insights (12%), including direct knowledge from law enforcement, medical responders, firefighters, legal professionals, and forensic experts; and (b) technical advancements (12%), including cutting-edge investigative tools, AI developments, cybersecurity, and hands-on technology training.

Notably, more than 70% of you prioritized having a mix of sessions that support both creative skills and career development.

Survey respondents who attended last year’s workshop particularly valued interactive elements, the small-group format, and thoughtful touches like complimentary notebooks and refreshments. Many requested more hands-on activities and streamlined session structures.

Thank you for your positive feedback about our organization. We appreciate your thoughtful suggestions regarding conference location, award category refinements, expanded networking opportunities, and highlighting PSWA’s unique relationship with public safety professionals as its key differentiator and advantage.

Alternative Venues

Survey respondents asked about alternative venues for the conference. The PSWA board has compared how our conference costs stack up against those of similar meetings and whether another venue might offer savings. While at first glance other locales might seem more affordable, our longstanding partnership with The Orleans provides exceptional value, even despite recent price increases. We remain one of the most affordable conferences in our field (see chart). Our all-inclusive pricing model requires additional payment only for the workshop and guest meals, unlike the à la carte approach of similar events. For members’ out-of-pocket expenses, The Orleans offers reasonable room rates and comprehensive on-site amenities, eliminating the need for local transportation or off-site dining arrangements.

Cost Comparison

Conference	Locale	Length	Fees	Hotel nightly rate
International Thriller Writers*	NYC	4 days	$664-$1349	$304
Killer Nashville**	Nashville	4 days	$488	$172
Left Coast Crime	San Francisco	3.5 days	$399	$249
PSWA	Las Vegas	2.5 days	$400	$81-$121

*ITW has a la carte pricing; banquets are priced separately. FBI day : extra $171; Master Class (craft): extra $568

**Add-ons range from $30-$124

New Publications

PSWA member Hun-Seng Chao has released Vindicta, the second book in her Detective Furst series. Vindicta won a gold medallion in the 2025 PSWA Writing Competition for unpublished fiction. In 2060 Los Angeles, a rare rainstorm reveals the bodies of three mysterious foreigners buried in a concrete foundation. LAPD Detective Gabriel Furst and his partner, Irene Bolton, must identify the victims and uncover why they were killed and by whom, but their lead persons of interest are all being systematically hunted down, tortured, and killed. Gabriel is pulled off the investigation to join a task force to protect members of an altruistic multinational corporation targeted by a relentless team of assassins. Unlikely as it seems, Gabriel and Irene come to believe the two assignments are related, but can they identify the perpetrators in time?

Frank Scalise has stealth-released his newest Sandy Banks thriller (#3 in the series), A Hard Favored Death. What does he mean by “stealth”? He made it available only to his newsletter subscribers via a link to his direct-buy store, linked here. It will become available to the public (still only at his store) on December 1. Wide release will be in March. Frank is extending the early access offer to PSWA members, as well (though he encourages you to subscribe to his newsletter, too!). His store offers ebooks at $1 less than retail and, when available, the paperback will be $2 less than retail. Note that the second book in this series, Some Kind of Hell, won a PSWA Silver Medallion award.

In addition, Frank Scalise (writing as Frank Saverio) had a longish short story published in the True Pulp anthology series edited by Troy Lambert and Vincent Zandri. This edition was entitled Noir and featured stories in that subgenre. Frank’s entry, “The Second Degree,” is set in the near-to-mid future and is a police procedural with a twist—one of the tools the police use is an empathy dog, who is able to sense things about victims, witnesses, and suspects and relay them to an empathic handler. “The Second Degree” is a prequel to an eventual series Frank will be writing down the road.

In Colorado K-9 Rescue by Kathleen Donnelly, a kidnapper’s twisted game is on. And a trusty K-9 won’t let him succeed. Years after being abducted, Mckenna Parker’s worst nightmare has come true—her kidnapper is out on parole and after her again. Now an FBI victim specialist, she and her crisis canine, Mocha, have been assigned to a case with FBI agent Evan Knox. Together they must find two missing local girls. Mckenna is passionate about helping others, and Evan is just as ambitious about his career. Both have sworn off love. When Mckenna vanishes into the mountain wilderness, Evan—with Mocha’s amazing help—braves danger at all costs. In October, Donnelly had a well-attended “Canine Launch Party” at Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins, CO, donating ten percent of the event’s sales to the Larimer Retired K-9 Foundation. Donnelly loved having the launch at a local indie bookstore. “If authors support indie,” she says, “they go out of their way to support local authors.”

