Trouble

I'm still having trouble with the new opening chapter.
When it's finished I shall start sending it out with the completed final chapter and some of the stories included in the book.
Right now though I am excited about the World Cup and I am taking a month off to watch.
It's only every 4 years, right?
Mike

What shall I do

I am thinking of opening up the blog to all my friends.
I think its about time.
HHmmm??

That first Chapter

That first chapter is giving me fits. I'm still not sure how it should read. I thought I had it but now it seems not to be.
On the other hand the final chapter is now finished.
Yay!

Title Ideas

My R & R Reality

The Day The Music "Biz" Died

Kind of takes on old song titles, but I'm not sure if it isn't to cheesy and maybe a rip off.
Get it?

Back from vacation

Sorry not to have posted in a while but have been on vacation out west. We started in Las Vegas and went to Sedona, The Grand Canyon and then to the tiny Antelope Canyon which blew our minds and then through Zion Canyon and back to Las Vegas and home.
I now need another vacation to recover!!
But I am reinvigorated and have figured out a new beginning to my book and a new ending.
I'm going to change the M O of the book and start with the end which will be the story of the End of the music industry as we know it.
The chapter is written and ready to go.
I shall post agian soon.
Mike

I loved this letter even though its a rejection

D\ STEL & GO DERJCH Li lerary Management one union square west
New York, NY 10003
212/627-9100 Fax: 212/627-9313
December 17,2009
Michael Stone

Dear Michael,

Thank you for letting us review the material for your book on famous figures in show business, which we read with great interest. Unfortunately, after careful consideration, we have decided that we are not the appropriate agents to represent your book.
You've done a wonderful job with this material, Michael, and you are certainly qualified to write this book. But unfortunately, it is very tough to sell projects like these in this difficult market. I'm sorry to say that, ultimately, I'm not completely convinced we would be able to place this project successfully.
We wish you the best of luck placing this successfully. Thank you, once again, for letting us consider it.


;tregards,

Whats a Good Title for the Book

I still don't have a title.

Here are some ideas

Music Was My Life
Stoned on the Way to Stardom
Corner Stone
Inherently Unpromotable
Music Observed
From Behind the Music
Pushing Music To the Top
Looking at the Music Business

Any ideas anyone

Busy right now

Sorry not to have posted regularly recently. March is the busiest month at the Pub what with Lent, St. Patty's day and the final four.
Any way I plan on sending out some more pitches to agents and maybe that will give us something to cheer about.

This is my pitch letter to these agents. Its called a Query letter.

Dear Jeff,

My name is Michael Stone and I was a promoter in the music business from 1970 to 1999. My job was to make stars out of young men and women. As a result I have a multitude of awards that line my walls from bringing these stars to fame from Warner Brothers, EMI and Virgin Records.
To do this I had to work with the artist themselves and the radio station people that helped make this happen. During this journey I had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest stars in the music business including Van Halen, Lenny Kravitz, Smashing Pumpkins, Tina Turner, The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones to name but a few. I also had opportunities to work with some entertainers like Richard Simmons and Steve Martin.
I have written a book that includes both positive and negative stories about these artists during my journeys with them. I tell the truth as it occurred which includes drug usage, sex and lots of Rock and Roll.
This book will appeal to the audience that listens to music radio stations, reads People Magazine, and watches Entertainment Tonight and other E TV shows. I also have written from a unique 3rd person perspective about these artists unlike any other published materials.
I am still in touch with some of my old radio friends, which would allow me to promote myself in most US markets. I would need some assistance stocking books for in store appearances as well as help with book reviewers and press interviews.
The book has been written but may still require some editing. I have numerous photos and autographs to publish along with the book.
I look forward to hearing from you to further discuss this book opportunity together. My contact information is below.

Yours truly,


Michael Stone

New pitches

I am sending 3 new query letters out tomorrow.
They go to Miriam Altshuler, Arcadia and Jeff Herman. This time none of these agents are in NYC which was my target at first. (I like NYC so I was predjudiced to send the first 6 there).
Jeff Herman is the writer of the Book "Guide to Publishers and Literary Agents" that I am using to find agents names and addresses. When I find the name I then go online and research the requirements and then I send out my pitch.
If anyone wants to read my pitch letter let me know and I'll send it on. Maybe its not good enough. I'll change anything in my quest; I'm a salesman, a glorified bloody flogger as my Dad would call me!!
Keep your fingers crossed.

