Scott’s Tulsa by S L Chalmers

12/6/2025

Debut Amazon author, Stephen Chalmers, introduces us to his first novel in the Wyatt Scott series, Scott’s Tulsa:
In post-war Tulsa, prostitute murders, blackmailer murders, and a murky communist conspiracy embroil a cynical PI in noir plots and Cold War intrigues. His investigation intertwines with his ruined baseball career, his WWII code-breaking service in Alaska, and his obsession with a suspicious death there.

Hired to solve a prostitute’s murder, Wyatt Scott navigates all sections of town, from the infamous May Rooms brothel to the Tulsa Club elite. More murders follow his work, leading him in different directions, while his past intrudes on his life, thoughts, and beliefs. Major historical events, including the 1934 Babe Ruth barnstorming tour of Japan and the CIA VENONA file on Soviet spying, weave their way into Scott’s life, the characters, and the narratives.

The actions of SCOTT’S TULSA take place in June 1948 amid the specter of real communist threats and the beginnings of postwar social change. Many events and the entire backdrop inhabit the times and places stated. The buildings, businesses, politicians, laws, and institutions described were authentic in 1948 Tulsa. These historical realities blend with Scott and his fictional cohorts to present a story that could have easily unfolded like the tale told.

Scott's Tulsa is a great example of wonderful writing in the noir thriller category! I loved this story! It was gritty enough that it made me squirm and shift in my chair at times! Almost too descriptive for me in a few places, others will love it. The characters were drawn so well, the scenes fit the mood and the action perfectly.
I am committed to not giving any spoilers, so I can't say much more, except buy this book and read it.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Scotts-Tulsa-S-L-Chalmers-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-scott-s-tulsa

You can connect with the author:
https://x.com/WyattScott1948
https://substack.com/@wyattscott1948
https://slchalmers.com

Copyright © 2025 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction.

73 Comments

S L Chalmers link

12/8/2025 03:48:21 pm

Okay, Mark, I hope I have this now.

Mark

12/8/2025 03:59:34 pm

You made it. The first time is always the hardest.

First question.

Please tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

S L Chalmers

12/8/2025 04:12:17 pm

My life has been conventional, which is likely boring to most folks. Happily married for some time now. Most of my wildness was in college where I was a hippie. Even in that role, I only partially fit because I was writing and making student films that kept me broke.

Mark

12/8/2025 04:22:27 pm

Not just writing, but you were also making films! Either way alone is enough to keep a person broke.

New questions.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer?

What kind of work do you do if you are a part-time writer? Feel free to skip that question if you would rather not answer.

S L Chalmers link

12/8/2025 04:26:20 pm

Full-time, at least as much as my wife and two dogs allow.

Mark

12/8/2025 04:33:36 pm

You are the envy of so many writers. Writers who are younger than us and still doing the 9-5 grind. So many have mentioned to me that they would prefer to write full-time but the bills must get paid.

New questions.

What are your three favorite genres to read for pleasure?

Has writing changed the pleasure of reading for you?

S L Chalmers link

12/8/2025 06:49:43 pm

I enjoy mysteries (hard-boiled more than cozies). Raymond Chandler's work is so fine that I sometimes want to live in 1930s L.A.

Now my favorites are satires and humorous works - Catch 22 and the Sot Weed Factor got me started in college, and I still delight in Heller, Barth, Vonnegut, and Pynchon.

Classics and Literary Fiction (a term I abhor because they are just good books) are what I read and enjoyed from HS until about ten years ago, when I had read almost all the acclaimed works.

I wrote as far back as HS, so the process never impacted my joy from reading. It does make me appreciate the effort put forth by writers, but I delight in their stories and the worlds that I failed to imagine before they offered them to me.

Mark

12/8/2025 05:20:32 pm

My soul has gotten tenderer with age. I enjoy cozy mysteries a little more than hardboiled these days. I also enjoy laughing quite a bit, and I find more opportunities for laughter in cozy mysteries than the other. I read Catch-22 twice in college. I also read Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." I wasn't ready for that story, there wasn't much about maintenance in the story. It was interesting all the same.

New questions.

Why do you write?

Do you also journal?

S L Chalmers link

12/8/2025 05:35:17 pm

I do not journal. If I had to write every thought down, I would not have time for much else.

I write because I enjoy the process - the moments when a well-turned phrase or an epiphany of character or plot sends endorphins to my brain. It might be the writer equivalent of dogs running wild (zoomies), where the scenes, notions, and characters pile up in a writer's brain. They have to be released.

