Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Book Report: Secrets Of Action Screenwriting

It's Book Report Tuesday...

Though I have read a pile of books, what you really want to know is Where The Hell Is The Secrets Of Action Screenwriting?

That's a very good question. Originally it was supposed to be finished by... well, originally probably 2005. But it was supposed to be finished last year, then in July... then about every month since then. I *thought* it would be done by November 1st, so I put an excerpt in Script Magazine's November issue back in August... but November 1st passed without the book being finished. Then the plan was to have it finished by the end of this month... which is tomorrow.

The weird thing is – I'm working on it and working on it... and still haven't finished it. So, a couple of days ago when I finished the last major rewrite chapter (where almost nothing remained the same), I decided to add up the word count to see how close I was. The remaining chapters are “easy” (except for 3 that need more than a touch up), so they won't take much time. And by the 10th new chapter I realized I had more words than the original 240 page book... and that's why it's been taking me so long! I pretty much wrote a whole new book!

So the good news is: Next week the new version of Secrets Of Action Screenwriting should be available for sale on Amazon and B&N in e-book format – probably around 500 pages, and for only $9.99 (the 2000 price was $21.95). There will be a paper version, but now my problem is *price* - I could have sold the 240 page version for the old price of $21.95 and made a couple of bucks even though paper and printing prices have increased... but a 500 page book? I'm going to have to figure this out – and probably do some editing.

But I hope by this time next week there will be a place to click and buy it here. For $9.99 at Amazon... and that's for a rewritten version that will be about 500 pages!

- Bill

5 comments:

Leif Smart said...

Aren't there print on demand services that you could use? I'm pretty sure Amazon has one, though it might just be one of the companies they own.

wcmartell said...

Yes - and that's what I will do... but cost of a 500 page book would be too much, so I'll have to edit it down.

Pliny The Elder said...

Bill,

www.lulu.com, 500 pages in b&w, digest format paperback: $10 for a single copy run. And books lulu publish are easily and automatically listed on Amazon.

wcmartell said...

Really? I'll look into that.

Cllr Keith Martin said...

Looking forward to the long awaiting reprint of Secrets of Action Screenwriting.

Surely the title should be

Secrets of Action Screenwriting-The Return....."This time it's personal!"

:)

Put me down for a hardcopy.

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