# Mr. Monk and the Kindle



## LeeGoldberg (Jun 12, 2009)

I am the author of the original MONK mystery novels...featuring the obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk and his assistant Natalie Teeger. The tenth book in the series, MR. MONK IS CLEANED OUT, was just published. All of my MONK books are available on the Kindle.

Frank Zubek asked me some questions about the books in another thread... and I thought the discussion was best served in a thread of its own. So here it is!



> Quote from: Frank Zubek on Today at 04:57:23 AM
> Lee, I'm curious
> With MONK now off the air, who approves the plots?
> 
> ...


1) The plots have always been approved by Andy Breckman, the creator of the show. And he still approves them now that the show is over. Technically, NBC/Universal also has to approve them...but they defer to Andy on this. However, now that I am 12 books into the series (two haven't been published yet), and the books are a big success, they trust my creative judgment and have been pretty much hands-off.

2) I am very experienced at writing within franchises and don't find it hard at all. Keep in mind, I have been a TV writer for twenty-some years (and was also the executive producer of DIAGNOSIS MURDER, MARTIAL LAW, etc), and have written hundreds of TV episodes, so it's a daily routine for me. I was also writing episodes of MONK before I began writing the books, so I had a strong attachment to the show already and had close contact with the showrunner.

3) None of my ideas for MONK books have been rejected.

Thanks for the great questions!

Lee


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi Lee. I LOVE Monk! will have to check those out!

And just as a reminder, here's a link to Forum Decorum and a recap of the rules:

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We ask that authors have only one thread per Book, rather than start a new thread each time, it helps members who may be following you. Please bookmark this thread so that you may find it again to update.

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## Nancy C. Johnson Author (Apr 28, 2010)

I love Monk too, and I'm happy I can watch him on t.v. (I still get reruns) and also read about his adventures.

The books must be so fun to write!

Nancy


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Looking forward to reading another Mr. Monk book!

N


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## LeeGoldberg (Jun 12, 2009)

Nancy C. Johnson said:


> I love Monk too, and I'm happy I can watch him on t.v. (I still get reruns) and also read about his adventures.
> 
> The books must be so fun to write!
> 
> Nancy


They are fun, but after writing three MONK episodes and 11 original novels, it's getting harder and harder!

Lee


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## LeeGoldberg (Jun 12, 2009)

Neekeebee said:


> Looking forward to reading another Mr. Monk book!
> 
> N


Thank you!
MR. MONK IS CLEANED OUT is available now, MR. MONK ON THE ROAD comes out in January, and I am now writing whatever the MONK book is that will come out in Summer 2011. And then I have to start writing the book that comes out in January 2012!
Lee


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## Frank Zubek (Apr 27, 2010)

Hey Lee. A few more really curious questions if you can (well, actually, half a dozen questions as I am always curious about such things (Like it's great when they decide to allow for a novelization of a film even though I assume there's probably just I60,000/100,000 copies printed since the general population is just interested in watching the film and thats enough for them. Me, I enjoy reading a novelization because sometimes the writer ADDS some scenes to the work that a film just can't (or had no time to...) convey.)

There are many sundicated series on Tv and cable but few seem able to support (or wish to support) a book series spinoff (like MONK).

Do you have an opinion on why this is? (Or are you bound by contract not to reveal such secrets?)

Can you reveal a ballpark figure for the MONK hardcovers?

How many have had second and third printings?

Do you follow such stats?

Finally, to tie all this in to Kindle so that we stay on subject...are you aware if (because e-book are growing in popularity), the powers that be are considering  exclusive MONK e-books and skipping the traditional paper route?


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## bluefrog (Apr 6, 2010)

I'm going to have to hurry up, I've only read about half of the Monk books. I think "Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii" was my favorite so far.


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## Marisa14 (Jun 30, 2010)

I love Monk too


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I'm very happy to hear that you are writing more Monk books. 
*Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii* is one of my favorites also.
deb


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## LeeGoldberg (Jun 12, 2009)

Frank Zubek said:


> There are many sundicated series on Tv and cable but few seem able to support (or wish to support) a book series spinoff (like MONK).
> 
> Do you have an opinion on why this is? (Or are you bound by contract not to reveal such secrets?)


It's a big risk for a publisher to invest in a tv series tie-in. There are long lead times... you need to be reasonably certain that the series will still be on air a year from the moment you put your writer to work. So the show has to be a hit... not just a hit, but also one that lends itself to books, and has a following that actually _reads_. Then it comes down to the deal the publisher can strike with the rights-owner (ie the studio and/or network). Sometimes the rights-owners want too much money upfront or too high a percentage of the royalties so that the deal simply isn't interesting to the publisher, who still has to pay the author out of their share. Even with all of that, there's still enormous risk. By the time the SAVING GRACE and GHOST WHISPERER books came out, both series had been cancelled. It's rare that a publisher will take on a TV tie-in for a show that's no longer on the air... it sort of defeats the purpose of all the potential cross-promotion. DIAGNOSIS MURDER was an exception... I wrote those two or three years after the series ended (the publisher wanted to capitalize on the success of their MURDER SHE WROTE books). MONK began while the show was still running and the books are doing even better now that it's over.



