Key Moments
Ep. 225: Should I Become A Thriller Writer? (w/ J.T. Ellison)
Deep Questions with Cal NewportKey Moments
Author J.T. Ellison discusses her transition to thriller writing, the publishing industry, and advice for aspiring authors.
Key Insights
Transitioning to thriller writing involved a life change from DC politics to pursuing a passion for storytelling.
Success in publishing requires both craft mastery and a unique, compelling idea that captures industry attention.
The publishing industry has evolved significantly with ebooks, shifting discovery mechanisms, and changing formats.
Building a readership, especially through newsletters and community engagement, is crucial for a sustainable author career.
Aspiring authors should focus on finishing a manuscript, seeking constructive feedback, and understanding the market's demands.
The current market favors standalone novels with strong concepts and diverse voices over traditional series for new authors.
FROM WASHINGTON D.C. TO NASHVILLE: A CAREER PIVOT
J.T. Ellison's journey into thriller writing is a testament to pursuing a deep-seated passion. Initially drawn to politics and English while living in the DC area, she faced early discouragement from a professor about her writing potential. After a career in political marketing and aerospace, a move to Nashville and a period of recovery from back surgery led her to discover thriller novels. This ignited a realization of her true calling, prompting her to dedicate herself to writing, finding immense peace in the pursuit of being a writer.
NAVIGATING THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY'S EARLY HURDLES
Ellison's entry into the professional writing world was met with significant challenges, including submitting a novella that was not a full novel and facing rejections on her first completed manuscript. A turning point came from connecting with author John Connolly, which led her to a critique group and the organization Sisters in Crime. These communities provided essential craft education and support, transforming her from a solitary writer into part of a professional network. This collaborative environment was key to honing her skills and persevering through initial industry rejections.
THE CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF WRITING MULTIPLE BOOKS A YEAR
Upon securing her first book deal, Ellison was asked if she could write two books a year, a demanding pace she readily accepted. This led to a period of writing multiple novels annually, a common strategy in mass-market genre fiction at the time to build readership quickly. This model involved a structured routine: a month for research, four months for writing, and a month for editing, alongside business activities like promotion and further research. This discipline was crucial for meeting deadlines and maintaining career momentum in a fast-paced industry.
THE EVOLUTION OF PUBLISHING AND AUDIENCE BUILDING
The publishing landscape has undergone dramatic shifts, influenced by the rise of ebooks and changing retail environments like the closure of Borders. Ellison notes a move away from the rapid-release model in traditional publishing towards a focus on blockbuster standalones, while independent authors now often embrace faster release schedules. Building an audience has also evolved, with initial reliance on platforms like Facebook giving way to a greater emphasis on owned channels like newsletters and direct reader engagement, acknowledging the enduring connection readers seek with authors.
STRATEGIES FOR ASPIRING WRITERS IN A CHANGING MARKET
For those aspiring to write thrillers, Ellison stresses the importance of writing a book that "can't be ignored," emphasizing a unique concept combined with technical craft mastery. She advises studying market trends, particularly through adaptations in film and television, and considering diverse characters and plotlines that resonate widely. While series writing was once the norm, the current market favors standalone novels with high-concept premises that offer broader appeal for sales teams and readers alike.
THE PATH TO PUBLICATION: FROM MANUSCRIPT TO AGENT
The journey from aspiring writer to published author necessitates finishing the manuscript before seeking external validation. Ellison recommends essential resources like Stephen King's 'On Writing' for foundational inspiration and Elizabeth George's '8 Keys to Getting Published' for practical craft development. Engaging with critique groups or paid editorial services is vital for refining work to a professional standard. The process culminates in querying agents, understanding that rejection is common, and perseverance, coupled with a thick skin, is key to eventually securing representation and a publishing deal.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Products
●Software & Apps
●Companies
●Organizations
●Books
●Concepts
●People Referenced
Thriller Writer's Path: Dos & Don'ts
Practical takeaways from this episode
Do This
Avoid This
Common Questions
J.T. Ellison initially studied creative writing and political science, worked in political and aerospace marketing in Washington D.C., then moved to Nashville. After a personal health incident, she was inspired by John Sanford's 'Prey' series and began writing, successfully transitioning from a non-writing career to a New York Times bestselling author.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
A theoretical computer scientist, often credited with inventing the computer, but in this discussion, his role is argued to be inflated regarding the practical creation of modern digital computers.
