James Patterson is a Pulp Writer

I've written about Mr. Patterson before - specifically about his Women's Murder Club series - but the NY Times takes an in-depth look at James Patterson Inc.

Reading through this article, one can't help but draw parallels to the pulp game of the 1930's and how some writers were so prolific, popular and widespread amongst various genre fans.

The opening of the article:

 Like most authors, James Patterson started out with one book, released in 1976, that he struggled to get published. It sold about 10,000 copies, a modest, if respectable, showing for a first novel. Last year, an estimated 14 million copies of his books in 38 different languages found their way onto beach blankets, airplanes and nightstands around the world. Patterson may lack the name recognition of a Stephen King, a John Grisham or a Dan Brown, but he outsells them all. Really, it’s not even close. (According to Nielsen BookScan, Grisham’s, King’s and Brown’s combined U.S. sales in recent years still don’t match Patterson’s.) This is partly because Patterson is so prolific: with the help of his stable of co-authors, he published nine original hardcover books in 2009 and will publish at least nine more in 2010.

Read the article and start thinking about guys like Dashiell Hammett,  Edgar Rice Burroughs, Raymond Chandler, L. Ron Hubbard, Edward Stratemeyer , Walter Gibson and countless other who created different series for different audiences, used staff writers, pushed their creations into various media like movies and comics (Even Lester Dent held onto the media rights to Doc Savage and tried to get interest in a radio show).

Another excerpt:


Patterson built his fan following methodically. Instead of simply going to the biggest book-buying markets, he focused his early tours and advertising efforts on cities where his books were selling best: like a politician aspiring to higher office, he was shoring up his base. From there, he began reaching out to a wider audience, often through unconventional means. When sales figures showed that he and John Grisham were running nearly neck and neck on the East Coast but that Grisham had a big lead out West, Patterson set his second thriller series, “The Women’s Murder Club,” about a group of women who solve murder mysteries, in San Francisco. 

No sooner had Patterson established himself in the thriller market than he started moving into new genres. Kirshbaum didn’t initially like the idea; he was worried that Patterson would confuse his thriller fans. Patterson’s first nonthriller, “Miracle on the 17th Green,” published in 1996, did very well. That same year, Patterson wanted to try publishing more than one book despite Little, Brown’s view that he would cannibalize his own audience. In addition to “Miracle on the 17th Green,” Patterson published “Hide and Seek” and “Jack and Jill,” each of which was a best seller. From there, Patterson gradually added more titles each year. Not only did more books mean more sales, they also meant greater visibility, ensuring that Patterson’s name would almost always be at the front of bookstores, with the rest of the new releases. Patterson encountered similar resistance when he introduced the idea of using co-authors, which Little, Brown warned would dilute his brand. Once again, the books were best sellers. “Eventually, I stopped fighting him and went along for the ride,” Kirshbaum says.

Gee, some things never change...

SyFy New Website = Epic Fail

The website trailer here.

Besides the fact:

-- that all it needs now are pink bows and unicorns and this channel will be every MY LITTLE PONY fan's wet dream...

-- That there is no "Science" in SyFy. At least not any we can see in the trailer. It's all some fantastic, quasi-mystical claptrap.

This trailer is hard to load and the website doesn't allow you to make your own damn decisions on where you want to go until you do see the trailer.

Hey, I have an idea - why don't I set up a web server or two and set up a Hulu-like site where you can get all sorts of Science Fiction / Fantastic Television for a low cost yearly subscription? It certainly would serve fans better than SyFy. We could sell merchandise too - DVD sets, toys, games, t-shirts, etc...

Tell you what SyFy - instead of Imagining Greater, why don't you imagine you actually respect our intelligence? Why don't you imagine you actually respect what it is you do as a network?

Because here it is - every step of the way - you've shot yourself in the foot. Cancelling FARSCAPE. Not promoting BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's critical acclaim. Creating reality shows for the network that have absolutely NOTHING to do with reality or science fiction.

How about imagining you're an HBO and you're going to do good shows? Critically acclaimed shows no matter what the budget?

Why don't you imagine you actually have some sense of taste? (WWE? Really? WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? Really?)

If you actually created more shows you could be proud of - the BSG's, Eureka's, Farscape - then maybe you could actually hold your head high in pride instead of working twice as hard trying to put a dress on a pig and calling it art. Because when you do good work - word gets around. Fast. Hell, when you at least try word gets around.

