poisoned pen press
congratulations to barbara peters, robert rosenwald, the poisoned pen bookstore, and poisoned pen press .
“poisoned pen press is like having an orchard in our back yard–apples everywhere. ”
poisoned pen press was begun as a separate corporation dedicated to publishing excellence in mystery .
thank you for supporting the poisoned pen, and poisoned pen press, winner of the 2010 ellery queen award from the mystery writers of america .
driven, the sequel to drive, will be published by poisoned pen press in april .
poisoned pen press began publishing in 1997 with the publication of the edgar award nominated az murder goes classic. initially planning on reprinting out - of - print mysteries, poisoned pen press soon after began accepting submissions of original works of mystery fiction by previously unpublished authors. currently poisoned pen press has approximately 700 titles in print and publishes around 60 new titles annually. in 2014 poisoned pen press launched the poisoned pencil—its young adult mystery imprint .
mark de castrique. a murder in passing. scottsdale, az: poisoned pen press, 2013 .
the poisoned pen press anniversary party was attended by about 50 readers and authors who spoke about their writing lives .
( poisoned pen press $ 24. 95) signed by talton late this week having sold out the first .
if you don’t know the history of the award - winning poisoned pen press, you’ll want to check it out .
in 1997 peters and her husband robert rosenwald founded poisoned pen press, a separate corporation dedicated to publishing excellence in mystery .
robert rosenwald is the publisher of the poisoned pencil as well as its parent company, poisoned pen press. indeed, he formed the poisoned pencil with wife barbara g. peters in 1998. read more >
poisoned pen press is well - known for the high quality of the books they publish. they are no longer a small press, but a well - respected publisher .
check out the great pw starred review for the debut novel of poisoned pen press author doug burgess ,
fogland point .
mark de castrique. a murder in passing. scottsdale, az: poisoned pen press, 2013. | read north carolina novels
poisoned pen press’ 20 years of publishing translates to more than 1, 000 titles, with authors coming from throughout the united states, as well as a few other countries. the poisoned pen press team consists of 10 people, including rosenwald and peters .
diane dibiase joined poisoned pen press in 2014. a connecticut native, she attended smith college where she studied latin and ...
founded in 2012, the poisoned pencil is an imprint of poisoned pen press, one of the country' s largest mystery book publishers. the poisoned pencil publishes books that feature a unique crime experienced through young adult eyes .
publishing excellence in mystery. poisoned pen press publishes the best in mystery fiction and specializes in introducing debut authors and mysteries to the genre .
, the poisoned pencil publishes only young adult mysteries. visit the poisoned pencil online at :
poisoned pen press has created the poisoned pencil, a new imprint for young adult mysteries. the new ya imprint is looking for manuscripts between 45, 000 and 90, 000 words .
titles from poisoned pen press are distributed by ingram publisher services, available through wholesalers, in your local bookstores, and for sale on this website .
may 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of poisoned pen press, which was founded—and is still owned—by publisher robert rosenwald and his wife, executive editor barbara peters .
poisoned pen press should be going strong for years to come. rosenwald and peters continue to be excited as publishers and owners of their nationally known bookstore .
“all i can say is, thank god for poisoned pen press. i am always so proud and honored to tell anyone and everyone that i am published by a press with a worldwide reputation for quality. ”
the poisoned pen press was founded in 1997 by barbara peters’s husband, robert rosenwald. it is an independent publisher that publishes more hardcover mysteries than most other publishers in the world. don’t let the similar names fool you: the poisoned pen press and the poisoned pen are two separate businesses in arizona each with their own staff and business plans. while barbara peters owns the bookstore, her husband owns the press. each offers the other business their unique expertise; peters edits for the press and her husband works on it for the bookstore .
when i announced the anthony nominees the other day, i hadn' t seen this important recognition. a lifetime achievement award will be given at bouchercon in baltimore to barbara peters and robert rosenwald of the poisoned pen bookstore in scottsdale, az, and poisoned pen press .
poisoned pen press has tended “to focus on traditional mysteries, where the investigation and solution of the crime is the driving force of the story, ” said rosenwald .
barbara peters, editor - in - chief of the poisoned pen press and owner of the poisoned pen bookstore in scottsdale, will moderate a series of brief conversations with several authors, after which you will have an opportunity to meet them, ask questions and purchase their books .
