Ruby Preston guest post

I was recently given a chance to read and be  Show Biz: Ruby Preston and I will be posting my review of that tomorrow, but today we get a guest post from Ruby. 

The Intersection of Broadway and Books

By Ruby Preston

When I first made the decision to write a book I knew I’d have to tackle a learning curve. After all, the publishing world and the Broadway world are worlds apart, right? Wrong! It turns out that, while there are some simple logistical differences, Broadway and books actually have a lot in common.

For one thing, the same rules apply for success: talent, persistence, and luck! In both writing and theater you have be good at what you do, stick with it through thick and thin, and be in the right place at the right time.

Writers and theater people are all faced with impossible odds for capturing people’s entertainment time and dollars. And yet, both books and theater have the power to transform lives and make a life-long impact if done well.

The interesting challenge for me was switching which side of the table I was on, so to speak. As a Broadway producer, a big part of my job is to read through piles of script submissions to find something I can run with - much like publisher does with manuscripts. It’s a difficult job because there are a million factors I have to take into account when I evaluate a script and I sometimes have to turn down shows that I think are wonderful.

Being suddenly in the position of submitting my work as a writer, I found a refreshing new perspective that is very much informing my approach to producing. I’m getting a much better sense of how I want to communicate and constructively interact with the theater writers who are offering up their work for my consideration.

Whether Broadway or books, I’m thrilled that I get to play in two such exciting communities of dedicated, creative and brilliant artists. Both industries are facing big challenges and even bigger opportunities and I’m happy to be along for the ride.