Quotes By Sara Paretsky

Most people don’t have the money to spend on advertising to create awareness among readers, nor do they have the contacts at newspapers or magazines to get their books reviewed.

In 1986 we were trying to help women get in print, stay in print, and come to the attention of booksellers and libraries. At that time, books by men mystery writers were reviewed seven times as often as books by women.

Write what you care about.

The crime novel has always been my favourite genre.

Sisters in Crime now has more than 4,000 members worldwide.

No agent wants to see a book until he or she has decided whether to pursue the relationship.

My parents were liberal intellectuals but even they expected me to stay at home and look after my younger siblings and do the housework.

It took me nine months to write 60 pages. It was very frustrating.

I realised I’d never climb Everest but thought I could still write a book.

Capo, my first golden retriever, so loved to swim she once jumped off a cliff to get into Lake Superior.

Around the time I turned 30, I wanted to publish a novel.

You get weird and unsettling behaviour in the country.

I always wrote; my first story was published in the magazine The American Girl when I was 11.

I’m very honoured that there is a loyal following and I hope it continues.

The best source for finding an agent is called Literary Agents of North America. It’s a complete list of agents, not only by name and address, but by type of book they represent and by what their submission criteria are.