Oct 6 2012

The Good and Bad of the 2012 NEIBA Fall Conference

By Jason Harris

The New England Independent Booksellers Association 39^thAnnual Conference took place from Oct. 3 through 5 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

I will start with the good first. I went to the first day of the conference on Wednesday. I was looking forward to the panel “Social Media 2.0: Beyond the Basics: Using Social Media to Drive Sales and Customer Engagement.” As the NEHW Director of Publicity and Webmaster and Marketing Director and co-owner of Books and Boos, a bookstore, I knew I could learn something from this panel. The panelists were Sarah Rettger, of Newtonville Books in Newton, MA., Mary Allen, of Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, VT., Kirsten Hess, of R.J. Julia in Madison, CT, and Ann Kingman of Random House.

The panelists mentioned there are ups and downs when using social media. One downside is that you have to use it five times a day, Hess mentioned.

One thing I was surprised to hear was the fact that the panelists don’t like Hootsuite, which could help with having to be on social media five times a day. The reason is it’s not genuine and people know it from seeing where the message is from. “Voice is important” when posting in social media, Hess said.

Hess also mentioned that people should be looking at other Facebook business pages, not just look at the book business.

Allen mentioned that people love photographs and live pictures of things with authors. She wasn’t talking about pictures of authors reading from their books either. She’s talking about a picture of them making a funny face or something behind the scenes before they become professional to do their reading.

Hess said customers want to see the people who sell them their books.

If you own a bookstore or any type of business, a good word to keep in mind is “partnerships” with other businesses in your community, Allen said.

Rettger said you should do what’s best for you and not to force it.

The other panel I checked out was “It’s All About Customer Service: Strengthening the Brick and Mortar Advantage.” This one wasn’t has interesting to me as the Social Media one, but it did contain some good ideas. The panelists were Susan Mercier, of Edgartown Books in Edgartown, MA., Ann Carmichael, of Kennebunk, ME, Michael Kanter, owner of Cambridge Naturals in Cambridge, MA., and Karen Corvello, of Baker & Taylor.

Kantor said that customer is all and everything. Stores should be kept cleaned and stocked, he said.

“My goal is for customers to leave the store and say ‘wow’ that was an amazing experience,” Kantor said.

He has noticed that in many bookstores employees are indifferent.

It was mentioned that every customer should be greeted as they come into the store.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Carmichael said. She also said that customer service begins on the sidewalk before the customer even comes inside. This means that the landscaping to the windows to the building itself has to be in the best shape possible.

Now we come to the bad of NEIBA. I had a couple of assignments on Thursday, which kept me away from the conference. I was able to attend on Friday and I wish I didn’t. The main reason I was going to go on Friday was to attend the panel, “Think Tank Round Tables – New ideas for New Business.” This is how the program guide described the panel: “Whenever booksellers get together the room seems to fill with new ideas. This 45-minute ‘think tank’ is an opportunity to gather – at tables organized by small, mid and larger-sized stores – and talk with each other about what exciting things you’ve done in your store in the past year and what things you’ve learned at the Fall Conference you’re going to do. We hope this will be a useful and focused way to wrap up the educational offerings of the Conference.”

When I got to the convention center, I found out that the trade show exhibit room was already shut down and packed up. It only went on one day this year and that day was Thursday. I didn’t realize this would happen from the program guide. I figured it would go on the entire conference. This was the first year they only had it for one day I was told. NEIBA was trying something new this year. Hopefully, they will go back to having it open all three days next year.

After being disappointed about the trade show, I went to the room where my panel was going to be held. I was about twenty minutes early so I waited outside the room. As it started getting closer to the 11 a.m. start time I wanted to the door. Once it got to 10:55 a.m., I was leaning against the doorway and started to worry. When I heard Steve Fischer, of NEIBA tell Neil Strandberg of the American Booksellers Association to continue talking and that he had plenty of time and it was around 11:10 a.m., I started getting upset. Later on, Fischer said that Strandberg could continue until 11:30 a.m. The last twenty minutes of the supposed panel I went to see was used to continue the discussion of the Kobo e-reading program, which was the subject of the previous panel. I had made a two hour and fifty minute round trip from Connecticut for nothing and I wasn’t happy about this. If NEIBA wasn’t going to have the panel they promoted in its program then they should have gotten the word out. Instead of still promoting it, by having the panel’s name and description listed on the wall outside the convention center’s conference room.

