On Writing True Crime

James Renner
  • 2.3 (6)
  • True Crime

So you want to write true crime. Great. But where do you start? In this limited series, journalist James Renner walks aspiring writers through the process of writing and publishing true crime stories, beginning with "How to pick the perfect crime" to "How to market your book." James Renner is the author of several works of true crime, including the books True Crime Addict and Little, Crazy Children. He currently hosts two podcasts, True Crime This Week and The Philosophy of Crime. For more info, visit James Renner.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. On Writing True Crime: Marketing and Publicity

    03/20/2023

    On Writing True Crime: Marketing and Publicity

    You’ve written a great crime story. Now, you have to tell the world. Where does one begin when you have no experience in marketing or publicity? Objectives: Participants will better understand the ugly business of book marketing; how it works, how to influence the results, and when to go out on your own. Suggested Reading:  19 Ways to Promote a Book: https://scribemedia.com/how-to-promote-book/ How to Promote: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/05/18/how-to-promote-a-book Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 4m
  2. On Writing True Crime: Submitting Your Story.

    03/20/2023

    On Writing True Crime: Submitting Your Story.

    Writing the story is half the journey. Now you need an agent and publisher. But where do you begin? Objectives: Participants will discover how to submit to professional agents and editors. This separates the real writers from the amateurs. Suggested viewing:  Alyssa Matesic YouTube channel on publishing: https://www.youtube.com/@AlyssaMatesic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 2m
  3. On Writing True Crime: Writing and Editing

    03/20/2023

    On Writing True Crime: Writing and Editing

    Every crime story has a common structure. It’s up to you to know when to subvert the rules. A look at how the sausage is made - what goes into good crime writing? Objectives: Participants will learn how to manage their writing time and how to organize their story into a compelling narrative structure. Suggested Reading:  Writing True Crime: https://www.janefriedman.com/writing-true-crime-qa-with-janis-thornton/ The Power of True Crime Writing: https://crimereads.com/the-power-and-the-responsibility-of-true-crime-writing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 13m
  4. On Writing True Crime: Research and Interviews

    03/20/2023

    On Writing True Crime: Research and Interviews

    An in-depth discussion about best practices when it comes to interviewing families and law enforcement officials connected to crimes. Objectives: Participants will learn how to submit FOIA requests and what is covered under Sunshine Laws. Suggested reading: Tips for interviewing victims: https://dartcenter.org/resources/tips-interviewing-victims-tragedy-witnesses-and-survivors Advocating for victims: https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/ncvrw2019/info_flyers/message/eng/2019NCVRW_AdvocatingWithMedia_eng_508.pdf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 17m
  5. On Writing True Crime: Picking the Perfect Crime

    03/20/2023

    On Writing True Crime: Picking the Perfect Crime

    So you want to write true crime. Great. What sort of cases do you want to write about? Solved? Unsolved? Current? Historical? Journalist James Renner walks through the pros and cons of each. Objectives: Participants will better understand the differences between covering solved and unsolved crimes. Suggested reading:  Animals, by Chris Jones: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a12653/zanesville-0312/ Anna Delvey, by Jessica Pressler: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-anna-delvey-tricked-new-york.html#_ga=2.51948521.1965596281.1672763816-1586900800.1667489273 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 16m
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

2.3
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

So you want to write true crime. Great. But where do you start? In this limited series, journalist James Renner walks aspiring writers through the process of writing and publishing true crime stories, beginning with "How to pick the perfect crime" to "How to market your book." James Renner is the author of several works of true crime, including the books True Crime Addict and Little, Crazy Children. He currently hosts two podcasts, True Crime This Week and The Philosophy of Crime. For more info, visit James Renner.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    James Renner
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © James Renner
  • Show Website
    On Writing True Crime