Tied In — Lee Goldberg

Tie-in novels are books based on pre-existing media properties -- like TV shows, movies and games -- and they regularly top the national bestseller lists. But as popular as tie-ins books and novelizations are among readers, few people know how the books are written or the rich history behind the hugely successful and enduring genre.

This 75,000 word book is a ground-breaking collection of lively, informative, and provocative essays and interviews by some of the best-selling, and most acclaimed, writers in the tie-in business, offering an inside glimpse into what they do and how they do it.

Contributors include Donald Bain, Max Allan Collins, Tod Goldberg, Elizabeth Massie, William C. Dietz, Aaron Rosenberg, Paul Kupperberg, Jeff Mariotte, Raymond Benson, Robert Greenberger, David Spencer, Greg Cox, Burl Barer, Jeff Ayers, Nancy Holder, Brandie Tarvin, Alina Adams and William Rabkin.

This book is an official publication of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

"If this is the Golden Age of anything in the popular fiction field, it may be the tie-in novel [...]There have always been formidable writers doing tie-ins, but they have generally been dismissed, not unreasonably, as quickies tossed off for a fast buck. That image has been improved somewhat by the quality work of editor Goldberg, the late Stuart Kaminsky, Max Allan Collins, and some of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers members contributing to this volume. [...]With it's helpful how-to tips and articles, the book is primarily directed towards other writers, and established pros at that. But many fans and scholars will enjoy the inside-the-business stuff." Jon Breen, Mystery Scene Magazine

"TIED IN doesn't focus solely on television tie-ins. It also covers movie novelizations, comic book tie-ins and computer game tie ins. But that actually makes it even more valuable and more interesting.[...]David Spencer's wonderful “American TV Tie-Ins from the 50s through the early 70s, delves into the history of television tie-in novels and examines several of the writers from those decades, including William Johnston, Keith Laumer and Michael Avallone. [...] Other essays I found particularly interesting were “Learning on the Job, in which Nancy Holder discusses her experience writing her first tie-in novel, “This Time It's Personal, an account of how Max Allan Collins managed to write the novelization for a movie adapted from his own graphic novel, and “How to Novelize a Game, William C. Dietz's reflection on what goes into crafting a novel out of a computer/video game.[...]
TIED IN is a fascinating exploration of the media tie-in business." -- Television Obscurities Blog

"This is really interesting and entertaining stuff. I started with Tod Goldberg's essay on writing the Burn Notice books, moved on Jeff Mariotte's "Jack of All Trades," got really caught up in Max Allan Collins's "This Time It's Personal," kept right on going through the great round-table discussion, and read three or four more of the essays, including one that harks back to my era, David Spencer's "American TV Tie-Ins from the '50s to the Early '70s. I was genuinely surprised at how much fun I had reading this book, and I'm sure most of you would like it, too" -- Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine (billcrider.blogspot.com)

"I say this without a whit of exaggeration TIED-IN, edited by Lee Goldberg and written by the members of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, is the most fascinating, entertaining and honest book about the writing life I've ever read..." --Ed Gorman, author of GUILD, SLEEPING DOGS, and founder of Mystery Scene Magazine