Publishing is different. My two reasons for that are; give something to stories since I have received so much, and I have this odd belief that the characters deserve to be seen and "live" in the wider world and not be jailed in my imagination.

Mark

12/8/2025 06:15:37 pm

Some writers journal and some don't. Like so much in the writing business, there is not often only one right way to do something.

Letting the characters live and express themselves is a comment, in one variation or another, many authors have mentioned to me. I like your phrase, "not be jailed in my imagination." Characters and stories are important to us as human beings.

New questions.

How has writing changed your life?

Does your work, past or present, have any influence on your writing?

S L Chalmers link

12/8/2025 06:29:30 pm

I don't think writing has made material changes in my life. I wrote off and on the entire time.

Working made me appreciate working people, so perhaps my attitude toward characters, their jobs, and their aspirations has been influenced. No jobs, people, or events from working have made their way into my writing.

Mark

12/9/2025 09:44:43 am

Your last statement that "No jobs, people, or events from working have made their way into my writing." is interesting to me because so many authors have made comments about finding inspiration at work, home or elsewhere for a character or a scene in their WIP. Not that those moments are captured exactly as they occurred, but inspiration made something fit well in the story being written. Sometimes it is a bit of conversation or something the observed person did.

You mentioned an endorphin rush previously. I have experienced similar moments as a reader. A reveal of a plot mystery or a well-crafted phrase can provide the same feelings for me.

New questions.

What did you believe about writing in the past that you now know is false?

Who was the first person to inspire you to write something to publish?

S L Chalmers link

12/9/2025 10:07:22 am

On the previous question, my uncle was stationed in Alaska in WWII, intercepting and decoding Soviet transmissions. While not from my work, he did inspire Wyatt Scott serving there and the consequences from that.

Oh, I have physical responses too when I read good books.

Like most folks, I figured a person wrote it and that was it. But by college, I realized that like films, you had to shoot the raw footage and edit, edit, edit.

I had a HS teacher who encouraged me to write and my college film teacher did as well. However, making the move to publish came from my friend, fellow writers' group member, and ultimately my editor - Terry Collins. Sadly, he passed away a year ago.

Mark

12/9/2025 12:21:59 pm

I like the film comparison. Very appropriate.

Some authors wind up with a dozen drafts or more. Others keep massaging the one draft until they think it's ready to publish. If I were a writer, I would have many drafts saved on my computer.

It sounds like you had a long and wonderful relationship with Terry Collins. I mourn with you in his passing.

New questions.

What inspired you to write this book?

Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

S L Chalmers link

12/9/2025 03:32:18 pm

Terry was a great friend. Thanks for your kind words.

About drafts, funny you say that - I worry about losing something, so I make a whole new copy each time. There a dozens of earlier versions of every thing I write still in computer folders.

The time frame after WWII seems forgotten. The Roaring 20s, the Depression 30s, the War, the Suburban 50s, and the hippie 60s have novels, films, history books galore, but the transition has little. Having grown up in Tulsa, the times I lived were less interesting, but I heard the stories.

Mystery, detective novels and spy novels were always the most fun for me, so I liked that notion. Because of the events I wanted to convey, the hybrid, combo had to be Mystery/Thriller/Spy in some form.

Mark

12/9/2025 04:35:52 pm

You're welcome. There is no set limit for mourning.

We are more alike than I first thought. When I am proofreading a book, I save after every comment. I don't make changes in a manuscript except for adding or removing spaces. I have a particular philosophy and methodology of proofreading.

I certainly agree, the post-WW-2 period got short shrift. The world was recovering, and soldiers were being mustered out to go home. Everyone's focus returned to home and starting over.

New questions.

Will you keep writing in the genre or will you branch out?

Have you ever seen a UFO or UAP, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena?

S L Chalmers link

12/9/2025 05:03:57 pm

There are three more Scott’s Tulsa novels to complete the arc from the summer of 1948, which are written. Beyond those, I have a prequel in rough draft, and a very genre-specific work set in the 1890s.

In a year or two, I plan to publish a book that is a total departure from mystery, thriller, detective. It is a comic absurdist novel that I think of as a cousin to CATCH 22, the SOT-WEED FACTOR, some Vonnegut works, or Pynchon novels.

I have never seen a celestial sight beyond meteors, comets, planets, or stars. Being the curious type, I would like to meet visitors from beyond our solar system – just hope they are friendly.

