John Byrne Barry, Author at BAIPA

About John Byrne Barry

John Byrne Barry is author of three "page-turners with a conscience" — When I Killed My Father: An Assisted-Suicide Family Thriller, Bones in the Wash: Politics is Tough. Family is Tougher, and Wasted, a "green noir" mystery set in the Berkeley recycling world. He's also an actor, bicycle tour leader, and crossing guard. He lives in Mill Valley.

My Novel Takes Place in Sausalito, but I’m Calling it ‘Sausalypso.’ Is That a Good Idea?

June 1, 2022 by John Byrne Barry 10 Comments

I’m rewriting my fourth novel and I have a problem with the title. Or rather, others do. My tentative title is Sausalypso Houseboat Wars Murder Mystery or maybe I leave off the last word and call it Sausalypso Houseboat Wars Murder. I like it, … [Read more...]

Whose Book Blurbs Will Win the BAIPA Book Blurb Contest?

May 4, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

Thanks to those of you who submitted your book blurbs for our contest. Unlike the cover contest, we are sharing the slides in advance because it takes more time and attention to evaluate a blurb than a cover. We'll be voting on the blurbs at the … [Read more...]

Book Blurb Contest Deadline is April 30

April 25, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

There's still time to submit your book blurbs for our contest on May 7. We will vote on the entries at the meeting, and winners get a free afternoon workshop in 2022. The book blurb is the short book description on your online book sales page or … [Read more...]

Book Blurb Contest Deadline Extended to April 30, But You Can Seek Feedback on Your Blurb This Saturday

March 29, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

Thanks to those of you who submitted book blurbs for our contest already. However, because of a scheduling conflict, we are extending the deadline for the contest until April 30. We will vote on the entries at the May meeting. In the meantime, … [Read more...]

‘What If Your Father Asked You to Kill Him?’ — Book Talk + Conversation About End-of-Life Issues

March 21, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

I'm hosting two author events through Reimagine End of Life this week and next — “What If Your Father Asked You to Kill Him?” on Wednesday, March 23, 5 pm PDT and Tuesday, March 29, 7 pm PDT. It will be one part book talk and one part … [Read more...]

Submit Your Blurb for March 19 ‘Killer Book Blurb’ Workshop

March 9, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

I’m leading a BAIPA workshop on “How to Write a Killer Book Blurb” on March 19 at 10 am. The blurb is the book description that appears on the back cover of the book and on your online sales page. You might think of it as the teaser — it’s … [Read more...]

How to Submit Your Blurb for Our March 19 ‘Killer Blurb’ Workshop

March 2, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

In the olden days, before self-publishing, publishers wrote book blurbs. Now you’re the publisher and you need to write the killer blurb that will sell your book in today’s crowded marketplace. The blurb, a.k.a. the book description, appears on … [Read more...]

How to Take Advantage of BAIPA Member Benefits

February 2, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

If you regularly attend BAIPA meetings, like I do, you probably agree that the meetings themselves are the best benefits. If you’re not a regular attendee, well, we’re meeting this Saturday and you’re invited. Here are some other benefits: (1) … [Read more...]

BAIPA Launches Bookshop on Bookshop.org

January 19, 2022 by John Byrne Barry

Thank you to Andy Hunter for starting bookshop.org and presenting at our January meeting. (Members can see the video of his presentation here.) If you missed it, here’s the distilled version. Andy Hunter started bookshop.org as a public benefit … [Read more...]

All Hail Winners of Book Cover Contest

December 7, 2021 by John Byrne Barry

Thank you to the more than three dozen authors, designers, and/or publishers who entered their book covers in our annual contest. We divided the entries into five categories — nonfiction; mystery and thriller; historical fiction, literary fiction, … [Read more...]