arizona - based publisher poisoned pen press has created its first imprint, dedicated to titles for teenagers, called poisoned pencil. the imprint is looking to release mysteries that cover, it said ,
all traditional
forms .
poisoned pen, which was founded in 1997 and specializes in mysteries, has more than 400 books in print .
poisoned pen press, one of the largest publishers of hardcover mysteries in the world, consistently receives positive and starred reviews from trade publications and the general press. their books have won or been nominated for every major award in the mystery genre .
poisoned pen press grew out of peters’s poisoned pen mystery bookstore, which one arizona television station recently described as “a landmark. ” opened in 1989, the store, in the historic center of sunny scottsdale, attracted both hometown readers and tourists. when the snowbirds went home and couldn’t find the mysteries they wanted, they had the poisoned pen booksellers ship their orders, and today the bookstore’s business is 80 percent mail order .
“publication by poisoned pen press means being part of a tight - knit and supportive community. it’s all for one and one for all. we’re buoyed by camaraderie and good will. ”
lifelong learning at pc and the poisoned pen press from scottsdale will join forces in february to bring successfully published mystery authors to pebblecreek as part of lll’s continuing series of book and other events .
as of march 2017, poisoned pen press has been located above the poisoned pen bookstore, in the old town art district of scottsdale, arizona. the bookstore was opened by rosenwald and peters in 1989 and is known for its large schedule of author and literary events and its global outreach through webcasts and worldwide shipping .
the poisoned pencil, an imprint of poisoned pen press, is releasing its first title, janie chodosh’s death spiral, on april 1. the launch brings to fruition nearly two years of planning by imprint editor ellen larson and poisoned pen president and publisher robert rosenwald, who seek, according to rosenwald, “to fill a void in ya book publishing” with edgy mysteries that feature teenagers .
scottsdale, arizona – poisoned pen press announces the upcoming launch of its first imprint, the poisoned pencil. founded to publish original, high - quality mysteries for the young adult market, the poisoned pencil is seeking manuscripts of between 45, 000 to 90, 000 words in all traditional mystery forms. for full submission guidelines visit :
in celebration of our 20th anniversary, poisoned pen press has commissioned original short stories from thirty - five of its authors, past and present. some names will be immediately recognizable to mystery... read more
email any requests to sales @ poisonedpen. com. it' s all part of the experience. thank you for supporting the poisoned pen .
“thus was born poisoned pen press. the first book we published was the compilation of those papers presented at the conference. it ended up being nominated for an edgar for best critical / biographical, ” said rosenwald .
with a packed calendar and devoted staff, barbara peters and the poisoned pen aren’t stopping anytime soon. next year, the poisoned pen turns 25, and they will certainly celebrate the milestone with a celebration fit for this innovative bookstore who has redefined the author event and given conferences their signature spin .
we look forward to seeing what the poisoned pen accomplishes in the future. to read more about the store, check out their website at: urltoken
follow this link to submit your writing to the new imprint. jessica tribble was named publisher of the new imprint and ellen larson is the new editor. since 1997, poisoned pen press has published more than 400 mystery books .
robert rosenwald graduated from st. john' s college in santa fe, nm in 1969. he helped his wife, barbara peters, found the poisoned pen, a mystery bookstore... and more in 1989. jointly they started poisoned pen press - - publishing excellence in mystery in 1997 in order to combat problems caused by consolidation within mainstream publishing including the loss of backlist titles and the shrinking number of midlist authors. poisoned pen press has since become the second largest publisher of hardcover mysteries in the u. s. , has a backlist of over 700 titles, and currently publishes approximately forty new titles annually .
in recent years, poisoned pen press expanded into publishing the british library crime classics series in the u. s. and added a young adult fiction line. the latest addition is audiobooks, which rosenwald said “has a lot of potential. ”
poisoned pen press’s hardcover sales are driven in part by the collector market, where there’s a strong demand for signed copies. author events are the best way to get customers signed copies, especially personally inscribed copies, and the press maintains an email community for its authors, so that they can share information about contacts for signings .
“it' s glorious to have reached our 20th year as an independent publisher, self - capitalized, debt free, and able to choose books to publish because we are crazy about them, ” said peters, executive editor of poisoned pen press .
poisoned pen press came into being in 1996 partly in response to the shrinking mid - list in mystery publishing. for barbara peters, owner of the scottsdale, arizona bookstore the poisoned pen, too many fine authors were losing their publishers to downsizing. her husband, arizona businessman robert rosenwald, decided to form an independent mystery publisher to address the problem. robert is the president and publisher; barbara is the editor .
the poisoned pencil is a young adult mystery publisher committed to publishing original, high - quality mystery books for teens and adults. founded in 2012, the pencil is an imprint of poisoned pen press – one of the largest publishers of mysteries in the country. we hope to be known as one of the top young adult mystery publishers .