Mark

12/10/2025 08:41:34 am

Your fans will welcome more books in this series. Some fans don't always like it when a favorite author writes in a different genre. I am not part of that group. I like good writing regardless of the genre, most of the time.

Not many authors claim to have seen a UFO. I think all are hopeful that they are benevolent. But, if many of the reports are to be believed about animal mutilations, at least some of the aliens are anything but kind. Clifford Wilson, Phd, wrote a book about aliens, "Crash Go the Chariots," to counter a popular book in the 1970s, "Chariots of the Gods."

My sisters have told me we saw a UFO when we were children, but I have no memory of that experience.

New question.

Have you ever seen a cryptid, an animal unknown to modern zoologists, or found evidence of one?

S L Chalmers link

12/10/2025 09:53:16 am

Cryptids, huh. [chuckles]
Depends on the listing - I saw a Narwhal in an Alaskan museum if that counts....

Mark

12/10/2025 11:03:54 am

As strange as that critter is, I wouldn't count that as a cryptid.

New questions.

Is there anything unconventional about your writing technique?

Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a copy-and-paste link if appropriate.

S L Chalmers link

12/10/2025 11:43:27 am

I sometimes record scenes. Those with a lot of dialogue.
Less with the mystery/thriller/detective stories. The comic novel I mentioned had the rough draft dictated on tape before I changed, embellished, dropped, and added bits while I transcribed the tapes. I thought of it as stealing the strange story from the weirdo that told it on tape and converting it into a novel.

Tatianna Villa, who is a genius of artistic-combination for book covers. A writing friend introduced me to her (online). I plan to continue with her.
https://www.viladesign.net/

Mark

12/10/2025 03:33:48 pm

Recording certain scenes seems like it might be a good idea. Then you can hear it, engaging another of the senses. That is similar to the ideas about how to proofread your own writing. I wrote a blog about that on my "Words for Thought" page.

I like the cover a lot. Tatianna is very talented. The bleed to white makes the cover pop in my opinion.

New questions.

How many drafts did the cover go through?

At first glance, the cover seems obvious, but I frequently miss a detail or two. What do the elements on the cover represent?

S L Chalmers link

12/10/2025 03:53:32 pm

Tatianna and I communicated through email before the start. I searched high and low for the LaSalle. She brought the red color, which was necessary from the novel’s many scenes with Scott’s red LaSalle.
I had an image of the city from the late 40s. She combined the elements as you see them. Technically, it took two drafts. The second added a subtitle, which was discarded, thus what you see is really the first draft. She is that good.

The cover is pretty straightforward. Dark Tulsa in the silhouette image. Hard-to-know Wyatt Scott looming over his Tulsa. His bright red LaSalle being his physical escape but symbolizing hope and redemption.

Mark

12/10/2025 05:27:35 pm

She is talented, no doubt about that. One draft is amazing! From the responses I have had to this question, most covers have three to four iterations.

Wyatt's car symbolizes escape on more than one level. I like that.

New questions.

Was it hard to come up with the title?

What was the process?

S L Chalmers link

12/10/2025 11:42:16 pm

Somewhat. Had it been a single book rather than a quartet, I would’ve used a more genre specific title. I thought of several and had others suggested to me. Since Scott is the focal character and 1948 Tulsa is the background and a silent character, it seemed to fit best. I may well use subtitles for the three following books—Scott’s Tulsa II, Ballplayers and Spies is possible.

I discussed the different notions with my editor friend Terry. He thought Scott's Tulsa fit the feeling. With the two of us in agreement, I went with it.

Mark

12/11/2025 09:51:51 am

Thank you for sharing that process. I am always intrigued by how a title is formed. Some authors start with a title and write from that thought. Others start with the what-if thought and find a title later.

New questions.

Were the character names difficult to develop?

How did you choose them?

S L Chalmers link

12/11/2025 10:05:53 am

Not really. I believe a name should elicit some image of a character in the readers’ minds, so I ran through a few before hitting on each. I wanted every name to have the proper connotation and sound to match the character’s nature. A few minor characters had name changes to avoid confusion with others that sounded close. “Bugler” came after I developed his backstory.

Mark

12/11/2025 11:10:39 am

Names are very important. The sweetest sound to any person is to hear their name with respect. In some cultures, at different times, names are changed to represent a specific event in a person's life.

