First Thrills

Afterword

Wasn’t that a great ride? Lee Child promised in the introduction that this book contained a stellar lineup of high-octane writers-a purposeful mixture of seasoned veterans and remarkable rookies.

International Thriller Writers, Inc. (ITW) cofounder, David Morrell, once said, “If a story doesn’t thrill, it’s not a thriller.” As this collection has proven, thrills come in all shapes and sizes, tongue-in-cheek and serious, domestic and international. There were stories that explored those fascinating moments where ordinary people face difficult choices between right and wrong; there were journeys to the dark territory of noir, where hope is a precious commodity; and there were some good old-fashioned, tried-and-true adrenaline-rush rides of danger and amusement.

Many of the names who contributed to this book are well known. The fresh faces are all members of ITW’s Debut Author Program, a unique experience created to mentor thriller writers through their first year and beyond. Since the program began in July 2007, 103 ITW members have participated. So far, eight of those have garnered starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Library Journal. Four became New York Times bestsellers. Eleven found themselves on bestseller lists that include In de pen dent Mystery Booksellers, BookScan, Barnes & Noble, The Sunday Times (U.K.), the San Francisco Chronicle, Audible.com, and a variety of lists overseas. Seventeen sold rights to their books to foreign publishers. Four negotiated film and/or television options. And nearly thirty have already been published again, or are under contract for more books.

That’s an amazing set of statistics.

No other writers organization can boast such dedication and success in its debut authors.

Which speaks volumes for International Thriller Writers.

Currently, over twelve hundred working writers, editors, agents, and enthusiasts worldwide are members. Born in 2004, ITW has grown by leaps and bounds. The Debut Author Program joins a host of other ITW successes that range from exceptional marketing and promotional programs to awards and recognition, to literacy efforts, to publishing projects, to the phenomenally successful ThrillerFest, the yearly gathering of ITW each July in New York. Those four days are, literally, summer camp for thriller writers and thriller enthusiasts. To learn more about ITW and Thrillerfest, I invite you to visit www.thrillerwriters.com.

Thrillers have been around a long time. Their magic, their allure, and their compelling nature come not just from providing readers an escape or rush. Rather they stem from an ability to transport the reader into another world that he or she, through his or her active participation, helps the writer create.

It’s a shared experience.

Facing danger, searching for truth, avoiding despair, finding hope, these are the essences of a thriller. My hope is that you’ve enjoyed this journey as much as all of us at International Thriller Writers have enjoyed creating these worlds for you to explore.

First Thrills is just one of many ITW publishing endeavors. We invite you to check out our other ITW products: Thriller, Thriller 2, The Chopin Manuscript, The Copper Bracelet, Watchlist, and The 100 Greatest Reads.

Just look for the ITW logo.

As Lee Child said in the beginning:

You won’t regret it.

STEVE BERRY

ITW Co-President

August 2009