BASED ON YOUR STORY:
A Guide to Exploring Your Book’s Hollywood Potential
Many self-published authors dream of turning their book into a movie or TV show. But it can be quite challenging to make the transition from publishing to production. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to set the scene and get your book ready for Tinseltown.
Here are some tips on how you can prepare and pitch your book for a film or TV series adaptation.
Part 1: The Book
Prepping your work for Hollywood
Before anything else, make sure you groom your book for a potential screen debut.
| Evaluate Your Book | Increase Readership |
|---|---|
| Author: Can my book be adapted into a movie or TV series? | Author: Will the movie and the television industry notice my work? |
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Tip: Ask yourself: does it have the right elements and enough material to cover the standard movie or TV screen time? If not, maybe you should think about modifying your book for show business. |
Tip: The industry’s decision makers tend to choose books that already have an established readership. That’s why it’s important to focus on building your audience and making promotional efforts. |
| Check Copyright Laws | Make the Pitch |
|---|---|
| Author: Am I violating any copyright laws? | Author: How can I make my book available to agents? |
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Tip: To avoid running into legal problems, you should make sure that your work is original and that no copyrights and trademarks will be violated in the adaptation. |
Tip: If you want to attract agents, you should send a synopsis, a screenplay, or even a film treatment—not a manuscript—to help them visualize your story in a format they’re familiar with. |
Part 2: The Pitch
Making your book available to agents
How do you convince agents and other professionals that your book has Hollywood potential? The trick is to prepare industry-standard materials.
| Get a Book Coverage | Submit a Film Treatment |
|---|---|
| Author: You might want to consider getting a script coverage. This is a thorough synopsis and critical analysis of your book, written by an expert, that you can also use as a quick and concise way to pitch your story. | Author: Prepare a film treatment, which allows you to present a creative roadmap for the adaptation. You can even use this as the first draft for a screenplay. |
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Tip: Ask yourself: does it have the right elements and enough material to cover the standard movie or TV screen time? If not, maybe you should think about modifying your book for show business. |
Tip: The industry’s decision makers tend to choose books that already have an established readership. That’s why it’s important to focus on building your audience and making promotional efforts. |
| Write a Screenplay |
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| Author: I already have a treatment. Maybe I should turn it into a screenplay? |
| Tip: Yes, you should! And as a writer, this is something you can do yourself. Just keep in mind that novels and screenplays are two different written works, especially when it comes to structure and execution. |
Part 3: The Choice
Seeking Professional Help
Taking your book to Tinseltown is an exciting endeavor, but it can also be overwhelming and time-consuming. This is where we come in. If your goal is to make your book available to Hollywood entertainment executives, we can provide the professional tools and support.
| Take Your Book to Tinseltown with Xlibris |
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| Author: How can Xlibris help me get my book to Hollywood? |
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Tip: Our Hollywood Book-to-Screen services can get your story in front of industry professionals looking for fresh material to adapt for the screen. Explore your book’s movie or TV potential with these packages:
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Ready to give Hollywood a shot? Contact your Marketing Consultant today.