We were lucky to catch up with Christian Cipollini recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?
The writers life, like all the creative fields, is not a smooth path. I tried for quite some time to navigate the ebb and flow of the writing/publishing business on my own, a DIY ideology, but after years of doing it on my own I finally got to the point where the idea of possibly securing some representation might actually be a logical move. This move was relatively recently, within the last couple years. During the pandemic I made a point to search out possible agents for my recently completed manuscript, but in the course of searching lit agents I stumbled upon an agency that specifically represents historians, subject matter experts, etc. who appear in and/or consult on documentary television shows, movies, etc. I reached out to them because for about a decade I have been negotiating my numerous tv appearances all by myself and swallowed the hard pill realization that I’ve likely ‘given’ away to much of my knowledge and specific insight for way less (sometimes for free!) than I should. I eventually signed on with Past Preservers (based in the UK) in 2021 and I was very pleased with their handling of clients, securing the gigs, and getting clients paid a fair price for the service provided.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m many things, but specifically I’m probably best known as an author and historian, and my primary area of research is in the history of organized crime. I knew at a very young age I had a talent for writing. What I didn’t know until years later was having a skill for finding the metaphorical needle in the haystack, the research element. My journey was rather long and unclear road; I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up… even when I was a grown-up! The seeds however were planted long ago, it just took time, plus a series of gently-burning embers to finally ignite fully. Ultimately my career in this field began with having a police officer dad, a handful of friends who showed me ‘the other side of the tracks’ and a fierce love for books and history. Ambition and circumstance eventually lead to some freelance writing gigs in the entertainment sector, which lead to networking, which lead to landing an interview with a former international drug trafficker. Voila! I found my niche. In 2012 I decided to write my first non-fiction book, then found a small publisher, and the rest is history!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
There’s definitely a driving force, although I’ve struggled to put my finger on what exactly keeps me so passionate about what I do, or rather – the subject matter I study. I think the force behind the drive is this – history, even the darker corners of it (perhaps especially the darker regions), are often misunderstood, misreported, or documented in very black and white terms. Many sectors of history are veiled, blurred lines, viewed too often through hazy lenses. I truly believe that history, even its so-called villains and so-called heroes, is never cut and dry, always keeps a few secrets for later discovery and never fails to try and teach us all something – if we let it. Be it society, economics, psychology, culture, politics… any deep examination of the histories can show three sides to every story, and most importantly – the relevance to whatever current events are at hand. It’s like this – If you really look close, truth is stranger than fiction and the cliche is actually right – history repeats itself.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The lesson I learned is this – you will pivot, and probably many times. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to make (often uncomfortable or unexpected) pivots in career plans, projects or life in general. Having some direction and ambition is key but expecting there WILL BE the unexpected along the way is critical.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ganglandlegendpart2
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiancipollini/
- Twitter: @ganglandlegend
- Other: https://pastpreservers.com/portfolio/christian-cipollini-crime-historian-author-lecturer/