Oct 5 2012

Actor Talks about the role of Michael Myers in the Original ‘Halloween’

Actor Talks about the role of Michael Myers in the Original Halloween

By Jason Harris

Actor Tony Moran portrayed the 23-year-old Michael Myers in the original Halloween (1978).

He had a great time on the movie and compares John Carpenter to a computer because of the way he had every shot planned out.

“We never shot more than three shots for every scene,” Moran said. “He was pretty amazing.”

He considers Jamie Lee Curtis, his Halloween co-star, “really cool and really good.”

“[She] was a down to Earth chick.”

When asked if there were any scenes filmed that didn’t make it into the movie, Moran didn’t know of any.

Moran was asked to be in the sequel, but turned it down.

“I didn’t want to wear a mask,” Moran said about his reason for turning down the sequel.

The mask was uncomfortable and “really hot,” he said.

“You couldn’t breathe through it. The only holes through it were for the eyes.”

When asked how long he was in the mask on a typical day, he replied. “It seemed like forever.”

Moran received credit in the sequel since footage from the original was used in it, he said.

He doesn’t plan on seeing Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake.

“It’s a remake of me so I won’t watch it.”

Moran is proud to have portrayed the character of Michael Myers

Tony Moran

and wouldn’t want to be known for Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees, two other horror icons from Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13^th fame, respectively. He states “Halloween started it all …”

Moran has added producer to his resume when he took on that job when a guy messaged him on Myspace and sent him a script for Beg, a short film. It’s now a full-length movie starring his friend Tony Todd, P.J. Soles, and Michael Berryman, who he got to be in the movie. Debbie Rochon is also in Beg.

He would love to work with director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro.

“They are brilliant.”

Moran will be appearing at The Nightmare Factory, located at 2 Museum Place Mall in Salem, MA. from Friday through Sunday.

Sep 27 2012

Massachusetts Native Talks about Writing and Hollywood

by Jason Harris

J.P. Ouellette

J.P. Ouellette has worked on a number of films in Boston such as The Box and The Fighter. Working in the city allowed him to “learn filmmaking from some of the best crews around” while being at home.

“The mix of local and Hollywood talent brought my knowledge of film to the next level,” Ouellette said. Being an assistant to great storytellers like Richard Kelly was better than grad school.”

Kelly was the writer and director of such movies as The Box and Donnie Darko.

Ouellette started working in Hollywood after taking a risk in order to pursue his writing career. He states that “Los Angeles is the best place to be for an emerging writer.”

“The whole city is dedicated to the film business, and there are endless opportunities here to build your resume.”

His latest film, Captured, which he produced, wrapped in June and is scheduled for release in October of 2013, which is “a perfect time” to release it, Ouellette said. It’s about a rock band that goes off to shoot a music video where an escaped convict becomes obsessed with them.

“It is a classic slasher flick with a lot of psychological twists. It blends genres, and is made for the true horror fan who is tired of the same old thing.”

Ouellette became involved with Captured when writer and director Joe Arias hired him to write new drafts of the script.

“It took us (a lucky) 13 drafts to get the shooting script ready. It was the hardest writing sessions either one of us has been apart of, but it was worth it, this story will blow your mind!”

Captured took three weeks to film, but it was in the works for two years since Arias came up with the film’s concept, Ouellette said. He is in the process of working on the sound editing, special effects, and the score now.

“It’s been quite a labor of love. It’s all very exciting to see something you help create come together.”

Along with finishing up Captured, he is producing another horror movie, Do Not Watch.

