Burbank–April 2, 2013–Since yesterday was April Fool’s Day, I decided to hold off on this post until today lest anyone think I was joking when I posted on Facebook yesterday that the 2nd edition of my book, “What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood” hit #1 in Hot New Releases in the Kindle store for books on the Music Business.  It is currently ranked the #6 bestseller overall in that category, climbing up from #14 last week in that same category.  For all music business books, print and electronic, it leaped 40 spots to #32 this week, from #72 last week.

The book also rose in the kindle category of Bestselling Humor and Entertainment–Movies and Video from the 90s to a solid #46–ahead of “Save the Cat Goes to the Movies” and “Script Lab’s Encyclopedia of Screenwriting.”

The strength of the book sales is buoyed by positive word of mouth and numerous 5 star reviews on Amazon and across the web. Often a book premiers and takes off within a week of release only to see sales slack off. But What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood is steadily moving up the charts as more and more people talk about it and Amazon consistently features it because of its strong sales. 

The radio interview I conducted with host Bill Thompson of The Bookcast last week, where he referred to me as “a wise Buddha” no doubt helped fuel the boost as well. The  interview is available here.  Although mostly focused on the struggle of artist dreaming of Hollywood, the interview was able to touch on the concept that achieving all dreams requires a certain singularity of focus that encounters significant resistance no matter where those dreams lead. The skill set an artist needs to overcome a negative critique or poor record sales or failed audition is similar to the skill set needed for a businessperson to overcome a failed product launch, or a difficult market. The same mental power needed to push past the negative self-talk and self-destructive behaviors that often plague artists, is needed to overcome everyday obstacles as well.  The book is invaluable for anyone looking to be an actor, singer, rapper, director or producer, but it is still very powerful for people seeking hope that dreams can and do come true.

I’m a bestselling author now. I’m living proof of the concepts that I share in the book. But don’t take it from me–take it from the Emmy and Grammy-winning artists, the platinum selling producers and TV Stars I interview who share their 100+ years of combined experiences.

On June 1, 2013,  I will be speaking at the Organization of Black Screenwriter’s (OBS) Monthly meeting. Various topics are being considered for that meeting including: “Protecting your Artistic Soul–How to Keep Hollywood from Killing your Dream,” “Novelizing Your Screenplays–Stop Waiting for Hollywood to Validate (or pay) You,” and various other topics related to issues  covered in the book. (More details to follow.)  Stop Waiting for Hollywood to Validate You is a comment from an Emmy-Winning producer I interviewed in the book.  The phase is indicative of a mindset that plagues so many artists. Artists often believe they are talented, but act as if they are helpless until someone bestows validation on them–a contest win, a contract, an agency agreement, a million-dollar paycheck–or even an unpaid internship. It’s a mindset that begs to be disrespected.

I hope to help fuel a new movement (or at start a conversation about a new movement)  in Hollywood. There are so many amazing stories out there that are sitting around waiting for some Hollywood producer or actor to shepherd them to the big screen.  But what makes it to big screen is completely controlled by mass appeal. Or better yet, by what someone believes will have mass appeal. Even better–what someone thinks has mass appeal… AND LOTS OF LUCK. I want to see writers taking control of their own destinies. Writers are the creators, and the Hollywood dragon lives on our blood. Without writers Hollywood dies. The only reason Hollywood doesn’t respect writers more is because writers don’t respect themselves more.

Writers, actors and other artists have more opportunity today than ever to reach their audience and to make a living as the professional they dream of being. What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood is a guide for helping artists take control of their power, hold it, and wield it to their benefit. It is priceless reading for those who’ve not yet arrived in Hollywood, but it has immense relevance to those here working day-by-day as well. Give your friends and family members the gift of encouragement and the key to following dreams with their eyes wide open. Check out the book today.

Less than three weeks after its March 03, 2013 release exclusively on Amazon for Kindle, the 2nd edition of my book, What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood, hit multiple Bestseller’s and What’s Hot lists on Amazon.

In Kindle Books, it landed at #13 in books about the Music Business. In all books about Music, including paperbacks and hardcovers, it hit #72–even landing ahead of Quincy Jones’s book “Q on Producing,” which was #88.