“writing for poisoned pen press has been a rich, fulfilling experience for me. robert and barbara have assembled a highly competent, cheerful staff and have attracted a stable of talented writers who cheer each other on. it’s a family. i wanted to write for an indie press and was lucky enough to get on with the best one. ”
the poisoned pen arthur b. reeve, american mystery writer (1880 - 1936) this ebook presents «the poisoned pen», from arthur b. reeve. a dynamic table of contents enables to jump directly to the chapter selected. table of contents - 01 - about this book - 02 - the poisoned pen - 03 - the yeggman - 04 - the germ of death - 05 - the firebug - 06 - the confidence king - 07 - the white slave - 08 - the forger - 09 - the
“in 2011 i decided it was time. after contacting ellen to see if she would be interested in being editor - in - chief and help launch our young adult imprint, the poisoned pencil, to which she readily agreed, she and our then - publisher at poisoned pen press, jessica tribble, began the search for our first titles. ”
though poisoned pen press shares a name with its sister bookstore in scottsdale, ariz. , “we are entirely separate businesses, ” explained press president and founder rob rosenwald. “barbara [ peters ] is my wife and editor - in - chief of the press, but she also runs the bookstore. when she’s at the publishing house she works for me, and when i am in the bookstore, doing handyman things, i work for her. ”
as editor - in - chief of poisoned pen press and owner of the poisoned pen bookstore, barbara peters wears many hats as she pulls off the fine balancing act of overseeing one of the most successful independent bookstores in arizona while working on the publishing side of the fence. “she’s tough and uses her years of experience and savvy in the biz to help shape my novels, ” says easley. “when she’s happy, i’m tickled to death. ”
it was a mildly crispy late afternoon in june when denis and i headed to the poisoned pen. we were both fairly recent converts to robert dugoni' s books ...
poisoned pen press now publishes 36 books per year, according to robert .
typically two hardcovers and one paperback per month .
they have a
first - look
deal with an independent film producer and their foreign sales are handled by danny baror of baror international .
“for me, being published by poisoned pen press is like coming home. at my first left coast crime, the ppp folks i met were ‘real’ authors and i was not, but they made me feel welcome. they’re great people and i consider myself very lucky. ”
not long ago, i posted about how much i like my publisher. clearly i' m not the only one! congratulations, robert rosenwald, barbara peters, and the whole team at poisoned pen press on being the 2010 recipient of the mwa ellery queen award! cheers !
the poisoned pen by arthur b. reeve this book
the poisoned pen
is part of series of 12 books of
craig kennedy, scientific detective series
this is a collection of twelve short craig kennedy stories. it involves just the elements one expects from arthur b. reeve: numerous murders, discussion of technolies to apprehend criminals, and some interesting settings .
sam wiebe, the third echo, girl trouble: malfeasance occasional, macmillan / st. martin’s press
the world of publishing can seem distant, austere, and corporate, but the “family concept” at poisoned pen press resonated with kaehler. “really, it comes down to nurturing me as a writer and my career as an author. they do so with empathy and care—and with occasional tough love. ”
with a name like the poisoned pen, you may feel like you should be walking into the setting of a murder mystery instead of a favorite independent bookstore. since 1989, barbara peters, the owner and founder of the poisoned pen, has made the scottsdale, az store a place where customers come from far and wide to pick up their next whodunit fix or the newest fiction title .
because of poisoned pen’s volume, all submissions are now electronic. when the press acquires a previously published title for which electronic files are not available, rosenwald’s crew may have a copy disassembled and sent to india for rekeying, which can cost as little as $ 215 for a 300 - page book .
recently, the publishing operation moved its offices into a space above the bookstore, but peters, now 77, still often works from home, corresponding with the store and with the press’s other editor, annette rogers, who has been with the publisher for a dozen years. poisoned pen press has a total staff of 11, and its latest hire is longtime putnam executive michael barson, who is director of publicity .
