Chris H Stevenson's Lounge Discussions

Guerrilla Warfare for Writers (Special Weapons and Tactics) will help you hook that agent or publisher. https://guerrillawarfareforwriters.blogspot.com/

Hi, everyone. I'm new here. It's pretty exciting!

Tell me something. Is it common for authors to hire screenwriters to adapt their books to feature film scripts? If so, what is the normal fee arrangement?

Apologies for brevity, but, as this machine has junked my post, I am keeping it brief. Hello, we are www.darkrose.co.nz and looking for filmmakers to join us at projectmeu.com Thanks ....(hopefully this one won't get binned!)

I'm Chris, and I've spent some happy years here, learning a lot from the film folks. I write SF, fantasy, thriller/suspense, paranormal, Distopian, YA and romance. Everything I write is visual, so I'm looking to team up with any screenwriter who happens to take to one of my books (I have ten published and nine with my agent). I've written radio plays before, but it has been a very long time since I attempted a screenplay. Any other novelists would be welcome as buddies, too!

The one book I’ve written that heads the list is a non-fantastical female Iron Man, called Iron Maiden. I went for very high commercial appeal, exotic settings and very diverse characters. I would class it as an espionage thriller. The three characters I picked to save the world (so to speak), are a young paraplegic girl, a hefty African-American nurse/manager and a white gay guy, addicted to Barbara Streisand records. It actually works in this character mode. Here's a longish tagline: “A paraplegic woman secrets an exotic military combat exoskeleton out of the country for her boyfriend (who is a traitor and uses her as a mule), and then must use it against a thieving military terrorist group on a Cuban-controlled island." I can send a synopsis to anyone who would like one.

I'm Chris, and I've spent some happy years here, learning a lot from the film folks. I write SF, fantasy, thriller/suspense, paranormal, Distopian, YA and romance. Everything I write is visual, so I'm looking to team up with any screenwriter who happens to take to one of my books (I have ten published and nine with my agent). I've written radio plays before, but it has been a very long time since I attempted a screenplay. Any other novelists would be welcome as buddies, too!

The one book I’ve written that heads the list is a non-fantastical female Iron Man, called Iron Maiden. I went for very high commercial appeal, exotic settings and very diverse characters. I would class it as an espionage thriller. The three characters I picked to save the world (so to speak), are a young paraplegic girl, a hefty African-American nurse/manager and a white gay guy, addicted to Barbara Streisand records. It actually works in this character mode. Here's a longish tagline: “A paraplegic woman secrets an exotic military combat exoskeleton out of the country for her boyfriend (who is a traitor and uses her as a mule), and then must use it against a thieving military terrorist group on a Cuban-controlled island." I can send a synopsis to anyone who would like one.

I'm Chris, and I've spent some happy years here, learning a lot from the film folks. I write SF, fantasy, thriller/suspense, paranormal, Distopian, YA and romance. Everything I write is visual, so I'm looking to team up with any screenwriter who happens to take to one of my books (I have ten published and nine with my agent). I've written radio plays before, but it has been a very long time since I attempted a screenplay. Any other novelists would be welcome as buddies, too!

I'm back after a debilitating illness that nearly killed me. I might not be remembered. However, I'm in search of bonding with other novelists here in an attempt to find out where and how to team up with an interested screenwriter, producer, director to collaborate on unique and thrilling stories, just perfect for the screen. How do we go about contacting and binding with a source that could lead to a team effort bond?

My creds:

BOOK CREDITS:

Auto Repair Shams and Scams (Forward--Ralph Nader), 1990, Price Stern & Sloan, Los Angeles--226 pages, non-fiction, consumer warning and repair book.

Garage Sale Mania, 1988, Betterway Publications, Crozet, Virginia--190 pages, non-fiction—1988.

Word Wars, a SF novel, to Rain Publishing, Canada—May, 2007.