Some authors use baby name sites to find an appropriate name for a certain place or period of time. Some of those websites go back hundreds of years, using church or tax records.

New questions.

Had you written and published any short stories before writing your book?

Which did you publish first, short stories or novels?

S L Chalmers link

12/11/2025 11:22:04 am

The answer is yes and no. I wrote a few short stories through the years in my writers' group but never sent them to mags. Most were stylized, cryptic, or a bit O. Henry like.

I have a newer one on my Substack, but that site seems to have fewer visitors than the moon, so I have not bothered with the others.

Mark

12/11/2025 12:55:39 pm

O Henry's stories have been pretty popular in the past. A lot of people like that type of story: when a common person, through luck or persistence, solves a serious problem in their life. Humor and an upbeat spirit goes a long way. I love those kind of stories also.

I have recommended to writers that short story writing contests, especially those that provide feedback from the judges, can help a writer improve their writing skills. I do have a warning, there are a lot of shady contests out there. Some want to extract as much as they can from your wallet, others want to steal your intellectual property. Here is a copy-and-paste link about those things: Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags. https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests. You can also use the search box below to find the link. There are other blogs I have links to on my Highly Regarded Blogs page.

There are so many social media sites it makes my head spin. Many of them are devoted to writing like substack. Some of therm, not neccessarily Substack, can put a crimp in an author's wallet. Here is another copy-and-paste link that might be useful: The Predatory Contracts of Serial Reading/Writing Apps https://writerunboxed.com/2022/06/24/reading-between-the-lines-the-predatory-contracts-of-serial-reading-writing-apps

New questions.

What marketing strategy, if any, has had an immediate impact on your daily sales?

Will that strategy work again?

S L Chalmers link

12/11/2025 01:03:22 pm

It is really too early to tell. Being new to the wild world of Amazon and self-pub, I have dipped my toe into Amazon ads, a short bit with Crave Books, my own tries on X, and this sharp guy named Mark that runs campaigns.

After year end, I will look at all my efforts and see what worked.

Mark

12/11/2025 03:53:10 pm

Unfortunately, marketing and promoting books is far more complicated than it was a decade ago. Not that it was easy then, but partly because Amazon allows nearly everyone to publish a book. Amazon now publishes around two million books a year. That flood is hard to rise above and get noticed. Amazon changes the algorithms regarding exposure and visibility frequently. So what worked a month ago can easily flop this month. Facebook the same. One thing for sure, the sales platforms will always make a profit.

Dave Chesson has been studying Amazon for years and he seems to have a good handle on what works. He has free advice and a program for sale that is supposed to make it easier to sell on Amazon. I think his website is kindlepreneur.com. It's the fourth or fifth one down the list, after the ads.

Thanks for the compliment.

New questions.

Have you done any ghostwriting?

If not, would you try it if someone wanted to hire you?

S L Chalmers link

12/11/2025 06:29:10 pm

I have watched Chesson videos, read his articles, and I have KDP Rocket. He seems to know his stuff, but the huge market space is still an ocean even with a compass.

You are welcome; you deserve the compliment.

I do not have a desire to ghostwrite. I would not take such an assignment because I want to choose my subjects.

I have and would edit/suggest/arc read. I did that in my three decades in a writers' group, and received such back from others.

Mark

12/12/2025 09:05:40 am

Ghostwriting is an interesting form of writing. I presume that it's important for the writer to understand and preserve the "author's" voice. I would expect that to take several hours of chatting to grasp. I could be wrong about that easily.

New questions.

What do you think of the current controversy regarding AI, Artificial Intelligence and books?

Did you use AI in any of your planning, writing or editing for your books? I am not including research in this question because most of the major search engines have embedded AI in the browser.

S L Chalmers link

12/12/2025 09:38:49 am

NO! While I consider it a tool that could help mankind, I consider it copy-and-paste cheating when it comes to creating a story. If a work did not come from my imagination or experience, I would have none of that positive feeling of creation.

While I did some internet research, I had books, papers, and human accounts of the 1940s as my major sources.

Mark

12/12/2025 01:06:04 pm

I consider that AI has some uses also in several fields, including medicine. Scanning thousands and maybe tens of thousands of images AI seems very efficient at finding anomalous readings. It doesn't get eyestrain or stop for lunch.

Amazon started requiring authors to voluntarily disclose when AI was used to write a book. Earlier this year, Amazon limited authors to no more than three book uploads a day. I want to find one of those books and read it. I am curious if there are spelling errors present in the books. From my own experience, more than 95 % of published books contain spelling errors. So far, no luck for me.

