by Gus | Oct 25, 2014 | Press Releases
Dear *********:
Since Publishers, Agents & Films http://www.publishersagentsandfilms.com just launched to connect with publishers, agents, and the film industry – a successor to the 11-year old Publishers and Agents, the founder and Creative Director Gini Graham Scott has just sold another book using the service. The latest book is THE BATTLE FOR INTERNET BOOK PIRACY, to a major New York publisher, to be announced shortly, once the final title is selected. To celebrate its launch, the company is offering a 10% discount for email queries and seeking feedback on its new website.
The company website features books sold by its clients along with testimonials from writers who have found publishers and agents. So far, the company has received over 260 testimonials since it was originally founded, and about half of its clients successfully found publishers and agents. Most recently, Creative Director Gini Graham Scottsold 10 of her own or co-written books to 5 publishers, among the THE NEW MIDDLE AGES to Nortia Press, to be published in early November, and WHAT KIND OF DOG ARE YOU? to Touchstone Press, out in a few months..
Scott has also begun a series of blogs about how to find publishers and agents and get published. The first series of these have been published in a book HOW TO FIND PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS AND GET PUBLISHED, which is available on Amazon and Kindle. (http://tinyurl.com/pz9vu9o).
The company also helps screenplay writers find film producers, agents, and managers, and filmmakers find distributors. And it helps writers with ghostwriting books and proposals, publishing their own books, and getting publicity. Writing is provided by Changemakers Publishers and Writing (www.changemakerspublishingandwriting.com).
For more details on how the service works, visit www.publishersagentsandfilms.com.
Nancy Parker
Executive Assistant to Gini Graham Scott
Changemakers Publishing and Writing
changemakerspublishing@yahoo.com
(925) 385-0608
by Gus | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books
Just as you can turn a series of a blogs into a book, you can turn a book into a series of blogs. The key to doing so successfully is dividing the sections of your book to publish as blogs into 700 to 1000 word chunks, since this is the sweet spot for blogging, according to Google’s latest algorithms. Since the required length changes from time to time, do some research on the Internet to check what this word length should be. For example, put in “google algorithm blog length 2014” or whatever year this is in the Google search engine.
An advantage to creating blogs from parts of your book is the blog can get people interested in reading more, so you can sell some books in paperback or in an ebook format from your site or through a link to Amazon. While Amazon has an associate arrangement to pay back 5% of the book’s sales price, it may not be worth the hassle to set up this system, since you will already be getting much larger royalty payments for the sale of each book.
Another advantage of these blogs is that they can help to raise the search engine rankings of your site, so you are likely to get increased traffic. The optimal way of using blogs to generate traffic is to post them once a week or every two weeks. The delay in posting future blogs can contribute to your book sales, too, since most people won’t want to wait to buy the book if they want to read more after reading your blog. As an example, that’s what I did with The Complete Guide to Writing, Producing, and Directing a Low-Budget Short Film. After I wrote the book, I created a blog on my website www.changemakersproductions.com/blog to feature excerpts from the book, and in the future, I plan another series of articles about promoting films that will be turned into a book.
Thus, you can readily go both ways at the same time – turn some books into blogs, as well as turn some blogs into books.
A good way to get started is to map out how to divide up your book and decide which sections to turn into blogs and in what order. Don’t think you have to turn everything into a blog. Say your book is about 60,000 words. Figuring on an average of 850 words per blog, that’s about 70 blogs, and if you post one a week, that’s plenty for over a year. However, you probably don’t want to turn everything in the book into a blog, especially the more detailed sections, which build on previous information in your book. Instead, focus on the sections of your book which can stand alone, such as the overview in your introduction, a summary at the end of each chapter, take-aways, and your concluding chapter. Ideally, go in order through your book to reflect the logical way someone would read your book.
In some cases, you can easily copy and paste the material from your manuscript into a file for each blog, and then copy and paste that selection into your blog template and add a title. But in other cases, you may need to write a few lines of introduction to lead into the copy in the blog, along with adding a title.