It also hit the Amazon Hot New Releases List in multiple categories including for all books on the Music Business #4, Music General #65,  and Humor and Entertainment: Movies, #44.  Scoring #4 on the Hot New Releases Music Business List gave it the honor of appearing sandwiched between Madonna’s “Body by Madonna” and a Biography of the Rolling Stones, “A Prince Among Stones.”

Along with my own outrageous ride as a screenwriter and actor in Hollywood, What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood recounts the stories, struggles, triumphs and lessons learned of numerous creative artists in the fields of filmmaking and television–including award-winning actors, festival-winning directors, Emmy-winning producers, network executives, movie stars, staffers, comedians and screenwriters. In the filed of music, interviews with Grammy-nominated singers, songwriters, and platinum-selling music producers reveal Hollywood from a perspective few see without years of experience and success.  Overall, the book encourages readers to follow dreams while their eyes wide open, whether those dreams lead to Hollywood or their own hometown.

The new 2nd edition is updated and expanded with additional interviews and insights. It is available exclusively on Amazon Kindle at a discounted $4.99 and can be read on all Apple and Android devices as well as Mac and PC with the free Kindle App.

I’m encouraged by the success of the book so far and look forward to seeing it grow in popularity and usefulness for artists and for anyone  who seeks encouragement to take the risks to follow their dreams. Please share and tell friends and family about the book to help keep it selling  well and helping people. Without you, none of this is possible.

Every year 111,000 people move to L. A.–many of them looking for success in the entertainment industry. Tens of thousands audition for American Idol, America’s Got Talent, X-Factor and other talent shows hoping to break into an industry most only think they know. My goal is to help them know it better so that they have a better shot at their dreams.

On March 7th, I released the 2nd edition of What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood exclusively on Kindle. The new edition contains new interviews with an Emmy-winning producer and Film-festival winning screenwriter/director along with the interviews with Grammy-nominated singers, platinum-selling producers and award-winning movie and TV stars. The new edition is available for only $4.99, which is about a 1/3 the paperback price.

To help spur interest in the new edition’s release, I’m giving away 12 autographed copies of the 1st edition paperback in a contest on Goodreads (Click here to enter).  The contest runs through May.

If you know or care about anyone even thinking about a career in the entertainment business, no matter where they are in the process, get them this book. The title is What I Wish I Knew BEFORE I Moved to Hollywood, but the information is good for people already in Hollywood, too. What does it take to keep going?  How do you get seen? How do you get booked? How do you stand out?  What is your voice? Your niche? Your type?  And how do you stay encouraged in the hard times? Every year 111,000 move to L. A.  But every year 100,000 move away–many dejected, frustrated and sad. Those are the ones who didn’t read this book.

What’s it take to make it as a singer in Hollywood–read what Chante Moore had to say about it in my book. Trying to be comedian? Read what a standup comedian and writer for Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Bernie Mac says. Want to be a producer? See what the Emmy-winning producer has to say. Want a directing/screenwriting/development deal at HBO? My interviewee had one.  Want to be an actor? Find out what a star who makes $250,000 a week says about how to become one. Want to do make-up? Find out what the head make-up artist for one of Fox’s hit dramas says you should do. Want to rap or make beats? Find out what Dr. Dre and Ice Cube’s go to guy says.

Artists love to act like they have it all together–keep a smile, be positive, stay away from negative energy. That’s all great. But are you getting where you want to go? If not, it smart to get help when you need it. It’s one thing to make others think you have it all together; it’s quite another to fool yourself.

Three years ago, after Chris Brown brutally beat Rihanna, I posted an article that suggested the couple must have been slated to star in a remake of What’s Love Got to Do With It?–the Ike and Tina Turner story. This year, the couple reappeared seated next to Kobe on the floor at a Lakers’ game just prior to appearing together at the 2013 Grammys. Despite still being on probation, Brown made news only days earlier for attacking the openly gay singer, Frank Ocean, over a parking spot at a West Hollywood studio.  Ocean’s revenge was to beat Brown for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Judging from Ocean’s performance that night of his song “Forrest Gump,” Brown doesn’t have to worry about Ocean beating his stage performance.

Isn’t it interesting though how celebrities get headlines right before their new album, tour, or book? It doesn’t matter if the news is negative or positive as long as people are talking about them.