The newly published Retribution Trail is Mike Black’s second novel in his Western series featuring Deputy Marshall Bass Reeves (published by Genius and Cengage). About Reeves, he says, “Born into slavery, he became of the greatest federal deputy marshals of all.” In the untamed frontier of the Indian Territories, Reeves rides a fine line between justice and survival. A man of few words and swift action, he tracks down fugitives and brings law to a lawless land. He and his partner, Lighthorse lawman David Walks-As-Bear, face a brutal landscape where outlaws rule and the weak are left in the dust. Mike also has an article coming soon in Roundup Magazine titled “Get Your Guns Right,” about using the right type of guns in historical fiction—something he’s learned a lot about for his Old West novels.

Allen Grimes has participated in a number of book fairs, some of which have worked out well and some that haven’t. The disappointing Summerlin Book Fair, held in the fellowship hall of a Las Vegas Presbyterian church, illustrates several challenges writers face at these events. About 50 authors shared 26 tables, and Allen had a nice two-poster display. The first problem was the venue itself. In an isolated location with little foot traffic, the event’s only attendees were people who’d seen its advertising—about 20 in total. A book fair that offers a keynote speaker or some other draw might have better attendance.

For the first half-hour, the authors circulated, introducing themselves and swapping stories. After that, customers trickled in. Allen says he can be outgoing when necessary, and it certainly was in this case. (At least he told two retired law enforcement officers about PSWA!) He thought he’d gain some attention as the only horror writer in the room, but, people said things like, “That keeps me up at night,” while he thought, “Yep, that’s kind of the point.” As the hours passed, he began giving his elevator pitch to anyone who even slowed down near his table. Four people took his card and read his synopsis, and only one (another author) bought his book.

By contrast, he says, at the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Conference (a huge event and lots of competition), he sold all but one of the books he’d brought, and his hotel clerk bought the last one at checkout. For an Ohio event, he mailed books ahead and bought a Samsonite suitcase to tote them back home. But he sold most of them, and the state park where the story is set bought the rest. He ended up stuffing his soft luggage into the new Samsonite!

Aside from participating in book fairs, on December 2, “What’s Up Yuma? Radio” on station KAWC will interview Allen about his books When the Lantern Swings and When the Pieces Fall.

The audiobook version of Jim Christ’s novel, Right There in Black and White, is now available on Audible/Amazon. He says it may soon become available elsewhere too. Right There took third place in PSWA’s 2024 writing competition, in the unpublished fiction category. Christ says “I do recommend the narrator, Daniel Lewis (no, not Daniel Day-Lewis.” Darn!

New member Scott Harding’s recent book, Respond to the Gate: Tales from a Career as an Airport Detective, is available from Amazon here. It tells how, at one of the nation’s busiest airports, Lt. Harding had to deal with many of the problems as any city cop faces—drug smuggling, human trafficking, bomb threats, cyber crime, runaways. All this surrounded by strangers all wanting to be somewhere else.

The Best Private Eye Stories of 2025 has been released, containing Vicki Weisfeld‘s short story “Here’s Looking at You,” originally published in the Valentine’s Day edition of Yellow Mama in 2024. The new collection was edited by Michael Bracken and Matt Coyle. Her story turns the tables on the popular trope of hard-boiled P.I. and sexy new client.

Notable Reissues

Frank Scalise has saved some 35 novellas from the never-neverland behind the bolted doors of Down and Out Books. Written under the theme “A Grifter’s Song” by a passel of fine “gritty crime fiction” authors (including SA Cosby, Hilary Davidson, Gabriel Valjean, as well as PSWA members Frank Zafiro and Colin Conway), the novellas will be reissued as ebooks on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited thanks to Frank’s intervention, one per day, starting January 1, 2026.

