| Subject: Re: contract |
| From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> |
| Date: 8/5/09, 11:13 |
| To: p_stack@yahoo.com |
Hi, Pat-
How is it coming with the anecdotes and other things?
Thanks,
Barrett Brown
Brooklyn, NY
512-560-2302On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 1:44 PM, <p_stack@yahoo.com> wrote:
One book which I bought is Self Management for Actors by bonnie gillespieSent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
From: Barrett Brown
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:17:08 -0400Subject: Re: contractHi, Pat-
Sounds good. We'll only need to mention a few competing books in the proposal. A couple that bear mentioning are Acting: The First Six Lessons, Breaking Into Acting for Dummies, and No Acting, Please. These tend to sell better than most others on Amazon. Aside from Dummies, they don't address the actual business of being an actor; there don't seem to be many books of that sort at all, which is good, and of course there aren't any out there that use sales principles applied to the entertainment industry, which is better. If you can find a couple other relevant books, let me know; that should be more than enough for me to flesh out that section of the proposal.
Thanks,
Barrett Brown
Brooklyn, NY
512-560-2302On Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 3:46 PM, Patrick Stack <p_stack@yahoo.com> wrote:
this looks good. i will get started on it. in the interim, let's double team the compition item, meaning, let's both complie a list of books that might be competitive and then do a merge purge.
Patrick StackTo: Patrick Stack <p_stack@yahoo.com>; patrick stack <pjs@outofpocketfilms.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 7:50:42 AM
Subject: Re: contract
Hi, Pat-
A couple of things that we'll need to get the outline started:
1. Names of other industry people with whom you might be able to arrange conversations for use in the book
2. One or two examples of specific sales principles that translate into strategies for actors
3. A couple of anecdotes that illustrate these principles in action, both in sales and in acting
4. A summary of your work experience (I've already got your acting info off imdb), particularly your stint with Yahoo
I'm thinking that, in addition to this being a book targeted towards actors, it could also be marketed to sales people in general without actually changing the book. That would make it more attractive to agents and publishers.
I've pasted a guideline to proposals below; this comes from one of the big literary agencies.
Let me know what you think.Contents
A guide to the contents of your proposal, not your book. It should identify all of the other sections of the proposal (Summary, Author, etc) and the page on which each section starts.
Summary
Pretend this is the jacket flap copy that people will read once your book is on display at Barnes & Noble or your local bookseller. It should make somebody want to read your book. No more than one or two pages.
Author
Don't be shy in developing this biographical sketch. Your reader wants to know why you are uniquely qualified to write this bookby dint of training and/or experience. If you have published other books, let us know what they are and if any were critically and/or commercially successful. If you lecture or make frequent media appearances, let us know. Err on the side of tooting your own horn too loudly; we'll help you tone it down if necessary. No more than one or two pages.
Audience
Who are you writing for? And most important, why will they buy, keep, and talk about your book? What benefits will your book offerand which ones can't they get elsewhere? It's important to describe your audienceand their motivation to buyas specifically as possible. One to three pages.
Competition
Are there other books similar to yours? Have they been successful? Without knocking the competition, set your work apart. Be sure to identify the title, author, publisher, and year of publication for all competitive titles you cite. One to three pages.
Special Marketing and Promotional Opportunities
By virtue of your position or background, do you offer a publisher any advantages in promoting your work? Do you have a regular newspaper column, preside over or belong to an association or forum, or in any other way draw the attention of potential readers? Is your work likely to be adopted for use by colleges, schools, or membership organizationsand is it likely to be used year after year by these audiences? Are foreign sales likely? Be as specific as possible. One to three pages.
Manuscript Specifications
What is your proposed book length (multiply your estimated number of manuscript pages by 250 words per page)? How many photographs and illustrations will you have, if any? Are there special considerations about book size, format, or style that are important to the presentation of your ideas? Last, but not least, when will you be able to deliver a completed manuscript? If you can deliver on floppy disk, specify what format.
Outline
Start with a table of contents, just as you would see in any book. This gives the editor a snapshot of the organization of the entire book. Then start a new page for an annotated versionin effect an outlinethat shows how the book will unfold in more detail. The outline is not a final commitment; by the time you have completed the book, it may or may not follow the outline. But at this stage, it shows that you've got a plan for moving ahead. The outline should contain section and chapter headings; beneath each heading, present from one to three paragraphs explaining what the chapter contains and how the content moves the book forward.
Sample Chapter(s)
No matter how good your idea or how well organized your outline is, a publisher needs to know that you can translate that idea effectively in your writing. He or she needs a representative sample of your style and approach. That does not have to be the first chapter, though it can be. If different parts of your work are different in tone or approach, you can submit selections from different chapters. However, it is best to see at least one chapter carried through from beginning to end.
On Sat, Jul 25, 2009 at 4:47 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi, Pat-
You can fax it to my attention at 214-373-4915. Talk to you on Monday.On Sat, Jul 25, 2009 at 1:35 AM, Patrick Stack <p_stack@yahoo.com> wrote:
looks good. what is your fax and i will send a signed copy for your records. let's talk monday about the proposal
Patrick StackOut of Pocket Films
3200 Alma Ave.
Manhattan Beach, Ca 90266
310.428.4407
PJS@outofpocketfilms.com
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: Patrick Stack <p_stack@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 9:42:53 AM
Subject: contract
Pat-
Here's a simple contract for the proposal. Feel free to edit it if you need to.
Thanks,
Barrett Brown
Brooklyn, NY
512-560-2302