Make Me A Star

Today I got two emails from two different people, both hoping for the same thing, that they could use me to achieve their dreams of success in Hollywood. This first email came in under the subject heading "I Have Some Great Screenplays!" (The names, addresses and phone numbers have been removed, otherwise the emails are … Read more

Scam of the Month

This month’s "Scam of the Month" is, oddly enough, the same as last month’s… that’s right, Lori Prokop’s Book Millionaire. She sent me an email and posted a comment here about what I called a  get-rich-quick infomercial scam.  All you really need to know about Lori is best summarized by the email address she used … Read more

Selling Fanfic to Publishers

I received an email today from a guy who writes fanfic in "the SEAQUEST universe" and would like to see it published as novels. Here’s part of what he wrote me:  We see novels based on other universes published all the time. Be they the Extended-Universe Star Wars novels written by people like Timothy Zahn … Read more

Help Wanted: Humans Only, Please

Today, I received this email from Wayne Manzo.  I would like to produce a weekly investigative news program based on my research and web magazines. The show will be investigative news but from a different angle__that we humans are living with ET and it is the aliens that are controlling our human reality. I need … Read more

Hot Button Topics with Mystery Writers

In my chats with mystery writers this weekend at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, a few "hot button" topics came up…mainly because I was tackling them on my blog and they wanted to thank me for bringing them into the open. I asked them why, if they share my views, they don’t say … Read more

Scam of the Month

It’s been a while since I’ve had a scam-of-the-month, so maybe I should call this Scam of the Quarter? Anyway,  a whole bunch of folks have emailed me today about the insipid "Book Millionaire" scam. Seems there’s this get-rich-quick marketeer named Lori Prokop who is the host, executive producer, and co-creator (with her sister) of … Read more

Your Great Idea for a TV Series

I get asked this so often, that I suppose its worth answering the question yet again. I received this email today: In my search for bible writing info, I came across your site and read the ongoing discussion about series bibles.   I’m a beginning writer and have come up with what I think maybe a … Read more

The Name is Carsone, Johnny Carsone

Update: 4/18/2005 I received a very polite and good-natured email from John Carsone asking me to please remove the correspondence from him that I posted here, since he sent it to me privately.  Just so there’s no confusion in the future, you should all know that any emails I get are fair game for my … Read more

Virtual Bookworm

I got this email today: I am considering publishing with Virtual Bookworm. I saw them listed on your list. Anymore you can tell me  about  them. They are a print-on-demand publisher, also known as a "vanity press." They will not get your books distributed to stores. They will not promote your book. And you will … Read more