> Can you reveal a ballpark figure for the MONK hardcovers?How many have had second and third printings?


Are you talking about what I'm paid or how many copies are sold? I won't tell you what I am paid, but the last book sold 25,000 copies in hardcover, which is excellent. The current book seems on track to match or exceed that. All the MONK paperbacks are all still in print and most have gone into multiple printings. I haven't tallied all the sales up, but I'm guessing we're close to having a million copies of the 10 MONK books in print (in paperback and hardcover).



> Do you follow such stats?


I do and I don't. I get royalty statements every quarter, and I read them closely, but I don't memorize the information. And I check with my editor when each book comes out to see how its faring in the marketplace. MR. MONK IS CLEANED OUT, the latest, seems to be the most successful so far...have hit both the B&N and Bookscan mystery hardcover bestseller lists the first three weeks it was out.



> Finally, to tie all this in to Kindle so that we stay on subject...are you aware if (because e-book are growing in popularity), the powers that be are considering exclusive MONK e-books and skipping the traditional paper route?


E-books still only account for a very small percentage of all book sales. There is no talk whatsoever about skipping the hardcover and paperback releases.


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## LeeGoldberg (Jun 12, 2009)

bluefrog said:


> I'm going to have to hurry up, I've only read about half of the Monk books. I think "Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii" was my favorite so far.


If you liked that one, you will probably enjoy MR. MONK GOES TO GERMANY and MR. MONK IS MISERABLE.

Lee


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## Frank Zubek (Apr 27, 2010)

Lee, thanks for answering my questions. And no, of course I didnt mean how much you made on the books, that would be bad manners, I DID mean the number of copies which you answered.

I'm sad about the 25,000 copies being excellant comment though (not against you, Lee-- but the fact that the industry itself considers that excellant. I tend to get on my soapbox about this (even though there's little that can be done to change such stats for now) but while I AM here...

I know that you said 25,000 copies for a hardcover is excellant but personally, dont you find that outrageously low?

I like to read Publishers Weekly at the library and sometimes they have a stats issue that shows how many copies of certain books are due out.
Many of the more famous writers (Grisham, Stephen King, Koontz and Patterson to name a few) have THEIR books come out with a 200,000 to 900,000 print run (and then as sales warrent they usually go back to press maybe 50,000 copies per run)

And thats the top rung guys!

Magazines and newspapers (to me) actually seem to be faring better than books. And thats naturally given since they are cheaper and easier to read THAN a book, but still...USA TODAY averages about 2 million readers. Now compare that with the 25,000 copies of MONK (just as an example) and the avg new writer being granted a print run of 5,000 copies of a new book and there is a very, very large gap there.

Obviously out of 300 million people in this country (lets be modest and say that there are AT LEAST 20 million out there who CAN read for entertainment (and out of THOSE, maybe 3 million CAN make the time but prefer not to for whatever reason.... there is STILL a huge number of people we need to attract BACK to reading.

Not only so that we can make a bit of scratch for our bank accounts, but just to keep the industry as a whole afloat for the next few generations.

I believe that e-reading and paper copies can co-exist but it's going to take a lot of continued effort from both the industry, libraries and all writers to continue getting the word out that reading is just as entertaining as blogging, texting, Xbox, films, television and all the other distractions that we, as an industry, are competing against.

I am hoping that this e-reader interest catches hold and the literacy numbers go up. And as you say, while e-book sales are still a small percentage of all sales, we're still losing independant bookstores at an alarming rate. While they do not have the power of a WalMart of Barnes and Noble, they are still out there fighting to stay in the game and they deserve better treatment than they have been getting

So, Lee, I'd be interested in your thoughts on this literacy/illiteracy problem (if you care to of course)_
If anyone else wants to chime in as well, please feel free


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## LeeGoldberg (Jun 12, 2009)

My short story "Mr. Monk and the Seventeen Steps," an excerpt from my January 2011 novel MR. MONK ON THE ROAD, will be published in the December issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, which will be out in October. The editors of the magazine asked me to make a trailer for the short story. Don't ask me why. I think they were drunk. I must have been, too, because I went ahead and made it.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Funny! I'm going to send that to my friend who is a big _Monk_ fan and who just discovered your books.

N


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## LeeGoldberg (Jun 12, 2009)

Thank you. I hope your friend enjoys the books.

Lee


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought you were announcing _Mr. Monk and the Kindle Killer_.


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