Once Upon a Goddess, a Fantasy novel, to Rain Publishing, Canada—January, 2008

Planet Janitor; Custodian of the Stars, a SF novel sold to Engage Books, May 2009

The War Gate—paranormal thriller to Pen and Press—August, 2012

Gate Walker, a Paranormal Fantasy, sold to Lyrical Press—January, 2009.

The Wolfen Strain, a fantasy thriller sold to LBF Books, February 2009

The Girl They Sold to the Moon, a YA dystopia, to Intrigue Publishing 2014

Planet Janitor, Omnibus Edition Reprint, Engage Books, March 2016

Blackmailed Bride, erotic romance to Melange Books, Jan 2018

MAGAZINE—SHORT FICTION:

“Stella” by Starlight, to Amazing Stories, 1988.

The Lonely Astronaut, to Amazing Stories, 1988.

Temperamental Circuits, to Gordon Linzner of Space & Time, 1989.

Things that go Clump in the Night, to Richard Fawcett of Doppelganger, 1989.

Dance the Macabre and Dance it Well, to Erskine Carter of Ouroborous, 1989.

Future School, to Chris Bartholomew of Static Movement, January 2006.

The Incredible Mr. Dandy, to Not One of Us.

Planet Janitor: The Moon is not Enough, to Enage Books, 2012

Planet Janitor: Journey Interrupted, to Engage Books, 2012

Other magazine appearances from 1988 to 1991 include, Alpha Adventures, Small Press Writers and Artists Organization and Sycophant.

RADIO PLAYS:

The Summit, 15-minute horror play to Night Sounds, Embassy Cassette Inc, Santa Ana, California—1990

Night of the Moa, 13-minute horror play to Night Sounds, Embassy Cassette Inc, Santa Ana, California—1990.

AWARDS:

Finalist in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest for Temperamental Circuits, 1987. First place, grand prize for The Girl They Sold to the Moon—in the Entranced YA novel writing competition—cash prize.

JOURNALISM AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES

350 newspaper profiles, stories, and interviews to Sunset Publishing, Anaheim, California, appearing in The West Coast Jewish News, The Senior Citizens Reporter and The Military Review. From 1988 to 1991. Seven automotive and home and garden articles to Dollar Stretcher Magazine, from 12-2-2011 to 2-28-2012. Eight science articles to Xiauduo Media, for Chinese translation( 8 -14 year-old audience)—Astronomy, new transportation technology, space, exoplanets, future spaced ship drives, big bang theory and inflation.

CONTENT AND CLIENT

I have written and published over 1,750 non-fiction automotive, aircraft, marine, home and garden and science articles for Demand Media Studios under the Beta-Automotive and E-How stations. Six automotive articles to Examiner.com—6-2012. Published. 440 automotive and general articles to TextBroker--2014—plumbing, gardening, home improvement, home utilities, electricity--Content writing for a total of three years.

ORGANIZATIONS/POSITIONS:

Served as content editor for Sunset Publication (see above) for three years. Responsible for all writing assignment content, filler and artwork.

President and founder of Heartland Writers Group, Huntington Beach, California, from 1987 to 1991.

AGENTS:

Past agent--Richard Curtis Associates, from 1988 to 1991.

Past agent—TriadaUS (Dr. Uwe Stender), from 2005 to August 2009

Present agent—Sara Camilli

CURRENT FINISHED BOOKS (AVAILABLE):

Iron Maiden an adult military espionage thriller.

Valley of the Mastodons, a non-fiction book involving the Ice Age megafauna discoveries in Hemet, California, during the Diamond Valley reservoir dig in 1994--1997. Proposal, chapter outline, and 100 pages available upon request

Dispossessed Incorporated, an urban ghost fantasy with time travel.

The Omega Wars—SF, apocalyptic alien invasion (Sequel to PJ)

Dream Chasers (Web World, Dream Snatchers, The Shimmering Eye), A YA fantasy trilogy about teenage paranormal investigators.

Earth Angel, a paranormal cop thriller.

