Book to Film

First, did you retain movie rights in your publishing deal? If it's self-published with one of the subsidy publishers, did you check your contract to be certain that you can offer those rights during the term?

Once you've established that you have the ability to offer the rights, then the person to contact at the production company will depend on the individual production company. You might have better luck asking this question over in the Script Writing forum, because I'm betting there's a manner that it has to be presented (I think they call it a treatment, but movie stuff admittedly isn't my thing.) If I can find the Mod for this forum online I'll see if I can get them to move this question over there for you. Good luck.

ishtar'sgate said:

I'd like to submit my novel for consideration to a film company. Who within a film company is the correct person to query? Exec VP of Production? Someone else?
Linnea

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I guess the first question is -- is this a published novel? Self-published? Unpublished? Do you own the adaptation rights? All rights?

Generally, within any company, the person that you would want to make contact with would be the Director of Development. If there is no one in the company with that title, there is generally someone known as the "Creative Executive." That would be the person in question that you would want to speak to.

But I should tell you -- if the novel hasn't been published at all, it's going to be an iffy conversation, since the obvious question that I, as an exec would ask (and I worked on this side of the road for quite awhile, so it's a question I would have asked) would run something along the lines of, "Well, Linnea, if you couldn't get anybody to buy it as a novel, why do you think that we'd be interested in buying it as a movie?"

The question might be couched in friendlier terms -- or less friendly, depending on who you're talking to, but don't think that it won't get asked, and you'd better have an answer.

NMS

ishtar'sgate said:

nmstevens, thanks for the warning. Yes, this is a published novel. In my contract under subsidiary rights it says the author grants the publisher authority to market film and television rights with the author to receive 90% and the publisher 10% of the gross revenues. As far as I can tell all I'm granting is the authority to market the license but that doesn't prohibit me from doing the same as long as the revenues are shared as per my contract. Yes or no?

Linnea

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Hi Linnea - if you're on good terms with your publisher, I'd speak to them first. If not, ask a lawyer/your agent because there MAY be (depending on the wording in your contract) a 'sole agency' provision in there or a consultation provision at least so that, for example, you and your publisher don't end up contacting the same prodco at the same time. Good luck and well done with your published novel!!!

Who within a film company is the correct person to query? Exec VP of Production? Someone else?

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I'm concentrating on a film company whose target audience corresponds to my primary readership.

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this is easy - just call the company and ask the person who answers the phone who to direct your query to. they will tell you who and how you should query as well.

good luck!

ishtar'sgate said:

nmstevens, thanks for the warning. Yes, this is a published novel. In my contract under subsidiary rights it says the author grants the publisher authority to market film and television rights with the author to receive 90% and the publisher 10% of the gross revenues. As far as I can tell all I'm granting is the authority to market the license but that doesn't prohibit me from doing the same as long as the revenues are shared as per my contract. Yes or no? I'm concentrating on a film company whose target audience corresponds to my primary readership. Thanks for suggesting some possible contact professionals.
Linnea

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I'm betting you don't have the right--at least not without the publisher's direct (in writing) consent for you to approach production companies. Unless subsidiary rights are EXCLUDED from a contract, the publisher gets that right. Look at the "Grant of Rights" section (often on the first page.) I'll bet you see language similar to:

"The author hereby grants exclusively to the Publisher the following rights in and to the work of fiction during the term of XXX including the sole and exclusive right to print or otherwise reproduce...AND THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS SPECIFIED IN PARAGRAPH XXX" [emphasis added]

Publishing contract clauses add to and subtract from each other. If you didn't retain the rights by striking out the clause in the subsidiary section, then you can only work with the publisher's specific approval.

Have an entertainment attorney look at your contract to see what rights you have the ability to offer. Then, if you find you don't have this right, contact the publisher to see if they would mind you seeking sale of the rights. They probably won't stop you because they win too. But get it in writing, so there's no misunderstanding. You won't be able to SIGN the contract with a production company, since you won't have the authority. But you can certainly broker the deal.

Good luck!

I'm just asking, shouldn't this go through your agent? I mean, if anyone can just pick up the phone and call a film company exec to offer novel adaptation rights, we'd all be doing it. The idea seems kinda bizarre to me, that's all. Don't get me wrong, good luck and all that, do let us know if anything comes of it. But I thought deals like this came via agents or, if you're doing it yourself, via connection events like the pitch conference at the upcoming San Diego film festival. Anyone, correct me if I'm wrong, please.

And I'm not trying to be a pooper or anything, but I were an exec (which I'm not) my first question would probably be something like, "How many weeks was your book at the top of the best-seller list?" -- i.e. how many millions of diehard fans will queue for tickets and buy the DVD. After all, the two major factors in option or sale of novel rights are fanbase and commercial appeal.

My second question would probably be, "Who do you see in the lead role, and why?" But that's just me.

-Derek

Fair enough, can't argue with that.

Needless to say, best have your 25-word logline plus a one-pager synopsis ready. Maybe thumbnail main character sketches, too. "Tell me about your protag. What's her goal?" No humming and hawing allowed.

May the Force, etc.

-Derek