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Welcome back, everyone for another edition of Author's Corner. I recently received my confirmation for LunaCon on March 16th in New York. I'll be participating in panels entitled "A Pirate's Life" and "Keep 'Em Flying". The Pirate panel highlights the reasons the pirate enamors so many people particularly in science fiction. The Second panel highlights modern day aircraft and how they could someday become spacecraft of the future. I'm really looking forward to both of these panels.
I've accepted an invitation from BaltiCon to attend over Memorial Day weekend and I'm still waiting for a confirmation from StellarCon (High Point, NC), scheduled for March 9th weekend. I may have to drop out of this one since its less than 30 days away and I need to make travel plans from Philadelphia.
I've been on contact with the programming director for RavenCon (Richmond, Va.) and I'm going to do a screenplay workshop this year. I've begun making preparations for the class already. It's a great feeling when you can share what you've learned from books and experience with others.
I've received a request for a proposal from another publisher regarding my new manuscript, The Eye of Icarus. This is a painfully long process when dealing with major publishers but I'm determined to aim big on this book. I've had a few people I can count on for an objective review, read the manuscript and they were ecstatic. I feel it's going to open a lot of eyes once it's published. Hopefully, I'll hear something soon on this one.
I recently completed a horror screenplay entitled Night Creeps for entry in Shriekfest (L.A.) in October. Meanwhile, I've contacted a few producers about it and I'm waiting for a response. That would undoubtedly take precedence over the Shriekfest contest if I were to find a buyer. My suspense/thriller The Queen of Spades has been offered to a few motion picture companies and I'm waiting for responses from them. This is a gory murder story based in Washington, D.C. with a wild plot based on revenge, jealousy and perversity. No response yet on The Christmas Solution either. Two companies are actively considering the screenplay at this time but no word on a commitment. The Fractured Time screenplay is in the hands of du Jour Entertainment at this time. I expect to have a response from them by early June at the latest. No word wither on the screenplay for the Eye of Icarus. With my luck, it'll be feast or famine – an all or none situation. I guess 'all' is a good problem.
This month's writers' tip is about selecting a publisher or a producer to query or submit work to. For publishers, the Writers' Market is a very helpful book. For screenplays, the Hollywood Directory is a very valuable tool. Books like these help you to target the group that's right for you. The Writers' Market details what each publisher is typically looking for; the response time; how to submit; and websites or special instructions for contacting.
The Hollywood Directory lists movie companies; their personnel; credits and pending projects. Their listing will also tell you if they accept unsolicited submissions, represented submissions or none at all.
In addition, you can see what kind of projects they are involved in. No sense submitting a project with no chance. I've also found www.inktip.com very helpful. Their Preferred Newsletter ($50/6 months) provides regular leads detailing what producers are specifically looking for. In many cases, they aren't looking for projects like mine, but when they are I know I'm not wasting my time completing their query form. Before you try to submit, make sure you have a log line developed; a 450-word synopsis and a brief introductory stating the genre, word count, and why you think it's special.
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Author's Corner. See you next month.
- Michael D'Ambrosio
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