Max Gordon's Blog
July 8, 2015
Despite my best intentions to finish in time for a spring...
Despite my best intentions to finish in time for a spring release, the second book in the Kit McCormick mystery series won’t hit the shelves (or the e-readers) until later this year. I’m hoping for an October publication date. Maybe a Halloween-themed release party?
March 8, 2015
Sisters in Crime Embraces the New Hampshire Women’s Expo
I couldn’t attend the Women’s Expo in Manchester, NH, yesterday, but a copy of Live Free or Die went in my place…to be raffled off. Thanks to the Sisters who were on the (crime) scene to pack the booth; it’s a mystery to me how you find the time…
Originally posted on Pen, Ink, and Crimes:
Here���s a glimpse of the SinC New England team before the crowd flooded the Women���s Expo at the Radisson in Manchester, NH, this morning. We look organized and creative, right? Ready, set, let���s talk to everyone about SinC and the 2015 New England Crime Bake (first weekend of November, 3 days of bliss).
Trust me, after we packed twice as many authors into the booth and then were surrounded by a moving flood of hundreds of women, some with baby strollers, some taking writing classes in their 70s, some in suits, some in fab T-shirts, some with multiple piercings, some carrying roses, some carrying goodie-bags of handouts ��� it got a lot more interesting!
And adventurous (SincNE���s first time at this expo). And mysterious (how DID we fit that many people into the booth and all keep talking?). And delightful (want to see all the things I brought home as���
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February 19, 2015
Doe’s you’re book book Kneed aN editter? (Survey says…Yes!)
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”—Scott Adams, Dilbert
Not everyone wants or needs the same level of editing. And while anyone with a good eye, impeccable spelling, and an excellent grasp of grammar and punctuation rules can copyedit a fiction manuscript, it takes an artist to polish a novel from a rough stone into a fine gem. I am that artist. Through years of practice and a natural talent, I have mastered the art of line editing, and I have a special flair for fiction.
Whether your novel needs just a few minor adjustments or a major overhaul, I can help—without changing YOUR unique voice.
A special note for self-publishers and first-time authors:
No matter how good your book may be now, you can always benefit from having an impartial, trained, intuitively talented editor help you prepare your manuscript ready for publication. I am a published author and long-time professional editor whose clients include writers whose memoirs, general nonfiction, and novels have spent time on The New York Times bestseller list.
Editing Rates—Priced according to the number of words you send me):
surface editing—Sometimes mistakenly called proofreading, this means correcting simple grammatical and spelling errors, plus adding the occasional comment or query for clarification.
• Up to 100,000 words = .01 per word
• 100,001 and over = .015 per word
copyediting—This process includes the above, plus minor sentence revision, vocabulary/tone adjustments, simple sentence or paragraph reorganization.
• Up to 100,000 words = .015 per word
• 100,001 and over = .02 per word
line/substantive editing—This includes all the above, plus major enhancements in tone, organization, and content. Warning: Prima donnas should NOT request this level of editing. These fees are estimates only until I can evaluate the actual manuscript.
• Up to 100,000 words = .02 per word
• 100,001 and over = .03–.05 per word
Other services:
• book design and formatting for self-publishing
• custom print-ready cover designs
• ask!
Email a sample and project description for an estimate. Package pricing available.
Doe’s you’re book book Kneed aN editter? (Survey says���Yes!)
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.������Scott Adams, Dilbert
Not everyone wants or needs the same level of editing. And while anyone with a good eye, impeccable spelling, and an excellent grasp of grammar and punctuation rules can copyedit a fiction manuscript, it takes an artist to polish a novel from a rough stone into a fine gem. I am that artist. Through years of practice and a natural talent, I have mastered the art of line editing, and I have a special flair for fiction.
Whether your novel needs just a few minor adjustments or a major overhaul, I can help���without changing YOUR unique voice.
A special note for self-publishers and first-time authors:
No matter how good your book may be now, you can always benefit from having an impartial, trained, intuitively talented editor help you prepare your manuscript ready for publication. I am a published author and long-time professional editor whose clients include writers whose memoirs, general nonfiction, and novels have spent time on The New York Times bestseller list.
Editing Rates���Priced according to the number of words you send me):
surface editing���Sometimes mistakenly called proofreading, this means correcting simple grammatical and spelling errors, plus adding the occasional comment or query for clarification.
��� Up to 100,000 words = .01 per word
��� 100,001 and over = .015 per word
copyediting���This process includes the above, plus minor sentence revision, vocabulary/tone adjustments, simple sentence or paragraph reorganization.
��� Up to 100,000 words = .015 per word
��� 100,001 and over = .02 per word
line/substantive editing���This includes all the above, plus major enhancements in tone, organization, and content. Warning: Prima donnas should NOT request this level of editing. These fees are estimates only until I can evaluate the actual manuscript.
��� Up to 100,000 words = .02 per word
��� 100,001 and over = .03���.05 per word
Other services:
��� book design and formatting for self-publishing
��� custom print-ready cover designs
��� ask!
Email a sample and project description for an estimate. Package pricing available.
February 16, 2015
Musing About Muses
In 2007, HarperCollins published an illustrated slipcase edition by one of my favorite writers ever. The text originally appeared in The New York Times (July 16, 2001) as ���Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle.��� The book, Elmore Leonard���s 10 Rules of Writing, stretches to just 90 pages, with illustrations, and by virtue of having been printed on 100# card stock (I���m estimating), manages to feel like a hefty tome while still being short enough that one of those hyperdexterous artists could etch it onto a grain of rice. Like Strunk and White���s slim guide to good writing, Leonard���s book is worth many times its weight. My copy (signed edition #236 of 400) holds a place of honor above my desk next to Jim White���s Clarity: A Text on Writing, a book to which I contributed years ago, and the aforementioned gem, The Elements of Style.
