Veterans of television, film, music, entrepreneurship and more discuss their experiences within the entertainment industry. Past Industry Insight’s include: Spike Lee, Roberta Flack, Jackee Harry and Antoine Fuqua.

With a plethora of entertainment industry experience in film, television, public relations and journalism, Sherri McCovey has knowledge that any entertainment aspirant can learn from. The New York Times best selling author discusses how she got her start in the business and how her personal experiences are reflected in her work.

AimerAmour: Where did you grow up and how did you get into entertainment?

Sherri McCovey: I really didn’t think about a career in entertainment until after I graduated from college. At the time, Bentley Evans was doing a lot in terms of entertainment. He’s the first person within my circle of friends that really made a mark in the entertainment industry.  He let us know about the behind the scenes aspects of the industry.  Prior to that key information, I had no idea how the business worked.  I interviewed Bentley for a magazine article I was writing.  At the time, Bentley was at the early stage of his writing career on the sitcom “Martin”.  He explained to me what he did and encouraged me to think about writing for television. After graduating from Spelman College, my first job in entertainment was working on the Rolanda Watts daytime talk show in New York.  I was the travel coordinator.  That position gave me the opportunity to learn about all of the various jobs in production.  I also worked on the Tempest Bledsoe daytime talk show before moving back to Los Angeles to work as the assistant to the Executive Producer on Eddie Murphy’s movie, “Dr. Dolittle”.  Production took one year and then another year for post-production and the movie to be released.  Thereafter, I realized that I didn’t want to do film unless it was my own because the process for film is so much longer than the process for television.

After Dr. Dolittle, I was an associate producer in the music department for Keenan Ivory Wayans’ late night talk show, which involved interviewing guests and talent wrangling.  It was a great learning experience.  After that I was a publicist for a start up children network called – Fox Family Channel.  I wrote content for press kits, talent bios and synopsis of shows.  I was laid off from that position because I was a temp.  I had been writing several different spec scripts so that when the opportunity came, and someone asked for it, they would be ready.  I knew that if one door closed another would open.  About one week later, I got an interview with the Executive Producer of the sitcom “The Parkers”.  I went in and pitched the idea for Nikki and Kim to pledge together and it was based on a real life experience.  I pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. with my mother.  It was a unique experience because that’s not exactly a process you want to do with your mother who is 25 years older than you.

That experience led me to pitch my first story idea and Sara Finney Johnson, who was the creator of “Moesha” and “The Parkers” bought it.  I didn’t get a job as a writer.  Sara Finney Johnson asked me to be her assistant.  At first I was going to say no, but I humbled myself and took the job and it was a great decision that has changed the course of my career.  My idea became the premiere episode for the series, “The Parkers”.  I didn’t get to write the episode but I got a story by credit which got me into the writers guild.

AA: Can you discuss what you’ve learned in your process to writing a book?

SM: Working on the show, I became friends with  Mo’Nique and one day and asked if I’d be interested in writing a book with her. It had been one of my goals to write a book but I really had no idea how to go about it or the process of getting a book deal.  Mo’Nique was represented by the William Morris Agency who wanted her to write a book and already had a writer for her. She told the agency she wanted to write it with me and they had me send over what I had already written. The agent ripped it apart and said it couldn’t be a book. I told Mo’Nique what had happened and thanked her for the opportunity. Her response was not to worry about what anyone had said, she still wanted to work on the book with me. That was big for me because in this business, you don’t get a lot of people that are loyal to you. Most people want results the first time and if you don’t get it done then-later for you.

So I reached out to an editor named Manny Barron, who was about to leave the publishing industry to become an agent. He liked the idea of our book but he let me know he was about to work for the William Morris Agency. I explained to him that they had already turned down the book but he assured me that once he was settled he would make sure it was he first project. In the month that it took him to transition, he told me to write a book proposal because that is the first step in getting a book deal. I didn’t know anything about a book proposal-how to write one or what it should look like so I went to the book store the next day and brought, “How to write a Book Proposal”. For the course of the month I was sending revisions, to Manny Barron and he helped me along the process of what it took to complete the proposal. Once it was done, Barron took it and shopped it. We got six publishers who were interested in the book and so Mo’Nique and I flew to New York and we went to each of the publishers. At the end of week, two came in with the same bid and we ended up going with Simon and Schuster. The book “Skinny Women are Evil” landed on the New York Times Best Seller list within two weeks of its release.Fast forward to when we started developing the Monique show which launch in 2009. In the interim, after the success of “Skinny Women are Evil”, we wrote a cook book called “Skinny Cooks cant be Trusted” and then we wrote a teen fiction novel called “Becon Hills High” about a full figured teenage girl in high school. It was based on both on Mo’Nique’s experience growing up as a full figured teen in Baltimore, Maryland, and my experiences at Beverly Hills High School. It was also an homage to the book “Are you there God its me Margaret” by Judy Bloom which is our favorite book. “Becon Hills High” is also a coming of age story-girls go through so many things at a young age and wonder how to deal with their emotions.

 

AA: What is your current title and what other projects are you working on?

SM: On B.E.T’s “The Mo’nique Show”, its our second season and I’m coordinating producer. I work with our six producing teams. We produce six shows a week. I shape each script; make sure it sounds like what Mo’Nique would say. Make sure it’s tailored to her and that we have a really well rounded script and show.

AA: Advice for females that want to be in the industry but don’t know how to get their foot n the door?

SM: There are so many different jobs and opportunities that are available now that weren’t available when I was going to school. You can start your own blog and as it becomes more popular, you can get a deal based off your blog. Keep a journal, always write, come up with creative ways to express your self and put it up on the internet. Its very important that you find a mentor, someone that’s doing what you want to do and ask them for advice. Ask them, when their not busy to give you feed back on something you’ve been working on.

AA: A particular experience or turning point in your career that has stuck with you over the years?

SM: “If you say you’re a writer then write” and “Staying prepared” have always stuck with me. Those mantras are really important to me. I always try to make sure if an opportunity is going to open itself up to me, I am prepared. One of the things that I’ve always kept in the forefront of my mind is that, if this is what I’m supposed to do, God will make a way and he always has. Also, you better pray if you’re going to be in this industry because it’s not easy and often frustrating. But to have your article published, your book in a store or your show on TV is rewarding and makes all of the work worth it. I’ve come to understand that even when I’m not busy, it doesn’t mean that I’m not busy. The times when I’m not working on a show, I feel like its God giving the opportunity to catch up, recharge, and be prepared for the next opportunity that will soon show itself.

AA: In addition to writing another book, are there any other projects that you have in development?

SM: I always have things that I’m working on. I just sold something that I’m really excited about. I’m in the process of developing a one hour drama and a half hour show. I have two feature films that I’ve written with Camille Tucker and I also have a project with Sara Finney Johnson that we’re actively trying to shop and get made.

AA: How do you strengthen your relationships with people that you network with?

SM: If you’ve attended an HBCU, you can go to any major city and know someone that went to the same school as you. There’s nothing like power of a black college experience. When I meet people and I think that person is someone that will be in the position to help me later on, I don’t just want to talk to that person when I need them, the easiest way to just develop a friendship with that person. After exchanging cards with someone, I’ll invite them out for coffee, if I have an extra ticket to a concert or show I think they may be interested in, I’ll invite them and that gives me the opportunity to connect with them on a different level. When you reach out to people only because you need them, it doesn’t come off as genuine. One of this biggest lessons I’ve learn and share is that people most often do business with people they not only know but have formed a relationship with.