New questions.

Have you encountered a troll reviewing one of your books?

How did you handle it?

S L Chalmers link

12/12/2025 02:41:44 pm

No.
Perhaps my novel is too new. Perhaps the genre is less likely. I hope it is not from lack of visibility. I like to think it is because good reading folks think before they post.

If I should encounter such a character, I would simply ignore it.

Mark

12/12/2025 04:39:31 pm

Ignoring a troll is the best idea. They thrive on causing others sorrow and anguish. I used to tell authors that a bad review validates the good reviews. Much of the time it is obvious to other readers that the troll didn't read the book.

New questions.

What was the first paying job you worked as a kid?

How old were you?

S L Chalmers link

12/12/2025 06:04:37 pm

At ten, I started sweeping up for my grandfather, who was a plasterer. By twelve, I mixed the hod and carried it from the street into the room being plastered. At fourteen, I started doing the rough-in plastering. When I was eighteen, I left for college, and my 77-year-old grandpa finally retired. Summer jobs.

Mark

12/12/2025 07:35:39 pm

That is a wonderful skill you learned. I was a sheet metal worker for 10 years, then I got another journeyman card as an HVAC technician. That included getting licensed as a low-voltage electrician.

As a pre-teen, I did some babysitting for a neighbor, 1/4 mile down the gravel road. Then, as a teen, I picked strawberries and beans for a commercial farm in the area. My strawberry production was pretty low the first day because I ate so many. I am surprised I didn't get sick.

New questions.

Have you done any public speaking?

If so, will you be doing more in the future?

S L Chalmers link

12/12/2025 08:47:24 pm

Many, many years ago, I performed in a comedic debate that I wrote for a few hundred former classmates at a high school reunion.

Beyond that, I have not been asked or had occasion to make a public speech.

Mark

12/13/2025 09:34:02 am

I bet that was well received. Injecting humor into a situation is a surefire method for success in public speaking. There is a secret to public speaking that many authors don't know. The first secret is to only speak about a topic that the speaker knows intimately, such as their book. Many authors shudder at the thought of speaking in public, and I did also until I learned that secret.

I stammered severely as a little boy, all through public school and as an adult. The second secret I learned from a Dale Carnegie course in public speaking was to speak slowly; I needed to let the tension building in my mouth and tongue dissolve. If people wanted to hear what was being said, they would wait. Was I nervous? Oh, yes! I was very nervous, but I allowed the nervous energy to infuse my speech with passion and the audience ate it up.

I hope you get many opportunities to talk about your books.

New questions.

Have you entered any writing contests?

Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

S L Chalmers link

12/13/2025 09:53:09 am

I entered a few with past short stories. I think I made four or five tries with no wins. Having read dozens of winners and runners up, I think my subjects are different than what often wins.

Longer formats appeal more to me anyway. While one gets a snippet of character in a short story, it is usually superficial. Even in script writing, I prefer the newer form of limited series to a two-hour film.

Mark

12/13/2025 11:47:55 am

I agree with you. A longer form allows for more development of the plot and characters.

New questions.

Among present or past family members and friends, how many are or have been writers or authors?

Is there anyone you know who might claim you as their inspiration for writing?

S L Chalmers link

12/13/2025 12:01:25 pm

No family members wrote, but there were story tellers. I have several friends who are authors. Some from my old writers' group. They tend to write mystery or thriller books.

The grandfather that I worked for (Grampy, as we called him) told the most magnificent stories when my brother and I slept over at my grandparents’ house. From around three years old until I was eight, he always had a wonderful, fantastic story at night. I believe those set my very young brain into creating worlds other than the physical one.

Mark

12/13/2025 01:26:38 pm

My grandkids call me Grampy, also.

What a wonderful experience you had as a boy.

I used to create stories with my younger granddaughters, now 10 and 12. We would take turns adding one or two sentences to a story in turn, made up on the spot. The youngest one always wanted to go back and change something after a few turns around the circle. We haven't done that in more than a year, I think. They stopped wanting to do it when they got their phones.

New questions.

I noticed that your book is in Kindle Unlimited. How is that working out for you?

Why did you choose that exclusive venue?

S L Chalmers link

12/13/2025 03:57:17 pm

I see some views on KU, but I expected more. The paperback is actually selling well. Perhaps Christmas present sales are more than the "I want to read it on KU" currently.