This is particularly interesting because the Rihanna’s and Brown’s relationship sparks so many comments and emotions: “She’s stupid for being with him.” “He’s was a child–he made a mistake–let it go.” “He’s an abuser, it will happen again.” “It’s none of our business.”…etc.  Fact is that it doesn’t matter if you’re for or against them, their relationship generates the attention it is meant to generate. Is it real? It doesn’t matter. The only thing we know for sure is that it succeeds at keeping them in the media.

Beyonce must have something coming up.  She showed up at the Superbowl and did a great job. A couple of weeks later, she released a self-made movie on HBO about her greatness called, “Life is but a Dream.” And just the other day, I caught her on TV talking to Oprah. In both the movie and the interview, she revealed that she lost her and Jay-Z’s first baby. Such tender reveals endear her to her base and make them even more likely to see her on tour, buy her next album or check out her next movie.  Yes, a celebrity suffering a miscarriage, an addiction, a abuse, an accident–or even just saying they did–can be good for business.

In the article three years ago, I talked about Whitney Houston admitting her drug addiction to Oprah right before releasing her latest album. The album went to number one. Unfortunately, as predicted then, Whitney apparently went back to drugs, which ultimately led to her passing away just before the Grammys last year.

Back when I first wrote my book, “What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood,” I wrote an article about Michael’s unfortunate fate and the Dark Side of Hollywood that forces artists to produce and keep producing. In the film, Beyonce made a point that many artists no longer do full albums because of costs and the way individual songs are released over I-Tunes, etc. “People just try to make a hit single and that’s it.”  What that means is that studios have artists on much shorter leashes–produce a hit or you’re done; sell out a concert or that’s it.

Maybe you never thought of it before, but when you see artists make these kinds of extreme confessions of personal struggles, or when you watch an artist appear to self-destruct in public, imagine how desperate they must be. These are the lengths to which they must go to get and keep your attention. What appears to be a passerby simply telling what he witnessed in a parking lot in West Hollywood may actually be a well-placed story by a PR firm, and quite possibly a staged event, designed to do exactly what it did–get you talking about an artist. So it doesn’t really matter if your opinion is favorable or not–all that matters is that their name crossed your mind that day.

Dave Chappelle said that either a lot of very talented people suddenly go crazy one day, or there is something very sick about Hollywood. Perhaps artists like Dave, Michael and Whitney are the canaries in the cave revealing something wrong with the business or, perhaps, they are just folk suffering with their own issues. I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

(The 2nd edition of What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood  available now exclusively on Kindle for only $4.99. Get yours now. Click here. Kindle e-books can be read on I-phone, I-pod, I-pad, Android, Mac and PC with the free Kindle App.)

BURBANK–   Who wants to be a Billionaire Survivor Factor Celebrity Apprentice? The secret is out in Burbank this morning after many attempts to cover it up.  Donald Trump announced Monday that he had an October surprise that would have consequences on the presidential elections.  Lawyers at NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS moved quickly to stop the eccentric Trump from violating the secret contract signed on Saturday by the networks and presidential candidate Mitt Romney.  No publicity was to be released about the deal until after the election just in case some miracle should occur that allows Romney to win.  Trump’s announcement turned out to be a sad publicity stunt for another project and not a reveal of the network deal as suspected, but the reaction of the networks to ensure secrecy, as often happens in Hollywood, caused the leak.

So what is the story?

Donald Trump is teaming up with Mitt Romney after the election to star in the “mother of all  reality shows” to be carried jointly by CBS, ABC, Fox and NBC–one night on each network Monday-Thursday. The show is tentatively titled “Billionaire Survivor Celebrity Apprentice.”  The biggest twist is that Donald Trump WILL NOT BE HOSTING, but will join Mitt Romney as a contestant seeking to win a billion dollars. It is now widely known that Trump was never an actual billionaire, but roughly as wealthy as Romney. Trump’s worth is estimated at $150 million to $250 million, which is about half  the amount his father left him in inheritance. Though Trump has branded himself a billionaire for years, insiders know it is only for marketing. Both multimillionaire celebrities will be competing against others–including so far: Kim Kardashian, Damon Dash, P-Diddy,  and Paris Hilton. Actor Boris Kodjoe was scheduled to be a part of the group, but Trump objected that he was not rich or famous enough; while others complained that it would not be fair to have a participant who had actual talent. Kodjoe, who does speak five languages,  is not known to be very rich. “This has to be about rich guys getting richer,”  Trump is reported to have said.

