My Blog

Behind the Cover of Beneaththecover.com

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Book marketer/publicist Michael R. Drew has put together a site called beneaththecover.com under the guise of helping aspiring writers with expert advice…except all the "advice" is coming from publicists and self-publishers looking to sell their services to the unwary.

In an apparent bid to legitimize their effort, they have been reaching out to "hundreds" of authors, hoping to convince them to provide free content to the site. I’m one of the authors they contacted. Lehi Drew wrote, in part:

Just wanted to let you know about our trend-setting website. And I’m
hoping you’ll like it enough to accept our invitation to become a
contributor. You see, I’ve seen your blog site,A Writer’s Life, and I
think you’re a great writer..

Our website is dedicated to professionals of the book industry, and it’s called Beneath the Cover (www.beneaththecover.com).  It also has an associated blog site, Push the Key (www.pushthekey.com).

What’s in it for you? As a contributor, your name and blog site will be
constantly seen by hundreds and even thousands of book industry
visitors every day. At our site, we draw people from every level of the
book industry, including authors, writers, marketers, publishers,
editors, and agents.

Your Articles. As visitors see your articles on a regular basis and
enjoy your style and the substance of your expertise, they’ll become
familiar with your writing, your expert reputation, and your marketing
platform.

Wouldn’t it be great if you sent a manuscript to a publisher or an
agent and they responded with, “I’m familiar with your work on Beneath
the Cover, so I took the time to go over your manuscript. Let’s talk.”
Wow!

Wouldn’t be great if a publisher got my manuscript and said "Lee is so damn witty and good looking, we’ll give him a $1 million contract without reading a word!"  That’s about as likely to happen as the ridiculous fantasy Beneath the Cover is trying to entice me with. I ignored Lehi’s email. So, a week later, she tried again.

First, let me reassure you that this is not part
of a mass mailing from a list of names/sites that I bought or got from
someone else. I AM mailing to hundreds of writers like yourself, but I’ve been to each site personally.

So, it’s not a mass mailing, but they ARE contacting hundreds of writers. Hmmm. She went on to say:

You,
obviously, have had a lot of experience writing. I can see that, not
only by the fact that you’ve done screenwriting, but by the number of
books you have listed on your blog. I am confident that this shows that
you have great insight into how the book industry works. 

I would very much like for you to become a weekly contributor to Beneath the Cover. I
think that because you’re an experienced author, that you would have
advice for other authors trying to get published and writing.  I really
think that, plus your knowledge of the industry, would make you a good
fit with us and our other contributors.

I responded that if she really read my blog, she’d know that I wouldn’t be the least bit interested in lending my time, effort, or good name to help them sell promotional and self-publishing services to writers under the guise of offering "advice."  In fact, if anything, my advice would be to avoid their site. I also said:

Your site is an outgrowth of Michael Drew’s book promotion business and, not surprisingly, the majority of your contributors come from the self-publishing industry or are selling book promotion & marketing services…
which creates a real conflict-of-interest when it comes to the "advice"
they are giving.

Your contributors have something to sell, and so does
Drew. The only thing that I or any other published author would be
doing by contributing to your site would be lending our credibility to your underlying effort to advance the promotional and
self-publishing services your experts are selling.

I don’t see any published authors among their experts, so it  looks like their "not a mass mailing" to hundreds of authors hasn’t worked. I guess real authors are a lot smarter than the hucksters think we are.

UPDATE:  They also contacted my brother Tod, asking him to contribute to their site. He asked them what they pay…and they said not a dime because "Beneath the Cover is a cooperative venture for building marketing platforms of everyone involved." At least they were honest with him about their real motives (though it’s pretty obvious to anyone who visits their site). I’m surprised they haven’t brought in Lori Prokop  or the experts over at Airleaf  as contributors yet…

James Reasoner Update

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From Bill Crider’s blog:
Longtime Western writer and WWA
member James Reasoner and wife Livia lost their house and studio, and
all their belongings, in a fire earlier this week. They’re OK, as are
their dogs and children, but got out with only their clothes they were
wearing. Books, pulps, comics, everything else, gone. "This is totally
overwhelming," James says.

To help the family, Western Writers
of America and Kensington Books have agreed to make sizable
contributions and ask anyone who would also like to contribute to send
cash donations to the WWA Executive Director’s office in Albuquerque,
N.M. Make the check out to Western Writers of America and put in the
memo that the money is for the James Reasoner Emergency Fund.

Checks should be mailed to:
WWA
MSC06 3770
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001


Since James and Livia also lost their sizable library, donations are
also being sought to help restock their bookcases whenever they have a
new home. Kim Lionetti, Livia’s agent at BookEnds, has generously
agreed to accept any BOOK donations and keep them until the Reasoners
have a place to put them. Books should be sent to:
Kim Lionetti
BookEnds Inc.
136 Long Hill Road
Gillette, NJ 07933

Still Crazy After All These Years

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My friend Javi has been a working TV writer/producer for a dozen years, has an Emmy award on his shelf, and even did a stint as a network executive. Nobody would blame him if he’d become just a little cynical and jaded about the business. But I’m pleased to report that he’s got the same enthusiasm for TV that he had when he was just starting out…and I love it about him. Don’t take my word for it, read this and decide for yourself.