critic oline cogdill recently wrote a piece for mystery scene that celebrated the 20th anniversary and the history of poisoned pen press. due to copyright, i won’t reprint the article, but i’ll certainly encourage readers to check out the story, including photos of publisher robert rosenwald, and his wife, executive editor barbara peters. urltoken
“it has been such a remarkable ride, ” said rosenwald. “when we started poisoned pen press in 1997 we hoped to get a few out - of - print books back into print. now, 20 years later, we' ve published nearly a hundred living authors and have a backlist approaching a thousand titles. ”
keith mccafferty and linda castillo braved the heat and made it to the pen. thanks for coming! # bookstorelove
one reason for author interest in poisoned pen press may be its careful cultivation of the library market, which is currently the single largest market it serves. as of january, it publishes every new title in three editions: trade paper, hardback, and large print, since both hardback and large print are important for library collections .
poisoned pen press was established in 1997. founders robert rosenwald and barbara peters, the owner of the legendary poisoned pen bookstore, didn’t aspire to create a publishing company that would rival the “big five. ” their goal was to publish works that were diverse and daring, that broke the cookie - cutter mold of traditional mysteries and thrillers. and they succeeded in doing that and more, publishing works ranging from an offbeat thriller set in botswana titled danger woman by frederick ramsay to jack the lady killer, a novel in verse by h. r. f. keating .
for news and updates about the poisoned pencil. members of the news media wishing to request additional information about the poisoned pencil are kindly asked to contact maryglenn mccombs by phone: (615) 297 - 9875 or by email :
to meet market demand for these titles, rosenwald set up shop as a publisher across the street from the bookstore. soon the press was publishing new material, often debut novels, as well as longtime favorites. today its authors, once established, may move to larger publishers—but established authors also sometimes make the move from big - name houses to poisoned pen .
larson has been a freelance editor and writer since 1990, and began working with rosenwald 10 years ago to edit and help develop various poisoned pen mysteries. “ya mystery publishing had been rob’s dream for many years, and before i joined poisoned pencil he worked with jessica tribble to plan and organize the new press, ” said larson. “jessica was the publisher of the poisoned pencil during its inception and for the first year and a half of its existence. she guided me during those most important months. ” tribble is now managing editor at brilliance audio, but the imprint’s mission remains the same .
“in my 14 years with poisoned pen press, every last staff member has been a wonderful colleague, unfailingly so. barbara peters has been a caring and intelligent editor, and rob rosenwald has worked tirelessly to get my books in front of reviewers, award committees and, most of all, readers. i’m so lucky to be a part of it all. ”
in celebration of our 20th anniversary, poisoned pen press has commissioned original short stories from thirty - five of its authors, past and present. some names will be immediately recognizable to mystery aficionados - - kerry greenwood with her phryne fisher mysteries, now also a popular television program, or laurie r. king who has charmed sherlockians worldwide with her beloved mary russell series
other work: death will have your eyes, st. martin’s drive, poisoned pen press / harvest the killer is dying, walker & company chester himes: a life, canongate; walker & company. ny times notable book of the year difficult lives: jim thompson, david goodis, chester himes, gryphon books the potato tree (poetry), host publications
these very cool shirts are a big hit at the poisoned pen. my personal favorite being a toss up between about six of them, one being the brave new world shirt for kids. (click here to see all the different choices )
peters and rosenwald trade credit for the ongoing success of poisoned pen press. “rob did the deals for our bestselling books, ” peters said. “miss fischer came to us complete, so i can’t claim any responsibility for that. and james [ sallis ] always writes a clean novel, without any extra words, so my work was very limited there as well. ”
the new imprint will publish four titles in 2014, but may increase its output next year depending on how the brand is received. poisoned pen, which is distributed by ingram publisher services, is headquartered in scottsdale, ariz. ; larson lives and works in upstate new york. “i’m the east coast branch of poisoned pencil, ” she said with a laugh .
the authors are responsible for most of their own signings. because they all have day jobs and / or a variety of other commitments, authors can arrange their events more easily than the press staff can—especially given the press’s small staff and volume of publishing .
speaking of accolades, next month poisoned pen founders barbara peters and robert rosenwald will receive the 2010 ellery queen award from the mystery writers of america for “their generous and wide - ranging support of the genre. ” the husband and wife, who founded the press in 1996, were also honored in 2008 with a lifetime achievement award at the 2008 bouchercon crime and mystery conference .
