What Happens After The Book Is Published: Zehbel, The Clever One

I thought, once I published the book, that was it. I’d send it out there and let it find its own way in the world. Then I found out books need attention, just like children. So I told my friends about it, and many rushed out to buy this masterpiece on Amazon and Kindle. That was encouraging. Friends told others, especially in military circles, and more copies of Zehbel The Clever One were sold. That was wonderful. I gave a talk at our local library and more books sold. 

I was delighted to find so many people enjoyed Zehbel The Clever One. Many emailed or called me with glowing reviews on the extraordinary experiences I shared in Zehbel. But as the book’s author, I felt dissatisfied. The book didn’t fully capture the unremitting stress I’d been under for all those years. Back then, I was always looking around to gauge the level of danger in each situation. I looked at people — what was their agenda? Were they a danger to me, to my men, to my family? Each day I had to summon up the determination to face whatever lay ahead. There was constant danger, wearing me down, like water dripping on a rock. 

Corruption throughout Iran was so pervasive in the sixties and seventies (I doubt this has changed much, given the restrictions Iranians operate under the current regime.) . People did what they could, to provide for their families. Greed was borne out of desperation and centuries of repression. 

These were some of the elements missing from Zehbel The Clever One. But I didn’t have the time, or the energy to write another book. Instead, I had my editor write a screenplay for me, based on Zehbel, but with a more dynamic approach. We called it Mercenary To The Shah. And another project was underway. Now we had to pitch the screenplay to producers, managers, agents in Hollywood. This is ongoing: people like the project, but I don’t know how long it will take to get the screenplay sold. One industry professional is providing coverage to ensure the script has all the elements needed to attract the right buyer. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we flew out to LA and pitched the script to a slew of producers with many favorable responses. My editor followed up with additional pitches to a few more producers. Two asked to read the script, so we’re waiting to see what will happen next. 

Fortunately, my editor handles that for me. She compares the project to lighting a fire. You strike a match, the flame catches, but getting the big logs to ignite takes a bit of patience and tact. So, no overnight success, but through persistence and following a well-organized protocol, my editor feels we will succeed. 

One thing hasn’t changed over the years. I’ll still do everything I can to help my family. Zehbel, The Clever One is just one aspect of that story. 

3 Things Most People Don’t Know About Hollywood

Going out to Hollywood for this pitch conference was a real eye-opener. The first thing I noticed was how eager these talented writers, actors, producers, and executives were to meet and share valuable information with newbies. We learned a lot in a very short time! I think the best-known person, to us, was Edward Saxon, one of the producers for “Silence of the Lambs,” who gave the opening talk. Everyone we met gave generously of their time and energy to help us succeed.
There were two conferences going on at the same time, in the same hotel: the Writer’s Digest Pitch Conference and the Screenwriter’s World Pitch Conference. My writing partner, Barbara Carson, Lucretia and I were there to attend the screenwriter’s conference, but there was a lot of mingling with authors from the other group, between talks. We all met in the huge downstairs lounge/”marketplace” where juices, muffins and croissants were offered, along with DVDs, CDs, flyers and other promotional material from self publishers, writer’s groups, filmmakers and more.
Barbara was delighted to find the latest Final Draft Version 8, at $100 off the regular price, but we didn’t spend much money in the marketing area; we’d grab a bite and head off to the next talk or panel discussion. We were focused on gathering as much useful information as possible, and honing our pitches.
The second thing I learned was how the words “based on a true story” caught people’s attention. Between the two of us, Barbara and I pitched to about 20 different producers. As soon as we mentioned that our screenplay MERCENARY TO THE SHAH was based on a true story, that is, on my memoir, Zehbel, The Clever One, people sat up and took notice. Hollywood is definitely interested in real-life stories. And the most popular genre is an action-thriller, so MERCENARY TO THE SHAH is well-positioned for today’s market.
The third thing I learned was that this process could take a while. Most of the producers who expressed interest in our screenplay said “we’ll get back to you in two weeks,” or “you should hear from our creative producer within six weeks.” So we’re in to the waiting game. Barbara followed up the pitch conference with a Skype pitch last week, with a big-name producer. His response? An email saying he’ll get back to her in 3 weeks. So we’re in the game, and in it for the long haul. We’ll keep everyone posted. Thank you for your good wishes!
Meanwhile, a new edition of Zehbel, The Clever One will be coming out on Amazon in a few days. We’re bringing back the original cover everyone liked so much from the first printing. It should be out on Kindle within the week.
So I’ll be out giving a few more talks to local groups and pestering the radio stations again. More on that another time.