The Writing Craft Upping Your Game

The Story Behind the Story—“Nobody Cares”

By Michael A. Black

One of my goals in writing the short story “Nobody Cares” was to create a police procedural in the tradition of the greats—Ed McBain, Georges Simenon, and Michael Connelly. I read McBain’s 87th Precinct stuff back in high school, later marveled at the tenacious Maigret, then finally gravitated to the adventures of Connelly’s immortal Harry Bosch. I hope readers will think I learned a few things from the masters as they read my story. I also wanted to touch on the problem of homelessness. For inspiration, I drew on some of my own experience as a cop. “Nobody Cares” deals with a pair of detectives investigating the murder of an apparent homeless man. I spent over thirty years dealing with a great many homeless people. While I’m in no way claiming to offer a solution to that vast and intractable problem, I wanted the story tot a few aspects that I feel are either overlooked, misunderstood, or mishandled.

First of all, dealing with the homeless is tremendously difficult, discouraging, and often downright impossible. In one situation, I was trying to help a young homeless veteran. Besides initially buying him an occasional meal or cup of coffee, I tried to get him back into the military. (Having been in the army myself, vets always have a special place in my heart.) Nothing worked. He eventually fell through the cracks of society, and I never learned what happened to him.

Although most homeless people shuffle into a state of meandering passivity, sometimes they can be disruptive and even adversarial. One such homeless man, whom I and virtually every police officer serving the area knew, was a full-blooded American Indian. Adopted by a well-intentioned white couple, his life went off the rails in his late teens due to alcohol abuse. By the time he was eighteen, he was living on the streets. He was known for walking into grocery and liquor stores, removing a bottle of alcohol, vodka being his favorite, and completely guzzling it down before the store personnel could intervene. Arrested numerous times and ordered to countless mandated rehab sessions, he always returned like a homing pigeon to his life on the streets. It did not end well for him. He froze to death behind a dumpster at a 7-Eleven.

Through the years, I was acquainted with many, many more, all ultimately fading inexorably into the background, unnoticed and forgettable. Politicians, social activists, and others tend to offer “solutions” to homelessness without really understanding the depth of the problem. The mental deterioration that inevitably occurs once a person enters this bleak realm is troubling and destructive. Simplistic and romanticized views are misleading and deceptive. Years ago, an unpublished woman in my writer’s group penned a story in which her heroine was rescued from a fire by a homeless man. In her story, the man was merely down on his luck and had a variety of skills, an impressive intellect, and helped the heroine solve a murder case. When I suggested her portrayal of homelessness was pretty far off the mark, she accused me of being bigoted.

Years ago, a professional writer friend intended to give people a first-hand look at the problem by “becoming homeless” himself. He told me he was going to downtown Chicago with nothing but the clothes on his back and no money in his pocket. A recovering alcoholic, he’d been kicked out of his house because of his drinking and was living in a friend’s barbershop. His account, subtitled “Among the Homeless,” was an excellent piece, published in the Chicago Tribune Magazine. He was a good writer, and the vignette was riveting. But it created barely a ripple.

The sad truth remained that society is unable to deal with the problem and mostly chooses to ignore it. Insincerity reigns. Years later, I discovered my friend had faked the whole thing, secretly staying in a comfortable but abandoned house while he penned his story. As I said, he was a very good writer.

My story offers no miracle solutions, but provides a glimpse of the problem and the attendant duplicity, coupled with a bit of intrigue. The death of a homeless man…Or was it? “Nobody cares,” the cynical detective says to his more idealistic partner. As Connelly’s Harry Bosch famously says, “Everybody counts, or nobody counts.” Ideally, Connelly has it right, but sadly, in reality, more times than not, nobody does care, which is how I chose the title for my story. It appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.

Slang Cops Use – by Tim Dees

A recent message thread on the PSWA listserv began when a member asked what an officer pulled off of a case would be called. This got me to thinking about the use of police jargon in books and screenplays.

Police jargon is highly regional, or even limited to a single agency. For example, in most of the country, someone making a nuisance of themselves by being drunk in a public place is a “disorderly person,” although the relevant statutes can cover a wide range of behavior. In Nevada, where I worked, the state legislature removed intoxication as an element of most crimes with a few exceptions, like driving under the influence. If we busted someone for being drunk in public (and when I was a rookie working in downtown Reno, that’s about all I did), they were booked for “civil protective custody” or “CPC,” a non-criminal statute that allowed the jail to hold on to them for up to 48 hours while they got sober.

