Stage32 offers plenty of pay-to-play pitch sessions for screenplays... but does anyone have leads, recommendations, advice on pitching NOVELS to Hollywood that could be converted to screenplays?
I've written 16 novels and only 2 screenplays. I have some content that could be great for the big screen, but don't want to spend years re-writing novels as screenplays if there's no interest in them. I'm sure someone out there in Hollywood etc looks for books that would make great movies... no?
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Hi David - the studios have book scouts that read galley proofs and pursue what they want. Many production companies do the same. While having coffee in the WB Cafe a few years ago I sat down and ended up chatting with a woman who pitches books to the studios. She would read the books on her own, and over the course of a few years became very successful at it. When a book was optioned or purchased she would collect whatever percentage of the sale (or option) that was negotiated from the author. I don't remember her name. So there are a number of people who do this. It's just a matter of playing detective and finding them.
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Clint Eastwood for sure has such a book scout as he's mostly filmed adapted books over the last years. Hence, best idea would be to figure out the names of all these book scouts and send a copy to them. I just googled for it and figured out there are even book scout agencies like this one looking for books: http://buchscout.net/en/
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Just want to mention that we do quite often offer pitch sessions for those who have existing IP, but no screenplay. If you ever have any questions about these sessions, drop Erik an email at Erik@stage32.com
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That's cool, Richard. Didn't know this although I'm always checking the available pitch sessions. Thanks for the hint!
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Getting more and more common, Elisabeth. Also on the rise...Authors submitting the first few chapters of a book in the hopes that there will be interest in developing into a film. The demand for content is changing the way it's discovered.
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@Richard Probably because the ways how to discover good stories have been multiplied by the internet. Wonder if it's already also possible for screenwriters to offer the first 20 pages only and get an option for the script or even hired right away.
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Definitely not there yet, Elisabeth. Especially for first time writers. Those who sell, get to pitch. Those who have not sold yet, have to write specs.
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Thanks for the feedback peeps~
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It will be hard to get book scouts interested in backlist titles, I'm afraid, but it doesn't hurt to try. Book scouts must focus on frontlist titles. I'd recommend querying or pitching producers and book-to-film agents/managers over book scouts.
If one of your books has good sales and good press, bite the bullet and produce a spec script. If one goes, more will follow.
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I respectfully disagree with the above. 1) Not every author is (or wants to be) a screenwriter. 2) If the book really does have good sales that make it an attractive IP, it may be easier to attract a screenwriter/director/producer with a track record with the book itself than with an adaptation by a non-professional screenwriter. That said, if the adapted screenplay is awesome, then of course, use the script as the bait. As we all know, there's more than one way to skin a cat, so as CJ Walley says, do what makes you happy.
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I appreciated this because I too am and has been interested in getting my Novels submitted for revue in the desire to have them noticed for film...very informative discussion thanks
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If you ever want me to write the scripts, let me know. There are some agents that deal with book to script kind of deals but you would have had to have sold a lot of books for that to happen.
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Step one - become a bestseller.
Rachael... Working On It !