A Tied-in Conversation with Editor Masters Jean Rabe and Bob Greenberger

On March 13, a special volume of short stories hit virtual and physical bookstores. The International Association of Media Tie-in Writers published a collective anthology called Turning the Tied from some of the tie-in writing industries’ prolific and recognized authors; all of the book’s proceeds are being donated to the World Literacy Foundation.

Integral to this book’s creation were its two editors: Jean Rabe and Bob Greenberger. Winding down after a whirlwind virtual blog tour, I got to talk with both of them about the project, their work as media tie-in writers (and editors!), and advice they have for new writers trying to break into the market.

Robert Greenberger is a prolific writer of media tie-in fiction since his first novel, Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Romulan Stratagem, in 1990. He has happily played in the Star Trek sandbox (even editing the DC Comics version for eight years). His other tie-in works include After Earth, Batman, Captain America, Captain Midnight, the Green Hornet, Hellboy, Iron Man, Planet of the Apes, Predator, Scooby-Doo, Sherlock Holmes, and Zorro. He has also written numerous essays and books on pop culture in addition to original fiction.

A member of the IAMTW, Bob won the Scribe Award for his novelization of Hellboy II: The Golden Army. He’s a co-founder of Crazy 8 Press, which publishes original works. Bob has worked for DC Comics, Starlog Press, Marvel Comics, Gist Communications, and Weekly World News. Currently, he lives and works as a high school English teacher in Maryland.

USA Today Bestselling author Jean Rabe has written more than 40 novels and 100 short stories. Many of her works have been tie-ins. A longtime member of the IAMTW, Jean was named a Grand Master in 2020, presented the Faust Award online … she would have been happy to venture to San Diego, but Covid changed the world.

She shares her office with a cantankerous parrot named Trouble and three rescue dogs—a Labrador, a one-eyed elderly Boston, and a one-eyed Pug. (She does not specifically collect one-eyed dogs.) When Jean isn’t writing, she tosses tennis balls in the backyard, buys cans of tennis balls at Walmart to replace the ones that shoot over the fence, enjoys board games and RPGs, and tries to put a dent in her ever-growing to-be-read stack of books.

How did this project come about with your involvement?

Jean: During the summer, with the violence, protests, Covid, and all manner of unfortunate events happening in the country, several members of the IAMTW suggested we do something positive, and that led to creating an anthology of tie-in stories that would benefit a charity. They looked for volunteers to write and edit stories, and since I’d edited dozens of anthologies, I said I’d like to help. Robert Greenberger raised his hand too. I had a great time working with him; in fact, I’d work with Robert anytime.

Bob: Somehow, I entirely missed the initial discussions over the summer, so when I saw an email about the book in September, I inquired about getting involved. Jean took pity on me and not only invited me to write a story but to co-edit with her. I was delighted since Jean was a name I knew and respected but got to know and adore over the months.

Jean: I need to slip in that while this anthology took a lot of time, it was a joyful endeavor. I’d worked with so many of the authors in this book in previous anthology projects that it was awesome to dance with them again. Amazing professionals taking time out of their schedules to come together and do something for charity … just because they could. It was an honor to be part of this.

There’s a wide range of properties covered in the book; which were the most surprising to you? Why?

Jean: I’d say Octobriana. I am familiar with a ton of public-domain tie-in properties, and I’d never heard of her. It was a pleasant surprise to find a new character. And I was happy to see a story about Dr. Nikola … unexpected and clever.

Bob: While I consider myself fairly well-steeped in the pop culture zeitgeist, I was surprised at the number of properties I knew nothing about, such as Octobriana or Herne the Hunter.

Are there any properties you thought for sure would be represented but ended up not?

Bob: Some of the older works, such as Three Musketeers or Scarlet Pimpernel were surprising in their absence.

Jean: I really wanted a Three Musketeers tale. I really, really, really wanted one. As a kid, I’d read many Alexandre Dumas books … all of his Three Musketeers novels, and The Man in the Iron Mask, The Fencing Master, The Count of Monte Cristo, Robin Hood: The Outlaw. When authors dropped me emails asking for suggestions, I included Dumas’s works in the list of public-domain sources. I was sure someone would want to swashbuckle. I should have done a Three Musketeers tale myself, but I had this idea to use the Ghost of Christmas Past, and I couldn’t get that notion out of my head. Maybe if the IAMTW does another anthology, D’Artagnan will show up.