However you create your blog, at the end, add in about 50 words of copy about yourself, and before or after your bio, briefly mention where people can buy the book and provide a link to that ordering information on your on website, on Amazon, or through another bookseller. You want to make it as easy as possible for someone who has enjoyed reading your blog and wants to learn more by buying your book.
Another way to use these blogs is to send a query to the editors of newspapers, magazines, and Internet publications inviting them to republish your blog, with a link back to your website, along with your bio. In this case, call your blog an article. It’s the same content, but a blog is usually associated with a particular website or blogging platform, whereas an article stands alone. At one time, some writers used to syndicate their articles and actually got paid a small amount (ie: $10-25) for each republication of their material, much like a Dear Abby or Miss Manners column appears in many papers and on the Internet today. But now, unless you are already a household name, there are so many writers writing free articles, that any payment is unlikely. Or even if you do sign an agreement, you may not get paid, and it is impossible to try to collect a very small amount unless the publisher voluntarily pays you.
So generally, forget about getting paid for these articles. Instead, use them to increase your visibility by your article appearing on multiple websites. You can also get links in the article back to your website or to a place where people can buy your book. It is fine to pitch these articles for multiple postings around the Internet after your blog has been up for a few days, since Google and other search engines will have already logged the initial posting of original material, which will up your website ranking. After a week, you will be ready to post your next blog to repeat the process.
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GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, Ph.D., is a nationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and seminar/workshop leader, who has published over 50 books on diverse subjects, including business and work relationships, professional and personal development, and social trends. She also writes books, proposals, scripts, articles, blogs, website copy, press releases, and marketing materials for clients as the founder and director of Changemakers Publishing and Writing and as a writer and consultant for The Publishing Connection (www.thepublishingconnection.com). She has been a featured expert guest on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN, talking about the topics in her books.
by Gus | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books, Marketing Tips - Films
Many writers ask why and how Publishers, Agents and Films works, and how they can know if it will work for them.
Publishers, Agents and Films works very well – and has worked well for nearly 12 years, originally as Publishing and Agents – because it helps to directly connect writers to publishers, literary agents, film producers, production companies, film agents and managers, and others in the publishing and film industries. In effect, the service streamlines the process of making this connection by using special software, so the letter comes from each writer’s own email and is sent directly to the particular contact by name. Plus the service helps writers write a good pitch letter, which ironically, many writers can’t do, because this is a marketing letter, and they are doing a different type of writing.
Sometimes writers ask, why can’t I do this myself? Well, if you want to take the time and effort, you can. But it might take you 20 to 40 hours to obtain the industry information to create the database Publishers, Agents and Films has put together from industry sources and doing mailings to test whether the emails are still viable and if the publishing and film professionals are open to contacts from writers. In addition, unless you have purchased your own software or subscription, you have to do these mailings individually to each contact in your mailing, which can take hours. Plus, you have to purchase the directories and industry sources Publishers, Agents and Films obtains to create its databases – which can cost you several hundred dollars. But Publishing, Agents and Films already has created these databases with thousands of contacts, and it has special software so it appears that the email comes directly from each writer. At the same time, each contact is addressed personally, rather than the query appearing like a generic pitch.
Another thing Publishers, Agents and Films does that makes the service successful is that an editor reviews every letter that goes out to make sure it is effective – or the service arranges for a skilled writer to write the letter. Often writers think they can write their own letter; after all, they are a writer. But they commonly make many mistakes – from errors to formatting to not writing a clear, persuasive letter. For example, they don’t include a subject line or their subject line is too vague, general, or filled with sales hype. They provide too much detail about their book, script, or themselves, rather than making their letter short and to the point. Or they don’t provide enough detail, so their description of their book or script is too vague and general, like their subject line. And on and on. So a Publishers, Agents and Films editor reviews every letter, makes some minor editing fixes or tells the writer what to do to create an effective letter. Or they write a good letter for the client.