New York Times best-selling author of over 25 thriller novels, including the Lieutenant Taylor Jackson series and the Dr. Samantha Owen series. Known for her prolific writing and deep research into law enforcement and forensics.
Author of the fantasy novel 'The Name of the Wind'. Mentioned by Cal Newport.
Host of the 'Making Sense' podcast, where Cal Newport was a guest. Sam Harris recently quit Twitter, a topic of discussion on his podcast.
The person Cal Newport identifies as most influential in the development of modern computers due to his master's thesis on symbolic analysis of relay and switching circuits, which laid the foundation for digital electronics.
A mathematician from the late 19th century who posed the 'Entscheidungsproblem', a mathematical logic problem that Alan Turing's work addressed.
Met Alan Turing at Princeton and later developed the Von Neumann architecture, which is the basis for most modern computers.
An author whose book 'Write Away' is recommended by J.T. Ellison for learning character development and plot building in novel writing.
A prolific fantasy author mistakenly credited by Cal Newport for 'The Name of the Wind'. A running gag on the podcast.
Developed the differential analyzer at MIT in the mid-1930s, an early general-purpose analog electronic computer.
Author of hard sci-fi novels like 'The Martian', noted for his technical detail and contemporary hard sci-fi style.
Author known for his detailed and complex science fiction novels, contrasted with high-volume genre writers. Jesse expresses admiration for his detailed approach.
A thriller writer whose 'Prey' series inspired J.T. Ellison to write her own books. Mentioned by J.T. Ellison as an author she admires.
A thriller author whose novel J.T. Ellison deconstructed to understand craft.
A thriller writer whom J.T. Ellison encountered at her first International Thriller Writers conference.
A non-fiction author whose publishing model, with fewer releases and a focus on lasting appeal, is contrasted with the high-volume genre fiction model.
A famous horror author, mentioned as an example of an author who 'upped the violence of the horror'. His book 'On Writing' is recommended for aspiring writers.
Author of 'Ready Player One', mentioned as an example of someone who created wildly unique stories.
A famous mystery writer whose popularity has been revived by authors like Ruth Ware, leading to a market demand for modern mysteries.
An author credited with bringing back the love for Agatha Christie-style mysteries in a modern view.
An author J.T. Ellison met at her first book signing who offered kindness and advice about the publishing industry, including the importance of an agent.
Thriller author and creator of the Jack Reacher series. J.T. Ellison met him at a conference, and they were part of the 'Killer Year' marketing collective.
A thriller author whose novel J.T. Ellison deconstructed to understand craft.
A thriller author whose novel J.T. Ellison deconstructed to understand craft.
An author who achieved massive success through BookTok, significantly influencing current market trends in publishing. Her books, some of which had been out for years, gained a 'backlist bump'.
Author of 'Atomic Habits', cited as an example of a non-fiction book that spread rapidly through reader recommendations on social media, rather than direct author promotion.
A highly successful author known for his legal thrillers, who follows a 'one book a year' Blockbuster model, which the industry is now shifting towards.
An author known for his technological thrillers and standalone Blockbuster novels, representing the model the publishing industry is increasingly favoring.
Author of 'Big Little Lies', whose success led publishers to try and recreate similar psychological domestic suspense novels.
A theoretical Turing machine capable of simulating any other Turing machine, conceptually foundational to modern programmable computers.
One of the early electronic computers developed at the University of Pennsylvania, part of the post-war research effort.
A theoretical model of computation proposed by Alan Turing, a thought experiment to define an effective procedure, not a physical computer.
The computer architecture used in most modern computers, developed by John von Neumann, with some influence from Turing's work.
A system of logic that Claude Shannon showed could be implemented with electronic circuits using electromagnetic relays, a key breakthrough for digital electronics.