“to me, being published by poisoned pen press first means being rigorously (and compassionately) checked, edited, and presented to the world. my story and words are buffed and polished so that i know my best foot goes forward. second, it means i have a community supporting me–friends, taskmasters, fans, confidants and colleagues among the staff and my fellow authors. ”
“i first met barbara peters at a bouchercon event years before the founding of poisoned pen press. during our brief conversation, i was struck by–nearly bowled over by! –her enthusiasm for mystery novels and her insights into my books. ‘wow, ’ i thought to myself, ‘she would make a great editor–better than any i’ve had. ’ well, my wish has come true! ”
i may have been clueless about what it takes to be successful publishing mysteries when i telephoned jessica tribble, associate publisher at the well - established and well - respected poisoned pen press. but an hour later, i had discovered why this ibpa member can now produce and promote at least three books a month, support a backlist of some 450 titles, and garner industry accolades .
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“my generation was taught to be readers, not writers. i started down that dubious path in response to a challenge by my (then) new bride. why not write a book? she said. after many years and rewrites, poisoned pen press bought artscape, the first of many i would write for them. numbers 20 and 21 currently rest uneasily on my hard drive. ”
“writers should root for the success of their colleagues, because sharing in the joys of your friends’ accomplishments enhances the wonder of your own journey. yes, that principle is far easier to preach than achieve, which is precisely what makes poisoned pen press such and extraordinary place to call home. ppp camaraderie goes a long ways towards assuring that a writer’s solitary existence never becomes a lonely one. ”
i recall speaking to a publishing industry insider who once proclaimed that anyone venturing into the world of publishing was swimming in precarious water. “you can’t defy the odds, ” he said. “publishing is fraught with all sorts of pitfalls. ” one of the few companies that has defied all odds, growing every year and earning the respect of publishers, authors, and other industry professionals, is poisoned pen press .
founded in 1997 by robert rosenwald (president and founder), barbara peters (editor - in - chief), and their daughter susan malling, poisoned pen press is an independent publisher of mystery novels. our award - winning mystery writers and our commitment to excellence for our readers set us apart. based in scottsdale, arizona, in 2017 we celebrated 20 years of publishing some of the best novels of the genre .
at a time when major publishing companies have fewer and fewer resources to support their authors, tammy kaehler lauds poisoned pen for its publicity and marketing support. “they let me be me, whether that’s my unusual topic or unconventional marketing approaches—and they support me where and how they can. ”
“i' m very proud of our authors and of the poisoned pen press staff, which inevitably has evolved over the years. with a great team and list in place we' re experimenting with a line of paperback originals as well as working to bring the work of our authors to a wider range of readers, plus publishing the sterling work of the british library crime classics program here in the united states, ” peters added .
in 1996, the poisoned pen bookstore hosted a crime conference called az murder goes... classic. the conference featured current crime writers talking about classic crime writers. after the conference the authors, who had all presented papers at the conference, asked what the bookstore would do with them .
our books routinely earn starred reviews from trade publications and the general press and have also won or been nominated for every major award in the mystery genre .
“we hosted its first thrillerfest the next year at the biltmore. now it meets each july in nyc. if i have a theme for this year it would be ‘experience the unexpected’, and authors include qiu xiaolong, marcia clark, steve hamilton, susanna kearsley, and jane cleland, a cupcake cozy with aavery aames, kate carlisle, and jenn mckinlay, and two of my own authors from poisoned pen press, michael kahn and sheldon siegel, ” peters continues .
pppress books routinely earn starred reviews from trade publications and the general press and have also won, or been nominated for, every major award in the mystery genre .
keeping in line with no corporate policies, the poisoned pen doesn’t do author events like other stores where an author just does a reading or pitch. “we offer an evening (or afternoon, or whole day) out with an interview of 60–90 minutes that might include some reading, very interactive with questions, ” peters states .
when it comes to different kinds of events, it seems like the poisoned pen has tried it all. “we host big events offsite at the arizona biltmore or various libraries or other locations. we support offsite events publishers set up, say a business event. we’ve hosted teas and rum - tasting parties and potlucks and book launches and author lunches and dinners and once a new year’s eve party with readings. this year we’ll get to do a halloween party with sara paretsky so we may do prizes for costumes, ” peter states. all of the events ring true to the poisoned pen’s motto, “it’s more than a bookstore, it’s an experience. ”
the poisoned pen bookstore, founded in 1989 by barbara g. peters is an independent bookstore with strong specialties in crime fiction, especially british mystery and noir, history and literature of the american southwest. the store is well known for its heavy schedule of author events and for autographed first editions and does business nationally and internationally .
