Interview With Bob
Sassone
Interviewed by Jenna Glatzer
Bob Sassone is a writer and the creator of the e-zine Channel Surfer Journal.
He's written for several publications, including CompuServe's WOW, Tripod, The Nando Times, RPM, Cape Ann Weekly, North Shore Magazine, and The Gloucester
Daily Times, and spent several rather unsatisfying years doing sales and marketing for Wired,
Movieline, Details, The Hollywood Reporter, Musician, and others. Currently he covers television and film for The Boston Herald and The
Morrock News Digest, and is working on several short stories and his first novel, a mystery.
How did you know you were a writer?
I guess anyone can call themselves a writer, as long as they write a lot and are
fairly serious about it, part time or full time. But the first time I called myself a writer was in 1988, when I sold my first piece, a record review for a
small local newspaper chain. I had written some op-ed pieces for the local paper before, but this was the first time I actually got paid. That led to a
weekly column for the same chain.
There are those who say that you shouldn't call yourself a writer unless you make a living at it. I strongly
disagree. Many professional writers do it only part-time while working a "day job." You don't have to do
anything full-time or make a lot of money at anything to say that's what you "do." Part of being a
success is visualizing it, and if calling yourself a writer helps, then that's great. Writers
already have many barriers to overcome, so don't add to it by not considering yourself a "real" writer.
How much of your craft is 'studied' and how much is 'natural?' (Did you
take writing courses, read books on the subject, etc.?)
I think you can learn techniques and mechanics of writing by reading books and taking classes. Ten years ago, I would have said the opposite. But I've
changed my mind. One thing that I think can't really be taught, well, at least is closer to natural ability, is style. You get your own style and rhythm by
writing a lot.
There are many, many good books on writing. The ones that come to mind are any by Lawrence Block, "This Business Of Writing," by Gregg Levoy, and others. But
the best books to read are ones by your favorite writers, writers that have mastered the genre or field you are in. For example, if you want to write
mysteries, you'll learn more by devouring everything by Ross MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, John MacDonald, Robert Crais, and Sue Grafton than any
how-to book. If you want to write SF, read Harlan Ellison or Ray Bradbury or Fritz
Leiber. And so on.
One of the hopes of most freelancers is that we'll find a few good
publications that will use us on a regular basis. How have you come to this point with Boston Herald and Morrock News Digest?
Basically, you need three things: nerve, timing, and good product. You have to
have the nerve to contact editors by letter, e-mail, or phone. The Boston Herald came about by my having been on a PBS panel show a few years ago talking
about television. One of the panelists wrote for the Herald. A couple of years
later, I decided to just call the editor of the television section of the Herald
and pitch myself. I sent him a few pieces, he liked them, and the woman I had met on the PBS show put in a good word for me.
Morrock News Digest was timing.
I sent the editor an e-mail, they just happened to need a TV/film reviewer, and I got the gig. It helped that the editor there is smart and
open-minded! And write well, of course.
You also publish the "Channel Surfer Journal," an e-zine of TV reviews.
What are some of the trends in TV programming you've noticed this season?
The quick cancellation of shows! If that can be considered a trend. Unlike 10 or 15 or 20 years ago, the networks just do not give new shows enough time to
catch on. It's really a shame. People forget that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and
"Cheers," two of the great sitcoms, weren't immediate hits either and almost got
cancelled after the first season. Today, if shows aren't hits after 3 episodes or so, they are gone or put "on hiatus." Usually it's a time period problem,
though, yes, there is a lot of crap on TV today. There's so much competition from cable and home video now that the networks want a big, quick hit.
And, of course,the success of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" means the game show is back. NBC is bringing back
"Twenty-One" from the 50s, and CBS will have
a new version of "The $64,000 Question," though I'm sure they'll raise the amount! I think these shows are a good thing. I've always been a sucker for
game shows. In general, my favorite shows are "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The X-Files," "The
Simpsons," "Seinfeld," "Star Trek," "Stingray," Warner Brothers
cartoons, the Discovery Channel, and too many others to list here.
How do you generally land your assignments?
Bribery, extortion, and blackmail! Seriously, I'm a big reader, and I'm always looking for new
assignments, either in magazines or online. When I was starting out, I wrote for free a lot. That's how you build clips. Then look for publications that print the type of stuff you like to write about, send query
letters, network, etc. Of course, the age old question: should a writer generalize or find a niche? I've gone back and forth on this myself. It helps to write about one thing a lot. It gives you a base to work from. Then, you
can branch out from there. And be open to writing a lot of different things.
I'm getting more into the creative forms of writing: my novel, short stories, my column, essays. A lot of the writing I do for newspapers and magazines is
interviews with celebrities or newsmakers. It pays better, but I'd go crazy if I did only that all the time!
What is something about freelance writing you wish you'd learned earlier?
