If They'd Mentioned This in The Beginning…

By Chris Berg and Paul James Smith

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Wayyyy back in the day and often around four or five in the morning, Paul and I would 69 our patrol cars and talk. Yak, prattle, blabber, and natter. . .gab, gossip, banter, and jabber. After all, it was the middle of the night, and if the city wasn't behaving badly, we had the time.

Often, we'd take up behind a Shell station on our beat, and drink thermoses of coffee and share our experiences during the shift, hopes of things to come and dreams yet unrealized, but usually well into development. 

Very often, we'd talk about writing. The little tidbits we'd authored for our friends or—more often—just for ourselves. We didn't know it then, but we were on our way.

If someone had told us that writing a book wasn't more than just tippy-tap-typing away in our favorite club chair, mid-shelf scotch on the armrest, and a cozy, flickering flame gently warming a walnut-paneled study, well, we wouldn't have believed it. Hell, we just assumed we had Wambaugh skills, or when we got really up in ourselves, Hemingway was in our sights. After more than a few years seriously devoted to this exercise, apparently 'learning the craft' turns out to be a real thing.

We've come a long way, since those days on Beat 1 and are more dedicated than ever to getting it right. Still...it would've been sobering to know the following:

Embarking on the path from learning the craft of writing to publishing with a traditional publisher is no simple feat. It's a winding road filled with twists and turns, but for most of us, the promise of seeing your work in print and sharing it with a wider audience makes the journey worth the effort.

Let's dive into the experience step by step:

Learning the Craft

Every author's adventure kicks off with taking a crack at mastering the art of storytelling. This phase is like the foundation of a grand building, essential and ever evolving.

• Reading Extensively: Most writers start by devouring books in their genre and beyond. It's like a crash course in different writing styles and narrative techniques.

• Formal Education: Some authors opt for formal education in creative writing, but it's not a must. MFA programs and writing workshops are just one way to sharpen those skills.

• Practice and Experimentation: Writers hone their craft through years of practice. That's right, years of practice. From short stories to novel drafts, it's all about flexing those creative muscles.

• Studying Writing Techniques: Many authors dive into books on writing craft, attend workshops, and join writing groups to level up their skills.

Writing the Manuscript

Once confidence blooms, or some version of that, authors often find themselves diving headfirst into crafting their manuscript. For most, it becomes a labor of love in the making.

• Drafting: Writing that first draft can be a marathon. Months or years may pass, depending on the complexity of the tale.

• Revising: Countless rounds of revisions follow the initial draft. Plot tweaks, character arcs, and prose polishing are all part of the process.

• Self-Editing: Before seeking outside help, authors need to fine-tune their work through self-editing.

• Taking a Break: Stepping away from the manuscript for a breather allows for fresh eyes during the editing phase. We've found this little step really helpful in many ways.

• Multiple Passes: Self-editing involves various rounds focusing on different aspects like plot, sentence structure, and proofreading. Some get caught in an endless loop, finding it difficult to ever find their manuscript worthy of the next steps. Just another hurdle to conquer.

Professional Editing 

Many authors choose to work with professional editors to further refine their manuscript. Not cheap, but in our view, absolutely necessary. And, for what it's worth, defining the editing steps below is not an absolute. Authors will find a wide range of definitions, but in the grand scheme, this is close.

• Developmental Editing: This focuses on the big-picture elements of the story, such as plot, character development, and pacing.

• Line Editing: This involves a detailed examination of the manuscript's language, focusing on style, clarity, and flow.

• Copyediting: This stage addresses grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency issues.

• Proofreading: The final stage of editing, which catches any remaining errors.

Querying Agents

With a polished manuscript in hand, authors venture into the world of querying literary agents, a nerve-wracking, usually lengthy, but necessary series of steps.

• Research: Finding agents who champion their genre is key. A well-crafted query letter showcasing the book and the author's prowess is essential. Sounds simple—it is not. Paul and I recall an agent, apparently giddy with himself, telling us, he likes to "see how many queries I can reject while waiting for the light to change." Luckily, in our experience, that's not routinely the case.

• Submission: Following agent guidelines, authors send out query letters (sounds simple—it is not) and requested materials, bracing for the waiting game.

• Waiting and Responding: Rejections may, no wait...will come, but authors can often use feedback to fine-tune their pitch and manuscript for the next round.