most new titles are about 250 pages, and their texts are designed with a standard template. print specs are standardized, too: 50 # text stock and 10 pt cover stock, coated to ensure the books travel well. this standardization is another reason that poisoned pen can release three dozen titles annually in three editions each—more than 100 products—with its very small staff .
the poisoned pencil is particularly interested in works with off - beat approaches young adults can really feel connected to and narrative choices that reflect the complexity and ambiguity of today’s world. read more >
it' s a well - deserved honor. i appreciate all of barbara peters' efforts to bring authors to the community. she' s worked hard over the years to build an outstanding independent bookstore. the poisoned pen bookstore also works closely with the libraries in the area, to assist us in bringing authors to our communities. the bookstore provides the books that are sold when authors appear .
* baby blue * by pol koutsakis translated by anne - marie stanton - ife, june 2018, 292 pages, bitter lemon press, isbn: 190852491x * reviewed by lynn harvey. * ...
before the poisoned pen, peters was a librarian for a university and the library of congress as well as a lawyer. the store would have never have been born if peters hadn’t chosen crime fiction titles over law. “after a serious medical mishap sidelined me, i moved to arizona where my husband to be one day said, ‘now that you can do whatever you want, what is it you’re going to do? ’”
“the common thread in poisoned pencil is that each book features a unique crime experienced through young adult eyes, ” said larson. “they don’t necessarily provide all the happy answers, but they challenge the mind. ”
here is the list of new releases for july 9 to july 15! lorna barrett (aka l. l. bartlett & lorraine bartlett) poisoned pages (this will be the 12th in the ...
the recent move in bookselling away from the chain model and to online outlets has led to some changes in what the poisoned pen sells. “we’ve been pushed for say a decade out of crime fiction and into a bookstore that specialized in fiction and whatever else we like. the great thing about being an independent is when people ask, ‘why is this book here? ’ we reply, ‘because we like it. ’ no corporate policy controls, ” she continues .
is an independent publisher of mystery novels. its award - winning mystery writers and commitment to excellence for its readers set the press apart. based in scottsdale, arizona, pppress now celebrates 20 years of publishing some of the best novels in the genre .
although sales promotion is a focus for the press, its authors vary significantly in their promotional ability. the authors with young children often have complicated schedules, while older ones tend to be calmer and can adapt to the unpredictabilities of event venues and attendance .
“our online customers, who outnumber our local customers, participate in drawings for prizes and can watch webcasts of some of our events, ” barbara peters states. their webcasts on their livestream account allow fans of their bookstore to personalize their experience with the poisoned press. this is especially helpful since nearly 15 percent of their business is global now. there are over 60 webcasts with authors such as sue grafton, lauren beukes, john sandford, and craig johnson with new ones being added all the time .
first of all - happy new year to all of our customers! at the beginning of each year, we, at the poisoned pen, look forward to the new titles that will be released throughout the year. in a way, we help keep america reading - which is very important. more importantly, we would like to thank every customer who has bought a book from us this past year; it is because of you that we are able to keep this independent bookstore running. thank you !
that independent spirit has inspired loyalty to poisoned pen, from their employees who have worked there for a long time to their authors who have nothing but praise for the team. author warren easley said, “their support of me goes back to before i signed a contract with them. they turned down two of my manuscripts, but each time it was with a detailed critique of the book and encouragement to stay at it and query them again. i took their critiques to heart and the third manuscript i submitted led to a three - book deal. ”
larson put out the call for manuscripts in the fall of 2012. “i received 20 or 30 submissions right away, from both agents and authors, and read every single one of them, ” she said. out of that group she plucked a half - dozen with protagonists in the 13 - to 18 - year - old range, which she signed for poisoned pencil. although larson and rosenwald knew what they weren’t interested in, including paranormal, science fiction, and vampire novels, it took a bit longer to establish the poisoned pencil brand .
i’m ellen larson, and i’m the editor of the poisoned pencil. which means i’m the one who reviews the submissions, reads those that meet our criteria, and recommend to jessica those that i think we should acquire. once we’ve acquired a book, i ...
