Interview with Sally Pollack

Jackie Kessler © 2006

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

How well can you know someone you've never met? Sometimes the answer is: Very.

Bob Kellogg, author of Murder on the Run and Murder on the Vine, was active in many online writing communities. More than that: he was a valued member of these forums. Both passionate and humble, Bob was a gentleman, one who was always ready with a kind word, who encouraged others not only to pursue their dreams but also to learn how to reach those dreams. Both witty and gracious, Bob was well known for his informative posts--which, in an online community, is the only way we get to know people: through their words. "Never an unkind word from Bob," recalls author Jon Clinch. "Never a hasty or ill-considered judgment. Never an offense taken or given. And in the flattened, affectless, text-only world of the Internet, where a misspoken molehill can spawn a mountain in the space of a heartbeat, that's quite an achievement."

When Bob died suddenly in October 2004, his widow, Sally Pollack, was informed by WhoooDoo Mysteries/Treble Heart Books that it would not be publishing Murder on the Vine. The reason? Bob was not able to promote the book--which, according to the contract that Bob had signed, was a vital part of the agreement. No author promotion, no publication.

Undaunted, Sally turned to Bob's writing forums for help. And help did come. Sally discussed this and many other aspects of Bob's writing process in June with Wild Child Publishing Associate Editor Jackie Kessler.

Wild Child Publishing: When did Bob start writing?

Sally Pollack: Let me begin by saying that Bob started out as a sculptor. He majored in sculpture at Washington University, but didn't pursue it as a career. (The "sculptor" turns up again in his [unsold] novel, A Hard Place to Rock.) [Bob] had many adventures as a young man and finally wrote about [them] in 1976, when he had a back operation and was confined to bed. That novel is Out of the Mainstream. He really began writing in earnest and for publication in 1998, including the revision of Out of the Mainstream, a fictionalized version of his sailing adventure to Tahiti in 1960.

WCP: Did you play any part in Bob's creative process?

SP: I did read his drafts, kick around ideas and act as a sounding board, but I think my main contribution to his writing was to provide time, space and support. Bob seemed to feel I was his "reality check," particularly when it came to female characters!

WCP: Bob had been an active member of numerous website and message boards. Did he ever talk about what he got out of joining such online communities?

SP: The numerous writing websites and message boards, including Backspace and Writer's BBS, were his family. He got as much from all of them as they got from him. They were his mentors and guides as he was for them.

WCP: What other works had Bob published before Murder on the Vine?

SP: His debut published work was Murder on the Run in 2002 with Papa Press. He had two stories published: "Mystic Dream" in [the] Writers Net Anthology, Oct. 10, 2002, and "Chubasco" in the 2005 Dan River Anthology.

WCP: Was Bob a mystery fan?

SP: A huge mystery fan. We both were. Some of our favorites were Carl Hiaasen, Ross MacDonald and Raymond Chandler. I'm not sure if they would count as mystery writers, but we were also fond of Tim Dorsey and Christopher Moore. Bob was a voracious reader and would certainly count Kurt Vonnegut, Halberstam and Pynchon as influences. Our all-time favorite was The Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

WCP: In Murder on the Vine, the main character Claymore Pike knows his way around wine tastings. I got the strong feeling that Bob truly enjoyed the art of wine and appreciated the qualities of a darn good bottle.

SP: Bob was definitely a wine connoisseur. Our favorite vacations were to tour the wine country. We were especially fond of the Santa Ynez Valley wineries. Bob did not have the opportunity to see Sideways, but we visited the same wineries as the characters in the movie, drank the same wines and even stayed in the same motel, Pea Soup Anderson's! His favorite Cabernet was Silver Oak, and I must say we have a very fine collection of their wine. Our very last trip together was to the Napa Sonoma wine area with friends in October 2004, a week before he died.

WCP: What prompted Bob to write a murder set in a vineyard?

SP: Like most writers, Bob wrote about what was familiar. His first book, Murder on the Run, was based on the running group he belonged to. Murder on the Vine was a natural outgrowth of all that lovely time in the Santa Ynez vineyards!

WCP: Did Bob have an agent represent Vine, or did he sell it directly?

SP: Bob sold Vine directly to Treble Heart Books.

WCP: Could you talk about the road to acceptance at WhoooDoo Mysteries/Treble Heart?

