last Crusie/Mayer book?
much to my dismay!

last Crusie/Mayer book?
much to my dismay!

If I have previously read the author, that is the primary set up for my expectation. Similar to a musical recording artist. They are allowed to grow and change as they go, but it is disconcerting if they suddenly are in a different genre.

If I don’t know the author, my primary expectations will come from the back cover/advertising if there is any. I often try new authors via my public library. Less to lose. Libraries don’t have a ton of advertising, but they will also classify a book into a section. So, if I find it in the romance section vs. fiction, that sets up an expectation or the little stickers on the spine – mystery, sci fi, etc.

Titles are often clever and rarely really tell me what is in the book.

Cover art – well, let’s say Bet Me contained a bit more of a story than just shoes. So, it isn’t a complete indicator but might be helpful or relative.

If I start to read the book before obtaining it, often on Amazon, then I’m more looking at the author’s writing style – humorous, deep, drama, lots of dialogue, out of my vocabulary range, etc. but I’m not certain if it sets up much expectation about the story.

With you, I expect fun and witty and laugh out loud dialogue or character thoughts. I guess I do expect a sex scene or two and a romance to be full-filled. I expect to feel happy while reading and even after although it will be another year or so before you publish another book that will again make me laugh and feel good about life.

With Bob, I expect something to explode and someone to die and a tough guy to get somewhat hurt but survive. I read your collaborative works because you’re a part of it, not because of Bob’s input.

Does this mean that Bet Me will be your last romance? (holding back tears here it that’s true)

(2) for an author I haven’t read, then it’s
(a) title & cover design
(b) back cover copy
(c ) first page –>scene–>chapter.
I’m looking forward to it, wherever it’s shelved and whatever genre may be printed on the spine (which I don’t think I’ve ever looked at).

The wonderful stories and characters, filled with laughter and humor,aren’t going to change no matter if you write a romance or sci-fi fantasy. The things that make your books worth reading aren’t going to change.

It may however take a little getting used to!

Yes, I know there was some speculation. I don’t think, though, that it ever grew to the point of expectation, particularly amongst the Cherries.

It was pretty darned entertaining, though!

There were definitely expectations. I can’t remember exactly where they were expressed, but towards the beginning of the collaboration there was speculation about Jenny and Bob’s relationship. As far as I recall, Jenny and Bob repeatedly had to squash the rumours by pointing out that Bob was already in a relationship with someone else. You can read one of Jenny’s attempts to quash the rumours here.

There’s “Anna and the King of Siam”, but that’s an example of what would be detrimentally misleading. Expectations are raised throughout, but squashed at the end.

Then it occurred to me that the Crusie/Mayer collaboration itself is a great example. The male/female relationship we’ve been privileged to witness has been outrageously entertaining without a speck of expectation of joint HEA. Someone should write a book . . .

As an avid Crusie, Crusie-Mayer, and Dougherty reader, I agree. Yes, I instinctively expect romantic adventure from Crusie-Mayer, but I’m a fan and good writing and storytelling will always pull me in. If you set up the expectation of something different, I’m more than happy to go along for the (wild) ride.

I was shopping in Target several years ago, stopped in the book section. Found a book by an author I’d never heard of. The title caught my attention. Very clean, simple cover art. The blurb on the back encouraged me to read the first couple of pages. Bought the book and haven’t missed any of the author’s books since. The book, “Welcome to Temptation”.

The second “important” impulse buy was a book again with a catchy title. But the cover art really reeled my eye. Actually there were 2 versions of artwork. Placed side by side. Black with gold lettering and character. The other, white with black lettering and a different character. The blurb on the front was festive. The blurb on the back was hilarious. I think I read the first chapter standing there. It was a collaboration and I’d heard of one of the authors, but hadn’t read any of his books. My copy of “Good Omens” is a mess having been re-read so much.

I’d suggest getting arcs to some of the more popular romance reviewing sites. I suggest the romance sites, as they may draw your loyal romance readers. That will help get the word out.

I firmly believe that even if you titled the book “This is not a Romance”, took out a full page ad in the NY Times, or have a 30 min. infomercial in your office with your dogs preparing your audience, someone will still claim, “I didn’t know, I feel cheated.”. I think there are plenty of people who simply like to whine.

I’m saddened to hear your news of the Crusie/Mayer “breakup”. I loved both “Don’t Look Down” and “Agnes and the Hitman”. Those 2 books are among my favorites and have been re-read many times. Great Books. Well done!

I can’t remember what comment, but they mentioned hating “brand”. So do I, but when you write you have to look at what you sell. And, what you would want to sell more than once. ‘Cause not every reader will follow you to the end of the earth no matter how good the writing.

The writer in me is squirming so I shall finish with…write what comes to you, fix what doesn’t work for the story and know you wrote a damn good book.

