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Posts and articles on writing, publishing, working with professional editors, and more from Editorial Department president Ross Browne.

Considering Historical Fiction At Its Finest Editor's analysis of plot, characterization, and handling of exposition in THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett

[by Ross Browne]

If you’ve read any of Ken Follett’s work, it probably comes as no surprise that he was able to turn his own personal fascination with cathedrals and how they’re built into a damn good novel. But from a fiction technique viewpoint, what he done with The Pillars of The Earth transcends good and might be seen […]

By |2022-11-30T17:48:42+00:00|Historical Fiction, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Considering Historical Fiction At Its Finest Editor's analysis of plot, characterization, and handling of exposition in THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett
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Considering Eight Bestselling Series in Crime Fiction What authors can learn from John Sandford, Lee Child, CJ Box, and others about how to cultivate a loyal readership

[by Ross Browne]

One piece of advice authors who write popular fiction often hear is that your odds of landing an agent and a traditional publishing deal can improve considerably when your novel is conceived as (or has the potential to work as) a series. This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys settling down […]

By |2022-02-16T17:55:55+00:00|Behind The Bestsellers, Genre, Getting Published, Mystery / Suspense, RSB, The Writer’s Craft, Traditional Publishing|Comments Off on Considering Eight Bestselling Series in Crime Fiction What authors can learn from John Sandford, Lee Child, CJ Box, and others about how to cultivate a loyal readership
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Patience Required / Patience Rewarded Considering mystery writing craft in TROUBLED BLOOD by Robert Galbraith

[by Ross Browne]

If you’re a fan of JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith, you’re probably well aware how much longer her latest release is than the other four books in the series.

My own first reaction to the size of the hefty tome—darn near 1,000 pages in hardcover—was mostly: Terrific! More […]

By |2022-02-21T14:42:18+00:00|Mystery, Mystery / Suspense, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Patience Required / Patience Rewarded Considering mystery writing craft in TROUBLED BLOOD by Robert Galbraith
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CASINO ROYALE, by Ian Fleming: A Most Pleasant Surprise Considering thriller craft and the delights of the unexpected in the first James Bond novel

[by Ross Browne]

Up until last week, one notable blind spot in my reading life was Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. I loved the movies of the Sean Connery and Roger Moore era but, unimpressed by a later book in the series (written by one of four authors who took the helm after Fleming […]

By |2022-04-04T15:10:11+00:00|Book Reviews and Analysis, RSB, The Writer’s Craft, Thriller|Comments Off on CASINO ROYALE, by Ian Fleming: A Most Pleasant Surprise Considering thriller craft and the delights of the unexpected in the first James Bond novel
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Editorial Analysis: WRECKED by Joe Ide Considering the pros and cons of irredeemable antagonists in crime fiction

[by Ross Browne]

I’m not exaggerating when I say the discovery of Joe Ide’s IQ series made an often-awful 2020 more bearable. Wrecked is the third book in this series starring the fiercely intelligent but lonely and isolated Isaiah Quintabe (“IQ”), who on first glance might resemble a modern-day Sherlock Holmes of Long Beach. In this story, Isaiah […]

By |2022-02-15T18:20:56+00:00|Behind The Bestsellers, Mystery / Suspense, Recommended Reading, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Editorial Analysis: WRECKED by Joe Ide Considering the pros and cons of irredeemable antagonists in crime fiction
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The Sad, Honorable Life of Jack Reacher Considering Reacher's future in the hands of Andrew Child

[by Ross Browne]

October 27, 2020 brought two notes of bittersweet dichotomy for fans of the Jack Reacher series. On one hand, we had a new release to dig into, always a good thing in the eyes of “Reacher Creatures.” On the other, The Sentinel is the first book in the series whose byline Lee shares with […]

By |2022-02-15T18:21:48+00:00|Miscellaneous, Mystery / Suspense, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on The Sad, Honorable Life of Jack Reacher Considering Reacher's future in the hands of Andrew Child
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