But SyFy - admit it - you're embarassed to be associated with genre television. You want to broaden your demographic (Read: water it down, soften it). You want to go to parties and mention where you work. Again, the key to doing that:

Doing good work no matter what the budget.

(Case in point: DOCTOR WHO - 1960'S, 70'S 0r 80's. Shot on video. Still seen around the world)

Michael Jackson is dead and so is the Science Fiction Channel. At least Michael's funeral gets a Nielsen rating that's worth a damn.

Friday Catch Up (or is that Ketchup?)

Liz Fies dropped by yesterday to screen her new movie THE COMMUNE for my notes...hopefully they were of some help in her "focusing" her film in its final stages of post-production.

She was very kind to drop off some lovely "thank you" gifts as well, and I will be reading them over the weekend. Thanks, Liz!

I will be reviewing a D2DVD movie that premiered at Comic Con - JACK BROOKS, MONSTER SLAYER... The review will be posted here and cross-posted to the Geekerati blog, and discussed on Monday night's show. The movie stars ROBERT ENGLUND who's always a hoot.

I also have to post my Malice interview (with video)...

Some of the images you saw here, will soon be framed and in my office. Yay!


The Knightmare Radio play is in the hands of Gregg Taylor at Decoder Ring where he will no doubt rip it up like weasels on a newborn.

And now back to work because I have several stories to write, a client whose campaigns are in infancy and need nurturing, and several designers to beat about the head and shoulders to bring out the pulp in their work...


And then there's the phone calls.

Bondage in the UK

(Now is that a great post title or what?)
Penguin Books, U.K. have been redesigning their line of James Bond editions (again).

I detect a pattern here (not that that's a bad thing by any means).

Enjoy!

What's It Worth In Today's Market?

Every annual AFM issue of The Hollywood Reporter has a column called "The Going Rate" which estimates prices various territories are paying for "all rights to theatrical films in Overseas Markets."

***Disclaimer***

Per THR, this list is only meant as an approximate guidleine to launch negotiations and are not sanctioned by any industry organization. Per me, I am only listing the information related to films made for $750k - $1M as this is closer to budgets for first timers than any other. THR also lists information on budgets from: $1-3M, $3-6M and $6-12M.

So, if you produced a movie for between $750K -1M then you could expect to negotiate for the following for all rights in that particular territory:

EUROPE:

France $30-60K
Germany/Austria $30 - 75K
Greece $5-10K
Italy $30-60K
Netherlands $10-25K
Portugal $5-10K
Scandinavia $30-60K
Spain $30-60K
UK $40-80

ASIA / PACIFIC RIM:

Austrailia/New Zealand $15-30K
Hong Kong $3-5K
Indonesia $5-10K
Japan $40-80K
Malaysia $3-5K
Philippines $3-5K
Singapore $3-5K
South Korea $20-50K
Taiwan $5-15K

LATIN AMERICA:

Argentina/Paraguay/Uruguay $2-5K
Bolia/Ecuador/Peru $1-3K
Brazil $15-30K
Chile $2-5K
Colombia $2-5K
Mexico $15-30K
Venezuela $2-5K

EASTERN EUROPE:

Czech Republic/Slovakia $5-10K
Former Yugoslavia $2-5K
Hungary $10-20K
Poland $5-10K
Russia $20-50K

OTHERS:

China $3-5K
India $5-10K
Israel $2-5K
Middle East $2-5K
South Africa $5-10K
Turkey $10-20K

What the list isn't telling you how to sell the territories and in what order. For example, you can't sell Japan before Korea because the discs will mysteriously end up in Korea and Taiwan and selling on the streets.

Same goes for Turkey and Greece. If it goes for sale in Greece, it will be bought and copied and on the streets in Istanbul within a week.

The trick is to always sell for the best possible return, which doesn't mean selling all rights (DVD, cable and free tv) right away. You should sell according to the territories demand. Free TV in India doesn't get you anything (or it didn't used to), but VCD and DVD does.

There's also the taste factor to include in the sales plan. Certain territories buy more of a certain type of film. Example: India and the Middle East don't buy a lot of porn.

Now there's a few smart ones out there who are asking, "Why are you showing us this, Bill?"

