16710--Writing is Not the Place to be Shackled by Realism

I've heard that some writers get bored by their projects.  I count myself as fortunate, having never been plagued by such ennui or writer's blocks.  If you're going to write, you should have love and enthusiasm for your work.  I don't think you can really give it your honest best otherwise.

As I sat at my keyboard (big shock), pounding out my work-in-progress (WIP), the teenager I continue to feed came to me with his latest idea.  Unlike most, this one was about me rather than himself.

"You need to do audiobooks," he said.  "Y'know, for your books."

"Well, it's a thought," I told him, "but I'm not really--"

"Then you could get people to listen to you tell them about your books," he said, "instead of having to read them."

I decided not to take that in a negative way and explained that I liked the idea of actors doing the reading rather than doing it myself.

"Oh!" he said with a wild-eyed flash of inspiration.  "Could we get Samuel Jackson to do it?"

"While that might be interesting," I said, "I'm not sure he does that sort of thing and I'm pretty sure I couldn't afford him."

"Oh, well, how about Batman?" he asked.

"Which one?"

"ummmm...Not Adam West.  Batman Beyond," he said.

"You want Kevin Conroy?" I asked.  "He played Batman in that and Batman: The Animated Series."

"No, the other one.  Who played Terry?" he asked.

"Will Friedle.  He was Ron Stoppable.  He's Lion-O, now."

"Oh, I know, Clint Eastwood," he said, convincing me he had no grasp of this whole thing at all.

"Clint Eastwood."

"Yeah," he smiled and nodded.  "How about him?"

"Dude, he's one of the biggest box office draws on the planet," I explained as clearly as possible.  "If I can't afford Samuel Jackson, there's no way I'm going to be able to pay Clint Eastwood.  On top of that, Clint only uses about twenty-five words a year and I don't think he's going to waste them working for me."

"Really?  Only twenty-five words?" he asked.

Yeah, that was his take-away.  "Don't worry about it," I said.  "When the time is right, I'll look into a small cast of unknowns."

He slunk off a little deflated, but raced back about twenty seconds later.

"Oh, I know!  James Earl Jones!"

"Which part of 'can't possibly afford to pay' is not getting through?" I had to ask.

"If I had a million dollars," he said, "I'd give it to him for you."

"And while I do appreciate that," I told him, "I don't think you want to give it all up on a reading gig."

"But you'd make it all back on the audiobooks, see?""

Who could ask for more confidence in a business manager?

"I think, perhaps, you're overestimating Mr. Jones' fee as well as the return on investment we could expect on the project, but thanks."


Now, this fine fellow would be worth the million.



All that said, a lot to learn, but points for enthusiasm and positive thinking.

Keep writing.

16350--Spice Up Your Book Reading and Make It a Marketing Tool

Let me tell you up front, I'm not suggesting that you start renting formal evening wear.  I mean, if that's your thing and it's working for you, go right on ahead with it.  I don't want to mess with your brand or your personal style.

What I have in mind is something a little different from that and has nothing to do with you not being you.

Over in St. Louis at the Sci-Fi Lounge, the owner is an artist so it only seems natural that he hosts Drawing Club for people to come in and get creative on the first Friday night of each month.  To add to the creative sparking of folks coming in to participate, the head man provides models in costumes.

Whether you use friends or aspiring actors, a few extra warm bodies aren't that costly to have attend an event as it turns out.  Just as a chorus of voices are sometimes used for audiobooks, recruit a couple of males and a couple of females (depending on the needs of your tome) to join you at your next signing event.

It's my understanding that there's a plethora of unemployed actors dying for exposure.  All they need are properly marked copies of your text.  Let them do the reading while you sign autographs or mingle.  You can save your voice for the Q&A.

They don't even need to be in costume.

As a bonus, a video recording of the event can be uploaded to YouTube to provide a perpetual marketing tool for you and your book (as well as providing a little exposure for those helpful actors searching for fame).  If you can work out a way to get some cats and babies doing something cute on-screen, you may get more views than you know what to do with.