I’m not sure how many writers are doing Cybercrime novels these days. Most of what’s out there that deals with technology tend to be Thrillers more than traditional Mysteries. So I guess I’m pioneering something new here.
When I came up with the idea for Null Pointer, I was trying to appeal to a manager who loved mysteries and also worked in IT. But the more I thought about it, being a programmer is not that different than being a detective, which is why I made the detective more of a Watson and the amateur sleuth a programmer. In this way, I could explore technical stories and have the details explained to the cop by a functional expert.
Having my detective be an average person regarding technology makes him more relatable to the average non-technical reader. The expertise of a programmer makes him relatable to those workers who also code and or work in IT. Admittedly, it’s a gamble for the genre. I mean, how many middle-aged women would find this stuff attractive? Not many, which is why I’ve always written these stories for IT professionals, not traditional Mystery readers.
I think that’s how you find your nitch in this business. I don’t believe many programmers read mystery novels. I’d wager that’s a very, very finite number. But everyone in IT who’s read Null Pointer winds up loving it. So maybe it’s just a matter of finding my audience over time. I mean, how many medical professionals read medical procedures?
Maybe what I’m writing is more like a cyber procedural.