I'm showing you all this because this system, these rates, the distributors, salespeople, sell sheets and posters and a whole ton of other "middleman" factors are all going the way of the dinosaur.

More later.

5..4..3..2..1..

Stage 6 is a go!

Yes, my little pulpsters, Sony Pictures announced the launch of production arm Stage 6, following similar moves earlier this year by Warner Bros. The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop on this genre movie division. (okay, not so much a scoop as a press release)

One of the first on the slate of 10-15 movies per year (budgeted at no more than $10M each) is STARSHIP TROOPERS: MARAUDER - a sequel to the theatrical and D2DVD scifi actioners in the series. It stars Jolene Blalock of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE fame (you're welcome).

Comics Are Universal...

And now even more so thanks to these forward-thinking people.

From the article:

Comics are more popular than ever, and interest in Japanese manga is soaring. International sales in 2005 (excluding Japan) stood at $245 million (approximately Yen 29 billion), a more than three-fold increase over 2001's $75 million, and manga accounted for over 60 percent of the market, generating sales of $145 million (approximately Yen 17 billion).(a) This is despite the fact that only a few titles are released in the overseas market, where sales are undercut by delays in getting titles to market--a month's delay is typical for paperbacks--and relatively high prices. "Manganovel" will end these problems and meet pent-up demand for an instant, low-cost service for manga. With cooperation from major comic publishers, "Manganovel" will make Japanese comics globally available and create an innovative mode of translation supported and driven by lovers of manga.

Hitting the Reflex Point

On June 6th, 1944 the Allied forces (The United States, Britain, Canada, Free French forces, etc...) hit the beaches in Normandy, and in one of the bloodiest battles over inches of sandy ground confronting high cliffs, the tide of the war turned. (Military) Historians call this a "reflex point" - a point in history, a conflict (War) or nexus of thought (The Renaissance) and action where everything turns in a new direction. D-Day was just such a day in our planet's history. Suddenly the Germans and Japanese (shocked by such a massive campaign launched by the "sleeping giant") were on the defensive. The Allies were truly taking the battle to the enemy...

And now just such a reflex point is being "hit" -- though on an entirely new battlefront.

(The Doctor gets out his little hammer, feels around and whack! "Hollywood" springs its leg out in an entirely new direction)

You can read about it here, and here.

What this means:

1. A viable business model is being put in place for Hollywood to get onto the web. More jobs. More opportunities.

2. All you Canadian creatives out there who are outraged about the CTF and the CRTC?
(see here, here and here...oh yeah and here)

Time to tell your broadcasters and your commitees and panels and investigative bodies to go to hell. YOU DON'T NEED THEM. There is an infrastructure being built that has financing, star power, capability of reaching a much wider audience, and potentially yield far greater benefits than the MBA signed by the guilds.

I am reminded of the story when William Shatner, another Canadian, who made a deal with Priceline.com for stock in exchange for his representing the company in its brilliant ad campaigns. People chastised him for lowering his fees to near nothing, but he laughed all the way to the bank. His stock went to the moon.

3. Oh, and it means that if you have the talent and the gumption you can join the battle and do-it-yourself. You don't have to be an employee - you can own the company.

4. Bear Stearns is predicting that most of the web content will be advertiser supported. There is nothing holding you back from approaching an advertiser to fund your show.

5. The Guilds and Unions have to catch up and negotiate rates for employing its members realizing: a) this is a new business model. It isn't exactly television. It isn't exactly movies. It is the web. b) momentum is going to start slow then pick up...

6. You don't have to live in Los Angeles. If you want to you can do a lot of this stuff from wherever you have a broadband connection (virtually everywhere).

7. This isn't going to be for the faint of heart.

There's going to be a few stumbling blocks - integrating all the media applications for a program, the planning, the new roles being created, redefined and yes, lost. We are all going to have to think and act differently.

"The Battle" isn't over, but damn if we haven't hit the beach and turned the tide.

I am Drunk...

and filled to the brim with margaritas and fajitas (courtesy El Conquistador on Sunset Junction). I have spent most of the day moving with Firebrain Inc. into our new, industrial strength offices. I say that with a wink as we are now perched in an industrial, heavy-machinery neighborhood in Los Angeles. Big trucks, semi-trailers and stakebeds roll by as we moved our boxes of design genius into the new headquarters.