People booked under this law were called “CPCs” or just “seeps.” This was a derogatory term, roughly equivalent to “bum” or “alkie.” This got to be a generic label for homeless people with substance abuse problems, which was most of them. I doubt if anyone outside of Nevada, or maybe outside of Reno, would know what a “seep” was.

When a writer doesn’t bother to learn the etymology of an element of jargon, they lose credibility with the knowledgeable reader. A Sylvester Stallone movie (Tango & Cash) set in Los Angeles opens with its LAPD detective protagonist talking over the radio. He ends his transmission with “ten-four.” First, “ten-four” or “10-4” means “acknowledged” in places where they use it, and would not be used to end a transmission. LAPD is not one of those places, anyway, although the neighboring LA Sheriff’s Department does use ten-codes. The movie is pretty much fantasy, as are most Stallone movies, but that one moment told me not to give this one any credibility.

NYPD is another popular setting for books, movies, and TV shows. NYPD, by far the largest police department in the country (maybe the world) has its own vernacular and culture. At NYPD you’re “collared” when the cuffs go on; at LAPD, you’re “busted.” An ambulance is a “bus” at NYPD (because some early city ambulances were built on bus chassis), but it’s an “RA” (for “rescue ambulance”) at LAPD. At both agencies, the badge worn on the shirt or jacket is a “shield.” In Chicago and at some San Francisco Bay Area agencies, it’s your “star.”

At Reno PD, we wore seven-point stars, but we just called them “badges.” Occasionally, I’d hear the badge called a “buzzer,” and flashing the badge was to “buzz” someone. The badge you wore on your uniform, which had a dome shape in profile, was your “bubble badge.” If you had a separate badge for your wallet, it was a “flat badge,” as it didn’t have the dome shape.

For many years, LAPD patrol cars were “black and whites.” When former Chief Daryl Gates made a faux pas in reference to a choke hold that caused a fatality, he said that the veins in Black people didn’t open back up like those in “normal people.” For several years, LAPD cars became “black and normals.” Now, LAPD officers refer to their cars as “shops,” an abbreviation for “shop number,” the inventory control number stenciled on each front door, below the city seal. At NYPD, a patrol car is an “RMP,” an antiquated abbreviation for “Radio Motor Patrol.” This is from the days when only a few patrol cars had two-way radios, which took up the entire back seat area. Our cars were just “cars” or “rides,” or if you were screwing around, “pig rides.” Our all-white prisoner transport van was “the wagon,” or “Moby Pig.”

Someone could probably do a whole book on police slang or jargon, and maybe someone will. In the interim, if you use a jargon term in your work, make sure it’s true to the setting of the book. If you’re unsure, someone in the PSWA will probably be able to set you straight.

Editor’s Note: Tim Dees is a retired police officer and the former editor of two major law enforcement websites who writes and consults on technology applications in criminal justice. He’s a member-at-large on PSWA’s board and is our “Alpha Geek.” He doesn’t travel much, so we don’t usually see him in Vegas, though there’s a rumor he’ll be with us in 2026!

How Panel Moderators Can Excel

From time to time, a PSWA member may be called upon to lead a discussion or moderate a panel. What goes into that? What can we do to prepare for and carry out such an assignment well? PSWA is lucky to have many excellent moderators among our membership, and I turned to those who served last year for advice. This is a summary of their excellent suggestions.

Mike Black says, “I always stress that the moderator’s job is to manage the panel, not letting any one panelist hog the mic, and to spotlight everyone on the panel.” Moderators should be familiar with the work and qualifications of the panelists, prepare the questions they intend to ask in advance, and sharing those questions with the panelists so they, in turn, can prepare. Moderators keep the discussion moving and flowing and leave enough time (10-15 minutes) at the end for audience questions. Also moderators need back-up questions in case the audience falters. If possible, he says, end by asking each panelist, “So what’s your next project and when does it come out?”

“My biggest tip is for a moderator to blend into the background,” says Colin Conway. “We aren’t there to talk about our books or experience, but rather help the panelists shine. Conference attendees may not remember a good moderator, but they’ll certainly remember a bad one.”