In another surprise twist, the show will be hosted by Charles Koch–the older billionaire co-owner of Koch Industries–an enemy of environmentalists and clean water enthusiasts around the nation.  The dozen or so celebrity multimillionaires will be tested by the actual billionaire in a four year battle to determine who can endure the most humiliation from the 76 year-old Koch. In the end, only one will be left standing and take as a prize the position as the new billionaire Koch Party Presidential candidate for 2016. “The problem with 2012 is that we did not run a rich enough candidate to inspire the American People. We’re going to start our own party and do it right this time,” said the younger Koch, David. “We’re going to make him a hero to the people by having him win one of these reality shows. That will make the common man feel like he earned his money. By the time we’re through making these guys sniff our taint, America will elect our candidate out of pity.”

The show will run from November through the 2016 election. The networks are expecting a windfall. “This is like all the great shows rolled up into one,” said Les Moonves, president of CBS.  Jeff Zucker of NBC added, “We’re already thinking of ways to combine other multi-network shows. Someone mentioned Hog Wars/X-factor/Duck Dynasty, but we haven’t worked out details yet–still we’re very excited.”

The story sounds crazy, but what’s scary is that when I first published it, most people thought it was true. That’s because it’s not outside the plausible. In fact, I may have given someone in Hollywood an idea. Sarah Palin went from running for Vice President to cashing in on her new found fame through a reality show called Sarah Palin’s Alaska.

Years ago I had a meeting with a television producer, former VP at Warner Brothers, who told me he was working on a reality show that was “like The Bachelor, only it was to select the president of the United States.” I don’t know if he was pitching it to get my reaction or if he was serious. It sounded crazy to me at the time, but it seems to be getting closer and closer to possible. I never heard anything else about it, but who knows? If Hollywood can make money from it, and the people are willing, I’m sure they’ll give it a try.  The way this campaign has been running–with Romney changing positions every week without losing his support, it’s quite obvious people can be made to believe anything–either that or they don’t care. Or is it possible that the lines between reality and fiction have been so blurred that there are people who can’t tell the difference anymore and think the election is just a reality show that means nothing?

(The 2nd edition of  What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood available now exclusively on Kindle for only $4.99. Get yours now. Click here. Kindle e-books can be read on I-phone, I-pod, I-pad, Android, Mac and PC with the free Kindle App.)

One might think that an actor who’s achieved the success that James Franco has would just content himself with being a young movie star. Usually the million-dollar paychecks and lush lifestyle of one of Hollywood’s elite is enough to satiate even the strongest appetite for success.  That’s why it stood out to me to learn that James Franco was also pursuing an advanced degree in English. By advance degree, I mean PhD.

According to Wikipedia, in addition to graduating from UCLA, Franco:

…moved to New York to simultaneously attend graduate school at Columbia University’s MFA writing program, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for filmmaking (NYU), and Brooklyn College for fiction writing,while occasionally commuting to North Carolina’s Warren Wilson College for poetry. He received his MFA from Columbia in 2010. Franco is a Ph.D. student in English at Yale University and will also attend the Rhode Island School of Design.

What a busy guy.  But why? Well, also according to Wikipedia, Franco enrolled in UCLA after being “dissatisfied with his movie career.” Although I’ve been saying for years that Hollywood isn’t all it appears, I wasn’t thinking that applied to people who achieved stardom on the level of James Franco.  Currently, he also teaches a class at NYU on turning poetry into film.

What does all of this tell us about Hollywood? It tells us a little about the quality of effort and focus often possessed by those who succeed here. People think of Hollywood as a place where people live the easy life. For most, Hollywood is anything but easy. Before you make it you struggle to get known, build relationships and do your craft. After you make it, you may struggle with keeping your integrity, staying on top, landing the right roles and not alienating your audience.

In one of the first interviews I did after my book came out, I appeared with a director who almost hired Franco for his first major lead. The director went with another actor instead. During the interview he lamented that, had he hired Franco, he’d be driving a much nicer car now.  (You can see the interview HERE: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).  Franco noted in interviews that one of the things that initially hindered him in pursuing an acting career was his fear of such rejection. Perhaps that’s another reason he decided to make a backup plan?