Honestly, I think it’s much bigger than covers, blurbs, fonts and store placement. It all comes down to what’s on the page, and (I think) you’re suggesting you maybe are leading people in a certain direction.

I guess what I’m asking is whether there’s a different way to foreshadow the reversals so as not to lead your reader down the very natural path she’s expecting….

I think the back blurb/cover flap can be crucial to setting expectations. When Suz Brockmann’s cover flap (ITS) said “Then character X goes missing and the fun really starts” but character X went missing on page 276 of a 375 page book, the single most frequent negative comment was “the book really didn’t start until it was almost over”. You can’t tell me that wasn’t aided and abetted by the cover copy – they even changed the PB release version to not specify which character went missing. So that cover copy definitely sets expectations – unless your regular readers decline to read cover copy and be “surprised” and boy will they be surprised to not find a romance. Hrm.

I’m not sure if I have any advice for you Jenny. Your name is pretty firmly established in romance. What genre do you think WR fits in? Sci-Fi/Fantasy-adventure? Paranormal-Chick/Lad-Lit? Maybe push for it to be shelved elsewhere, although IME all the new PBs of all genre are plopped on one big shelf/table at Borders. Also, run the cover copy by your beta readers. Make sure the cover art screams “mystery” or “journey” not “grrl’s gonna get some”. No lacey, fancy fonts. This could be a job for your super-star graphic artist, actually.

If the author is someone I’ve read or heard of, I will be more inclined to pick that book up off of the table/shelf because it is already more familiar to me than some random book by some new author.

What really clinches my purchase is the synopsis or “blurb” on the jacket or back cover. In fact, I find it positively irritating if a book does not have some broken down description, and instead just a bunch of quotes about how great this writer/book are. I will never be as receptive to popular author/newspaper quotes as I am to a well written synopsis.

If by chance there is no jacket description, I will be forced to look at the first and last pages. I read both pages, but I make a mental note as to how well the first and last sentences, whatever they may be, grab my attention. If you have a great first sentence, nine times out of ten I’m buying it. If I feel the urge to put the book back down, I do.

Of course, none of this has anything to do with your books, as far as I’m concerned. I buy your books because the way you write often reflects the kind of silly, snarky humor I find in my own life. You write the way I think, whether it’s a blog, a solo project, or a collaborative effort. I don’t love everything you write the same, but I love the way you write. Period.

What’s frustrating is that your writing is too hard to file into one set definition, and I can never find your books in the same section every time I go to a store. Sometimes I find them in the Romance department, sometimes in just plain Fiction, and sometimes you’re in neither and I have to ask somebody to look up what section you’re in. Life would be easier if you just had your own section, but alas, Barnes & Noble has not caught on to this yet.

83: Jeep Fairy Fixes: E.L., when Bob and I were touring for DLD somebody asked where JT found the jeep he drives away in at the beginning of the book since he arrived on a helicopter. And we didn’t know, since we’d added the helicopter at the last minute and forgotten about the driving away part. So I said, “The Jeep Fairy brought it.” There are some Jeep Fairy problems in WR (“How did this happen? Where did this come from?”) so I’m doing Jeep Fairy Fixes.

87: Brooke is one of my betas, so she knows about the end of the book. Lots of hope, and a different kind of HEA.

88: Steph, I have several solos to write and Bob has non-fiction and a new series to write, so we just don’t have time to collaborate again. Three good books–well, one good book and two great books–are a good track record.

I think this is going to work. Based on the comments here, it’s about what I do in the first pages to confound the assumption that this will be a romance and then how I set up the expectations for what it will be.

I hope.

My expectations as a reader of romances is that there has to be a happily ever after. As a reader of women’s literature/chick lit/non-literary books, I’m looking for a positive ending in whatever form that takes. As a reader of men’s adventure fiction, I expect a lot of things to get blown up with some gratutitous sex on the side as the hero saves the day. As a reader of sf/f, I expect characters fighting for what they believe in — winning is not a 100% requirement, but the loosing has to be accompanied by a raised fist (middle finger extended is optional) instead of glum defeat.

As a Crusie/Mayer fan, I’m still developing my expectations because while there are relationship things going on in every book, they’re not really romances. I’d say they’re Equal Opportunity Adventure Fiction — not that there’s a genre for that.

I’d also say that Jennifer Cruise is more-or-less your brand name. That brand is strongly colored by your romance roots. However, it’s a brand I trust that will give me a quality story that I can re-read over the years.

I’ll look at the cover art and skim the back blurbs, just to get the essentials: mystery? humor? romance? Then I read a couple pages to get the voice.

Heading into the book without having read a summary has changed the way I experience books. It feels riskier, and more exciting. But there’s also more of a chance I won’t finish a book, which a couple years ago would have been unthinkable.

It helps if the back cover has a blurb something like “Cruisie departs from her normal romance novel . . . and why thats a really good thing. yada yada yada