Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Behind the Scenes

As the material piles in...
with 65 authors involved in more than 50 panels and presentations...
and a goody bag with more than 50 gifts from over 30 authors ranging from complete novels, through extracts and samplers to entertaining articles and even recipes...
90 one-hour interviews with the world's top crime and mystery writers...
the website is expanding to around 500 pages!
Here's a behind the scenes look at how it's put together...

Friday, September 25, 2009

Latest News...

Things are beginning to pick up speed, we'll soon be able to announce the authors appearing in panels and giving presentation on October 24th!

In the meantime check out this interview with Poisoned Pen's Rob Rosenwald...

http://tinyurl.com/mygjjz

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Clock Is Ticking

PP WebCon is progressing quickly. The first newsletter has gone out, and topics for panels and presentations have just been announced.

People will be selected for panels and presentations within the next week or so, even though the convention is not going to take place until October 24th, because the technical side of using live and pre-recorded video and audio as well as text, means that participants have to be in place well in advance.

All the recorded video, audio and text contributions will remain online for up to a year after the conference for members of the general public to access, so this is much more than a one-day promotional opportunity.

And at least this is one conference that doesn't incur airfares or hotel costs. You can attend in your bathrobe (though if you're doing a video presentation, you might want to reconsider that... or perhaps not!)

Read the first newsletter with information about how authors can take part in PPWebCon.

Remember, if you're a mystery author, you must register to be considered for panels and presentations. Registration is just 25 US dollars, (and that includes a 20 dollar voucher for Poisoned Pen bookstore).

So don't delay - the clock is ticking!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

WORLD’S FIRST-EVER ONLINE MYSTERY WRITING CONVENTION BRINGS NEW MEANING TO CYBER CRIME

Publishers, writers, and fans participate in virtual meeting to pursue their passion

Online conference allows for deeper conversation at minimal expense

Scottsdale, Arizona (July 4, 2009) – Thousands of mystery fans are expected to participate in the world’s first-ever virtual mystery convention, dubbed the Poisoned Pen WebCon, on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.

Co-hosted by The Poisoned Pen mystery bookstore and Poisoned Pen Press, the convention hopes to meet the rising demand for the booming mystery genre. Fans will be able to participate in live interactive discussions, author panels, on-demand videos and audio presentations, exclusive articles, book trailers, live chat rooms, and other interactive web-based events.

“Traditional mystery conventions are as popular as ever. The Poisoned Pen WebCon will let us extend our reach and satisfy an even larger audience. This online format will let us bring together mystery fans, authors, and editors from opposite ends of the world to collaborate, interact, and discuss all things related to mystery writing and publishing” says Robert Rosenwald, publisher of Poisoned Pen Press.

The Poisoned Pen WebCon will commemorate the 20th anniversary of The Poisoned Pen, A Mystery Bookstore… and more and is hosted by its owner, Barbara Peters, and her husband, Robert Rosenwald, publisher of Poisoned Pen Press.

“This event has been 20 years in the making. I don’t want to say that we had this idea 20 years ago, but we are always looking for ways to serve mystery fans and support mystery writers. Those are the interactions that drive us, and now we are making those interactions interactive,” said Peters.

The duo also hopes that the low costs will make the conference more accessible, especially in light of the economy. “This convention will have everything you’d find at the traditional mystery convention, without the hotel and travel expense,” says Robert Rosenwald, publisher of Poisoned Pen Press. “It will allow mystery fans around the world to be part of the fun without having to leave home.”

Barbara Peters believes that The Poisoned Pen WebCon will enable mystery fans to participate at a deeper level. “The conversation will be guided by their questions and interests. They’ll be able to participate directly in more events and more author conversations than they would at a traditional convention.”

The Poisoned Pen WebCon Guest of Honor will be author Dana Stabenow, whose A Night Too Dark is the 17th title in the Kate Shugak mystery series. The International Guest of Honor will be Lee Child, the author of the Jack Reacher series, which was recently cited as the best-selling mystery series in the world by The Daily Telegraph. The Fan Guest of Honor will be noted freelance journalist and event organizer, Adrian Muller. The Behind the Scenes Guests of Honor will be Tom and Enid Schantz, publishers of Rue Morgue Press; Kate Stine, editor and co-publisher of Mystery Scene Magazine; and Kate Miciak, Editorial Director of Bantam Dell at Random House Publishing Group.

Barbara Peters and Robert Rosenwald were the 2008 recipients of the “Bouchercon Lifetime Achievement Award” for their contributions to the mystery field.

REGISTRATION
Fans and authors can register for the event at PP WebCon. The $25 registration fee will enable online access and full participation to all of the virtual convention events. Like traditional mystery conventions, all registrants will receive a “Goodie Bag,” which will include a book voucher, free E-books and privileged interactive access to live events. More information about The Poisoned Pen WebCon is available at http://www.ppwebcon.com.

Robert Rosenwald

Publisher & President
Poisoned Pen Press--Publishing Excellence in Mystery
6962 E. 1st Ave. #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
robert@poisonedpenpress.com www.poisonedpenpress.com
800-421-3976 x 10
480-945-3375 x 10
Fax 480-949-1707