“Due to the high-concept of this project, the synopsis is being kept under wraps.”

Not only has Ouellette worked on more than 20 movies in his career, you can take a look at his Internet Movie Database profile, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1965594/ to see everything that he has worked on, but he has also found the time to write a novel, 2501. His writing and this story’s style was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke and George Orwell. Its “hard science-fiction blended with political overtones is something everyone can get behind.” The e-book can be purchase on Amazon by clicking here.

It originally started out as a script idea, but “it was way too involved for the screen at that time.”

“I really had to dig into the characters and the science in order to find my story. Funny enough, the book now represents the outline for the proposed film version.”

He is still looking for the right Hollywood screenwriter to adapt 2501. He could adapt it himself, but he wants to step back and let someone else take care of it.

“The projected budget for this Blockbuster is over $50 million, and that is not in my price range … yet.”

He “would love Steven Spielberg to direct [2501] because of the Stanley Kubrick feel of the story.” If that happens he would love to be on-set, which he would consider “a dream project for sure.”

He does have an outline for another book, but his screenwriting schedule is keeping him from working on it.

“With 2501, I had to isolate myself while traveling in Mexico, writing the first draft freehand while sitting on the steps of the Mayan Ruins. It is the only way to get a novel done in this distracting day and age.”

Ouellette has a number of directors such as John Carpenter, J.J. Abrams, Duncan Jones, and Kelly, who has influenced him. He says that Kelly’s film, Donnie Darko, is the reason he went to film school, he said.

He has worked with many directors and actors, and wants to work with many more.

“They all have their own style to this art, and I love learning from them.”

He doesn’t have a dream project. All he wants to do is “to keep making great movies, and create opportunities to make more of them.”

Sep 13 2012

Winner of the NEHW Email Raffle at the Hebron Harvest Fair

The NEHW is proud to announce that Marie Napert, of Amston, CT. is the winner of the email raffle.

Marie Napert holding her prize. Photo by Jason Harris.

Sep 10 2012

Pictures from the Last Day at the Hebron Harvest Fair

The vendor pass we received on Thursday. Photo by Jason Harris.

A new set-up for the NEHW booth on Sunday at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

The sign promoting Sunday’s authors. Photo by Jason Harris.

Alec Wallman, winner of last year’s NEHW raffle at the 2011 Hebron Harvest Fair, stopped by to say, “hello,” and to purchase 52 Stitches. Author Stacey Longo is in the background. Photo by Jason Harris.

NEHW member books on the table. Photo by Jason Harris.

A different view of the NEHW table. Photo by Jason Harris.

A front view of the NEHW table at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Sep 8 2012

Pictures from Friday and Saturday at the Hebron Harvest Fair

Author Kurt Newton reads to a group of people at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Artist Cheryl Normandie standing next to her work at the Hebron Harvest Fair.. Photo by Jason Harris.

The above picture is just one of many that will be in this post. If any pictures catch your eye, feel free to call Normandie, who lives in Brooklyn, Connecticut, at (860) 779-0827. All photos of her artwork were taken by Jason Harris.

Some of Normandie’s witches. Photo by Jason Harris.

A young fan enjoying the children’s book, Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author G. Elmer Munson signing a copy of his novel, Stripped. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo taking time out to get her picture taken with a cow. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Alan S. Kessler signing a copy of Satan Carol. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Rob Watts hanging out with some young fans. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Rob Watts getting a stern warning from Vernon Post Captain Austin Agnew for talking with some young fans. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Stacey Longo with Senator Richard Blumenthal at the NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author G. Elmer Munson eating some chocolate covered bacon. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo modeling a cane carved by a member of the Mystic Woodcarvers Club. Photo by Jason Harris.

