By Guest Blogger, Lane Shefter Bishop, Producer & Principle, Vast Entertainment
www.Vast-Entertainment.com
(310) 288-3535

Click Here to listen to Lane’s interview with Jennifer at 9:00 am EST on the WomensRadio

The number one question I am asked by authors is “Can my book be adapted for television and/or film?”  The answer to this question relies on a couple of things.

First: does your book have a great “hook”? Whereas publishing is all about the writing, adaptation potential is really all about the concept, so it’s vital that your material has a strong one.

Second: is your story unique? Does it stand out from the multitude of other books out there in the exact same genre?  This is key because the number one reason projects get rejected is because they aren’t fresh and new, because it feels like we’ve “seen it before.”

Third: does it appeal to a wide audience? This is the most important element because the wider your reading audience, the wider the viewing audience and the more appeal it has to studios, networks and production companies.

Personal expression novels and art house films are great, but they rarely see a large return, big audiences or adaptation to other mediums.

If the answer to all three of the questions above is a resounding “yes” then there is strong potential that your novel could be sold for adaptation to a film or television project.

So the next question arises “where do I start?”  The best way to start is to find the right Producer for your material so that they can try and make a deal for your book with the appropriate distributor.  Finding the right Producer is just as important as finding the right Publisher, so do your homework.  Find out what type of material a Producer typically produces before getting in touch with them and make sure that your material is a good fit for what that person normally gravitates towards.

Also, understand that most Producers don’t have time to read, so don’t approach them with the idea that they are going to read your entire book right away.  That’s why your “hook” is so important.  Be prepared with a logline – a one sentence TV Guide-like summary – of your book, and have a one-page summary of the story available as well.  And remember, these are selling tools, not simply a dry summary of the action, so be creative and make sure both write-ups sound interesting.

Believe me, if both the logline and the one-pager intrigue the Producer, you can be assured they will ultimately request a copy of the book to read in its entirety.

Lastly, be realistic, don’t expect to write your own screenplay from your book, nor act in the production, nor receive any creative control over the project.  If you do, you’ll be disappointed and may even be the cause of your own deal falling through.

Click Here to listen to Lane’s interview with Jennifer at 9:00 am EST on the WomensRadio