My personal opinion is that he was tired of playing certain types of roles and wanted to play someone more intelligent but couldn’t get cast–thus all the press about going back to college.  Is a coincidence his latest role was playing a scientist in Rise of the Planet of the Apes instead of a pot dealer in Pineapple Express 2? By doing something intellectual in his own life, he changed the way casting directors and audiences saw him.

Still, whether you’re the type of person who needs to burn bridges to keep you from turning back, or the type of person who thinks though all the angles, it’s interesting to note that even someone who succeeded in Hollywood at the highest levels still keeps his options open… just in case.

Update 3/7/2013: (The 2nd edition of  What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood available now exclusively on Kindle for only $4.99. Get yours now. Click here. Kindle e-books can be read on I-phone, I-pod, I-pad, Android, Mac and PC with the free Kindle App.)

Was it just to hype their new film?

With their reappearance at the 2013 Grammys, some are seeing what I saw three years ago. Since this article explored this couple and Whitney Houston prior to her passing, I’ve decided to feature it again. Here it is if you missed it the first time:

Would you be surprised to see that headline? It seems lately that celebrities resort to the most ridiculous tactics to promote their new films and albums. With competition for news being what it is, the more sensational and outrageous a story hook, the more likely it will find its place on national news shows and in national magazines.

Whitney Houston goes on Oprah with an “exclusive interview” in which she talks about her drug addiction and leaving Bobby Brown. “Oh the horror of our marriage and what was going on behind the scenes,” she said crying, sobbing… “by the way, I have a new album born of my pain. May I sing you a few songs?” And to number one it goes. And since then? Gone—probably back to Bobby, and with her newly minted millions from her album sales… probably crack, too.

Phil Collins (talk about a blast from the past—has he even done anything since the Tarzan Soundtrack?) suddenly appears in Rolling Stone with a shotgun, pick axe, machete, hunting knife and various other antique farm implements laid out on the Persian rug beneath him, looking more like Courage the Cowardly Dog’s owner than a rock god.

From Rolling Stone

“I’ve had thoughts of su-su-suicide and I’m tired of all the people talking about me.” (What people? Didn’t Phil die years ago?) “By the way, I have a new album coming out. It may be my last. You never know. Better go get it.” Oh, that explains it.  Reminds me a lyric from Prince’s Pop Life:

What’s the matter with your life?
Is the poverty bringing you down?
Did the mailman jerk you around?
Did he put your million dollar check in someone else’s box? Tell me.

“No.  I just have an album to sell and talking about suicidal thoughts and paranormal activity seemed the most effective way to relate to this new generation.”

Tyler Perry was next. “I was abused, Oprah! Sexually so. When only a boy…” as the tears stream down his cheeks. “And that’s what gave me the sensitivity to do For Colored Girls… because…well, I was abused just like colored girls who considered suicide when the rainbow wasn’t enough.  I lived it myself. And, yes, it will be in theaters this week packed with all the emotion you see right here before you.”

Some have stories. Others truly live it out. Some seem such a mess that it’s hard to figure out how they even manage to complete any projects at all. I imagine that Lindsay Lohan’s next project is going to be huge.  Brittany Spears’ certainly was. It seemed she was such a wreck before her album came out—shaving her head allegedly over her breakup with Kevin Federline—in and out of various clinics. But that didn’t stop her from putting together one of the best albums of her life. It dropped and everything is great now. Wow. Grammy? VH1 Award? Sure. Thanks. I’m much better. See you next year.

What’s this tell you about Hollywood? Promotion is part of the game. Even Harrison Ford has to drag his dust-farting ass out to worship at the altar of Letterman, Leno, Stewart and Fallon. Harrison can’t even remember what film he was in or what it was about, but he’s there—looking like Han Solo’s grandpappy Dutch Blitz. “Hello everyone. Yes, I’m the guy who played that guy you liked in that movie 25-35 years ago. Hello! Please go see my next movie.” It’s all part of the sell.

