Matthew Lieber Buchman

-The Author(s)-

Retiring a Name (Buchman)

My first two books were published by a small NW press. The first book was #1 for the press in 1998, achieving a 75% sell through. The second book achieved a 20% sell through before the press closed its doors. The catch is, computer records last forever. So, this name has two drawbacks, 1)falling sales from one book to the next, and 2)the incredibly small numbers that make a success for a small press. It is a work of heart to create a small press and a work of true magic to make it thrive. Regrettably this one did not.

The Other Three Names

They are not to hide identity. The are to aid readers. While I'd hope that if someone enjoyed my SF/F books, they'd also enjoy my suspense novel, for the less adventurous, I wanted to make it easy for them to follow a name. I love all three genres deeply, and hope to pursue them all throughout my writing career. To make it easy, we all have the same initials.

Getting Hooked

I picked up my first SF novel ("City and the Stars" by Arthur C. Clarke) and fell in love. For a decade, I read nothing but SF/F. Then for a decade, I read nothing but classics. For another handful of years, I descended down the pipeline of Cussler, Follet, Ludlum, and Le Carre. There was the second genre I grew to love.

In 1996, my publisher for "Cookbook from Hell" wanted to take a group of male authors to RWA National to make a statement. At that time, we were 4 of the 7 men to attend the Romance Writers of America National Convention. Seven of us, 1,800 women. Nope, it wasn't what you think. First, everyone just assumed we were someone's boyfriend or bemused husband. Agents refused to speak to us. Asking a question could bring a whole session to a halt because we were the outsiders. Second, these women were serious. They had come to Dallas to eat, sleep, and breathe their dream, becoming professional writers in the largest fiction genre there is. Thrillers? Feh! Mystery? Ha! Romance is far and away #1. I read my first romance novel (actually my first 3) during that conference. I was hooked, lined, and sinkered.

The Author

Matt Buchman is an East Coast refugee. At the end of college, I tossed a coin and landed in Seattle, WA. I have worked in fast food management, live theater (sound and lights), construction law, 15+ years in computers, publishing (pre-press layout) & light manufacturing (roof trusses). It's amazing what you can do with a degree in geophysics. At one point I burned out of my career, lost my business and my house. So, I did what made the most sense at the time. I sold my car, furniture, clothes. I put my library and my kitchen (I love to cook) into storage and spent 18-months riding a bicycle around the world. In 11,000 miles, I touched 15 countries and hundreds of amazing people. Since then, I've acquired a loving lady, the coolest kid on the planet (not that I'm bragging), and a solar-powered home in the San Juan islands of the Pacific NW.