A best-seller on self-publishing site iUniverse, Lori Culwell’s Hollywood Car Wash is a now finalist in Media Predict’s Project Publish contest with Touchstone Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. We checked in with Lori for a quick e-mail interview.  

OK: everyone gets this question. Tell us the story of what you’ve gone through to try to get your book into print.
 
Hollywood Car Wash was written last year, after many of friends in the industry told me horror stories and I decided they all needed to be put into a novel.  When I was done I gave it to to my agent, and she sent it around to some publishers.  The main piece of feedback I got was that while they loved the writing, they didn’t think anyone would buy a novel that was based on the inside of the Hollywood industry. Obviously, I disagreed!

So what exactly happens when someone gets the “Hollywood Car Wash”?

Here’s the “Hollywood Car Wash,” in a nutshell.  You can see it on any actress that gets into the business young, and maybe isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as the network might want.  First comes weight loss, then whiter teeth, then blonder hair, then stylish clothes.  Then you start to notice subtle changes, like “Did that person get a new nose?  How come they look so much thinner?”  There are some great before and after shots on my blog, if you’re interested.  Right now, I see this happening to America Ferrerra, which is ironic because she’s in a show called Ugly Betty, but ABC obviously wants to make sure you know she’s NOT REALLY UGLY.

When people think of Hollywood excess, they often think films and movie stars. Your book focuses on television. Are things just as bad there?

The Hollywood machine is really at its most over the top in the film world, but the world of television is also pretty darn hilarious in its total lack of irony.  I chose to focus the book on the world of TV because a lot of young stars start there, then move on to film.  I wanted to show just how someone could start out normal like you and me, and end up like Lindsay Lohan.

Obviously a part of the appeal of this book is the insider angle. How did you learn so many secrets about the industry?

Didn’t you hear that Katie Holmes is my best friend?  No, I’m kidding.  Her rep says she doesn’t know me, she’s never read my book, and she doesn’t think it’s based on her life.  The deal is, I grew up near Los Angeles, I have a lot of friends in the industry (some of whom, yes, have friend-divorced me by now), and my husband is in the industry (he’s the “voice” of Ford and DirectTV, and has been on Family Guy), so collectively, we know a bunch of people in the business.
 
Like another finalist, The Didymus Contingency, Hollywood Car Wash first got its start at a print-on-demand site, in your case iUniverse. What made you want to go that route? Has it been a good move for you?
 
It’s been great!  I’ve sold thousands of copies of the book, gained a bunch of new fans, the book has been featured in a bunch of magazines and has even been optioned for TV!    I’ve also been the featured book of some book clubs, which has been a blast, and I’m on a panel at the West Hollywood Book Fair this weekend.  I definitely wouldn’t have had this experience if I’d just accepted the first impression that “no one wants to read a book about Hollywood.”  Not true!  Even on my small scale, I have been blown away by the response.  I’m so excited for the book to get out to a bigger audience! 

So what do you think needs to happen to improve the book business? Are the best books making it before audiences?

What’s sad is that the public doesn’t know how many great books there are out there that never even see the light of day.   I think Media Predict is a great tool in democratizing the publishing industry, and making it not so insular.  Give the people what they want!  Also, I think it’s gratifying for writers who withstand so much rejection and sometimes give up.  It’s important to remember that sometimes the people rejecting you are just plain wrong.  Go with your gut, and keep going no matter what!
 
What other books and projects are you working on?

I’m about halfway done with my next project, Reality Check, which is a story based behind-the-scenes in reality TV.  I think the Hollywood Car Wash audience will appreciate that one as well!  I’m also working on a YA series set in Palm Springs, where I grew up.
 
Are you surprised to be on Media Predict? We doubt six months ago you were planning to be a heavy-weight on “a fantasy-money prediction market for media content.” What made you decide to get on board?

I’m thrilled to be on Media Predict!  Right after you all launched, someone sent me the link from the story in the New York Times and said, “This is so perfect for your book!”  It’s really been true – it’s so gratifying to see that my hunch was right, that people really WOULD respond to a book about Hollywood.  So, it’s great all around.