Sky High—YA dystopian thriller—Logan’s Run/Road Warrior mash-up. The Wonders of the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits—a chapter book about the Ice Age and the megafauna entrapment—told in a nonfiction/storytelling format.

I'm a full-time novelist, having been published first in 1987--1991. I then picked up again from 2005 to the present. I write urban and portal fantasies, paranormal romance, SF, Thriller and all genres of Young Adult. I'd like to learn from, and hook up with scouts and screenwriters to learn a thing or two about that service and category. I've only written horror radio plays, and I hear that is somewhat of a start to getting the format close on screen plays. Anyway, glad and honored to be here among such illustrious and talented crafts-persons.

Greetings to all the newbies and how's it going, old timers? I'm Chris Stevenson, presently living in north-east Alabama. I've written nine books (most appear on Amazon), and I specialize in YA (all genres), SF, fantasy, adult thriller and a little bit of horror. I have some nominations and award winds, plus multiple offers. I still have for books that are read for sub. My agent is the wonderful Sara Camilli. I belong to this group and AW, plus about 25 other display sites.

My name is Chris Stevenson, and I'm a writer of paranormal romance, YA, horror, fantasy, adult thriller (espionage included) and science fiction. I have nine books published, all, I'm told, visually stunning. I'm currently working on a sequel to my most popular YA portal fantasy, Screamcatcher. My agent and I have received 10 contract offers but have rejected them all. Were looking for a competent house that can do it justice. My sci-fi thriller, The Girl They Sold to the Moon took the first place grand prize in a publisher's novel writing contest and sold six times before we settled on a deal. I'm looking for interested producers, directors and screen writers who might rep me and help with movie production. My agent is Sara Camilli. I would definitely like to start a small group of novelists who wish to make the transition to film. We would like to coordinate with those who can point us in the right direction and learn about the best contacts for us in the industry.

My name is Chris Stevenson and I'm glad, really glad I found the books and publication section here. I'm interested in meeting other writers who have written visually stunning/heavy stories in any genre. I'm wondering how we go about meeting the pros who might take a look at full length novels for screen adaption. I know there are pitch sessions here, but they are for screenwriters. I've published 10 trade titles and my agent is pounding on a smaller press for the 11th book. I've been writing and getting published for 27 years, novels, non-fiction books, poetry, short stories, novellas, science and automotive articles and radio plays. Are any of you interested in seeing film adaptions to your book? I came close in 1990, when John Badham and the Coen Brothers almost bought my book Dinothon. Woe, Jurassic Park beat me out in the end. I was with the Richard Curtis Agency at that time--a real heavy hitter in the SF and Fantasy genres. I'm on my third agent, and I love to write genre YA, adult thrillers, SF, fantasy (dark and edgy), and paranormal romance.

