As more and more stuff is happening behind the scenes this will be the last time we chat about film progress for a while. The last thing I want to do is betray a trust and leak information before it’s officially confirmed. And that is easy to do. One minute you’re chatting offline and think “Gosh, I bet humans would love to know this” and the next thing you know you’re getting angry calls from lawyers and you’ve screwed the pooch. As my therapist likes to say “Pooch screwing is not allowed. Now, get back to work.”
One big thing we all are dealing with is the many issues in the supply chain. While major publishers can absorb the hit, and it’s not tiny, indies are scrambling. No one wants to increase their wholesale costs but that means many companies, just like the ones who sign me, are looking for ways to reduce their profits without ending up in the red on every sale or being forced to double retail costs. It’s a delicate dance but everyone is pulling together to make it work.
One blessing is that not everything has to be done immediately. Just as it took three months to get that amazing Kirkus Review for SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY, it takes about the same amount of time to roll out a promotion that will be seen by libraries, distributors and independent book stores around the country. It’s not like sending your Aunt Martha an invite to the weekend Bar-B-Q. There are a few more hoops to jump through first.
Even so, the nice people at ©Watchdog Entertainment® and Azoth Khem Publishing are working closely with the nice people at Kirkus Reviews to get SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY out to the masses. Which seems like a good idea since readers everywhere are just crazy about this book. Even readers in India (readers_judge graphic below) are raving about it. In other words, getting more readers seems like a magnificent idea.
It also doesn’t hurt that the increasing positives are all happening while ©Watchdog Entertainment® is beginning to develop the feature film. Timing is everything.
In other film news, we have begun the arduous – sorry, I mean “whiz bang golly wolly fun” – process of creating a film treatment for the The Brittle Riders’ pilot. It’s not as simple as copying scenes from the book into a template or anything like that. Due to the fact I’m a jerk – sorry, I mean “terse writer” – brief scenes in the book could end up eating minutes worth of screen time. Since each minute of screen time is more sacred than sperm is to Monty Python it requires an attention to detail at a level I’m not normally noted for. Grand epic stories that bend brains? Yeah, cool, they’re my jam. Figuring out which shade of white should be on the third wall in the eleventh room? Not my strong suit.
Still, like SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY, fans tend to gush when they talk about The Brittle Riders. And it’s not just fans. A collection of film critics gave The Brittle Riders a 97.92% adaptability score out of a possible score of 100%. That ranks higher than several major films which were recently made. Additionally, major film producers, like Garrick Dion (graphic below), have had wonderful things to say and haven’t been shy about sharing them. Simply put, this project has legs and it’s starting to walk on its own.
All in all, we’re in a happy place.
Speaking of happy places, I’d like to wish a Happy 9th Birthday to the Independent Creators Connection, home of ICC Magazine, the wonderful place that has honored me by letting me be their Assistant Editor for these last four years.
I’ll have some comic book news for you next week. Maybe some other stuff as well. Until then, stay safe and sane.