We won’t ask which is your favorite, lest we start a writer’s war. But are there some key scenes, dialogue, twists, or perspectives that surprised and delighted you? Which ones?

Bob: Both Greg Cox and Stephen Sullivan tackled the Dracula mythos, and I was impressed at how different yet satisfying both were. I liked the surprisingly sweet nature of Nancy Holder’s Frankenstein and Jean’s Ghost of Christmas Past tales. And David Boop’s team-up of Alan Quatermain and Kit Carson was very satisfying.

Jean: There are so very many good stories in this book. I marveled at the authors’ takes and twists on their subjects … from Westerns to SF to horror. The creativity was remarkable. I would never have dreamed up “Loose Threads” or “Cyrano De Bergerac and Baron Munchausen Go to Mars.” I like to consider myself creative … but those takes were way beyond me. And cats! Jennifer Brozek and Nancy Holder put cats in their stories. Any book is made better with critters.

While I absolutely enjoyed all of the stories, I told Robert we needed to end the book with Nancy Holder’s Frankenstein tale … not that it was better-written or more exciting or eerie … but because it left a big smile on my face. We wanted the readers to walk away from this collection grinning. Hit them in the “feels,” I guess you could say.

What is it about tie-in writing that keeps you coming back to do more?

Jean: I love writing. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life … other than endlessly tossing tennis balls for my dogs. My first novel was a tie-in for Dungeons & Dragons, and I’ve been able to play in a lot of sandboxes … Shadowrun, Transformers, Twilight Zone, Star Wars, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, and more. It has allowed me to write SF and fantasy, and more than that, it has allowed me to network with other tie-in writers, and many of them have become my friends. I also write fantasies and mysteries in my own worlds, but having a mix of my realms and other sandboxes is divine.

Bob: Growing up as a major fan of the genre television shows, movies, and comic books, I wanted to play in those sandboxes for the sheer joy of it. Then, those dreams came true, and it really is wish fulfillment for me. I am not suited for some properties, and others I continue to lust after while still enjoying writing original works. It’s a chance to live out fantasies or see what I can do in a universe I love.

Any advice for writers looking to push into this market?

Bob: There are fewer tie-in opportunities than there used to be and more authors willing to work on other people’s properties. That makes it incredibly hard to break in, so the advice really is to hone your craft with original works and keep your ears open for opportunities through professional channels. It certainly doesn’t hurt to chat up tie-in writers at conventions (when those resume).

Jean: Write a lot. Write your own material. I’ve spoken at workshops and conventions where budding authors want to start their careers with tie-in writing, and I don’t think that’s a viable way to go. I think publishers with tie-in properties pull their authors now from established veterans known for spinning great yarns. So write your own material and prove that you can spin that great yarn, that you can finish a book or two or three.

Then network with tie-in authors at conventions and through on-line groups, and visit websites such as IAMTW.org. Make connections. Visit conventions such as the Gen Con Game Fair in Indiana, where publishers with novel projects have books on display and editors in attendance. Make connections.

What project do you have coming out soon that you’re really excited about?

Bob: Less than a week from now, the digital edition of Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2021 is being released with the print edition in April. This is me and a horde of others writing stories in tribute to the Golden Age of pulp fiction across the genres. We even have an unpublished tale from Lester Dent to anchor us.

Jean: I’m always excited about projects. In January, me and Craig Martelle released Black Heart of the Dragon God, a sword & sorcery book. I’d outlined a tale for a tie-in publisher, but said publisher dropped the line. So we retooled the outline and made our own world and swarthy characters. Next up is the sequel to The Love-Haight Case Files with fellow IAMTW member Donald J. Bingle. I’m hoping that’ll be out this summer. And in my spare time I’m outlining the next Piper Blackwell mystery novel. I love finding a character to murder so my young sheriff can have an adventure. All the Piper books start with “The Dead of …” ‘cause at least one character always dies.

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NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TB8H5FQ

Barnes & Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/turning-the-tied-max-allan-collins/1138771390?ean=9781736252406

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/turning-the-tied-max-allan-collins/1138771390?ean=2940162566557

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Blog Tour

The contributors to Turning the Tied are on tour and spreading the word far and wide on our fantastic new tome for charity, the World Literacy Foundation. The wonderful contributors to Turning the Tied are sharing their experiences and inspirations regarding their anthology stories. Make the rounds and join the fun!