COMM Post--To Gain Garage Band Success...

Please don't get me wrong, GarageBand is a fun music making software program to use. It is the process that is time consuming: writing a song that you like; learning what musical instruments your mind and ears like; constantly adjusting the transitions and vocal/instrument levels; and most importantly, respecting the entire creative process enough to re-write/re-create lyrics and music tracks over again at the end of a six month song construction process.

Jesse, my partner in crime throughout this creative project, is a dedicated, patient, and imaginative guy. We work well together and respect each others opinions, musical instrument choice, lyric choices, and finished product goal.

After six months of working on the song, Cancer On My Mind, it will be completed in a few more sessions. I will copyright the song and then we will storyboard and shoot the video.

I mailed two book proposals and received my first SASE denial from a book agent. I have sent out 160 email and snail mail query/book proposals since March 2009. I know what you are thinking, no I am not done looking for a book agent to represent me.

COMM Post--If You Can't Email, Go Old School and Snail Mail It...

I am close to exhausting my supply of emailing book agents with query letters via the resourceful and free Agent Query web page.

I finished my book proposal, after six months of enjoying my free during the Spring and Summer, writing a song/music/recording the vocals, and working a full-time job. The book proposal includes: book synopsis; my marketing plan; audience; chapter outline; sample chapters; chapter summaries; competing books; and bio.

I sent out a few book proposal via snail mail and contain the mysterious SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope). Will the envelope ever make it back and will it contain good or bad news. I picture my SASE as a message in a bottle, floating in the abyss of a book agents pile of book proposals. Come back to me, at least send the damn thing back, whether it is good or bad news, let's get the SASE machine going!

I received four wonderfully creative pages from my screenwriter/professor, Alan, in Nor Cal containing an interactive visit between my Mom, me, and my neurosurgeon, and how to learn visualization for fun and dealing with stressful times in my life; surviving a 80 minute MRI scan. Thank you Alan for your dedication to my book project. Great job!

COMM Post--Not Singing Like Freddie Mercury, But The Vocals Are Done!

I ran into the same mental brick wall recording the song vocals for my upcoming song and video, Cancer On My Mind. Practicing outside of the 3 foot by 5 foot padded closet, lit with an LED headlamp hanging from the ceiling, and a microphone stand and microphone, is not the same as standing in the closet by yourself.

Jesse patiently practiced the song lyrics with me, until I got so frustrated, that I was ready to call it a day, pack it up, and go home.

We figured out how to record "The Walter Way." I listened to Jesse say the lyric line from outside and repeated his line exactly, tone, timing, and emotion, and we recorded the last two verses in a short time.

Success! This completes six months of song writing, music writing, and recording of the vocals.

The next step is the obtaining the proper levels of the vocals and music, story boarding the video, shooting the video, and editing the video with the music and vocals.

Jesse is a master of Garageband and video editing with Final Cut Pro, so I will add in my opinion, but the bulk of the work will be his doing.

Expect a video that is: humorous; fast-paced; contains multiple edits per minute; Final Cut Pro editing options, like split screens, fades, Insert, Overwrite, Replace, Fit-to-fill, Superimpose, Swap Edit, Ripple, Roll, Slip, Slide, Extend, and Shorten, either in the Timeline or in a dedicated Trim window; and audio sweetening.

I will probably end up launching the video and web page after I get my book published or self published in the Spring of 2010.

COMM Post--Don't Stop Believin'

Sent out another 10 book agent query letters and received two "not my kind of book project, but good luck" replies.

My creative partner on the song and video, Jesse, has told me that the song should take two more days, and it will take two days for him to shoot the video, with one more day for re-shoots, and two days in post-production. Jesse, is an old friend from my days at Santa Rosa Junior College, and my wild ass mountain biking days at Annadel State Park. Life was good at 31 years old, when I was still trying to figure out what to do with my life. He found me on MySpace and was reluctant to contact me because of my cancerous past, and the possibility of negative results or paralysis from the brain surgery and treatments.

We have been working on the song lyrics, music, vocals, and YouTube video storyboards since May 2009.

If I cannot find a book publisher, I am planning on self-publishing in the Spring of 2010, and launch the video on YouTube at the same time.

COMM Post--Still Chomping at the Bit...Not Gonna Give Up Yet

I sent out 10 more query letters seeking book agent representation to get my book published.

Finishing the lyrics and recording the last vocal tracks for the song have been a difficult task to accomplish. I am working 4-10 hour days, traveling to Oakland, and trying to keep my vocal skills and patience up recording in a 3 feet by 6 feet padded closet, with a LCD headlamp above my head, is a challenging task.

Hopefully we can finish the last of the vocals tomorrow.

I am still trying to get a book cover shot for a possible self-published book in 2010, if I can't secure a publishing company.

If I self-publish my book, I will engage in creative ways to publicize and promote my book, i.e. walking up and down Market Street in San Francisco wearing a sandwich board containing my book contents and why it might help people to read it. Cancer has impacted everybody, no matter who you are, so let's educate ourselves about how we can beat this deadly disease.

COMM Post--Back From A Long Break

I took a break from writing in this blog since May 2009, and am back to report on some new news about my book.

I have been working hard with my creative friend, Jesse, writing a song, producing the instrumental tracks with Apple software GarageBand, and recording the vocals to the song in 9-10 six to ten hour recording sessions in a padded closet, standing in front of a microphone stand and microphone. This process took 5 months to complete.

If you have never recorded vocal of any kind, please take my advice, and think about how difficult this task might be to accomplish, and the insanity you might experience to finish recording all the vocals needed.

Jesse and I have some great ideas for a video to shoot for a later posting of the entire package on YouTube in 2-3 months.

I talked to a great photographer, Steve, an airport screener at SFO, about re-shooting a new front cover of my book, for possible self-publishing run. He has to gather some lights, and we will shoot it in his garage in front of a black background, to make PhotoShop edits easier.

I sent out 10 more book agent queries and received 10 more denials.

I am not going to give up just yet on getting a book agent to represent me, and get my book on the shelf.

COMM Post--Approaching 100 Book Agent Query Letter Submissions

Slowly, but surely, I have been sending out a few book agent query letters, before and after work. I am happy to say that I have reached my elusive goal of sending out 100 book agent query letters. I have been using a free web page, Agent Query, to email book agents my query letter. After sending out the last batch, 80 to 100 book agent query letters, I received five positive responses.

Since I finished my final draft in January 2009, with the ego and writer support of a best friend of mine, I pondered who I would be and what would I do with the extra time. What would I be? In the last five months, I have spent my free time hiking, going to fun and exciting parties and creative social events, and laughing and being spontaneous. I accomplished what a lot of people would never think of starting, writing a book, and trying to find a book agent who would lead me to an enthusiastic and supportive book publisher.

I printed up 50 and 100 pages, wrote two cover letters, and mailed them off to two book agents in New York.

I am slowly finishing up my book proposal to send with my entire manuscript to another book agent in New York.

Just when I thought I hit a dry spot in my search for a book agent, I received one request for a book proposal and my entire manuscript, and the request renewed my faith to continue the pursuit of my goal.

Life is strange. I am a believer that taking baby steps to reach a goal might get you to the grand prize. Even if you don't reach your goal, at least you tried. I must constantly remind myself to enjoy and savor each step of the journey.