In general, I wanted to get the story and the characters in front of as many folks as possible. Making every dime possible is less important to me than pleasing a lot of readers.

Amazon is the 800-lb gorilla of publishing, but for the paperback I just added IngramSpark as well as Amazon for SCOTT'S TULSA.

S L Chalmers

12/13/2025 04:01:33 pm

I meant to add - Congratulations on being a "Grampy!" I made great uncle, but no grandkids.

Mark

12/13/2025 04:44:23 pm

KU is an interesting beast. An author gets paid a small fraction of a penny for each page read. KU pays royalties to authors monthly for the pages read. In October, the global payout was 61.2 million dollars. Some authors do quite well, and others make enough to pay a utility bill or two. Authors with multiple books and series seem to do the best. When a reader finds an author they like, it seems they read everything by the author. Like the stock market, it's a long-term game plan. One downside to putting a book in KU is that Amazon requires a 90-day exclusive contract for an e-book. Books printed on paper are allowed to be published on other platforms.

Being a great uncle is important. Congratulations.

New question.

What is your favorite food and beverage?

S L Chalmers link

12/13/2025 05:19:05 pm

Goodness. Favorite, singular, is just too limiting. Also, I am a seasonal eater (much to the chagrin of my wife) in that I like ice cream, burgers, and beer in summer, but cake, roast, and whisky (yes, no "e" because I mean scotch) in the winter.

Two special items - fudge around Christmas and applesauce cake for my birthday.

Mark

12/13/2025 06:26:23 pm

I think you are the first seasonal eater I have met. Very cool.
I have many favorites; I am an adventurous eater. I like trying new things. I like the foods you mentioned quite a bit. I am also a big fan of craft beer. I am not a drinker of spirits usually, though I am not against tasting different spirits. Once, I got to taste an average tequila and a really good one. The difference was stark. My wallet won't satisfy my taste buds.

New question.

What is your least favorite food and beverage?

S L Chalmers link

12/13/2025 06:44:55 pm

Oh, I love craft beer. When I said, "beer," I envisioned several of those.

Ewww...
Thinking of least favorite must be code for what do you hate.
Brussel Sprouts tops my "least favorite" list.

Beverages...hmmm... prune juice; cheap, sweet wines; odd cocktails concocted with multiple liquors, and sour beers.

Mark

12/13/2025 08:11:32 pm

Brussels sprouts are your least favorite. My least favorite food is very popular with a lot of people. Cottage cheese makes me want to hurl if I try to put it into my mouth. I can tolerate it if it is an ingredient of a dish that will be cooked. That is it, for me. Eggplant and rutabagas are on my list of things I don't like much, also.

I am with you about sour beer and weird cocktails. I prefer my wine to be dry. Chianti is my favorite, and it's not cheap.

New question.

Have you or your publisher purchased an ISBN for your book? It is a unique number and barcode assigned to a book.

S L Chalmers link

12/13/2025 08:26:33 pm

Yes. I did not want to be tied to Amazon or Barnes and Noble or IngramSpark. Because I have plans for multiple books in ebook form, printed form, and audio, I "invested" in 100 ISBNs from Bowker. The price for 100 was only twice the price of 10.

I would advise any author to avoid the "free" ISBN unless they are only planning to publish one book and only on one platform.

Barcode for Amazon is per them. Same with IngramSpark. I could get them, but unlike the identifiers, which are for the book and help the author, pricing barcodes are for distributors an retailers.

Ashis Kumar Sarka

12/13/2025 09:03:22 pm

Thanks for sharing the link. ❤️🥰💐

Mark

12/14/2025 07:46:39 am

You are welcome, Ashis. We have shared quite a few links. Which one are you referring to?
Thanks for dropping in. Do you have a question for Stephen or me?

Mark

12/14/2025 07:53:44 am

You made a wise choice. It's never a good idea to put all of your eggs into one basket. It is smart to use as many platforms to sell your books as possible. If Amazon decided they weren't making enough money selling books, they would shut it down. However, I don't think it's likely.

New questions.

Have you ever gone through the query process?

Were you seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers, and why did you choose that path?

S L Chalmers link

12/14/2025 10:33:04 am

I did query agents. I have QueryTracker and investigated dozens. The legacy publishing industry seems focused on the book-of-the-moment in cultural fads or the equivalent of film blockbusters (Patterson or such).

