Author Marc Shapiro On The 5 Things You Need to Know to Become a Great Author
Boy! That’s a tough one. If you’re serious about writing, it’s all pretty much serious business. Funny to me would be incidents tinged with irony and lessons learned. I’ve had some very complimentary rejection notices over the years and still get them. They praise you but reject the offering. You learn to fish but just as quickly cut bait a lot of times. You learn to be aware of a publisher or editor who promises you the moon but always has an excuse why a check has been late. A lot of writing is just good business sense, learning what signs to look for. Trust is a big thing for writers. Don’t let ego and acceptance get in the way of good sense.
As part of my interview series on the five things you need to know to become a great author, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marc Shapiro.
New York Times bestselling author Marc Shapiro has written more than 60 nonfiction celebrity biographies, more than two dozen comic books, numerous short stories, poetry, and three short form screenplays. His young adult book JK Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter was on The New York Times bestseller list for four straight weeks. His fact-based book Total Titanic was also on The Los Angeles Times bestseller list for four weeks. He has recently written books about Lorde, Jenni Rivera, EL James, Justin Bieber, Norman Reedus, Shonda Rimes and Donald Trump.
Thank you very much for joining us. Can you share a story about what brought you to this particular career path?
I began writing at age 13. Lots of childish short stories and poetry. Early rejections. But I grew to like the idea of getting my thoughts and dreams down on paper with my name on them and having people read them. My first published piece was a poem in the East Los Angeles College literary journal. The first time I get any money for my writing was a profile on a British rock band in a magazine called Words And Music. Which was about the time I started freelancing for the underground newspaper the Los Angeles Free Press. Being basically an introvert, I quickly warmed to the idea of making writing my life.
Can you share the most interesting things that occurred to you in the course of your writing career?
Interesting comes in a lot of shades and colors. In no particular order: I once had an editor point a loaded gun in my face because I was pestering him for the $20 he owed. A matter of fact conversation with the editor of a British publishing house called Omnibus Press who, in the very last line of a letter matter of factly asked me if I was interested in writing a book for them on the band The Eagles. That would result in my first published book The Story Of The Eagles: The Long Run. Having three magazines I was writing for go out of business in the same week. Interesting for me has been the good stuff and the not so good stuff. But I stuck it out and managed to turn a whole lot of interesting into a solid writing life.
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming an author?
There’s been so many challenges and, by association, realities. Trying to support a wife and child while working a neverending series of crap jobs and finding time to write, send out packages to perspective editors, pitching ideas, taking low paying magazine assignments because they were the only game in town. You get around the obstacles by believing in yourself and your talent, refusing to take no for an answer and having the love and support of those who believe in you. If you’re serious about wanting to be an author or writer, the challenges are many, often slightly different but at the end of the day the bottom line is you want it bad enough. Talking the talk is cheap and easy. Walking the walk is expensive and hard.
What is the funniest mistake you made when you first started writing?
Boy! That’s a tough one. If you’re serious about writing, it’s all pretty much serious business. Funny to me would be incidents tinged with irony and lessons learned. I’ve had some very complimentary rejection notices over the years and still get them. They praise you but reject the offering. You learn to fish but just as quickly cut bait a lot of times. You learn to be aware of a publisher or editor who promises you the moon but always has an excuse why a check has been late. A lot of writing is just good business sense, learning what signs to look for. Trust is a big thing for writers. Don’t let ego and acceptance get in the way of good sense.
What are some of the most interesting projects you’re working on now?
There’s been quite a few over the last year. Had great response to a biography I did called Keanu Reeves’ Excellent Adventure (Riverdale Avenue Books) and Word Up: The Life Of Amanda Gorman (Riverdale Avenue Books) was both a gratifying and educational project. My first book of poetry, Existential Jibber Jabber (Demain Publishing) was something special and yes personal for me. Just out is Beatle Wives: The Women The Men We Loved Fell In Love With (Riverdale Avenue Books) which tells the story of the Beatles and their lives and relationships from the perspective of their wives and their stories.
What was empowering about the Beatle Wives book that you want the readers to take away from reading it?
I like to think that this was an exercise in getting all sides of the story. Beatle books have become almost a cottage industry all their own. But it is the rare book that has even remotely touched on the lives of the women in the Beatles world, their stories of the good, the difficult and the sense of empowerment that transformed these women. There are stories to be told and this book contains many of them. But told from a woman’s perspective, the stories take on a dimension to the Beatles that has not been explored before.
What are the five things you need to know to become a great writer?
A belief in yourself and your ability. 2. Determination. 3. Take rejection for what it is and move onto the next challenge. 4. Persistence in the face of seemingly endless adversity. 5. Talent. If you have talent and are continuing to explore your talent you have a puncher’s chance. Object lesson: I once had a family member who, when I told them I was going to be a writer, said I was going to wind up dead in the street. Needless to say I proved them wrong.
What is the one habit you believe contributed to you becoming a great writer?
A wise old editor from way back before the flood once told me that the more things you can do the more valuable you are to an employer. For me those have always been words to live by. I can’t remember the last time I said no to an offer. Getting the gig is often easy but you damned well better be able to deliver the goods.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would it be?
There’s a lot. At the top of my list is a cure for cancer. I’m pro gun control, pro science, pro treating animals humanely, and basically treating one’s fellow man fairly, honestly and decently. I’m sure there’s a lot more.
How can people follow you on social media?
Kind of low key in that department. Occasionally will pop up on Facebook to promote something or say something pithy. I’m more of a face to face, one on one type. But I will answer any question sent to my publishers at Riverdale Avenue Books) who will send them on to me. Sane goes for Demain Publishing. And if we happen to cross paths at a signing or an event, don’t be shy, come on up and introduce yourself.
Thank you so much for this. This was very inspiring!