"Support your writing until it can support you." Meaning, freelance writing is hard, and you don't get paid much at first. So you have to have something else
to pay the bills, either full or part time, whatever is best for you. Keep building your writing up until you can do it full or most of the time. Or even
if you want to keep a day job and write part time, there's nothing wrong with that. Working another job while writing is nothing to be ashamed of. It took me a long time to realize I didn't have to do it full time to be taken
seriously. I've done all the classic jobs: waiting on tables, sales, etc., while building my career to full time.
How do you deal with deadlines?
I've always been one to get an assignment, do the research/note taking, and then
find myself up at 1AM the day before it's due, with a pizza on the desk, the TV
on in the background, typing away!
A major problem for some freelancers is our shyness about negotiating.
Do you have any tips for writers about getting better deals regarding rights, payment, or assignments?
Don't be afraid to negotiate anything with an editor or a publisher. They are not going to refuse to work with a good writer if you ask for more money or a
different clause or more time. The worst they can say is no. Just be professional, whether you have an agent or not.
I noticed something pretty bold: you interviewed Martin Short about his
show for the Boston Herald... then you panned the show in the Morrock News Digest. How do you balance your integrity as a reviewer with your desire to
please people you interview?
Yeah, I'm sure Marty would love that if he saw it! Not to sound overly moral, but I think a reviewer should be honest. When I do an interview with someone
who has a new TV show or book or whatever, I consider it just a factual interview, and I separate it from any review I might do of that show or book.
It shouldn't be my desire to please them. If it is, I shouldn't be doing the
review. As for Marty's show...I love Short as a performer and as a talk show guest.
"SCTV" was brilliant. It's just that I don't think his show is that good. He seems uncomfortable as a host (count how many times he crosses and
uncrosses his legs), and the sketches run from fair to very unfunny. And I wanted to like the show a lot. But I'll take it over other daytime garbage like
"Jerry Springer" or "Sally Jessy Raphael" any day.
How has the Internet affected your career?
It's been the single most important factor in my success. Well, that's a bold statement, but it really opened things up for me. Editors are very open to
receiving e-mail, and there are so many great sites, like yours, for writing and
agents and screenwriting and lessons and other info that it's almost overwhelming. Good for research too. Having my own site and e-mail has
directly led to getting assignments with national publications and other sites. And join a writers
community online. You can network with other writers, give
each other tips, and maybe even contact some people in the industry. And it's a
great tool to keep in touch with other writers, make new friends, market you stuff. And I think every writer should have their own site. It doesn't have to
be fancy, but it's great if an editor wants to see samples of your writing and your resume. And there are many sites that give you free web space.
Having said that, let me also say this: don't put all your eggs into the Internet basket! If you forget about writing in the real world and just
concentrate on e-zines and your own site, you'll miss out on a lot of chances. There are a lot of web-only publications, but many of them do not pay or are overrun with queries from writers. The web is great for many things, but right
now most of the business is still in the real world.
Any tips for writing the quintessential query letter?
Keep it fairly short, but long enough to convince the editor why you should write the piece, and list your credits. And the most imporant advice: NEVER
address a query letter to "Dear Editor" or "Dear Sir." So unprofessional. Find
out the person's name, and spell it correctly! I've been an editor, and if a writer didn't spell my name correctly or addressed it in a general way or sent
it with grape jelly stains, I immediately threw it away without reading it. And
enjoyed doing it.
OK, having said all that about queries, let me say something else: don't rely on them too much! The advice for the past 10 years in almost every book is
QUERY, QUERY, QUERY! And what happens is writers query so much, looking for work before doing any work, that they forget about THE WRITING. Yeah, querying
is great, but you should already be doing a ton of writing every day, working on
ideas or your novel or your journal or a column or short stories. You should be
writing stuff even if you're not sure you can sell it; finish it, and THEN try to sell it. If you want
to write and love writing, you should be writing a lot without thoughts of sales. It's the same with agents and the marketplace. Too
many writers are worried about "should I get an agent," when they haven't even done enough writing to justify looking for one. Too many writers actually have
this mind set that they don't have to do any writing at all until they get a response from a query, and that's such a wrong and lazy way to have a writing
career. And don't get me started on "the marketplace!" Don't even think about the market. Write well, and don't worry about trends that might change in a
year. That's not to say you should not know who buys what, like sending your gardening piece to Entertainment Weekly or a piece about pro wrestling to Wired,
but just don't obsess about what could sell , etc.
Anything else you'd like to add for those who would like to take the
leap into freelance writing?
a.) Start your own zine or web site or newsletter or writers group. Not only will it help you network, it will keep you writing. I had a music magazine in
1990-91, and I have my own e-zine now, and both have gotten me in the door of publications. Plus it's a ton of fun.
b.) Don't procrastinate. There are only so many times you can clean your office, wash the bathtub, eat, or wait for the mailman to bring a big check.
Write more! Besides, trust me, the mailman has nothing but bills and ads.
c.) Don't edit as you write. There's plenty of time for that the next day.
d.) Marry someone rich so you can write all day. Not that I've done this, but it's an option I'm always looking out for.
Visit Bob's website here: http://sassone.tripod.com