Acquiring an Agent

If an agent shows interest, the manuscript gets a closer look. If representation is offered, a new chapter in the author's journey begins.

• Negotiation: Terms are discussed, and agreements are signed, marking the start of a professional partnership.

• Manuscript Revisions: Further tweaks may be suggested to make the manuscript shine even brighter.

Submission to Publishers

The agent then takes the helm, submitting the manuscript to potential publishers, hoping to find the perfect match.

• Preparing Submission Package: Crafting a compelling pitch, synopsis, and author bio is crucial for catching the eye of publishers.

• Submission: The agent sends out the package to targeted editors, aiming for that coveted book deal.

• Auctions: In some cases, multiple publishers vying for the manuscript can lead to an auction, ensuring the best outcome for the author. Never been an author that wasn't praying for this situation!

Publishing Process

Once a publisher bites, the publishing journey truly begins, from contract negotiations to the book's grand release.

• Contract Negotiation: The nitty-gritty details of the publishing contract are ironed out by the agent.

• Editorial Process: Collaborating with the publisher's editors, the author refines the manuscript further. Yep, that's right. More edits.

• Production: From cover design to proofreading, the book undergoes various production stages.

• Marketing and Publicity: The publisher crafts marketing strategies, if you're lucky, with the author's input, to promote the book.

• Release: Finally, the book sees the light of day, typically a year or more after the contract signing. Did, someone mention this is a journey?

This is a marathon, not a sprint, demanding grit, patience, and a hunger for growth. While every author's tale is unique, these steps paint a broad picture of the traditional publishing process. So, here's to all the aspiring authors out there—may your journey be filled with words, wonder, and a touch of magic!

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Chris Berg and Paul James Smith began their careers as beat partners in California's Bay Area, quickly advancing to detective roles. Chris excelled in vice and intelligence, finding his niche as an undercover narcotics detective. He thrived in the world of hand-to-hand drug ‘buys,’ clandestine lab investigations, and the requisite counterfeit personas. Later, he became a narco field training officer and a court-certified expert witness in narcotics investigations.

Paul brings 31 years of law enforcement experience, serving as a field training officer, federal agent, Special Response Team member, sniper/instructor, National Tactical Team leader, and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program manager.

Lifelong friends and writing partners for nearly a decade, Chris and Paul craft thrillers inspired by true events. Their diverse backgrounds enrich both their writing and storytelling. They are Claymore Award winners and Pageturner Award finalists. Together, they write The Night Police novels and currently have three manuscripts in development: Blood Brothers, Twilight at Wolfie's, and Blood in the Water.

Zenith Man

By McCracken Poston Jr.

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Maya Angelou once said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Since the 1999 acquittal of my client Alvin Ridley, an eccentric TV repairman accused of holding his wife captive in a basement for almost three decades before killing her, I knew I had to tell his story.

But there was one element missing—a satisfying ending.

I could easily explain, as I did to the jury, that Virginia Ridley was never held captive by Alvin. I could even show that she was not even murdered. What I could not explain was Alvin, the most difficult and demanding client I ever had as a small-town defense attorney. Why was he so hard to deal with? Before the trial, his entire social circle had consisted of his wife and one close friend, a character who was even odder than Alvin himself. Known as “Salesman Sam,” this pal rode around on his bicycle, pestering people to buy the promotional items he sold from catalogs he carried in his bike basket. He also (annoyingly, to me) often gave Alvin his so-called “expert legal advice,” which often countered and interfered with the legal advice I was giving my client.

After Alvin was acquitted, I continued to help him navigate the world that seemed to thwart him at every turn. We continued to have lunch together every week. Our friendship became important to both of us. But I still couldn’t figure the guy out. Forensic Files, A&E’s American Justice, the front page of the Washington Post, People magazine, NPR’s Snap Judgment, and FujiTV (Japan) all produced the basic outline of Alvin’s story, but none could explain the main character. The quirky TV repairman seemed beyond explanation.

A screenwriter friend wrote our story, and it was acquired by New Line Cinema under my suggested title of “The Zenith Man.” But after five years, it was clear that it was going nowhere. I tried finding co-writers to help write the book of my story, but one by one, each promising effort fell flat. I began to write down episodes from the case, just to preserve the story. I also sharpened the telling of the story in spoken-word, which I usually delivered to small social gatherings where drinking was involved. My friends could tell I was obsessed with it.