I don't think I have to mention any of the Big Five giants out there. They always have some type of legitimate distribution, like APG, IPG, Midpoint Trade, Consortium and others. These distributors actively represent publishers and send or hand deliver publisher catalogs, especially new releases. The Big Five and all their imprints usually get some book shelf stocking because they can afford the price of a legitimate and effective book distributor who contacts the stores and chains directly. They also have personal sales teams that directly solicit used and privately owned book stores. Their publicity departments can be quite huge and involved, in seeking out TV air time, radio and national and local newspapers and review persons. For that reason, we'll concentrate on the small and medium presses which might not have these amenities. On a side note: If you get an offer from a ginormous publishing house, breathe into a paper bag, throw your shoulders back and smile. You've accomplished something incredible. Small press publishers are usually start-ups by mom and pop operations. They can be started by author and writer group ventures, self-publishers or even birthed by editors. There is a finite limitation on what they can provide. For the most part, small press publishers don't require agents (although it not uncommon for some of them to welcome one), don't provide advances and have a very limited publicity department or even none at all. They rarely, if ever have any hard distribution behind their books and must rely heavily on the author's sales participation. Some small presses might buy ads, sponsor and arrange books signings, blog tours, video presentations, reviews and inclusion in a few or many online distributors. If a small press publisher spends money or goes to extraordinary lengths to spotlight a book, it is called "marketing." Anything else by the author is considered promotion, unless the author spends money on banner and placement ads, sponsors their own book signings (buying the books) or gives lectures at meeting halls or libraries that allow the title to be sold there. BTW, don't expect tons of sales at a book signing if you are new to the game or not a heavy seller with multiple break-outs. You can reasonably expect to sell a 12 to 15 books for your first outing--more if you have a huge friend, family, coworker and relative base. You might unload 30 books in that case. If you can find a small press that provides hard distribution to book stores and offers an advance, which could be a token $100 up to $2,000, you should submit to them first. They are highly sought after and very popular. They usually have huge fan and readership bases. Many of them are award winners. Most of them have glowing sales stats on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and the like. They may frequently land in the top 10 or top 100 consistently. Some of these lofty small presses or medium houses can require an agent, so find out about that up front. An agent can work miracles with a publisher that has worked with agents in the past. It is not unusual for an agent to get a $500 or more advance from a plain, ordinary small press publisher--this has happened to me. If the publisher wants the book bad enough, or several offers have come in, they'll buckle and come up with the cabbage. But an offer will have to earn out before getting any royalites. Evaluate a small press by the number of years they have been in business. Two to three years is a fairly good indicator that they've survived the hardships and weathered any financial storms. But not always. A seven to 10 year longevity record is much better. Although they can fold up at any time for any reason. Check out their website hits for very high numbers--in the millions would be considered fantastic. Low thousands or hundreds indicates a lack of presence. If nobody visits their site and knows about them, they won't know about you. How many books do they have? Are they an "author mill" that grinds out a dozen or more books a month and have a huge backlog? If they are, they should be avoided--they don't have the time or finances to spend on promoting or marketing any title. They make money with hundreds of books in the stream while the individual author suffers because of small or non-existent sales. Google their name. Do they appear on multiple Internet distribution sites? If they appear on six or more, they are doing their job in bang-up fashion in getting the word out. Three or four online distributors is about average across the board. Negotiate the contract if you don't have an agent. Don't shy away from putting a red line through any clause or confusing phrase that seems like a rights grab. If they are an e-book only publisher, why would they want the rights to POD (print on demand) or mass-market paperback? Don't sign all your rights away--especially world rights covering all foreign countries. All publishers, great and small, benefit by having you sign fast, and sign fast on a non-negotiable or boilerplate contract. If you find a publisher that won't budge--walk. Put out some more queries and play the field some more. You don't have to take what you don't like or understand. It goes without saying that you and your publisher/editor should click and at least like each other. little disputes over cover art, editing and marketing is not a good starting point in a relationship with a publisher. Don't make things hard on them--their job is difficult enough--they're dealing with many authors just like you. Open your ears and listen. Keep your yapper from interrupting or crowding the conversation. Your editor/publisher just might have something very vital and important to say. Learn from them; you'll use that knowledge with future publishers. Praise and support your publisher in the world of ether. Try to avoid smearing their name in public venues. We all have our little quirks and ticks, and sometimes things just don't work out. Attempt to be civil in all your correspondence. And for gawd's sake be patient. Don't publish with a small press house because you are smitten with the process and the promise of holding a book in your hand. Forget about bragging rights with an e-book publisher. There are hundreds of thousands of authors out there who have signed with an e-book only small press. Although those hundreds of thousands of authors are not really competing with you directly, they sure are diluting the pool and making it harder for your book to be discovered in the vast sea of titles out there. I have nothing against self-publishing--I've done it with a back list title. However, for a new book, understand that you will be responsible for formatting, editing and creating the cover art. You'll also be the sole promoter and marketer. If you have these resources and the energy, go for it--many small press and display site authors have hit the big time. But don't do it for this reason. Those authors that break sales records are the outliers. It very difficult to get that type of recognition and success. The best way to increase your odds at acquiring a decent and well respected publisher is to seek out an agent. Always go the agent rounte first. If you've exhausted 30 or more queries without a bite, rework your query until your fingers bleed. A boring query that seems static and familiar is the surest way to get the agent boot. Whatever you decide, keep writing and enjoying the process. We are the creators and the dream makers. Remember that: A Writer is… A humble, receptive student and negotiator But the heart that beats within his breast Is a determined savage Unfamiliar with surrender

