Dear Mystery Publisher,

Library Journal will be previewing 2017 spring, summer, and fall mysteries/thrillers in the April 15, 2017 issue. The focus will be on notable series debuts, stand-alone titles, and first novels being published between April and November 2017. The article will also explore the current state of the genre. Among the topics we’re interested in exploring:

• Psychological suspense and the use of the unreliable narrator. Is the Gone Girl/Girl on the Train phenomenon still growing or has it peaked? What will be the breakout thriller of the summer?
• New directions for best-selling mystery authors. What new series or stand-alones are they launching? Are they changing how they publish? Are they going hybrid, balancing between independent and traditional publishing?
• Historical mysteries. Why does World War II continue to be so popular with writers and readers? What other historical periods are trending now?
• What’s new in the cozy world? Are traditional Golden Age-style mysteries making a comeback?
• Are you acquiring more mysteries in translation? Is the Scandinavian crime fiction scene cooling? What new areas of the world are attracting attention from U.S. publishers?
• Are you seeing more genre-blending in crime fiction?
• With the call for more diverse books in recent years, are publishers receiving more submissions featuring diverse protagonists, themes, and situations? Is the genre becoming more multicultural in terms of authors and stories being told?
• Are you acquiring more self-published titles?
• What’s happening with the genre in other formats (digital, audio)? Thanks to the best-selling success of Amazon’s Echo, Google’s Home, and other voice-activated speakers, will mystery audiobooks become more popular with genre fans who can listen on these devices?
• Are any new crime fiction imprints or small presses launching in 2017? What’s new in the indie mystery publishing scene?
• Libraries are an important market for mystery publishers. How are publishers tailoring their library marketing efforts? Are they finding new ways (besides ALA conferences and BookExpo) to connect with librarians and their patrons?

Please email the following information: author, title, ISBN, page count, price, marketing plans, formats available (print, audio, ebook), and a brief description—(along with any relevant quotes from editors or publishers)—to Jessica Moyer at jessicaemilymoyer@gmail.com and be sure to cc Wilda Willams at wwilliams@mediasourceinc.com.

The deadline for submitting your information is February 10, 2017.

Sincerely,

Wilda Williams
Fiction Editor
Library Journal
123 William St., Suite 802
New York, NY 10038