Because I have friends and acquaintances that had agents, they believed my queries were solid. When I got one rejection and twenty or more no replies, I concluded that the subject matter did not fit the current groupthink of traditional publishing.

And as a note, one agented friend has dropped his agent and is now self-publishing.

Mark

12/14/2025 01:55:29 pm

Your experience, as sad as it was, bolsters the idea that most traditional publishers and agents are on the way out. They will never disappear completely, mind you. So many chase after that goal of being traditionally published. The industry, as a whole, has suffered severe contractions and will continue to shrink. There are only 4 or 5 big publishers left in America. They all struggle to keep the doors open. The profit margin is so thin that they cannot afford to gamble on an unknown name or a less-than-highly popular genre that they know well. Publishers and agents don't get paid until after the book is published, when people are actually buying the book. These publishers insist that consumers buy a printed copy by pricing the ebook the same as the printed book. As you mentioned, groupthink reigns.

Personally, I encourage authors to self-publish. That way, they maintain control of their intellectual property and don't have to share the profits with anyone. Of course, the author must pay for everything that the publisher normally pays for, but the author makes all of the decisions. Not a publisher that wants to maximize profits for the company. The publisher, depending upon the contract with the author, can require the author to rewrite the story, the publisher can delay publication for a year or more, again to get the most profit. The author has much to lose with a traditional publisher. The publisher might grab the rights for sequels, other formats such as audiobooks and foreign language versions.

The copy-and-paste link below is a fascinating look at a traditionally published, big-name author who went independent to publish a deluxe edition of one of his books. Granted, he had lots of recognition as a popular author. His story is fascinating and enlightening at the same time. https://kriswrites.com/2020/07/22/business-musings-the-kickstarted-game-changer-part-two/

New questions.

Did you use an indie publisher for this book, or did you start your own imprint or press?

Or did you choose self-publishing as the best way and why?

S L Chalmers link

12/14/2025 02:18:01 pm

I created American Action Publishing as an LLC for my books, but I have some friends that are interested in wider publishing, so it might see other's work eventually.

For SCOTT'S TULSA, AAP amounts to self-publishing, yet it allows for a wider future beyond the Scott's Tulsa series.

As you pointed out about traditional publishers and publishing, the value of an imprint and/or an agent has diminished in the last ten to fifteen years. Unless a writer already has a big following (big "name") publishers won't spend to champion the work, so the author is still left doing it.

Would I rather write books and hide out like Thomas Pynchon? Probably so.

Would I prefer folks find my books and read them even if it requires marketing and promotion? Damn skippy!

Mark

12/14/2025 03:58:42 pm

Creating an imprint is brilliant! I have recommended that to many authors over the years. While not as big as some other publishers, it still provides a veneer of respectability, and I think it's a smart move. Congratulations.

When you start publishing the work of other authors, it will provide you with a revenue stream. Authors are smart to build that kind of business.

So many authors struggle with that dichotomy. They want everyone to read their book except the people who know them.

New questions.

How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?

Have you ever seen a ghost or had some other type of supernatural experience?

S L Chalmers link

12/14/2025 04:55:25 pm

I am loath to compare due to my prejudice. I have a friend and another acquaintance who read the book. Both are older and have read thousands of books.

One is an expert on A C Doyle and is a member of the worldwide Afghanistan Perceivers (a group with only 300 members in the world and only has openings upon the death of a member). His other great reading love is Raymond Chandler. He compared my characters to those of Chandler. That praise is more than I could expect.

The other told me he liked it better than the name brand works he's read in the 21st century. He particularly liked the divergent backgrounds of the MC and the nitty-gritty detail of the city.

Finally, my late friend and editor, Terry Collins, who read more books than anyone I have ever known, told me that I was on to something about ten years ago when the rough draft and 4-book idea came about.

As for my feeling, I will accept any reader judgments, good or bad - I just want them to read it to decide.

I have never encountered any supernatural being or event. However, my wife and my brother report separate events that they believe were ghosts.

Mark

12/14/2025 06:11:36 pm

Those opinions sound like they are well-informed and well-deserved. Congratulations.

I have never heard of Afghanistan Perceivers. I will look them up. Not what I expected. A Sherlock Holmes appreciation club headquartered in Tulsa. Perhaps I found the wrong organization. I read many of Doyle's writings about the fictional detective as a boy. I was fascinated by his mental prowess.

I had an unusual occurrence or two myself as a boy. I couldn't make any sense of what I saw, so I am hesitant to say it was a ghost.