Music as we know it has died

I was talking to my friend Bert yesterday. He owns a CD shop. Bert's CD's. Its one of the last independent CD shops in the USA.
I went to see him because I heard he was closing it up. He was disappointed to here that word was around about his plight.
His racks were bare.
He had only a handful of CD's left. He was selling some vinyl. Rarities. Stuff on E bay. You know, collectors items only.
He told me that even the kids had given up on it. The young musicians who wanted an advance on a record deal don't even buy music anymore. They download and burn it. Whose going to give them high $$ to record when they can't sell the stuff.
WOW! How low the music business has come from the high's I've been writing about.

Doug Feiger

Doug died last night. He was a young 57 and died of cancer.
He was the lead singer and writer for the Knack and was most famous for writing "My Sharona". It became a hit for him twice. I went to the same High School as he and he was my sister Jackies first boy friend. He was someone she really loved.
I liked Doug a lot and he came to my office at N2K and Virgin a few times over the years I thought maybe looking for another deal for his music. But then he just came to say hi.

RIP Doug you will be missed.

As it turns out Doug is not in my book but probably should be.

This writing project is a slow one

The book itself took time to write and I am still changing pieces of it. I think the selling of it is going to be even slower.
I found a Facebook site that I like. Its about one of the characters in my book. her name is Rosalie Trombley and her sons are spearheading a movemnet to get her inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was the Music Director of CKLW radio in Detroit in the 1970's and was responsible for making stars and Hit records for many stars of yesterday and today.
When she said a song was a hit it was.
She helped me make lots of songs hits and one of them was The Dreamweaver by Gary Wright.
Maybe, he will write a prologue for me.
Anyway, its snowing outside and I realized I hadn't written in a while.

Generic rejection

I got this rejection form recently.
It made me think now thats an easy way out. Althouhg it sounds like he may have thought about the project but he never asks to read anything from it. Thats why I don't like the idea of e mail query letters.

Dear Author,

Thank you for your query. I will respond within three weeks if interested.
If you do not receive a response within three weeks then I have passed on
your project.

Please note that a pass should not be construed as a statement on your
work's publishing viability; it is just my subjective determination that the
project isn't a good fit for me and the agency. I encourage you to continue
your querying and wish you the best of success in your publishing endeavors.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Lyons
Lyons Literary LLC

Stoney's

I'd like to clarify my position here.
I now own a restaurant called Stoney's (after my last name Stone).
The name came about from the first time I met Bob Marley as I was about to start a tour with him. It was then given again by my friend Lauren Hart a singer/songwriter in Philadelphia.
Anyway. the name stuck as a restaurant name and the Pub is now 10 years old.
I make all the food that my Mother used to make the family when we were growing up in England.
It's in Wilmington, De.

The rewrite

Elizabeth, my wife, is helping to rewrite my book. She's making it more readable. Making the English of it better.
Of course it takes an American to correct an Englishmans English!!
Thank God for you lot.
I like what she's doing though. It will make it more readable and she'll use your American spelling of words.
My problem now is compiling all the photos and interviews and such for inclusion.

Rejection

So I sent a query letter into several agents via e mail and received two rejections.
I sent in one chapter about Rod Stewart and a query letter to Jane Dystel.
She responded with a wonderfully nice letter of rejection.
I've never felt so good being rejected it was her use of and the power of her words.
She said I had done a wonderful job with the material and that I was qualified to write the book.
I felt great.
In future I will not send e mails. They are to easy to refuse. You have to let them read a chapter or two.
Thats my opinion.

Writing

So as I read some of the chapters I have written I realized that I suck at writing what I believe to be coherantly.
I'm not sure anyone would be able to follow my poor use of the English language.
I wish I'd listened more closely to my English teacher in school.
But as Popeye used to say "I am what I am".
So I'll continue in spite of myself.
The photo of Woody and me was taken in the mid 70's in Detroit. I think I was helping Ronny promote his solo album "I've got my own album to do" or it may have been during a tour he did with Rod Stewart before he joined the Stones.
Anyway, I liked the man a lot.

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My 1st Blog

I have spent the last 2 years writing my memoir. It's about my 30 years in the music business.
I was a promoter for most of that time but I also worked in the Artist Developement department at Warner Brothers in the 1970's.
My problem is after completing this book, "Whats the Point".
Nothing that I wrote seems to have a point other than to tell stories of my life with these people.
Anyway, What shall I do about this?
I need some ideas.
I have written chapters about Rod Stewart, Richard Simmons, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Bob Marley the Rolling Stones and many others.
I suppose its a tell all book but its really all about my life.
I started this blog to ask for help from people smarter than me, which includes most every one. Thanks for listening.