cellini's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Am I Getting a TV Show?!?! Successful success! Someone from the Discovery network got in touch with me yesterday. We went back and forth via email and they are really excited about turning my second book into a TV show. This is the book that I've only written, like, 2 and a half chapters of and haven't even sent off to publishers yet. It's all set. I'm taking the train up to DC next Friday and meeting with 2 producers from the Discovery channel. These guys don't screw around - they are gung ho to get into serious talks. They are so much more pleasant to deal with than the dipshits at the independent production company that I was optioned with up until the end of March. This is the project that I *really* want to turn into a show. The shit that these other guys wanted me to do was just boring and was never going to go anywhere and I figured pretty early on that the only value in it was being able to say to prospective agents and publishers that I've been optioned to do a TV show. I certainly did get my money's worth (ok actually it cost me nothing) out of that gambit. I used buzz about the stupid TV show option to get publishers excited to sign me before I get famous, which totally fucked worked and seems to have produced a $20k advance. Then I let that option expire once it had served its purpose and didn't even consider signing an extension. I then used buzz about my book deal to generate interest among TV people, which is precisely what led to this meeting with the Discovery channel. Oh, but it gets better. Right away, I emailed my book agent to tell her about the meeting with the Discovery channel guys. Because she only gets a cut from the TV show if it is a derivative work of a literary work that she handled for me. So basically its like 'get cracking on selling this other book, so that we have a book deal before I sign anything with Discovery and that way you'll get a commission on the show.' They do talk among themselves in NYC publishing circles. By this time tomorrow, everyone who matters will know that Discovery is looking to turn this book into a TV show. And they will be fucking falling all over themselves to sign me for that book. If I'm getting $20k for the first book (in a one book deal with that publisher), surely this buzz should push the advance for the second one up to $30-40k. Frankly, I don't even care if the show gets cancelled after one season. Since I'd be both hosting and acting as co-producer, I should get somewhere between $8-15k per episode. I'm designating all TV money to be devoted to building a new house on my land. Nothing fancy, just a real house with a proper kitchen that isn't about to collapse. I can build a modest house with the paychecks from one season of a TV show (bear in mind that well, septic, driveway and electricity are already there, keeping costs down). I can pay the bills with book and class money. If I get a second season, I'll probably use most of that money to pay off my mortgage. The idea is that if this doesn't last forever then at least I walk away with a nice house and no more mortgage to worry about. Please, please, please let them move ahead with the TV show. If I can line up a $30k advance for the book connected to it, which is reasonable, then I'm going to finally quit my day job. Which, lets face it, I have already mentally checked out of. My chief concern is having enough cash to get from now until my first advance check arrives in 5 weeks or so. I've got another trip to NYC to make in about 4 weeks to teach another workshop and that is going to cost money. Plus the trip to DC next week. I really don't tend to tolerate the close company of men for long. So many of them just have no concept of how a man should behave towards other men. Constant wishy-wash shit about their feelings and relationships. I do not want to hear this crap from men. From women, sure. I like women. Such things can be discussed with women. But I do not want to listen to men talk to me about their emotional bullshit. ESPECIALLY if has anything to do with me. Why do they all have to be such a bunch of pussies? Meanwhile, it sucks not to have anyone to scheme with. I can't even talk to Trish about it, what with her constant angsty whining about the dangers of change. Anyone whom I might talk to about this is just going to think that I'm trying to rub it in their face. All sorts of random people are suddenly angry at me and I don't really understand why. I'm going about my business, not fucking with anyone, doing my best to survive in the midst of extremely tough circumstances for the last few months and suddenly the world is fucking hounding me. 10:11 a.m. - 2010-04-15 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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