New question.

There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

S L Chalmers

12/14/2025 06:54:20 pm

The AP is not headquartered in Tulsa. It is worldwide with meetings in NY every year and others in London. More than the 300 registered members attend and are included. The fellow about whom I was talking affiliated with them for 40 years or so before his name made it into the top 300 to be listed. I am far from an expert on it, but there are some very famous folks in entertainment and sports that attend the meetings and wish to become one of the 300.

I suppose the most unethical thing I can conceive is plagiarism. As for deceptive practices and cheating writers, I learned from film where 2% of gross is an actual, payable figure, whereas 90% of profit is likely nothing with Hollywood accounting.

The lack of ethics, morality, common honesty is another reason for writers to be leery and hold their copyrights unless the cash offer is enormous or they are assured of good promotion and marketing.

Mark

12/14/2025 08:06:52 pm

Thank you for clarifying the 300 members of Afghanistan Perceivers. A meeting would be an interesting event to attend.

Plagiarism is pretty bad, no doubt about that. Creative accounting doesn't exist only in Hollywood.

New questions.

Is there a book that causes strong emotions to come up, no matter how many times you read it?

Do you ever read a book more than once? If so, which one?

S L Chalmers

12/14/2025 09:04:09 pm

Strong emotions...hmmm...
As a boy, Old Yeller was unbearably sad, but I have not read it again. THE ROAD I only read once, but it was bleak enough for ten reads. Fine, fine work that created that horribly bleak world, but I don't want to visit again.

If laughing is an emotion, then CATCH 22 is the book that gives me strong emotions. I HAVE read CATCH 22 probably half a dozen times.

I have read many classics more than once - Odyssey, Iliad, Shakespeare plays, Don Quixote, Tristram Shandy, Tom Jones, Gatsby, East of Eden.

Modern works - Crying of Lot 49, Slaughterhouse Five, The Big Sleep, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Mark

12/15/2025 08:14:18 am

I read Catch-22 at least twice, maybe three times. It was odd, funny and cynical in turn. I haven't read any of the others that you mentioned because I was focused on sci-fi, fantasy and humor.

New questions.

Did you have a favorite book as a child?

If you could ask every person who has read your book, only one question what would you ask them?

S L Chalmers link

12/15/2025 10:52:13 am

Yes, Catch-22 is funny, cynical, and cleverly written.

As a tiny boy, my mom read children’s stories to me. Several cowboy stories, none of which I can name today, The Little Train that Could, Lassie Come Home. I still have the mental-movies of those stories in my memory. When I learned to read, sports novels or sports biographies were about all I enjoyed until I read some mysteries and spy novels my dad had. When classics were “forced” on me in junior high and high school, I was shocked that those old people could write such great books. After that, I couldn’t be stopped.

If the question had to be one single one and not compound, I would ask readers - "Did you like it?" If I get a compound choice, it is - "Did you like it, and what would make it better?"

Mark

12/15/2025 11:02:37 am

My mother loved to read. I am certain she read to me and my two younger sisters. I have few memories of my early years because my parents divorced when I was five or six. She made sure I had lots of books.

New question.

Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?

S L Chalmers

12/15/2025 11:20:14 am

Writing gives me joy! I do get physically tired and need to escape any and all keyboards at times. As almost all of us think, I wish I had more 'hours in the day.'

Because I love great films as well as great books, I am often torn between the two when I grab some time to escape.

Mark

12/15/2025 12:01:11 pm

Many writers have given a similar answer to that question. It makes a lot of sense to me. Doing things we love can be tiring. I think it's a hidden blessing that we cannot conjure more hours in a day.

Films are very entertaining, and I love them too. But lately, I find I am more interested in reading a book, watching the movie that appears in my mind.

Last question.

Since a copyright in America lasts for 75 years after the author's passing, do you have a plan for all of your books and the royalties in your will?

S L Chalmers

12/15/2025 12:25:26 pm

So early in the process that I have no plans. I will consider leaving the rights and royalties to my great-nephews and great-nieces since we have no grandchildren and their parents, and our daughter will not need the money.

And thank you, Mark. I hope my answers do not bore your followers.

Mark

12/15/2025 12:56:02 pm

It certainly is something to prepare for.

Thank you for being a wonderful guest in this interview. I appreciate that you hired me to promote your book, and you were so patient with my questions. Your answers were great.

Until next time, keep on writing.

Scott’s Tulsa by S L Chalmers

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