Dear O'Abby: Is this a real thing?

 Dear O'Abby,

I was recently sent an email from a film production company asking about optioning my book for a film.  Obviously, I was very excited by this, but something about the way the email looked and was worded made me think it might not be 100% genuine.  

Do you know anything about this kind of thing?  I don't want to pass up an amazing opportunity if it's real, but I also don't want to get caught out by a scam.

Yours Truly,

Unscammable

Dear Unscammable,

Firstly, good for you, reaching out when it felt a bit off.  Too many writers don't question these things and there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there preying on writers' dreams.

Basically, any out-of-the-blue offer like this should be treated carefully.  Agents and production companies and publishers don't tend to approach writers for content.  Firstly, they tend to have far too much to deal with already without soliciting, and secondly, if a producer really wanted to option your book, they would first approach your publisher.  Of course, if you are self-published, that might be you, but it's still probably not real.

I suggest you take a look at Writer Beware as Victoria Strauss has been investigating scams that sound a lot like this one (as well as several others).  If your email looks different, it might be worth sending it to her as she will be able to tell you if it's genuine or not.  I've done that myself and she replies very promptly.

It's sad that it's the case, but a good rule of thumb is to always treat these kinds of emails as fake until you can get uncontestable proof that they're real.

Hope that helps!

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: Can I adapt my favorite book as a screenplay?

 Dear O'Abby,

I've been obsessed with a particular book for years, and I have been waiting and waiting for someone to make a movie of it.  So far, no one has and I don't get it because this book has everything a great movie needs - cracking dialogue, interesting characters, exotic locations, the whole nine yards.  So I'm thinking about adapting it myself.  I've done some screenwriting classes, and made some short films that have been screened at film festivals, so I'm not a rookie.

What I was wondering is if I need permission before I write the screenplay?  At this point I'm just a writer without a director or producer or any financiers attached and I am not expecting to get any of these things in place before I finish writing the script, so do I need permission to write it?

Yours,

Adapting

Dear Adapting,

It really depends on the book. Generally, you need permission to adapt a book into a screenplay.  There is often money involved and often you will only get to "option" the book for a certain period of time.  If the book is a really popular one, the amount of money involved is likely to be considerably more than for a book that is less popular.  There is little point in investing the time and effort into writing a screenplay that you will not be able to pitch to a producer or distributor.  Best to get all the rights ironed out before you start writing.

The best thing to do is to contact the publisher of the book you'd like to adapt.  Most big publishing companies have a whole rights department to deal with requests like this.  Don't be surprised if the rights are already with someone else.  Find out when their option expires if you can, and make sure you enquire again before that date.  Whoever holds those rights may wish to renew their option, but if you're in there with a fresh offer, you may be able to get them.

Alternatively, if you can find out who holds the rights, you may be able to buy the option from them.  If it's a property they've had hanging around for a while without the project progressing much, it may not be that difficult.

If the book is out of copyright and in the public domain (see Operation Awesome: Public Domain 2022), you will not need to obtain the rights before writing your screenplay.  

I hope this is helpful and good luck with your adaptation (if you manage to get the rights).

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: How do I get my book made into a movie?

 Dear O'Abby,

I've just completed a novel and without fail, all the people who have read it have commented on the fact they feel like it would make a great movie or limited series.  I agree with them, but have no clue how to even start getting a book, which at this stage is not even published, made into a movie.

Do you know anything about this process?

All the best,

Starry-Eyed

Dear Starry-Eyed,

I actually do know a bit about this, but I think you may be putting the cart a little in front of the proverbial horse if your book isn't even published.  Yes, there are authors whose books have been optioned pre-publication, but they are usually established and have agents with connections in Hollywood or their own filmmaking connections.

What usually happens is that a filmmaker - a writer, director or producer - reads a published novel and sees its potential to be a film or series.  They will then reach out to the publisher of said book to find out if it is available for option.  An option is a legal term for acquiring the rights to a book for a period of time - usually a year - but does not mean that a film of the book will actually ever be made.  At the option stage, while a legal contract will be entered into, there is often no payment, especially if the book is not a best-seller or the author is unknown.  If more than one person is interested in optioning the same book, the amount of money becomes competitive.

But this doesn't mean your book will be made into a film.  Most options lapse before the film gets made, even when they are extended beyond the initial option period.  Making a film is expensive, and most producers don't have the money to make a film on their own.  They will need to attach financing partners to the project to meet the anticipated production budget.

Film financing comes from a variety places.  Private investment, government funding, crowd-funding and tax offsets can all make up parts of a film's budget.  Another important component is often market money which comes from sales agents and/or distributors based on their perception of how well the film will perform in the market.  A well known book with a recognisable title will obviously have greater market value than a self-published one that may have only generated a handful of sales.

While the producer is out there raising the money to make the film, a screenwriter will likely be toiling away in the background adapting the novel into something that will be compelling on screen.  For the most part it is unlikely that the book's author will be contracted to write the screenplay.  It does happen, but unless the writer has screenwriting experience, especially in adaptations, it is more likely that a screenwriter will be employed. 

If the producers are successful in raising the financing and the film is greenlit, the author will receive a contract outlining what payment they can expect.  This will be in the form of a percentage of the budget, so a bigger-budget film will generate a larger payday for the author.  It is also possible that an author can negotiate to get a percentage of overall profits from the film, but it's worth remembering that the majority of films never actually make it into profit and a percentage of profits can be at the expense of the upfront payment.

And that's a very brief and simplified overview of how it works. I suggest that at this stage, unless you have close contacts in the film world you can get your book in front of, the best thing you can do is to try and get it published and make it as successful as possible so people notice it.

Best of luck with everything.

X O'Abby