Publish screenplay as a scriptbook first?

I'm no expert, but I'd imagine that scripts only get published in book form after the film has been made, to help satisfy the insatiable needs of obsessive fans (and make a few quid).

No. I can't think of a single example. Script books are usually only released for hit movies, award winners and TV shows but even those are not big money-makers for the publisher.

You can always buy unproduced scripts but I can't imagine anyone putting them into book form.

Who ever wanted to make the script into a movie would simply have to purchase the rights, as with any other litererary property.

There are, what, fifty thousand unproduced scripts floating around Hollywood at any given time, scripts solicited by prodcos, agents, execs, etc.? Not much value for a publishing market place that's already overcrowded with legit fiction.

It would be better to find an artist, and publish the script as a graphic novel. Proof that a story is visually compelling and can find some kind of audience.

Captain Morgan said:

Years ago I picked up the Alien Resurrection SCRIPTBOOK (by accident) from HarperPrism. Not that I was terribly upset by the mistake.

I noticed this must have been a one-shot beta test for the company, as they never released an official scriptbook again. However, I have been doing some thoughts. Assume a writer, writes a movie script, despite he hasn't written a novel adaptation. Also assume, there is no one who wanted to purchase it and create a movie. Is it still possible to perhaps, find a publisher who would still market it as word-for-word book, such as with the Alien Resurrection scriptbook?

And if so, could this create a headache of problems later on, if someone decides to finally make it into a movie?

I don't think I've heard of a Script being published first as a SCRIPT-BOOK, and then going into a movie & novel form after.

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I don't think anyone else has either. Who would publish such a thing and why would they publish it?

A screenplay based on a movie that doesn't exist because you haven't been able to sell it to anyone?

Now, there's a ringing endorsement to take to a prospective publisher.

I could just see the blurb on the cover -- "Soon NOT to be a Major Motion Picture."

I suppose you could always "self-publish" or go through a vanity-press -- but then one can always do that with anything.

I don't know what the advantage of doing something like that might be, other than that, I suppose, you would have published the work prior to selling it (presuming that you did) -- and then, maybe, might then assert that you owned the copyright and were only selling the movie rights.

The trouble is -- it's not a novel -- it's a screenplay. What other rights are embodied in a screenplay, other than the movie rights? Are you simply asserting that you retain the rights to continue to publish it -- as a screenplay?

The whole thing, indeed, might very well become rather confused.

NMS

Hi all,

I frequently post on the various book forums, so forgive me if this has been covered.

Since it's "easier" to get a book published than a script produced, some people (I recall Roger Ebert saying this once in an interview, as well) suggest turning a script into a novel, trying to get it sold and then seeing if someone will option the script you've already written based on it. (I realize this is not the same as the scriptbook you mention, just a thought.)

I've been considering that with one of my scripts. (10 years of screenwriting yielding 3 options for little money will do that to you.) Anyone with experience/opinions on that? Again, if this has been covered, perhaps point me to the thread?

Prevostprincess said:

Hi all,

I frequently post on the various book forums, so forgive me if this has been covered.

Since it's "easier" to get a book published than a script produced, some people (I recall Roger Ebert saying this once in an interview, as well) suggest turning a script into a novel, trying to get it sold and then seeing if someone will option the script you've already written based on it. (I realize this is not the same as the scriptbook you mention, just a thought.)

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People say it's "easier" to get published because more books get put out every year than movies. However...more people are trying to be novelists than script writers as well. Also those numbers include self published and non-fiction, and so on and so forth. So most of the relevant books when you get right down to it, aren't even in the catagory you are trying for. It seems to me it's just about as hard if not as hard to get published than it is to get a movie made. They also require a different writing mindset and a whole different set of rules. If you want to take the time to learn all that and really want to be a novelist, go for it. If you want to be a script writer, writing novels won't get you there any faster IMHO.

icerose said:

People say it's "easier" to get published because more books get put out every year than movies. However...more people are trying to be novelists than script writers as well. Also those numbers include self published and non-fiction, and so on and so forth. So most of the relevant books when you get right down to it, aren't even in the catagory you are trying for. It seems to me it's just about as hard if not as hard to get published than it is to get a movie made. They also require a different writing mindset and a whole different set of rules. If you want to take the time to learn all that and really want to be a novelist, go for it. If you want to be a script writer, writing novels won't get you there any faster IMHO.

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I'd have to agree with the above. It's no cakewalk these days to make a first-time book sale and even if you do, what you're likely to get is a "mid-list" release -- you can't expect it to end up on the bestseller list.

And while I suppose that it might happen that a relatively unknown book with small sales might get optioned, you shouldn't expect to be the one hired to write the screenplay, since you have no credits to your name -- and unless the book is an enormous hit you're not in a position to leverage yourself into a screenwriting gig.

Nor would such an option -- unless the movie was ultimately made and was a big success, really do much for you, in terms of advancing your goal as a *screenwriter* -- although it might help you if you were planning on writing another novel.

You might consider developing it as a graphic novel, if you could find an artist willing to partner with you. But you should understand that developing such a project represents a significant commitment of time and effort on an artist's part for a full-length graphic novel, which generally runs around a hundred pages.

Unless you can pitch the project to a GN publisher and get them to pay you for it (not so easy, any more than pitching it as a movie) -- then you're talking about developing it yourself and taking the risk that, once you've developed it and invested the money in publishing it -- maybe nobody will buy the finished product.

Really, it's not so easy, whatever path you take.

NMS

Thank you both so much! I appreciate your comments and you both make good points.

I do know it's not easy. It look me a VERY long time to get a literary agent and even longer to get a manager.

FYI NMS - my literary agent has a coagent pitching my memoir for possible film rights. And, you're right: No one cares if I write a script based on it, since "there are so many A-list screenwriters out of work."

(I had never even considered a GN. I'm going to have to investigate that.)

I suppose I can see if my memoir does well enough when it's released in June that I get to write another book. Then, perhaps I can write a novel based on that script I have.

Thanks, again.

Actually its been done. Up here in San Francsico, there was a screenwriter named Ron Montanna, took a few of his scripts, turned them into novels and sold them. Then I think he turned around, and based on those sales, optioned the scripts... not sure if they ever got made into films or not. It is a viable path, if that's your question. Is it the right one for you and YOUR projects? Who can say. I only address that it has been done.

And I've considered it myself. I took a novel that I couldn't get published, and turned it into a screenplay that DID get optioned, but not produced. So it's possible to turn one into the other... and have more success with it, or 'some more' success at least.

As to the original post regarding publishing an unproduced screenplay 'as is' - no, I don't think there's a market for it at all.