Which brings me to this. In April 2014, I released Live Free or Die, the first in a series of murder mysteries featuring amateur sleuth and professional writer Kit McCormick. I wrote the book on a lark, to cure a nasty case of writer���s block, while I was working on my ���real��� book, my (second or third) version of every earnest writer���s Great American Novel.
Now I am torn.
A handful of strangers and a crowd of friends and family are clamoring impatiently for Kit book #2, and while I have it somewhat sketched out, I am stalled. I know some people who can churn out page after page of bearable if unremarkable prose without breaking a sweat, but I wrestle with every detail, adjusting the characters��� collars and connecting the strands from plot points A to Z���and it���s slow going. So every once in a while I glance up at the trio of books by the Masters and think���this is why I have spent all my life tasting words and dreaming dialogues? For one or two or five whodunits that only a few hundred people will ever see? I imagine my mentors (some big names, and all big talents) scowling at me for abandoning my ���art.��� I am not a fan of adverbs or exclamation points���but am I too enamored of hooptedoodle?
November 16, 2014
Books, Music, and Hangin��� Out at Home
Reason #1 for this post:
My favorite musician, Elizabeth Lorrey, has something of a reputation. It seems that just the act of her scheduling a gig to play out is enough to cause some major weather event. Seriously…I know people who check her tour schedule before they plan any outdoor functions, since if she���s on stage, there’s bound to be a blizzard or a tornado on the way. With the safety and comfort of her audience in mind, Elizabeth and her good friends The Rafters are teaming up for a special series of shows called the “Shelter in Place” Tour.
What this means is that you can put on your comfy clothes, set out your favorite nibbles and beverages, and listen to great music from the comfort of your own home (or a friend’��s Shelter in Place party), by logging onto Concert Window (concertwindow.com) at the scheduled times to hear them streaming live from a weather-free bunker in an undisclosed location. The gigs are scheduled for the days that most folks want to stay home anyway, with the first one being���you guessed it���Black Friday!
8pm, November 28, concertwindow.com
Reason #2 for this post:
Which brings me to the REAL reason for this post. For the days leading up to Black Friday, I’��m going to share a giveaway with you. I’ve teamed up with The Kindle Book Review, Digital Book Today, and some amazing authors to sponsor a Black Friday Giveaway. Join me and you can win a $400 Amazon Shopping Spree! Just click on the link to enter. It’s easy, fun, and the prize is awesome! You don’��t even have to read my book���but I hope you do.
By the way, I’��ll be giving away a signed copy of Live Free or Die (just in time to give as a gift for the holidays) during the Black Friday gig, but you have to be tuned in to win, because you���ll have to type something into the comments to enter. 
Books, Music, and Hangin’ Out at Home
Reason #1 for this post:
My favorite musician, Elizabeth Lorrey, has something of a reputation. It seems that just the act of her scheduling a gig to play out is enough to cause some major weather event. Seriously…I know people who check her tour schedule before they plan any outdoor functions, since if she’s on stage, there’s bound to be a blizzard or a tornado on the way. With the safety and comfort of her audience in mind, Elizabeth and her good friends The Rafters are teaming up for a special series of shows called the “Shelter in Place” Tour.
What this means is that you can put on your comfy clothes, set out your favorite nibbles and beverages, and listen to great music from the comfort of your own home (or a friend’�s Shelter in Place party), by logging onto Concert Window (concertwindow.com) at the scheduled times to hear them streaming live from a weather-free bunker in an undisclosed location. The gigs are scheduled for the days that most folks want to stay home anyway, with the first one being…you guessed it…Black Friday!
8pm, November 28, concertwindow.com
Reason #2 for this post:
Which brings me to the REAL reason for this post. For the days leading up to Black Friday, I’�m going to share a giveaway with you. I’ve teamed up with The Kindle Book Review, Digital Book Today, and some amazing authors to sponsor a Black Friday Giveaway. Join me and you can win a $400 Amazon Shopping Spree! Just click on the link to enter. It’s easy, fun, and the prize is awesome! You don’�t even have to read my book…but I hope you do.
By the way, I’�ll be giving away a signed copy of Live Free or Die (just in time to give as a gift for the holidays) during the Black Friday gig, but you have to be tuned in to win, because you’ll have to type something into the comments to enter.
September 1, 2014
The Latest Review of Live Free or Die
Fellow author and Sisters In Crime member Maryann Miller reviews Live Free or Die: http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-live-free-or-die-by-max.html
July 12, 2014
You’ve got mail!
Recently, 434 Goodreads members entered a giveaway for a signed copy of Live Free or Die, the first in a planned series featuring Kit McCormick. Congratulations to the five lucky winners: Robert Dunn, Amy Kartman, Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Joel Luzmoor, and Kat Bryant!
Signed copies on their way to the winners
May 30, 2014
Win a free signed copy of Live Free or Die: Giveaway starts today!
Be one of five lucky winners to have a free SIGNED print copy of Live Free or Die mailed right to your door! To enter, go to Max Gordon’s Goodreads Giveaway between May 30 and June 30. Good luck!
When travel writer Katherine “Kit” McCormick honestly reviews her life, she can give it just three stars out of five, until a freak accident catapults her out of her lethargy and into the middle of a grisly murder case: a loathsome real estate mogul turns up dead in her office. As the ex-lover of the dead man’s wife, Kit makes the shortlist of suspects—and becomes the killer’s next target. Kit finds herself drawn deeper into the intrigue, and toward Detective Kasey Chakarian. Together they unravel the complicated knot of corruption, illicit liaisons, and shameful secrets, but every clue leads to further entanglements—and traps Kit in the killer’s deadly web.
