Dear Agent,
For your consideration, I’ve created a narrative of my work drawn from what others have said about it. I thought this might be a good way to help you determine if you would like to see any of these projects for representation. This approach could be quite wrong, also. But whatever your decision, I do hope you find this short journey insightful and amusing:
NOVELS
Reviews from readers
“I finished Infinite Jim last night. There were so many beautiful and profound things in there. So many things I've sometimes thought about or wondered about or hoped. Thank you for letting me read it. I sat and thought about it for a long time after I finished it (and while I was reading it over the last 4 days I would stop and think about some passages every once in awhile - I think that means it's pretty damn good. You know, when readers keep thinking about your story, you're getting to them) . . . What I liked best about the whole thing was how you explored the questions we all have about what our lives really add up to - and how hard it us to accept that our lives didn't add up to all we expected them to - at least in this world. But in Jim's experience there's a whole universe of other possibility. That's what really grabbed me about the story: In the midst of despair and the waste of life there's all this wonderful hope. I really loved that. It was really uplifting, Jameson.” Jackie, book editor
“Say I finished Infinite Jim, its great! awesome! I can hardly wait to die now! Seriously, it’s a really good book I hope it gets published soon. We will have to talk about it sometime. Thanks for lending it to me.” Matt, sci fi/ fantasy fan, furniture store owner
“Dude, I started reading Infinite Jim yesterday - just to get a look-see - and really had to force myself to stop cause I had stuff to do. I've never read that way on my computer, but I was hooked immediately and could have sat there at my desk for however long it took . . if I had had the opportunity.” Panda, graphic designer
“I sure like On the Fade, I don’t even like sci fi, but this is really good. But sometimes you are saying something and I don’t know if you are just pulling stuff out of our ass, or if it is real. Anti-matter the size of an apple pie? Transdimensional? I really like the writing. And the characters. I wonder what is going to happen to them next after the story ends.” Chris, trusted reader, emergency room social worker
SCREENPLAYS
Select exchanges from film producers and contest judges
“Wildly inventive script!” Producer James Mercurio, judge at Screenwriters Expo Contest, about Billy Arcane and the Wakinyan.
“Top 10%!” Note from Greg Beal, Nicholl Fellowship Program Director about an early version of the script that became Edge World.
“So, I read your script (Cayuga Deep,) I think it’s great. Who is in it?”
“What do you mean, H----?”
“Who you have to star in it?”
“I don’t have any stars besides J.G. Hertzler.”
“No no no . . . real stars, you got to have stars in the film, that’s 98 percent of it.”
“98 percent of the film is the stars?”
“Yeah yeah, we’re talking why somebody wants to see it.”
“Because of the story?”
“No no, the stars.”
“So, uh, stars have to like the story?”
“Now you got it, Jameson.” H----- -------, producer, LA
“You talking about the script you sent about the Indians and the demon?”
“Yes . . .”
“Well I’ll tell you something . . . what’s that noise? Where you calling from?”
“Ithaca, NY . . . I’m outside in the yard.”
“Ithaca, wow. Another writer from some shithole. I keep getting writers sending scripts from east bumfuck.”
“Actually, Ithaca is a nice place . . .”
“Ahh, sure it is. Your script is a pass, guy, it’s really too weird for me. But maybe that’s just me.” E---- -------, producer, Burbank
SHORT STORIES
Select feedback
“I just don’t find this situation plausible.”
Editor at American Zoetrope, about a story that was true to life.
ANALYTICS
Traffic on the website, www.jamesonhall.com / www.fivecentapocalypse.com
13,712 views since 2012
JAMESON HALL
In summary, after years of writing, I have a number of novels to self publish, but I don’t feel that’s the right thing for me to do. When I heard self publishing referred to as a shit volcano, I stopped considering it. I worked at a small, independent publisher for a number of years, and appreciate how true that statement is. There is a lot of work that goes into getting a book out there, in front of people, much more than “just get it out in front of people.”
And finally, with that said, of the novels featured above, NONE have been under consideration by publishers who publish the types of novels they are. But they should be.
Of the screenplays, one was optioned for one dollar out in LA. I never received the dollar. NONE have been under consideration by people who make the types of movies and TV shows the scripts are for. But they should be.
My only genuine rejection I’ve received was for my novel The Dark Machine, which was rejected by the fine editor Anne Groell three times at two different houses. And she was right, it really wasn’t there yet. I didn’t know how to write back when she read the novel.
But now I do.
Thank you for your time and consideration. If you would like to see anything featured here, please let me know.
Jameson
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