Work by the Mystic Woodcarvers Club at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

More work by the Mystic Woodcarvers Club. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW table at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Sep 7 2012

Pictures from the First Day of the Hebron Harvest Fair

The NEHW sign at the back of the booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo at the NEHW sign promoting the readings and skits. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Mystic Woodcarvers (www.mysticcarvers.com) booth right next to the NEHW booth. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW Director of Publicity in his skit costume. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Stacey Longo and a spider hangout at the NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo giving a reading at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Mystic Carvers busy carving at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo getting her hand ~~eaten~~ licked by the Farmer’s Cow’s calf. Photo by Jason Harris.

Sep 1 2012

The man behind the ‘Guy Who Kills People’ talks about what inspired his screenplay

The Man Behind the ‘Guy Who Kills People’ Talks about What Inspired His Screenplay

by Jason Harris

Screenwriter Ryan A. Levin’s script for Some Guy Who Kill Peoplewas inspired by his short film, “The Fifth.” His short film only came about because he had written it for fun and wanted to avoid it becoming just another file on his computer, he said.

“I wanted to see it come to life. I had no aspirations to be a director, and still don’t, but I ended up writing, producing and directing the short film.”

Some Guy Who Kills People

As he traveled around the festival circuit and saw the positive reactions, he started thinking about an everyday guy who happens to be a serial killer and wondered if he could expand the main character’s world. Through brainstorming, he slowly developed his character’s background, family life, friends, and motives for killing. By developing his short into a movie, his character changed and it allowed him to let go of the character from the short film.

“Ultimately, while the short and the feature bear little to no resemblance to each other, there would be no Some Guy Who Kills People without “The Fifth.” Fortunately, our distributor, Anchor Bay, was cool enough to include “The Fifth” on the Some Guy Who Kills People DVD.”

The movie contains bullying, which came about because of “creative need.”

“Ken, the killer in Some Guy Who Kills People, needed a reason to kill his victims. In early drafts, he was just a serial killer who chose victims at random.”

The script shifted to Ken focusing on victims who treated others poorly, and then, ultimately, he began killing people who had done him wrong, Levin said.

“News about childhood bullying and suicides just started popping up on the news as we were in pre-production on this film, so while it was not intentional, I knew I hadn’t gone too far in scripting the often sad ramifications of bullying.”

Levin wrote the screenplay between 2007 and the end of 2009. It took about two and a half years to write the script, but it wasn’t a constant writing effort. There were many breaks “as other things came up” which caused him not to look at the script for six months or more.

“Ultimately, this worked to my benefit, as it allowed me to come to the script with fresh eyes each time.”

The movie stars Kevin Corrigan, Barry Bostwick, and Karen Black.

“It was, and continues to be, surreal,” Levin said about Corrigan, Bostwick, and Black being in the movie. “Kevin was someone we approached immediately for the lead role, and we just crossed our fingers he would find something in the script he liked enough to say ‘yes.’ He knew he would essentially be working for free, not to mention working in LA, away from his family in NYC. I imagine it’s a lot easier to take those few weeks off and live elsewhere when you’re making real money, but he wasn’t getting that from us. ”

Levin never pictured Bostwick and Black in their roles and was shocked that they auditioned for the movie considering “their credits and experience.”

“It was perfectly clear to Jack Perez (the director), Lisa Essary (casting director) and myself that we wanted them, and that if we did indeed land them, our movie was headed in the right direction.”

These actors took their characters and elevated them to levels beyond anything that was on the page, he said.

“They are three fearless actors who gave everything they had to this movie, and I can’t thank them enough.”

He was living in New York City when he decided to wanted to write for television and knew he had to get a production assistant job to be able to do that. These “jobs are actually quite hard to come by, as they are essentially the jobs that get you in the door on a production.”

“I sent resumes to every single show imaginable, super-eager to work for any of them. Through sheer good fortune, I ended up knowing someone who knew someone who got me an interview to be a PA on Scrubs, my favorite show at the time.”

When he got the production assistant job, he thought he had “made it” even though he considers “being a PA sucks.”