Frank Scalise has extensive moderation experience and suggests that “Being a good moderator is much the same as being a good host. A good host always keeps the focus on the guest.” Questions and sidebar references should focus on the guest panelist and, even something from their own experience should illuminate and support the guest’s points. “The number one pet peeve I’ve heard (frequently!) is when moderators think they’re also a panelist. Think of a moderator’s role as closer to that of a referee, not a player:

Former President John Schembra wholeheartedly agrees and says the two most important rules for moderating are: “#1 – the moderator should NOT hog the limelight.” Analogous to that is his rule #2: so that you can give everyone on the panel an equal chance to speak, moderators can’t let anyone else hog the limelight, whether a panelist or longwinded audience member.

As Mike Black wrote in guidelines for PSWA moderators, “it’s easier to control the discussion and keep it moving if the moderator has some physical separation from the panelists.” This is why in PSWA panels, the moderator generally stands at a lectern at the end of the table, while panelists are seated. (This also helps the moderator see the time-keeper, audience members’ raised hands, etc.) He advises having the moderator briefly introduce the panelists at the beginning of the session, rather than letting panelists introduce themselves. And, at the end, the moderator should thank the panelists—more of being what Scalise termed “a good host.”

Publishing Tips and Travails

About those Amazon algorithm changes

In late October, reports emerged that some authors and small publishers have been seeing declines in their Amazon sales and rankings. It appears these trends result from Amazon’s new A10 algorithm. A10 determines which products appear first in search results. (As a reviewer of new books, I find that sometimes a book with a sort of “generic” title may not appear in Amazon’s search results at all, and I must search the author’s name to find it.) A10 has reduced the importance of how much you spend on Amazon ads in establishing its rankings and increased the importance of how much traffic from off-Amazon sources the book receives. (Read more here.)

A10 uses the details you provide about your book (description and keywords) to generate a profile that compares your book to existing successful books. If A10 is “confused” about what your book is, your book’s visibility will suffer. Confusion results when you describe your book in a way that’s weak, conflicting, or inaccurate. Try using keywords and categories—that is, metadata—that comparable titles are using, and in the book’s description, be sure to use genre-specific terms.

Writers’ Use of AI

Last month, Publisher’s Weekly reported results of a survey of 1,190 writing professionals and 291 fiction authors, titled “A.I. and The Writing Profession.” While only 22% of writers overall and 49% of fiction writers said they “never” use AI tools, about a quarter (26% of all writers and 23% of fiction writers) said they it at least daily.

According to the report, the majority of all writers think that AI poses both a threat and an opportunity. While they might use AI tools for some writing tasks, only 7% of respondents said they have published AI-generated text.

The most common task AI helps with is search. Also common is using AI to suggest possible titles and headings, for brainstorming, or as a thesaurus. By far the most commonly used AI tool is ChatGPT. Some 60% of users say AI improves the quality of their writing, and 87% believe it boosts productivity. Writers who use AI frequently, not surprisingly, view the technology more favorably, “though even heavy users have concerns,” the report said, including worries about factual errors. Lately, two New Zealand authors were disqualified from their nation’s top literature prize because AI was used in creating the covers of their books. In the case of Stephanie Johnson’s Obligate Carnivore, this use was without her knowledge. It’s a tricky situation right now.

Fiction authors who do not use AI almost universally say that content generated by AI or with AI help should be clearly labeled. Only one percent of them believe AI is “a positive force for the writing profession,” and none believed it improves their career prospects.

Does Your Book Have a Military Theme?

Since a number of PSWA members write military stories, here’s an unexpected publicity opportunity. The Historical Miniature Gaming Society is an established organization whose website caters to readers and fans of military fiction and war-gaming. Take a look at the kinds of books they review, both fiction and nonfiction, and you may find yours fits nicely. Here is a link to the book review section of the group’s website: https://hmgs.org/news-blog/. My only reservation is I didn’t see any recent reviews, which could be because the organization is revamping its website. If you’re interested, send a query to the reviewer at lockwood161@comcast.net. He reviews only finished paper copies, which you can send to Russ Lockwood, HMGS Editor, 161 Lambertville-HQ Rd., Stockton, NJ 08559. (If you watched the PBS American Revolution series, you might be interested to know that Stockton is only a few miles upstream from where Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River, Christmas 1776.)