“i wish i were able to attend the anniversary party, as i’d love to toast ppp’s twenty remarkable years. my novels have benefited enormously from its wise editors. more importantly, i treasure the friendly, personal relationships that the press fosters. in my experience, that is truly unique in the industry. ”
robert kanigel the man who knew infinity, scribner. ny times notable book of the year; l. a. times book award nominee; nbcc award nominee apprentice to genius, johns hopkins univ press the one best way, viking. ny times notable book of the year high season in nice, little, brown
it only takes a quick glance at the calendar to see that the poisoned pen has an author event nearly every day. due to the large crowds each event draws, there are fewer books stocked in the store and more daily deliveries to ensure they can sit over 160 people and have standing room for 200. “we add visuals, power point presentations, music. food works, so we serve a lot of it free. we give away arcs at events to customers who have supported the author by buying a book (we gets hundreds of arcs so it’s a great use for them), ” peters explains .
liz mugavero is the author of the pawsitively organic mysteries, published by kensington books, kneading to die, a 2013 agatha nominee, a biscuit, a casket, the icing on the corpse, and murder most finicky. liz also writes the cat about town series as cate conte for st. martin' s press, coming soon .
kimberly kurth gray is a recipient of the william f. deck - malice domestic grant for unpublished writers. in addition to her monthly post as the detective' s daughter, she writes for scenes from a baltimore kitchen. her latest short story can be found in the boardwalk, a rehoboth beach anthology published by cat and mouse press .
the new imprint seeks “works with off - beat approaches and narrative choices that reflect the complexity and ambiguity of today’s world. ” tribble explained more in the release: “our goal with the poisoned pencil is to publish young adult mysteries that are fast - paced and relevant to today’s teens—books that adults will also want to read. ”
here are the april 2018 books by some of our members. they may all be found at your local independent bookstore. visit this link to find a store near you: urltoken books barbara allan, antiques wanted, kensington baron r. birtcher, fistful of rain, permanent press w. edward blain, passion play, pegasus christine e. blum, murder most
here are the february 2018 books by some of our members. they may all be found at your local independent bookstore. visit this link to find a store near you: urltoken books j. d. allen, 19 souls, midnight ink kelley armstrong, this fallen prey, minotaur edward arno, coronation souvenir, victory rose press alex berenson, the deceivers, penguin
throughout the years, robert rosenwald and barbara peters have won awards for their work at the press. they received a lifetime achievement award at the bouchercon crime and mystery conference in 2008 and the ellery queen award at the mystery writers of america in 2010. some of their recent titles include michael bowen’s “ a michaelson and marjorie mystery “ series, jon talton’s the night detectives, and michael kahn’s the flinch factor .
delving into the ya category, rosenwald says, gives poisoned pen “a chance to give mysteries to an audience that is constantly facing the unknown, the unexpected, and even the dangerous. ” the 17 - year - old protagonist in lisa m. cronkhite’s disconnected (june) can’t remember much of her past, and struggles to understand what happened to her family – and why there is a grave with her name on it. in jesus jackson by james daley (sept .), a 14 - year old boy searches for meaning – and a killer – following the death of his idealized older brother at their catholic school. treva hall melvin’s mr. samuel’s penny (nov .) features an african - american girl searching for clues that will help identity the killer of a friend and his two - year - old daughter .
rosenwald saw an opportunity to take advantage of still - developing print - on - demand technology to do paperback originals, which was unorthodox at the time. but the publisher quickly shifted into producing original titles. “we started with four books, that first year, and are now doing 60 a year, ” he said. “it has gotten a little out of hand. ” the press’s backlist is now more than 700 titles .
in addition, les co - edited with s. e. dahlinger a collection of mystery - related material from the bookman magazine (1895 - 1933), to be published in 2007 by wessex press. wessex also will publish a collection of his sherlockian essays in 2007. klinger writes occasional book reviews for the los angeles times. his current project is the new annotated dracula, to be published by w. w. norton in 2008 .