A Tragedy

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If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, then you’ve heard me mention the amazingly prolific James Reasoner many times. Jim suffered a terrible tragedy today. He lost his house — and everything but the clothes on his back — to a fast-moving fire that was sparked by arcing wires above a dry field
nearby (a least according to one blog report). The good news is that he and his family survived unhurt, as Jim reports on his blog:

Livia and the girls and I all okay. I’m writing this on the local
library’s computer. Books, pulps, comics, all my work, gone. This is
totally overwhelming.

But we will come back, better than ever.  Sure would appreciate some thoughts and prayers along the way, though.

Please send positive wishes his way…and if you happen to have any copies of his books, I hope you will consider sending them to him when he’s got a place to stay so he can replenish his collection of his own work.

Mr. Monk on Planet Peschel

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Book critic Bill Peschel gives MR. MONK IN OUTER SPACE a great review. He says, in part:

While this is a light-hearted puzzle mystery, shadows are allowed to
creep in. Goldberg knows what deserves prodding with a sharp stick,
such as fans who take TV shows way too seriously, and what should be
played straight, such as Monk’s inability to empathize with people
around him, even those he loves.

Thanks, Bill!

Evolution of a Poster

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Posting Victor’s covers reminded me that I never shared with you the evolution of the FAST TRACK movie/sales poster. There were several steps in between, but these three pretty give you a sense of how it evolved. The third poster is the final one…
 Fast_track_poster_1_2Fast_track_poster_3_3
Fast_track_final_poster

Who Needs Tums? Read My Books Instead

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Cerritos_millennium_library_main_st
Today I was on a panel with Steve Cannell, Harley Jane Kozak, Dr. D.P. Lyle and my brother Tod at the spectacular Cerritos Library for their annual "Mystery on the Menu" program. It was my first time there and I was stunned by the library — it looks like Rick Caruso (developer of The Grove) and the Disney Imagineers teamed up to design the place. I have never seen anything like it, so rather than describe it, you can look at it for yourself here in 360 degree views. The visit to the library alone was well worth the trip. I had a great time, and caught up with Kirk Russell, Richard Greer, Patricia Smiley, Jerrilyn Farmer and Earlene Fowler, among other authors. 

The "Murder on the Menu" program is a lot like the "Men of Mystery" event…each author is at a table with ten guests and does a "table talk" at lunch, giving the attendees a chance to get up-close-and-personal with the authors. I had some really interesting discussions with a lot of bright and creative people. But I also had more than my share of strange encounters.

"I love your books," one woman said.

"Thank you," I replied.

"They are so relaxing," she said. "And they really help my digestion."

I think I am going to put that on the cover of my next book. It’s the best comment I’ve had since the San Francisco Chronicle called my book UNSOLD TV PILOTS "The best bathroom reading ever."

Another woman picked up one of my books and asked:

"Is this one good?"

"No," I said. "It’s awful. I wrote it while I was trying to kick my heroin addiction."Exterior1

"Really?"

"No."

"Then why did you say that?"

"What did you expect me to say?" I replied. "Of course I think it’s good. I wrote it."

"Well," she said. "I was hoping for your honest opinion."

Not one minute later, another woman (the audience was 99 % women) picked up one of my books and asked me:

"How much did it cost you to publish this?"

"Nothing," I said.

"Really?" she asked. "What about the other authors? What did they pay?"

"Nothing," I said. "We all got paid to write our books."

"Is that something new?"

"No," I said.

"I thought everybody had to pay," she said.

"No," I said. "That’s not the way it works."

"That’s not what I’ve heard," she said.

I quickly educated her in how  the business works. And after my long speech, she nodded and asked.

"How much did it cost you to get an agent?"

A woman at my able bought Doug Lyle’s excellent FORENSICS FOR DUMMIES book and asked me:

"You’re friends with Dr. Lyle, aren’t you?"

"Yes, I am," I said. "He’s also my doctor."

"How did he get away with calling his book FORENSICS FOR DUMMIES without getting sued by the DUMMIES people?"

"They were the ones who hired him to write the book," I said.

"Really?" she said. "So that’s how you do it."

But I think the best question I got asked came from a woman at my table who said she’d been writing novels for years but hadn’t had any luck getting them published and wanted my advice.

"I write them by hand in spiral-bound notebooks," she said. "I have written a dozen novels."

"And then what do you do with them?"

"I put them in a box in my attic," she said.

I looked at her. "You haven’t sent them to any publishers?"

She shook her head.

"You haven’t written any query letters to agents or publishers?"

She shook her head again.

"So how do you expect them to get published?"

She shrugged.

"Did you think someone was just going to knock on your door one day and ask if you have any novels written on spiral notebooks that he can read?"

She shrugged again. "That’s the part I was hoping you could clear up for me."

I haven’t compared notes yet with Tod to see what strange conversations he had, but I’m sure he’ll blog about it if he had any…