Howdy, Dreamers! I have been writing for 32 years, publishing novels, non-fiction books, radio horror plays, short stories, reviews, interviews, poetry and thousands of non-fiction automotive articles. I'm on my third agent, and have had eight books and two short stories published, beginning in 1988. My writing primarily is speculative fiction, including horror, fantasy, science fiction (space opera and dystopian), thriller, young adult and paranormal romance. I'm on the lookout for a producer who might really enjoy my books, which are visually heavy and fast-paced. Just about everything I write has a thriller aspect to it. I love using diverse characters. My last book contained a black nurse, gay therapist and a paraplegic white gal--pitted against a terrorist triad, in what has become a military espionage thriller on a Cuban Island. I welcome all new comers and doff my hat to the old standbys here on Stage 32. Bless us all--WE ARE THE DREAMERS--WE ARE THE CREATORS. A Writer is… A humble, receptive student and negotiator But the heart that beats within his breast Is a determined savage Unfamiliar with surrender Chris Stevenson

I've been on Stage32 for sometime now and I love it, esp Joey and the Happy Writers Group. As an established writer of books, scripts, adaptations, etc, I also teach. My newest book, The Ultimate Writers Workbook For Books And Scripts can be found in stores or on line. You can learn more about it at www.seritastevens.com. Let me know if I can help you with anything. I will be speaking at a Los Angeles Conference Feb 20-22 about the difference in writing scripts vs books. For more info and a discount go here: http://www.wcwriters.com/specials

Chris Stevenson , originally born and raised on the beaches of southern California, moved to Sylvania, Alabama in 2009 and settled in with his twin sister. His occupations have included newspaper reporter, front-line mechanic and federal police officer. He has been writing off and on for 36 years, having officially published books beginning in 1988. Today he writes science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, young adult, adult thrillers and horror. He has a total of nine titles appearing on Amazon. He was a finalist in the L. Ron. Hubbard Writers of the Future contest, and just recently took first place grand prize in a YA novel writing contest for The Girl They Sold to the Moon. He writes the popular blog, Guerrilla Warfare for Writers (special weapons and tactics), hoping to inform and educate writers all over the world about the high points and pitfalls of publishing.

Hi, I'm Chris Stevenson and I've been writing and getting published for 26 years. I write paranormal romance, espionage thrillers, YA, science fiction, fantasy ans some horror. I've written radio plays and short stories for the big slick genre mags. I'd eventually like to collaborate with a screen writer and get back more into the film area. Everything I write has strong visuals. I'm very glad to be here amongst all this talent.

E-arcs of my upcoming urban fantasy novel NIGHT TERRORS are available for readers and reviewers at NetGalley! http://tinyurl.com/lupqe8x

Hello everyone. I'm having a free book promotion for my new ebook on Amazon! You can download a free copy of "The Adventures of Tek Danger and Larry Applebaum (Discount) Mercenaries For Hire" all day today. Here's the URL: http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Danger-Applebaum-Discount-Mercenaries-e... Reviews are always welcome. (Especially ones where you positively gush about how good it is.)

My novel has moved into round two of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and I couldn't be more proud! Click on this link http://www.amazon.com/b?node=332264011 then click on Romance round two entrants. Unfinished Business is a romance/time travel novel. I would love to know what you think of it. You can see it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BDCESAC

I have just finished my tenth novel and also turned it into a movie script. First foray into this division. Fun but exhausting as I had to concentrate really hard. I was amazed at the difference in writing for a movie and a book. I had never given it thought before. Very cool. Good luck to everyone out there.