The effectiveness of this approach is shown by the company’s long history as a business and by the many testimonials it has gotten from writers and others. Even agents have used the company for their clients, and its clients have included a famous director, the grandson of a famous novelist, and many writers who have published multiples books before and are now looking for a new publisher or agent.
As a business, the company’s history goes back to December 2003, when it was first founded, and the first test of the database led to the founder’s own sale of a book to Random House: DO YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR DOG?, which led to numerous reviews and guest appearances, including on Good Morning America. The company was also featured in articles in The Wall Street Journal and The Contra Costa Times, soon after its founding, and it has sent out letters for over 1000 clients, and it has featured over 260 testimonials to the effectiveness of the service on its website. For a time, the founder worked as a consultant and writer when the company was taken over for five years by new owners, and now Publishers, Agents and Films is a successor to this business with the founder as a partner. Under this new ownership, since January 2014, about half of the clients have found agents or publishing deals, and about a dozen of these recent testimonials are featured on the site.
Thus, Publishers, Agents and Films has a proven track record of success.
Another question frequently asked by writers is whether an equerry by the service will work for them; are there any guarantees? That is a question that can’t be answered until the writer sends out a query, because the writer’s success will ultimately depend on the manuscript or script, and not everyone will be successful in the very competitive fields of publishing and film production. So there can’t be any guarantees, because there is no way to know what the result will be in a particular case. On average, though, writers get about 10-30 requests for more information on their book or script, and then about a third of these writers do find agents or publishing deals. In some cases, writers can build up their ability to interest a publisher in their current or next book by self-publishing to build a platform for sales, speaking, and media interest. And Publishers, Agents and Films can help a writer with self-publishing and PR, too.
In sum, Publishers, Agents and Films has a proven ability to help connect writers with publishers, agents, and the film industry, and these connections have led to many success stories, including a few six figure deals for some writers. Given the competitiveness nature of the business, an equery can’t work for every writer. But most writers do get a request from the recipients of their mailings to learn more, and about a third ultimately find agents or get publishing deals – which is a much higher rate of success than for the industry as a whole, since agents, publishers, producers, and production companies get thousands of submissions for the few books or scripts they accept. At the very least, the Publishing Connection streamlines the connection process, so writers can more quickly and efficiently send out their queries and get responses from several hundred or a few thousand contacts in the publishing and film industries.
For more information, you can contact Publishers, Agents, and Films at www.publishersagentsandfilms.com . You can email publishersagents2@yahoo.com, or call (925) 385-0608.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books with major publishers, including two on the film industry: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING, PRODUCING, AND DIRECTING A LOW-BUDGET SHORT FILM and FINDING FUNDS FOR YOUR FILM OR TV PROJECT, both published by Hal Leonard. She has written and produced over 50 short films, has written 15 scripts for features, has three other films in preproduction, and has one feature film she wrote and executive produced in post-production for release in November 2014. She also writes scripts for clients, and has several film industry Meetup groups which have meetings to discuss members’ films. She is the Creative Director of Publishers, Agents and Films.
by Gus | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Misc
Do you think your book has film potential? If so, it may be possible to turn it into a film. There are several ways to make this happen, and some traps to avoid. Here are the main points to consider and steps to take.
– Does your book really have good film potential?. A first consideration is whether your book really has the potential to be a film. The mediums are very different, so remember that a film is all about action and dialog. It depends on what can be shown on the screen, and a film loves conflict and drama, so if your book has a lot of interior thinking by a character, a lot of philosophical reflection, or a lot of social commentary, it may not make a good film; or at least much of that will have to go out. While some films have a voice-over narration expressing a character’s thoughts or tying the story together, that has to be done sparely so the film doesn’t become too talky and cerebral, which doesn’t work well in a film. So before you put a lot of effort into trying to turn your book into a film, consider whether it really will work in this medium, or what you have to drop from the book to make a viable film.
