JHUP Staffer Wins Prestigious Award

In the fall of 2012, JHUP Journals Production Editor Kristopher Zgorski launched a new blog focused on crime fiction, one of his personal passions. Last night, he received the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his contributions to the genre through BOLO Books. The name comes from the police term "Be On the Look Out" and provides mystery and thriller readers with reviews of new books, interviews with authors and much, much more.

The blog spreads positive word-of-mouth reviews of books to try and share the passion Kristopher has for reading.  The Raven Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing. Previous winners have included the Edgar Allan Poe Society, The Poe House, Steven Bochco, Angela Lansbury, Vincent price and President Bill Clinton. Kristopher managed to find time between his job, reading up to five books a week and the rest of his life to join us for a Q&A.

What does winning this award mean to you?

Having an organization as prestigious as the Mystery Writers of America recognize my work is something that is almost impossible to describe. I know that my reviews cause people to pick up books that they might have otherwise missed - they write to me and tell me so and that is the real reward for me - but when your colleagues acknowledge the importance of such contributions, there is a sense of validation. I also see it as another important step in legitimizing the book blogging community as a whole. For a long time, the publishing industry underestimated the importance of these outlets and MWA is taking a stand in support of us by awarding book bloggers two years in a row for the Raven Award.

How important are genre-specific blogs like yours to publishing?

As column space in print publications dwindles, reviews are some of the first things to get cut. This means that only the highest profile books are getting coverage in our newspapers and magazine. Book blogs have risen from those ashes to fill a vital need within the publishing industry. So much so that now book marketing campaigns regularly detail blog outreach as an important part of the strategy to bring exposure to their clients. The democratization of criticism also allows for a wider swath of voices to be heard which has proven to be beneficial in granting readers exposure to a more diverse collection of books than ever before.

How hard is it to maintain your schedule of reading or blogging while also working full time and having a life?

As with any passion, one must find the time within our busy life schedules. I am constantly reading, so whether BOLO Books existed or not, this is something that would be a part of my life. There are certainly times when the scheduling becomes difficult, but fortunately, I know many others in the book blogging community and we are all very supportive of each other.  So if there is a book that I simply can’t fit into my existing schedule, I will suggest other outlets for the author to try.  I do most of the blog writing on the weekends and leave the weekday times for the reading itself and the internal crafting of a review before pen hits paper (or finger hits keyboard, more accurately.) I use the commute to work to listen to an additional book (that usually means I get through two more book that would otherwise be possible each month). Certainly, if I didn’t have a day job, I could get even more reading done, but somehow the bills do need to get paid. I make absolutely no money off of BOLO Books.  In fact, since I have to pay for domain names, hosting, and other blogging essentials, I actually pay money to do this. Granted, I do get tons of free books, but the library would be an easier method for that!  It’s a true labor of love!

What advice do you have for someone looking to start a blog?

Never underestimate the amount of work involved. In order to have a successful blog, the most important thing is dedication. One must post a steady stream of new content to have any hope of breaking through in finding a readership. One must find a unique niche and provide something that others are not yet doing. As difficult as that might sound, I can think of a ton of new things that could be done (some of which I might someday do) that are still missing in the book blogging world. Lastly, over time, one must develop a unique voice. I’d venture to guess that most readers know my reviews when they read them even if they don't see the byline. This is something that develops over time, but is so very important in gaining a loyal following. It also means that one must always be honest with their critiques above all else.