“I was on the show, I was writing in my free time, but I just wanted to move up the ladder as quickly as I could. I became the writers’ PA, then writers’ assistant then script coordinator. I knew the show runner would never promote me to a full-time writer because of a policy he had against doing so. But I also knew that if I could prove to him I was a capable writer, I could write an episode. Fortunately, that’s what happened. I wrote one episode in season 5, and was told I could return as script coordinator the following season to write another one.”

He didn’t return to work on the sixth season of Scrubs instead he went out looking for a full-time writing position.

“It took a couple of years of close-calls, of working on web series and pitching ideas, but, ultimately, I got a job on a Disney show called I’m In The Band, which ran for two years, and was far better, funnier and more creative than a lot of shows on network TV, which I’m allowed to say because I didn’t create the show.”

The writing staff for The Simpsons, seasons three through seven, and the playwright/screenwriter Martin McDonagh are writers that have inspired Levin. He loves McDonagh’s film, In Bruges.

“I’ve always been drawn to the darker content – always loved horror films and dark comedies, Fargo and Better Off Dead – and I was blown away by how [McDonagh] took these seemingly morbid stories and injected them with some of the funniest characters, situations and dialogue I’d ever heard. McDonagh’s ability to find the comedy in such dark material through characters with very specific points-of-views and his ability to seamlessly blend such different tones is what I can only dream of being able to accomplish.”

Levin is working on another Disney show and developing several features.

“The features are in various stages – from third drafts to basic outlines – and I keep moving back and forth between them. The great thing is I have several ideas about which I’m very excited; however, I really need to just focus on one of them, see it to completion, and then move on. If I don’t, none of them will ever get completed.”

The Some Guy Who Kills People DVD can be purchased through Amazon, click here.

Aug 28 2012

Are the Skulls for sale? Helpful advice for NEHW members.

by Rob Watts

Author Rob Watts autographing his novel, Huldufólk, for a fan. Photo by Jason Harris.

For almost a year now, I’ve attended just about every, if not all NEHW signing events. In addition to my own scheduled appearances, I feel the various offered events that are hosted by the NEHW are a valuable resource for an independently published author and anyone who hasn’t taken advantage of them is sadly missing out. In addition to gaining exposure and promoting your work, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to spend time with the friends you make through the organization as well as creating new friendships along the way.

As a frequent guest of these events, I have learned a thing or two about people’s’ reactions to our presence at some events. Most people love us, and it has nothing to do with the fact that we are so frigging cool, but more-so due to the fact that we are a unique brand. In a sea of repetitiveness, we fully stand out amongst the jewelry booths, the handbags, the jam counters and the birdhouses. When people approach our booth, they are pleasantly surprised to discover that we are the authors of the work in front of them. They are even more thrilled when we offer to sign their books for them personally. There is something to be said for making someone’s day without so much as breaking a sweat.

If you are planning on attending a future event or even if you are relatively new to the scene, here are a handful of tips to keep in mind when spending the day at the NEHW booth/tent.

First of all, try to make every effort to be on time. If an event begins at 10:00 a.m., try to be there then or a little bit before. The reason for this is simple; it makes setting up our display easier. Space on the table is limited and the earlier that the display can be set-up, the better organized it will look. It can get a little crazy when visitors approach the booth and books are still being set up in front of them.

Keep the front of our booth clear. Nothing keeps visitors away more than cluttered table. Keep the conversation and socializing behind the booth or in a more open common area. You want a visitor and potential buyer to feel comfortable and invited to approach our booth. I know when I see too many people in front of a table I keep walking. I have seen if for myself at these
events as well.

No Book Blocking! What is book blocking? Book blocking is when a visitor may be showing signs of interest in one author’s book and a fellow author or guest of the author intervenes to talk up their own book. This is a huge no-no at events and is greatly frowned upon. I’m not saying it happens a lot, but I have seen it once or twice and it warrants illustrating. There is plenty of opportunity for authors to make sales throughout the day. There is no need to prevent a fellow author from making a sale, especially if it’s their only sale that day.

Keep food and drinks off the table space. We don’t want anyone’s books getting damaged by spilled sodas or pizza sauce.