– Has your book been published, and if so, is it by a mainstream publisher or does it have a strong sales record? Another big consideration for any film producer, agent, manager, investor, or director in deciding whether your book might make a good film is how well it has done in the market place. It is rare for a company to buy the film rights to an unpublished manuscript, unless it is written by an author who already has a successful track record or comes from a publisher who feels the book will have great sales potential once released. So normally, if you have an unpublished manuscript or a self-published book with limited sales, you may find it difficult to sell the film rights now and you may need to develop the script from your book, and then sell that. It can help if you have taken an unpublished manuscript to the next level by publishing it yourself under your own imprint. But then a film professional will want to know what success you have had in promoting and selling the book. So your track record will be very important. Thus, the more you can up the sales figures or get publicity for the book in the print, broadcast, or Internet media, the more that exposure can help you sell the film rights to a self-published book, assuming this meets the first criteria of having good film potential
– If you have a book published by a mainstream publisher, do you have the film rights to sell? When you sell your book to a mainstream publisher, the contract will include all kinds of subsidiary rights that the publisher is acquiring along with the book. Typically these will include the film, video, and dramatic rights, where you split 50-50 with the publisher unless stated otherwise. So commonly, in entering into a contract, you have to request to exclude those rights to own the right to sell your film, or the publisher will have that right. When you work out the contract details, talk to your publisher about whether you have the right to initiate a deal with a film producer, agent, or manager for the film rights, after which they can finalize it to comply with your contract. Or sometimes before or after you have signed the contract, you can work out an agreement, which might be added to the contract, to give you a greater percentage of any deal if you find it, such as giving you 60-75% of any income derived the sale of the film rights. A still better solution unless your publisher is in a position to aggressively pursue film or video rights to your book (such if your deal is with big company like Random House, which has its own film licensing division) is to get those rights deleted from the contract. And commonly a publisher will be glad to do that if they have no plans to aggressively seek out a film licensing deal – which is the cast for most small or medium sized publishers. Then, once you clarify your ownership and ability to sell film rights, you can attempt to do so.
– Should you attempt to sell film rights or write a script based on your book and seek to sell that, or do both? Another big consideration is whether you should pitch the film rights to your book, write the script and pitch that, or pitch either or both to prospective buyers. While there are no firm rules, here are some general guidelines.
– If your book is by a well-established mainstream publisher or you have a good sales record as an independent publisher, you are in a good position to pitch the film rights; then if you find an interested producer, agents, or manager, they might assign a tried and proven screenwriter to adapt the script, or you may be given a chance to first do this yourself.
– If your book is still in a manuscript form or has been published by yourself or by a small publisher with limited success, writing the script yourself – or hire a screenwriter to adapt the book into a script for you. Then, you can pitch the script based on your book.
– If you have a script to pitch, you might try doing both – pitching the film rights and/or the script in order to up your chances of getting a film deal. In this case, you offer the producer the option of getting the film rights or the script or both. This way, if a film pro likes the book but not your script, he or she might option the film rights or perhaps draw on your script but bring in an established screenwriter to pump it up.
So exactly how do you pitch the film rights or adapt the script from a book? The next series of blogs will deal with those issues.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books with major publishers, including two on the film industry: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING, PRODUCING, AND DIRECTING A LOW-BUDGET SHORT FILM and FINDING FUNDS FOR YOUR FILM OR TV PROJECT, both published by Hal Leonard. She has written and produced over 50 short films, has written 15 scripts for features, has three other films in preproduction, and has one feature film she wrote and executive produced in post-production for release in November 2014. She also writes scripts for clients, and has several film industry Meetup groups which have meetings to discuss members films.
by Gus | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Misc
If you have family or friend connections with producers, agents, and managers, that’s ideal for opening doors to showcase your synopsis or script. Likewise, if you go to a film industry conference and can make a pitch to an industry professional that can start the connection process. But if you don’t have such personal or professional connections, the query letter is the way to go. You may also need a query letter to follow-up after you make an initial contact through a referral or from a phone or face-to-face meeting.