Where Claude Shannon interned and observed electromagnetic relays, leading to his insights on digital electronics.
A social media platform that Sam Harris recently quit, sparking a discussion about the ubiquity and costs of social media use.
An insurance company from which Policygenius provides life insurance quotes.
An insurance company from which Policygenius provides life insurance quotes.
A sleep technology company that offers dynamic cooling and heating for beds, using the Eight Sleep Pod. Cal Newport praises its effectiveness for hot sleepers.
A publishing imprint known for fantasy and science fiction, mentioned as an example of a publisher that buys specific genres, like books with 'witches'.
A company known for manufacturing high-precision aerospace components now making precision-manufactured aluminum shaving razors, praised for their stable and vibration-free shave.
An online marketplace that simplifies comparing and buying life insurance quotes from top companies.
A widely used search engine where Policygenius has thousands of five-star reviews.
United Parcel Service, whose services are accessible through Stamps.com.
A social media platform that J.T. Ellison uses to appeal to a newer audience for her standalone domestic suspense novels, though she finds the performative aspects uncomfortable.
An online service that allows users to print postage for USPS and UPS from their computer, saving time and money.
A social media platform J.T. Ellison used extensively for marketing and audience building early in her career, but she notes its detrimental impact on mental health and creative life.
A social media platform that Instagram is competing with by shifting towards Reels. Mentioned in the context of authors needing to adapt their marketing strategies.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Vannevar Bush developed the differential analyzer and Claude Shannon studied mathematics.
The newspaper that publishes the bestseller list, which J.T. Ellison has appeared on.
J.T. Ellison conducted ride-alongs with the Nashville police for research for her books.
A professional organization for thriller writers; J.T. Ellison attended its first conference and helped found the 'Killer Year' program, which evolved into ITW's annual debut author program.
A small collective of mass-market writers co-founded by J.T. Ellison to market their debut novels, which was later adopted by International Thriller Writers.
A professional organization for mystery writers that can provide resources for new authors.
A professional organization for romance writers known for its robust new writer program.
United States Postal Service, whose services are accessible through Stamps.com.
A writing organization focused on crime fiction, which hosts critique groups and provided a crucial community for J.T. Ellison early in her career.
A movie that people often credit Alan Turing with inventing computing machines to break the Enigma code, a claim that is incorrect according to the host.
An Emmy award-winning author TV show based out of Nashville, hosted by J.T. Ellison.
Sam Harris's podcast where Cal Newport was a guest, and where Sam Harris announced his departure from Twitter.
Claude Shannon's master's thesis, considered the most important ever written, which figured out the field of digital electronics.
A standalone thriller novel by J.T. Ellison.
A standalone thriller novel by J.T. Ellison.
A detective thriller series by J.T. Ellison, which started with 'All the Pretty Girls'.
The first book in J.T. Ellison's Lieutenant Taylor Jackson detective thriller series.
A thriller series by J.T. Ellison featuring the character Dr. Samantha Owen.
A fantasy novel by Patrick Rothfuss, referenced by Cal Newport in jest about writing his own novel.
A novel by Ernest Cline that features a wildly unique concept, used as an example for aspiring writers.
A classic novel by Daphne du Maurier that has inspired numerous retellings, mentioned in the context of market trends.
A non-fiction book by James Clear, used as an example of a book that gained massive popularity through word-of-mouth and social media recommendations.
Stephen King's book on the craft of writing, highly recommended by J.T. Ellison as a starting point for aspiring authors.
Elizabeth George's book, recommended for learning how to build characters and develop plots.
A Rebecca retelling set in 1790s Spanish Mexico, cited as an example of a successful reimagining of a classic story.
A thriller book series by John Sanford, the first three of which inspired J.T. Ellison to start writing.
A psychological domestic suspense novel that was extremely popular and inspired a trend in publishing for similar stories.
An early general-purpose analog electronic computer developed by Vannevar Bush at MIT in the mid-1930s.
A group blog where J.T. Ellison wrote a weekly column, contributing to her early marketing efforts and community engagement.
A consumer review website where Policygenius has thousands of five-star reviews.
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