How to Become a Podcast Guest

While several PSWA members are skilled podcasters, the thought of dealing with more technological mysteries is a bridge too far for others (I’m looking in the mirror). But that doesn’t mean you should overlook opportunities to be a podcast guest. Being a guest on someone else’s show is a time-limited activity and a whole lot easier than hosting your own. If you’re interested, here are resources you might find helpful:

• The ULTIMATE Guide to Getting Booked as a Podcast Guest from The Content Factory
• How to Get Booked as a Guest on a Podcast from The Podcast Host (and be sure to read the site’s guide to being a great podcast guest)

Finally, as with all marketing tactics, first consider whether the people you want to reach actually listen to podcasts (the stats here may help). If your target audience is young or you’re a true crime author, podcasts may be a good fit.

A New Promotional Service for Authors, Free in December

John Betancourt of Wildside Press has launched a new book promotion service called Bookler for authors of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery fiction—novels and short story collections. You can read more about Bookler and submit your work for possible promotion through its genre-specific newsletters. If your book is accepted, the service is free for the month of December. Afterwards?? Bookler’s promotional material says, “Don’t just find more readers—find the right ones.” Since the service is new, I can’t report on its performance, but one good feature is that authors supposedly will keep 100% of the sales income. At the low, low price of “free” for right now, there’s not much to lose!

Marketing Tactics that Need to be Retired

Sometimes understanding what will work best to support your book requires learning what won’t work. These tips come from the award-winning Build Book Buzz website hosted by Sandra Beckwith.

Posting in third person. Have you seen this, too? Announcing he has just published a book, “John Smith” writes, “John Smith is proud to announce he has just published . . . etc.” Sandy says this approach is not only awkward, sounding stiff and formal, it makes her wonder if the author wrote the book the same way. Instead, she says, just be yourself.

Presuming everyone is just like you. Making marketing decisions based on your personal preferences could kill your book marketing. If you wrote your book for people just like you, then it’s safe to make presumptions about shared experiences, attitudes, and so on. But if your entire target audience isn’t just like you, you need to broaden your marketing approaches.

Check your website branding. Sandy has noticed that male authors tend toward dark site themes, like a black background with white text. Guys like it. And it works if you’re writing books for men. But it doesn’t work as well if your audience includes a high percentage of women (the predominant gender in book-buying, by the way, even of crime and thriller novels).

Who’s your ideal reader?

The more you insert your ideal reader into your marketing decisions, the more likely you are to create books, marketing content, images, and so on, that resonate with those readers. Do the work to learn as much as possible about your ideal readers. Their demographics, their likes, dislikes, the media they use.

The more you know about them, the more effective your messaging will be, and the more likely your messages are to show up in the “right” places—that is, where your most likely readers hang out. Then, she says, “focus on what they want to know rather than on what you want to tell them. “What kind of escape from reality are you offering me? What’s the story behind the story?”

Quick Tips For Identifying Scams

The Authors Guild has responded to the ongoing tsunami of scams targeting authors with this list. Although we’re all aware of some of the more egregious ones, the scammers don’t lack creativity and keep devising more tempting offers.

• Assume that any unsolicited communication is a scam if someone contacts you about publishing or promoting your book in any way. Legitimate opportunities in the book world rarely start with a cold call.
• Beware of flattery or grandiose promises. Scammers have figured out that they can exploit authors’ emotions because they know you want to get published, sell more books, or get a film adaptation.
• Do not assume that the sender has actually read your book, even if their communication includes specific details about the content. Publicly available information and AI technology make it easy to pretend.
• Do not click links or download files from any unsolicited email you receive; it’s better to conduct research independently.
• Do not engage with scammers even to amuse yourself or waste their time. Replying confirms to a scammer that they have a valid email address, and it’s a step down the path to becoming a victim.

Two scams the Authors’ Guild lists that I hadn’t heard of are baseless claims of copyright infringement (e.g., “you used a copyrighted photo in your book, and you can pay a settlement fee”) and demands for money to protect your website domain or sell you another domain.

Editor’s Turn

Writers, it turns out, have a lot of friends who are writers. Members of their book club, writing group buddies, fellow-commiserators, valued PSWA contacts—you know who all I mean. In case you’re looking for a holiday gift idea for any of them or are asked to suggest what you would like, here’s a thoughtful gift guide.

I took the photo on the right from our kitchen window last week, having missed the moment that assures we will have fawns again next summer. His paramour is just out of sight. The photo at leftis retired fire boat #41 now used for tours on the Chicago River.

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