The basic rule for writing this letter is that you want to keep it short and to the point, as well as point up any special credentials you have as a writer, such as being already produced, obtaining some financing, or having a name actor already interested in participating. Think of this query letter as a marketing letter, in which you want to quickly and powerfully get across your message, so the recipient wants to positively respond to you.
When you send this letter, don’t include any attachment, such as for your synopsis or script, and don’t include any graphics or photos, because recipients commonly will not open such emails, due to fears of Internet viruses, trojans, and other malware. Another reason for not sending a detailed synopsis or script is for your own protection, since you don’t want to reveal details about your script, until you have established a paper trail through an email response. This way you can show that you have sent a synopsis or script to a particular person. Then, too, by not including this detailed information, the recipient also feels the protection of knowing this material is only being submitted upon request and is not being made available to a large number of people who have gotten your pitch. Though you can include links to a synopsis, treatment, or script on a website without arousing the concerns due to sending an attachment, it is best not to do so, unless this is a private password protected link, in order to protect your copyrighted material and show the recipient that you are doing this.
There are various formats for writing these letters. One common one is to specifically indicate each topic included in your letter – most notably the following:
– a Logline,
– Genre description,
– Short Synopsis, describing the story, major plot points, and main characters,
– Appeal of the Film,
– Author’s Bio, including any special credentials in the industry.
Another approach is to use these topics as a guide to writing the letter, which is the approach I have used both in pitching films and books.
In either case, begin with a compelling subject line in which you sum up the genre and essential story of the film in about 10-15 words and note any special credentials that will make the recipient want to read your query, such as: “written by a multi-produced writer,” “based on a true story in the news,” or “with a budget to hire a writer.”
Then, after you include the major topics noted above, conclude with an invitation for the recipient to ask for a synopsis or complete script, and end with your contact information, including a phone number, email, address (or minimally your city and state), and any website.
As noted in a previous article, don’t go into too much detail about the plot or be very vague and cryptic about what the story is about. You want to find that middle ground between telling too much or not enough, so you provide the gist of the story and make the recipient feel compelled to ask for more.
Another caution when you write your bio. Primarily highlight your credentials that relate to the film industry, such as if you have been a produced writer, written and directed any award winning short films, graduated from a recognized film school, or won some prestigious competitions for screenwriting. Avoid listing all kinds of non-relevant or early experiences, such as where you graduated from college or your jobs in other fields, unless they are the setting for your script.
And don’t say things like “the members of my family loved my script” or that “this is my first script” or “I hope this will lead to a career in screenwriting,” because such comments sound very amateurish. Then, too, avoid any outpouring of emotion or sales hype, such as saying you think this is an “amazing breakthrough” or “unique one-of-a-kind, never done before” script. Such gushing comes across as non-professional and overly pushy.
Conversely, don’t come across as overly humble, such as by thanking the recipient for his or her time in reading this letter, since you sound like you are begging, asking for a favor, or unsure about the potential value of your script to the recipient. Instead, think of the pitch as your offering the person the opportunity to work with you on producing a great script, though that sentiment should be implied, not stated directly. Rather simply invite the person to contact you if interested in getting a copy of your synopsis or complete script.
Finally, even if you think of yourself as a great writer, consider having a professional write your query letter, since this is a marketing pitch letter, which is a very different type of writing than writing a script.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books with major publishers, including two on the film industry: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING, PRODUCING, AND DIRECTING A LOW-BUDGET SHORT FILM and FINDING FUNDS FOR YOUR FILM OR TV PROJECT, both published by Hal Leonard. She has written and produced over 50 short films, has written 15 scripts for features, has three other films in preproduction, and has one feature film she wrote and executive produced in post-production for release in November 2014. She also writes scripts for clients, and has several film industry Meetup groups which have meetings to discuss members’ films.