SP: I don't have a lot of information on this. I believe there was an editor who really liked the book, but it did seem to take forever to have it published. It was to be published in early 2004.

WCP: How did Bob's death effect the publication of Vine?

SP: When Bob died, the publishing house said they were no longer interested in publishing the book, because part of the contract was to have Bob promote the book. Obviously, I did not think this was right, since the book was supposed to be published in early 2004, prior to his death in October 2004. I was desperate and knew nothing about publishing, but "right is right"!

I contacted all his writing colleagues and his wonderful writing groups and they saved the day. They also felt "right is right" and gave me the advice I needed to respond to the publisher's objections. I wrote their suggestions [into a single document] and it turns out, unbeknownst to me, I had submitted a marketing plan that was accepted by the publishing house, and his mystery was published.

WCP: How did you handle promotion?

SP: I realized the best course of action would be to do what Bob would have done: utilize the extensive network of writers he had and promote his book through his website and through theirs [including bestselling author Lee Child's website]. His writing colleagues have been most generous, including those in his favorite sites, Backspace and Writer's BBS. I also suggested selling the book through wine stores and wineries, but this venture was too painful for me. I hope I have more courage to attempt this at some time soon.

WCP: Last year, Backspace created the Bob Kellogg Good Citizenship Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Internet Writing Community, and that first-ever award was presented to bestselling author Lee Child in June 2005. Could you talk a little about the award?

SP: I can't think of a finer tribute to Bob than the award given by Backspace. Bob was a giver, and [he] gave with humor and grace. It was noted in [Jon Clinch's] introduction to the award that Bob was always a gentleman. His interactions with the Internet writing community were consistent with the kind of person he was. I believe the first recipient of this award, Lee Child, is a wonderful example of this generosity of spirit.

WCP: How can readers order copies of Murder on the Vine?

SP: Murder on the Vine is available through http://www.trebleheartbooks.com/

WCP: Having gone through such an arduous process to see Vine published, are there any lessons you'd like to share with our readers, things you learned that you believe new authors should keep in mind?

SP: Perseverance, a sense of humor and interaction with your writing colleagues for sustenance and support.

Undying Loyalty

Literary agent Uwe Stender signed Bob Kellogg as a client in August 2004, eager to represent his latest novel, A Hard Place to Rock. "I loved his great sense of humor and the noirish elements of his book," says Uwe, who remains confident that the novel would be very successful if it were published. Given Bob's talent, Uwe was also convinced that the author's next projects would be even better.

When Bob died three months later, other agents might have quietly cancelled the author-agent agreement. Not Uwe. "I believe in his book," he says. Uwe insists that he will keep pitching A Hard Place to Rock until it sells, whether to a large publisher or a smaller house. "I am loyal to what I believe in," explains Uwe. "Yes, this is a business and money has to be made, but loyalty and commitment count for me as well."

"Count Me In"

Writing can be a lonely business, especially for new authors first starting out. Between slaving over getting every word right and researching how to write the dreaded brief synopsis, it's easy for writers to become confused and discouraged. (And that's before the inevitable rejections start coming in.) Who better to guide authors along this bumpy road than other authors?

The idea of writers helping writers prompted Backspace--an online writers forum, in which Bob Kellogg was an active member--to create an award in his name. The Bob Kellogg Good Citizenship Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Internet Writing Community was first presented in 2005 by Jon Clinch to bestselling author Lee Child:

"Do you know what Bob Kellogg's last post on Backspace was?" asked Jon to the Backspace Conference attendees. "It was three words long, and it was absolutely emblematic of everything we know about Bob: 'Count me in.' That was it, posted on October 23, 2004, the very day that Bob passed away during a charity run....

"That was the Bob Kellogg that we knew. The engaged and engaging participant in writing, as in life--eager to give it his all. That last post of his was in response to an invitation by Barry Eisler to an online writing workshop. And Bob, ever the avid student, was among the first to throw his hat into the ring....

"In his name and in his memory--and with an eye to recognizing the decency and commitment and compassion that Bob personified, Backspace has inaugurated the Bob Kellogg Good Citizenship Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Internet Writing Community."

For the full text of Jon Clinch's passionate speech about Bob Kellogg and the award's first-ever recipient, Lee Child, please visit the Backspace 2005 Conference page. The Bob Kellogg Good Citizenship Award will be presented again at this year's Backspace Conference.