Dispatches From The Front Line: John Geraci

Here is another in a new GITS series Dispatches from the Front Line [description below], a first-person account from John Geraci about his attempts to break into the entertainment business:

Scott-

I love GITS, check it several times a day and always find something to
think about in it.

So I thought maybe my story might help some others.

I think of myself as a writer mostly, but for the past decade or so, a
screenwriter. One of my scripts won a contest last year, beating out
more than 1700 entries. But I got nowhere on any agents even wanting
to read it; much less represent it.

But I kept thinking there was more to the story.

Flash forward to this summer. I wondered how the story, greatly
expanded and changed, would be as a detective novel.

Four months later — I was in a writing frenzy — I had a 75,000 word thriller.

Here’s the “never give up” part: I sent out 447 queries. 447!

Only 114 of those even bothered to respond. (Which means more than 300
said kiss my tush).

Of those 114, every one said “NO” except for a brave (or foolhardy) 22
who asked to see 3 chapters.

That group shrank to 12 who asked to read the entire manuscript.

Ten of those said it wasn’t their cup of Chamomile. But 2 did. I had 2
offers of representation. Stunning.

I chose one and sent in the contract last week.

So now begins the agent’s job to find a home for the book..

And begins my job to start the marketing because nowadays authors have
to be their own PR firm, ad agency and website guru.

I will let you know how things go.

But the bottom line is .. you’re only a failed writer if you stop
writing and trying.

Dispatches from the Front Line are first person accounts from members of the GITS community about their experiences trying to break into Hollywood as a screenwriter, TV writer or filmmaker. If you feel so moved to comment, email me your dispatch. I can’t promise everyone I will post their entries, but if they slot into the spirit of what we do here and provide some insight into the process, I will be happy to share them.

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