“How to Write a Dick is a gift to crime fiction authors everywhere, a comprehensive and no-nonsense compendium of information, analysis and thought-provoking writing prompts that will help you create your own 21st century shamus with confidence and class. An absolute must for the library of any PI writer!”
- Kelli Stanley, critically acclaimed author of City of Dragons and the Miranda Corbie series

“What every wanna-be sleuth needs: a revolver, a bottle of scotch, a trusty sidekick, and this book.”
- Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf Smackdown

“If you want authenticity in creating a fictional private investigator for your stories, then this is a must-have reference book. Its authors, Colleen and Shaun, are living breathing PIs with years of actual experience in the PI game.”
- R.T. Lawton, 25 years on the street as a federal special agent and author of 4 series in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine  

“In How to Write a Dick, writers and PIs Colleen Collins and Shaun Kaufman lay out everything a writer needs to know to realistically portray a 21st century private dick. Having taken one of their on-line workshops, I can attest that they can fully explain the life of a real-life private dick versus the erroneous TV stereotype. If you want your fictional PI to behave believably, then this is the reference book for you!”
- Beth Groundwater, Best First Novel Agatha Award finalist and author of Deadly Currents, March, 2011

Are you a writer developing a sleuth character or a private eye story? Or maybe you’re simply curious about the world of private investigators. How to Write a Dick, called “the industry standard for years to come,” is material culled from our combined going-on 16 years as private investigators, including information from online classes we’ve taught and writers’ workshops we’ve presented around the country.

Normally priced at $4.99, it’s currently on sale for .99 at Amazon through November 24! Call it our pre-holiday thanks-to-you-our-readers sale.

Don’t have a Kindle? Don’t need one. Amazon provides free, easy-to-download apps that let you read the book right on your PC, Mac and other devices.

Praise for How to Write a Dick 

“I was clueless about PIs but I had a plot that wouldn’t leave me alone without a detective character. The title of this one made it a no-brainer to check out, and it looked promising so I bought it. It was really helpful to me.”

“If you want authenticity in creating a fictional private investigator for your stories, then this is a must-have reference book. Its authors, Colleen and Shaun, are living breathing PIs with years of actual experience in the PI game.”

“I’m an experienced writer, but I’m new to mystery and suspense. How to Write a Dick is exactly the kind of reference I need…”

“This is an excellent resource for writers who want to get up to speed quickly on the art and science of private investigation.”

To purchase your less-than-a-buck copy of How to Write a Dick, click here.

“How to Write a Dick is a gift to crime fiction authors everywhere, a comprehensive and no-nonsense compendium of information, analysis and thought-provoking writing prompts that will help you create your own 21st century shamus with confidence and class. An absolute must for the library of any PI writer!”
- Kelli Stanley, critically acclaimed author of City of Dragons and the Miranda Corbie series

“What every wanna-be sleuth needs: a revolver, a bottle of scotch, a trusty sidekick, and this book.”
- Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf Smackdown

“If you want authenticity in creating a fictional private investigator for your stories, then this is a must-have reference book. Its authors, Colleen and Shaun, are living breathing PIs with years of actual experience in the PI game.”
- R.T. Lawton, 25 years on the street as a federal special agent and author of 4 series in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine  

“In How to Write a Dick, writers and PIs Colleen Collins and Shaun Kaufman lay out everything a writer needs to know to realistically portray a 21st century private dick. Having taken one of their on-line workshops, I can attest that they can fully explain the life of a real-life private dick versus the erroneous TV stereotype. If you want your fictional PI to behave believably, then this is the reference book for you!”
- Beth Groundwater, Best First Novel Agatha Award finalist and author of Deadly Currents, March, 2011