like a good novelist, tribble has a clear idea of each kind of press author, and she segmented them as a, b, c, or d level. as many as 20 percent belong in the first category: they do frequent signings, maintain blogs and / or web sites, know their customers well, and publish a book each year. some work in advertising, and when it comes to promotion, “they really get it. ”
when it comes to promotion, tribble also works in high volume, with an average of 20 (and sometimes as many as 40) messages a day on twitter. “i’m an addict, ” she admits, pointing out that the high number is partly because she and the press authors retweet each others’ messages. she cuts down the work involved by using tweetdeck, an online service that automatically sorts incoming tweets into files such as “must read” and “author tweets. ”
the deborah knott series, mysterious press and grand central publishing: bootlegger’s daughter. winner, edgar, anthony, agatha, macavity awards for best novel. washington post bookworld bestseller southern discomfort shooting at loons up jumps the devil. winner, agatha award best novel killer market home fires storm track uncommon clay slow dollar high country fall rituals of the season winter’s child hard row. ny times bestseller death’s half acre. ny times bestseller sand sharks christmas mourning three - day town
which meant i understood completely the desire of the older generation of the abrahams family to find a just solution to the crime as quickly as possible. too much attention from the police or especially from the press would be seen as inviting just the kind of trouble that they had all left behind in europe. not that there weren’t occasionally violent impulses and certainly casual anti - semitism in australia, but so far, those impulses had not broken out in pogroms and outright persecutions .
, editor of the poisoned pencil, commented ,
we' re not looking for clones of last year' s hits. we aim to be known for our own list of smart, edgy mysteries that explore subjects real teens face every day - - books that will appeal to teens and adults alike, because they' ll make you think. our first four titles give you a hint about the scope of the pencil: you can' t define us, but you' ll know it' s a pencil title when you read it .
peters: i think that, like all genre fiction, mystery swings up and down. it crested in the early' 90s and is still down, while thrillers and big box books are up, largely because big publishers need immense numbers. i think readers are becoming bored with big books with high stakes and are willing to return to the smaller mystery. romance and history work well. so does the regional book, with its deep sense of place. i have expanded my definition of mystery to include the crime novel, and i think there are enough readers to keep us going at the bookstore, which survived 2002 intact, and at the press .
“both are successful and challenging and as neither of us draws a paycheck, true labors of love. neither of us can imagine retiring but we are making provision for both in case one of us is sidelined by age or illness. meanwhile we bucket along, doing the nuts and bolts but working on reinventing ourselves as often as we can. to that end, i’ve just promoted the 21 - year - old to fill a vacancy so she can keep dragging us along into the future, and we’ve hired a more seasoned copy editor for the press to improve the quality of our production. you can never afford to sit still, ” barbara peters states .
hi folks, has anyone out there ever worked with poisoned pen, or have knowledge of their editorial process. being fairly knew to the' game', i' m somewhat aware of the agent - publisher relationship and the rejection vs. acceptance processes with the big houses, but as i' ve decided to seek a small independent house for my first mystery novel, i thought that ppp was a good choice. after querying, i was asked to send a 30 - page sample, which got reviewed and then sent on to a couple readers. i then was informed that the readers found enough promise in the project to have me send them the full mss. to be sent to a couple more readers. apparently if all of these readers are favorable toward the mss. it goes to four others, and then possibly to the executive editor. is this a fairly common practice? i have had a wonderful experience with ppp thus far and was even pleased with some of the harsh criticism i got, as i know it will just make my work better. do other houses work in this manner, and if there is someone who has experience or knows about ppp, do you know how many full mss. they actually review? i' m just curious and would love to hear from anyone' s insight. thanks, : hat jay
british author - illustrator katie green discusses her graphic memoir ‘lighter than my shadow, ’ which traces her long struggle with and recovery from anorexia, as well as why telling the story visually was so important .
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poisoned pen press is a publisher of hardcover mystery fiction in the united states . it is based in scottsdale , arizona . poisoned pen press typically publishes thirty-six new hardcover mysteries per year , thirty-six new large type editions of those hardcovers , and between thirty and forty new trade paperback editions of previously published hardcovers . audio books of new titles are produced by blackstone audio . all titles are distributed through ingram publisher services . 
poisoned pen press is a publisher of hardcover mystery fiction in the united states. it is based in scottsdale, arizona. poisoned pen press typically publishes thirty-six new hardcover mysteries per year, thirty-six new large type editions of those hardcovers, and between thirty and forty new trade paperback editions of previously published hardcovers. audio books of new titles are produced by blackstone audio. all titles are distributed through ingram publisher services.
poisoned pen press is a publisher of hardcover mystery fiction in the united states. it is based in scottsdale, arizona. poisoned pen press typically publishes thirty-six new hardcover mysteries per year, thirty-six new large type editions of those hardcovers, and between thirty and forty new trade paperback editions of previously published hardcovers. audio books of new titles are produced by blackstone audio. all titles are distributed through ingram publisher services.