Don’t complain that you didn’t do well at an event. Every event is different. Some are well-attended, some not so much. There isn’t a science to this, it just pans out that way. How well your book does is entirely up to the author. You might sell one book, you might sell five. You may even walk away with no sales that particular day, but there is no one to blame for that. It’s the chance you take when going out to promote your book. I’ll admit, the NEHW had a touch of a dry spell during the last couple of events, but this past weekend in Middletown, CT. we made up for that dry spell and then some. Every author sold multiple books and walked away feeling good about the day. But when it doesn’t go so well, it’s no one’s fault. You’re only making yourself look bad when you whine about not doing so well at an event. The events aren’t booked with the promise of stellar book sales. It’s just a venue and opportunity for you to promote your work. How well your book does is entirely up to you. Spending the entire time at the event increases your chances of sales as well, so it’s best to devote the day to promoting your book.

Learn about your fellow authors and their work. The one thing I’ve always admired about the authors I spend the day with is the fact that it’s a team effort. If a visitor asks for a book about zombies, then we will direct them to a certain author’s book. If they are looking for young adult, then we’ll direct them to another. It’s helpful to know who writes what so we can be supportive of our fellow authors. If they want my book, then of course I’m happy. But if they are looking for something completely different from what I have, then I’m more than happy to direct them to someone else’s work that they might enjoy.

Keep in mind that space is limited. Most times we are working in a 4×8 space at indoor events. That’s enough room for two chairs behind the table and the rest of us are standing behind or near the booth. Keep this in mind when attending events. We don’t want a cluttered appearance and we certainly don’t want to take room away from a potential book buyer. The outdoor events are bit more flexible on space because of the open area, but indoor venues are almost guaranteed to be small and cramped. A good rule of thumb is to check with the (NEHW) event coordinator ahead of time to see how much space is available before inviting friends or family to join you at the event.

Show appreciation for the coordinator(s) for that event. In addition to being thoughtful and considerate towards the actual venue (we want to be invited back), you should also take a moment to think about the hard work that goes into being a part of the day’s festivities. Whether it’s Jason or Stacey, Scott, Tracy, T.J., et cetera, a lot of their personal time and effort goes into setting these events up. They are not getting paid to wake up at the crack of ass, pack up their personal vehicles with supplies, materials, food and drinks and so on. They do it for the benefit of the NEHW and its members. So give them a show of appreciation by saying thank you. Perhaps even hang around after the event to help break down the area. I’ll tell you first hand that that EZ up and down tent isn’t all that easy and after a 6 to 8 hour day out in the sun, breaking down that thing is the last thing anyone wants to do. But it has to be done and the more hands available, the quicker and easier it will be and everyone can get on their way. In short, make yourself available as best you can. It goes a long way with the people that busted their hump to set the day up.

Author and NEHW Co-chair Stacey Longo signing a copy of Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend for a fan. Photo by Rob Watts.

Lastly, there are five questions that have and will be asked at every single event. To help you feel welcome and part of the team, memorize the five questions and answers and you’ll be a pro before the end of your first event. Good luck!

Are the skulls for sale? No, they are only there for decoration, but if you’d like to buy one, you might want to try the fish tank aisle at Walmart. That’s where this skull was purchased.
Do you have any children’s books? Yes, as a matter of fact we do. We currently have Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend by Stacey Longo, and Good Night Fright by Kimberly Dalton.
Are you a publishing company? No, we are an organization of New England area authors, illustrators, screenwriters, publishers, et cetera. We attend these various events to help get our name out, and it’s a good opportunity for us to meet other writers and spend the day together.
My son/daughter is a writer and he/she would absolutely love your group. Can he/she contact you? Yes, you can take one of our NEHW cards or flyers and have them contact us via the website. We also have a Facebook page that they can join which is a great way to communicate with other members.
Are you crazy because you write horror? Yes, we are all clinically insane and you should purchase our books to avoid any certifiable behavior that may come on as a result of you walking away from our booth empty handed.

Got all that?