Good morning! Welcome to another new week at TVWriter™, starting with our latest look at the most popular blog posts and resource pages during the last week.
Big thanks to everybody for helping us have another terrific week at TVWriter™. Don’t forget to click above and read what you missed and re-read what you loved!
COMING NEXT WEEK – JANUARY 27th: PEOPLE’S PILOT 2019 FINALISTS!
NOTE FROM LB: One picture is worth a thousand words, and this is one VERY BIG picture. So appreciate that you only have to read a few words. Thanks, Ms. Castellini.
MUNCHER’S NOTE: Hahahahahahahaha…. Bri said “Bris.”
NOTE FROM LB: >sigh<
by Bri Castellini
BrainsWebseries.com is, at long last, no more. It hasn’t made sense to have a website dedicated to a web series we haven’t created more content for since 2016, so we traded that URL for UndeadBurritoProductions.com, a new central spot for all things we make and all things to come. Check it out!
In a similar vein, I also redesigned my personal portfolio site in a similar style, to streamline my previous work experiences and highlight the skills I actually want to be known for. You can find it here.
Bri Castellini is an indie filmmaker and Film Community Manager for Seed&Spark, a film crowdfunding platform, as well as an adjunct professor for two MFA programs. Watch the remarkable Ms. Castellini’s award-winning web series, Brains, HERE. See Sam And Pat Are Depressed HERE.
EDITOR’S NOTE: TVWriter™’s legendary Contributing Editor Emeritus Herbie J Pilato shares the key to his nonfiction writing success. Yesterday we brought you the “Teaser.” Time now to enjoy the specifics of the adventure!
by Herbie J Pilato
The Introduction
The information in this section may sometimes mimic the cover letter that you or your agent may submit to the editor/publisher with the proposal. Here, the author offers a general summary of not only their idea but a summary of the proposal itself — all in not more than two pages (if that).
The Overview
This section takes the proposal a step further, delving deeper into the subject matter of the proposal while offering more technical details of the intended length of the book (how many pages, words), whatever licensing fees may be involved (if, per se, the book is a companion guide to a particular TV show or feature film), and the number of illustrations and photographs (which might also have to be licensed, depending on the subject of the book).
The Market
Facts and figures matter most here. Who do you see reading your book and why? Which interests groups, on or off social media? Delve into the market figures. Find out, record and display it all in the Market section of the proposal. A list of competing titles for your proposed book is also a good idea to list in this Market section.
Chapter Outlines
Two or three sentences should be presented in each chapter, in future-tense. That is to say, each Chapter Outline should begin as such:
This chapter will be about, as opposed to: This chapter is about. Save the present tense for the Sample Chapters section.
Sample Chapters
It’s best to prepare at least two or three full sample chapters, written in the present tense. This is where the author has to prove their writing weight in gold. Don’t try to fool anyone in any part of the book proposal, and definitely don’t try to fool anyone in the Sample Chapters section.
About the Author
Keep it simple, and not longer than two paragraphs. Explain who you are, and why you are the best person to write the book you have in mind. But again…keep it brief.
In general, when writing your book proposal, clarity is the most important factor to remember. Watch those typos. Agents and editors are looking for reasons to say no to your idea. Be smart, professional, clear, and factual, and give them every reason to say yes — even if it takes a 100+ rejections to find the right partnership to get your nonfiction book sold.
And one other thing:
Don’t give up.
Writer/producer Herbie J Pilato is the host of classic TV talk show THEN AGAIN WITH HERBIE J PILATO, now streaming on Amazon Prime, Founder and Executive Director of The Classic TV Preservation Society, and author of several classic TV companion books. He has been part of TVWriter™ for 20 years and is Contributing Editor Emeritus. Learn more about Herbie J HERE. This article first appeared in Medium.
Why should you as a visitor to TVWriter™ be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.
The meaning of the word podcast is evolving to include any episodic, audio-only production whether nonfiction or fiction. Agents and major studios have started trawling through podcasts and their creators for new content and talent.
So here’s the latest news to help you and your podcast get discovered:
Music from https://filmmusic.io “The Builder” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
I TOLD YOU SO.
Hunted Writer Jeffrey Baker On How He Crafted The Dick Wolf Audio Drama.
This is an excellent article on the differences and similarities between writing for TV and writing for audio. Jeffrey Baker, one of the writers on Law & Order: SVU, knows whereof he speaks. It turns out there are more similarities than differences. On how he liked writing for audio Baker said: “I would just say I’m super excited that this kind of storytelling’s come back and audiences are into audio fiction.”
Podcaster Kenneth Vigue On Chad: A Fallout 76 Story.
If Forbes Magazine isn’t the Big Time, I don’t know what is. Forbes has been following podcasts and audio fiction for a while now, even publishing a regular column by the wonderful Sarah Rhea Werner, podcaster and creator/showrunner of the Girl in Space audio fiction show. Alex Kane interviews Vigue about how he turned fanfic for the video game, Fallout 76, into a full-blown audio fiction show with up to 18 voice actors and pro quality sound design. If he can, you can.
All of 2019’s Audio Drama/Fiction Podcast Debut Releases.
A list fromThe Cambridge Geek detailing all 660+ audio fiction, RPG, audio fiction shows that released a debut episode in 2019, separated by genre. One hell of a list. Thanks to The Cambridge Geek for this epic work.
How To Podcast For Free (Or As Little Money As Possible).
You can spend a lot of money producing and hosting an audio fiction show. Or you can do it for nothing out of pocket. Matthew McClean, one of the creators of A Scottish Podcast, gives you the skinny on how to do it in this short but informative article. Read it.
This article from Gavin Bell at The Podcast Host tells you why and how to make Facebook ads that will increase your audience. The best thing about Facebook ads is that you can target your specific audience. Some people aren’t thrilled with the performance of FB ads, but this article tells you how to do it economically.
Extra, Extra: The Power Of Supplementary Material For Podcasts.
Wil Williams strikes again! If you want to attract, maintain, and even increase your listening audience, providing supplemental material relating to your show is one proven way to do it. In spite of the fact that your main content is audio, the more text and images you have on your website the better your Google-fu will be. Think about posting your scripts, production logs, even fan art and fan fic from your listeners. As Jean-Luc Pickard would say: Engage!
Created by D. J. Sylvis this show follows the skeleton crew of five people tasked with shutting down the last moonbase. The first season follows the crew through the reports of Communications Officer Roger Bragado-Fischer to the management team on Earth. Season 1 consists of 20 episodes that average about 5 minutes each, so it’s easy, and fun, to binge the whole thing in a couple of sessions. Season 2, which just concluded, consists of the personal logs of the five crew members as they experience the events covered in Season 1.
From the website: “Join the crew of Moonbase Theta, as well as Roger’s husband Alex from back on Earth, as they reach out to share the beauty, the isolation and frustration, the love and enmity, the humour, and the tragedy, as they all count down to the operation’s end.” Listen and enjoy!.