I have to laugh as I type this because there was also a local ice cream truck that came by the office - bell ringing and music playing. It instantly reminded me of my childhood when the local ice cream truck driver wasn't a pedophile; when you could trust your neighbors; and whenever you did something wrong and were chastised for it by a neighbor, you would definitely get it worse when you got home because there would be a phone message waiting, telling your parents what trouble you got into.

It's a good fit.

And being in a new office means I can invite various members of the industry over for coffee to chat about how things are going and how we can help one another. God - isn't that why lunch and coffee was invented?

Being in a new office also allows for renewal of some sort - whether physical, mental or spiritual. I have paperwork there - safe and sound - and not scattered around the floor of the mad pulp pad. Gawd I can breathe!

I've also decided I'm going to start biking to work. Many of you know I take public transport whenever possible - not only because I hate driving in Los Angeles (gasp!) - but because I am able to get some work done in the process: Reading, writing, emailing, etc...
Now has come a time when I have the opportunity and the gumption to bike to work and get this size 4_ waist down to its original 34. I have pants inside the closet cheering me on, shouting, "we want to hug that tight ass again, you bastard! Get in shape!"

Okay, maybe that's the margaritas talking...

A fresh start is good. Even better with margaritas afterwards.

There's a lot going on right now that I can't speak about - but this new office and resources promises more mad pulp bastardry in your future. We have already landed a new client, and I have taken steps to implement a 4GM plan for several projects I've been working on. It feels good to be progressing toward independence and opportunity.

Okay. That's it.

Maybe I Should Consider a Name Change from DISContent to..?

Content Agenda (which you should be reading by the way) has an interesting article today regarding the growth of the entertainment industry due to convergence.

Highlights from the Pricewaterhouse Coopers Report (which, if someone has access to a PDF copy of it, I would be very grateful!) include:

• Content, distribution and technology companies need to aggressively seek out new relationships to accommodate the shift toward convergence," said Jim O'Shaugnessy, global chairman of PwC's entertainment and media practice. "Companies will need to test new business models to address increased fragmentation and intellectual property in a digital era.
• Brazil, Russia, India and China will account for 24% of global growth in that period.
• The U.S. will remain the single largest market for entertainment and media, but is growing at the slowest rate -- just 5.3% a year to reach $754 billion in 2011.
• The fastest-growing region will be Asia Pacific, ramping up at 9.6% a year to reach $470 billion by 2011.
• Filmed entertainment is predicted to rise globally by 4.9% a year to $103 billion. TV network revenue will grow by 5.8% a year to $228 billion, but TV distribution will power ahead by 9.3% a year to $251 billion.
  Even that growth rate will be dwarfed by spending on Internet advertising and access, which will grow by 13.4% a year to $332 billion by 2011.

Back in 2002, I got into D2DVD because I could see where the market was going... I am now envisioning another business model, and while it includes DVD -- that media is further down the food chain. I don't even think it's a chain anymore...

A web perhaps?

Ramble, Ramble, Ramble...

I thought it was high time we had another Q&A session here at DISContent. Think of it as bar talk without the beer, unless you bring your own.

This Friday, I will open up the blog to questions that you've been dying to ask:

Writing (Screen, short story, articles, marketing copy/taglines, PR)
DVD
Pulp Filmmaking
Movie Marketing and Design
Distribution / Representing movies
New Media
Los Angeles
The future of entertainment
TV Shows
Other stuff I like.

I am an equal opportunity advice-giver and venom-spewer, and what I don't know I can find out quickly. This is your chance to find out what goes on in my rapidly-aging yet still child-like cranium. We can shoot the shit, we can gossip, we can workshop and we can speculate.

Anything in this topic range is fair game.

You have a logline and title you want to test?
You want to know the possible outlets for your "Zombie love affair in drag" epic?
You want to know why so many movies fail?
You want to know the future of DVD?

Then go for it.

Starting Friday, June 8th, 2007 at 8AM PST (11AM East coast) until 8PM PST I will -- answer all your questions, consult with you, and give you the straight poop. All the lessons I've learned from the trenches are yours to mull over. Hell, for drama's sake I will debate (notice I didn't say argue) with you. No harm, no foul. Nothing personal about it at all.

I warn you now that you may not like my answers, but thems the breaks.

For you lurkers out there, and from my stats I see there are quite a few of you, this is your opportunity to get involved, to contribute and to make yourself known.

I will see you Friday...