Should I put out my film script or cable series as an e-book?

How many instances have you heard of where scripts were self-published in e-format and ended up being discovered by a good production company?

And how does that success rate compare to the success rate of a more usual submission process?

espresso said:

Hello!
My writing partner and I have a Comedy-Drama that started as a film script; we didn't quite get an agent; then, we converted into pilot for poss. cable series (hour-long). It's been languishing - mainly as I'd like to do some revising; and, also, don't quite want to sign all those releases one needs to if one doesn't have an agent.

So, as I'm writing a non-fic e-book, it just occurred to me that perhaps if we "released" it into the e-book space it might actually get some nibbles from a production company. But, don't know if this has been done.

Ideas? Thanks! K

my freelance writer's site: http://www.fleurfreelance.wordpress.com/

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If you want to rewrite your work as a novel and attempt to get it published, that might be route to getting recognition. That's certainly a possibility.

However, getting it published by a real publisher as opposed to e-publishing is obviously far better in terms of achieving that goal -- and, of course, necessarily a lot harder.

E-publishing is the modern-day equivalent of vanity press publishing -- self-publishing. Anyone can do it.

The fact that you have chosen to spend your own money to publish your own work isn't something that's necessarily going to impress anyone. In fact, I'm prepared to guarantee that, in itself -- it won't.

Not unless something magical happens and your e-book takes off in some truly dramatic way and tops the e-publishing sales charts.

Becomes a phenomenal success, in itself.

But that will take a lot of work because the e-world is full of self-published works, most of which nobody has ever even heard of. Most of which, don't deserve to be heard of by anybody.

That's because they are vanity press publications that *deservedly* don't warrant publication at a professional level.

For you to get your work, once written, once e-published to poke it's head up above all of that stuff, would necessarily take a lot of marketing work -- and that would also take time and money. In itself.

And still no real guarantee of success or monetary return.

And given that your purpose is only to do this in order to promote your work in some other medium, you really to ask whether it's worth going down a rather long and winding road.

And as for publishing the work *as* a screenplay or teleplay -- don't do this. Part of what a buyer looks for and values in a work is exclusivity.

One of the first questions everyone asks when they get a script is, "where has it been" -- because they always want to be first or one of the first people to see it. A script that's been around, that lots of people have seen (and presumably passed on) is a script that nobody is particularly interested in.

The bloom is off the rose.

A script that's been, in essence, "published" on line for all the world to see, has a certain taint to it. There's a sense that it's been passed around in a casual and careless way.

The bloom is totally off such a rose.

So don't do it.

NMS

I know someone who turned two of his scripts into novels and got them published, back in the nineties. (Before e publishing), So in the sense that you've got a 'story' that can be fleshed out into a novel - sure, that's a viable path. Provided of course the story is any good, and you can convince a publisher to publish it.

There is I think, ONE example of a script being posted online, and getting produced. Happened last year - very funny raunchy script - the name escapes me at the moment. But that was sort of a 'one off'. Like Blair Witch. If you do it first, great. But after that there's a flood of 'em.

Do some research into e-publishing. In order to succeed, you have to do some really good promotion/marketing. Are you good at that? Can you afford to hire someone who is? What is 'success' to you? A couple of sales a day, a week, an hour?

There's nothing wrong with your concept. Publish the story, get noticed, sell the screenplay.

But it's not a 'short cut' if that's what you think. It's going to take time and effort and probably at least a little money. If you've got that - great. You can spend those resources there - or writing another script.

OR split your time between them.

Every choice has a cost, and a benefit.

espresso said:

Thanks for your replies. Actually, have heard of several production cos. who have found people on I-net - not necessarily e-books, but sometimes. The script for "Juno," in fact, happened in this way.

But, yes, I haven't heard of scripts as e-books or in that self-pub format. However, because I'm just getting into this, there might be something out there I'm unaware of; that's why I wrote.

Would love any other input --

Thanks.

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I find this very difficult to believe. Diablo Cody had previously written and published a successful book about her experiences as a stripper. Mason Novick, her manager/producer encouraged her to write a screenplay, which was Juno -- and there would have been no reason for a plugged in manager to toss his client's work out on the net. He already had established relationships with the studios and would have simply picked up the phone, called all the executives with whom he had established relationships at the various studios, pitched the project and sent it over (with himself, of course, attached as producer).

So I'm not sure in what context you heard this, but it must, in large measure, be apocryphal.

NMS

First, stop believing hype and rumors . 'Instant success' tends to mean a decade of labor and building towards a skillset.

While I know people who have sold SCREENPLAYS by having them online (Inktip, for instance) I have yet to hear about someone releasing a screenplay as an ebook with any response at all.

Nor have any books gotten interest without selling well, unless it's a personal friend of a small company. I'm doing a trailer for one of those right now. There is ZERO money involved. (The writer is hoping to raise some funds to shoot the full film from the trailer - NOT the book.)

Another example of Spec script - to successful novel - back to successful screenplay is "Dances With Wolves".

To make rabbit stew - first catch a rabbit.

To follow this formula, fist write a great script. THEN turn it into a TERRIFIC novel. Convince a publisher to publish it. Hollywood is not beating the door down for e-published novels... at this time. They'd rather see that someone else has spent money on the story, and built up a following.