Mystery and biography author Jeffrey Marks
Jeffrey Marks is a long-time mystery fan and freelancer. After numerous mystery author profiles, he chose to chronicle the short but full life of mystery writer Craig Rice.
That biography (Who Was That Lady?) encouraged him to write mystery fiction. He began a series of novels set after the Civil War in the area where he grew up. He also began a contemporary mystery series. The first novel in that series won The Malice Domestic Grant.
He has continued to write about the authors he read while growing up. His works include Atomic Renaissance: Women Mystery Writers of the 1940s/1950s, and a biography of mystery author and critic Anthony Boucher entitled Anthony Boucher. It was nominated for an Agatha and fittingly, won an Anthony.
Today, he writes from his home in Cincinnati, which he shares with his spouse and three dogs. He took time out to answer some questions.
Q: What made you choose your genre(s)?
Jeff: I have always loved the mystery genre, from a very young age. So I’m not sure that I chose mystery as much as it chose me. When I started writing, there was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to write the types of books that I enjoyed reading.
Q: What do you consider to be the first meaningful things you wrote?
Jeff: I would say that I started with short stories. It’s always been a great form for me in terms of a quick fix when I wanted to capture a moment or a scene. I tend to write longer works, novels and biographies, so it’s a sense of instant gratification where I can send the story out and get it published while slogging through the edits of a longer work.
Q: Is there anything you wish you had not written?
Jeff: Not really. I think that all writers see things in their finished works and wish they’d had one more round of editing, but I can’t say that there’s anything I wish I hadn’t written. I think you can learn from any book/poem/story you write and become a better author from the experience.
Q: Do you read your books after they’re published?
Jeff: Normally, no I don’t. I will go back to the nonfiction pieces I’ve written, if I need to clarify a point in a current work. In that case, I’ll go back and reread a page or a chapter. I don’t sit down and read the entire book. For my fiction, I’m in the process of having the books converted to audio books, and I have to listen to the books and proof them. So I have been listening to my older works and it hasn’t been as bad as I imagined. I think they’ve held up well.
Q: How do you feel about self-publishing?
Jeff: I’m fine with self-publishing if that is what the author wants to do. It’s not going to make you rich, and it’s hard to play all the roles of publisher, marketer and writer, but for some people it works well. There are also genres where it’s almost required. Poetry is one area where most anthologies are self-published.
Q: From when you first started seriously pitching your first book, how long did it take to be picked up?
Jeff: First anthology of short stories took about 6 months from pitch to purchase. The first non-fiction work was about 3 years.
Q: What is your writing routine? Do you have one?
Jeff: I tend to write in the mornings if I can. The day has a way of loading me up with other things that need to be addressed, and they’ll play at the back of my mind, even when I’m writing. The early morning is great, because no one needs much in the way of attention yet, and my day hasn’t really begun. I get my best ideas down on paper then.
Q: If you didn’t write in your genre, what would you be writing?
Jeff: Wow, I can’t even imagine not writing in my genre. Mystery has been such a large part of my life for so long that I would be lost without it.
Q: What was your harshest rejection? What was your best rejection?
Jeff: One of the nice things about having an agent is that you don’t have to hear the rejections from anyone.
Q: What did you do when your very first book arrived? (I opened the book and smelled it.)
Jeff: Several boxes of books arrived late one night at my house. I split open a box of the books on the driveway and pulled one out just to admire it. Definitely a moment I’ll remember for my entire life.
Q: Where do you think your genre is going? What are the changes you’ve seen?
Jeff: I try not to guess where things are going in the genre. I like particular types of books and those are what I write. I’d never encourage anyone to write to a trend or a future trend. I’ve seen a number of changes in the genre, most specifically eBooks and a more diverse set of protagonists.
Q: Do you ever think back on your first book and wish you’d done something differently?
Jeff: My first two books (a biography and a novel) came out within three months of each other. I was so excited to be published that I never thought that having two books out so closely timed might dilute the audience for one or the other.
Q: Do you recommend getting an agent? How many agents have you had?
Jeff: Yes, I definitely recommend an agent. I’m on my second agent; she’s great and I have learned a lot about how to think about the genre and publishing from her.
More information about Retreat to the Springs!
August 2–4, 2019, “Focus on Fiction” Details
Register by July 25, 2019: To keep our intimate setting and personal attention, the workshop is limited to 25 people.
Location: John Bryan Community Center
100 Dayton St.
Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387
Wendy Beckman
Wendy on Writing 
[…] Q&A with Jeffrey Marks […]