Then one day, someone pointed out a book being sold online with the same title that I had shared with New Line Cinema—Zenith Man — about a failed TV repairman accused of locking up his wife for decades. On brief inspection, I could see that it was our story! It changed all our names and location in this short story. What angered me was that it was being touted as original fiction. After my protests, the author of that book later changed her description of it to “inspired by true events.” But I was hurt, feeling like something very personal had been taken away from me. Frustrated at myself, mostly. We were “fair game” —I had been giving the story away!

Around this time, I was working on telling the story again with a podcaster at my undergraduate alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A juror from our trial, who had moved to Alaska to work as a nurse, mentioned to the podcaster that she thought Alvin might be autistic. A lightbulb turned on in my mind. Within weeks, an expert on adult autism evaluated Alvin in Atlanta. The testing showed that he was very much in the autism spectrum.

The diagnosis gave me a new appreciation for the problems that Alvin had struggled with all his life and that had culminated in his murder trial. It also gave me what I had sought for Decades—an ending to my story. I could at last explain Alvin. That others like him could have similar experiences with the justice system in the future spurred me to action.

I met Bonnie Hearn Hill, an accomplished writer and editor, who read my scribblings and convinced me I could write Alvin’s story. She helped me develop a proposal and shared it with her curated short list of agents. That’s how I met Linda Konner, who agreed to represent me as a client. She sent the proposal to Michaela Hamilton, editor-in-chief of Citadel Press at Kensington Publishing Corp., who signed it up. I cannot stress enough the influence of these three women. If I have any success, it will be because of them.

My book contract called for a manuscript of 90,000 words. The problem was, the first draft weighed in at 177,000 words. Bonnie told me firmly but graciously what was working, what wasn’t working, and what should be cut. It was agonizing. We ended up with a lean and clean book of 98,000 words.

My excitement went through the roof when my book went online for presale on several bookseller sites in late May 2023. There it stood online alongside the “other” short story, which was now being given away for free. Soon they were both joined by yet another book, priced at $4.99, entitled “SUMMARY of Zenith Man by McCracken Poston Jr.” There, in 47 pages of A.I. drivel, a lawyer by the name of Rebecca Mitchell saved her client in a generic courtroom depiction of a trial. I was a woman! I went into action, and by the time I got through, the fake book was gone from all the major sites. Later I was told the project came out of Nigeria, in what seemed to be a scam designed to delude some confused or budget-minded purchasers.

Deciding that selling copies of my book was the best revenge, I signed up for Killer Nashville and had some promotional material printed up. I gave it to (or forced it on) everyone I met at the conference. The next day, I was thrilled to see a bump in Zenith Man’s Amazon Sales Rank. I learned that the ASR could fluctuate wildly, even in response to just a few sales, but it served to motivate me. It provided just enough dopamine to keep me going. I continued to drive the presale campaign at every opportunity.

At this writing, the publication date is a few weeks away.

As I continue my ground-level campaign, asking everyone I meet to support my book, I found an unusual sales aid from an unexpected source. Back in 1998, while I was defending Alvin’s case, I tried to get Salesman Sam on my side by buying some of his useless promotional items — cheap personalized pens inscribed with “McCracken Poston, Lawyer.” A gross of them soon arrived, and I quickly realized they were dried up and useless on arrival. Don’t ask me why I saved them. But it turns out, they now serve a purpose.

When I started talking to people about Zenith Man, I offered to give one of these twenty-five-year-old useless dried-up promotional pens to anyone who sent me or showed me their preorder receipt. To my amazement, people love them. After twenty-five years, the pens are finally of good use to me. You never know what can come in handy when you’re promoting your book.

And speaking of promoting, by the time this article is published, Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom will be a published book. And the campaign goes on!

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McCracken grew up just across a creek and the state line from Killer Nashville founder Clay Stafford. They frequented the same country store in his hometown of Graysville, Georgia. Poston is a criminal defense lawyer in Georgia and Tennessee. His book, "Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom" (Citadel, Hardcover, February 20, 2024), is about one of my cases. His client, failed TV repairman Alvin Ridley, was accused of some terrible things, including murder. We all had him wrong.