Perhaps the one that actually made me laugh was Sting. I caught him on Jon Stewart looking rather annoyed at having to hustle his new CD on TV. But there he was. “I like doing new things,” he said. “I can’t stand playing the same songs year after year—I need to mix it up. That’s why I released this new album with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.”  (He even joked of it being reminiscent of the parody rock band movie This is Spinal Tap where one of the band members thinks his stuff is good enough to have the acoustic versions performed by the London Phil.) And what was the new thing he did with the Philharmonic that he wanted us to run out and buy? The Muzak version of “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and every other song he did 30 years ago and has been doing “year after year” since. I could have sworn I heard that version in an elevator 25 years ago. Nonetheless, sell that “original” album Sting.

Remember it’s called Show “Business” and no matter how big a star you are, you can never stop being a hustler in Hollywood.

PS. Since this article, we mourned the loss of Whitney Houston who, sadly, apparently did return to drugs. What a tragedy that all the people around her could not, or did not,  help her.  And what a commentary on the industry.

Update 3/7/2013: (The 2nd edition of  What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood available now exclusively on Kindle for only $4.99. Get yours now. Click here. Kindle e-books can be read on I-phone, I-pod, I-pad, Android, Mac and PC with the free Kindle App.)

One of the great places to learn lessons about Hollywood is the commentary section of DVDs.  It’s amazing the insights you can gain from filmmakers talking quite innocently about the process of getting the movie made. Sometimes the things they think they’re teaching you about the movie business aren’t what you walk away having learned. In fact, sometimes you can learn things they don’t really want you to know.

Just recently I watched 8 Mile—the Eminem bio film. The film is about rapper Eminem struggling to become a successful recording artist in Detroit by winning rap battles. It follows the exact same format that most “outsider young person struggles to find himself in a strange world” films (Step Up, Stomp the Yard, Drumline, Bring It) follow.

In the DVD extras, there is a section about filming the rap battles themselves.  Particularly, there is a story about how the film’s director and producers decided they wanted to have local rappers actually battle Eminem in order to get a more gritty realism.

The call goes out among the hundred or so extras who made up the crowd during the club and rap battle scenes. Three rappers, the ones who possessed the skills to top a real rap battle in the room, would then be put in the film as star actors featured battling Eminem. This was a chance of a lifetime for these actors who’d only been booked in very low paying extra jobs where their faces would likely never even be seen (see article on being an extra here). Here was a chance to be credited in a major motion picture, to have the camera right in your face and to be able to launch a career in acting.

Dozens of the extras tried out for the roles. Most were rejected out of hand, but quite a few showed promise. Eventually the contestants were whittled down and three lucky and talented ones were chosen. They were very talented too.

One by one, the rapper/actors/contest winners took their positions before Eminem to battle him. Although initially told to save his voice for the dialogue scenes and only to lip sync his comebacks against these rappers, Eminem couldn’t let the taunts in front of the packed room go unanswered. Impressively, true to his character in the film, he improvised clever responses to each rapper—clearly putting them in their place.

So what did we learn from this DVD extra? That Eminem is actually a very good rap battler? Yes. That’s what the film director wanted us to learn. But here’s what we learned that he didn’t want us to learn: After all of the contest—all of the hopes and dreams of each rapper in that room being placed before them—the promise of a starring role in a major motion picture. After winning the contest and being chosen as one of the three actors to battle the star; after filming the battle against Eminem and rejoicing, celebrating and telling all their friends and family about it; after the movie comes out six to nine months later, after all of the anticipation, after buying the popcorn and taking your seat in the theater….

Not a single one of those actors’ battles appeared in the film.  Every single one was cut. Every one. Those actors are not featured anywhere except in the DVD rap battle extras section. But at least they were featured there. Many actors find their roles, in fact, whole characters cut from movies. Where they expected a reel to show agents, managers, casting directors, or at least a credit for their resume, they may get nothing.

Some executive didn’t think the scene was necessary—one battle too many. Or it didn’t work—the lighting was bad, etc. For whatever reason, the film you starred in you no longer star in. The film goes on to be number one at the box-office—oh well, at least it got released. Hundreds of movies get filmed that never even get released.

Welcome to Hollywood. Such things happen here. They don’t always happen, but they do happen. The point is not to discourage you. The point is to make you aware so that, if it does happen, you don’t give up.

Good luck.

TRL

Update 3/7/2013: (The 2nd edition of  What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood available now exclusively on Kindle for only $4.99. Get yours now. Click here. Kindle e-books can be read on I-phone, I-pod, I-pad, Android, Mac and PC with the free Kindle App.)