Five Steps to Your Novel Becoming a Blockbuster Movie

The ultimate for any book author is to see their work dramatized on the big screen, which, now-a-days can be anything from a major motion picture to made-for-television, Hulu, or Netflix adaptations. While the odds don’t favor this, just remember all of today’s renowned authors were unknown at some time.  But, how would one begin getting your book noticed and made into a film? Let me suggest these “Five Steps to Your Novel Becoming a Blockbuster Movie.”

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1. Discovery by a Producer - The film industry has one question: “Is it a movie?” By pitching your book to them, producers see your book project in its original and purest form. If they can visualize the movie adaptation of your novel just from reading it, an interested producer will offer you an option for your book and will hire professional screen-writers to adapt it into a screenplay. If you are an author with one of the big publishing houses, they will already have contacts within the movie business. For self-published authors, finding a producer willing to gamble on you is a rockier road.

2. Creating the Treatment– A “treatment” is your best effort to define your book as a movie. Also referred to as a proposal, it presents a clear synopsis of your story and its purpose. It is very often the first and only chance you have to make your project’s pitch. A typical treatment includes a cover letter (much like the query letter to a book-publisher) that summarizes your book’s plot and tells a little bit about you ‒ its author. A treatment usually includes your book-outline chapter-by-chapter, addressing the characters, the conflict, and its resolution ‒ all in about 100 words per chapter.

3. Optioning – “Optioning” means a producer will buy from you the exclusive rights to turn your book into a movie ‒ within a set time frame. Options typically run for 12 to 18 months with a clause allowing extension, if both parties agree. Thus limited, they are a bit tricky ‒ depending on how reliable the producer is. Getting an option on your book or screenplay doesn’t guarantee it will ever make it to the silver screen.

If you’re pitching your book’s screenplay version; however, your response could be either optioning or selling.

4. The Screenplay Advantage – The screenplay helps agents and producers visualize your book’s story as a movie in their most-familiar format. Creating your own screenplay and pitching it to potential producers gives you more control over the creative process. This may be important. Although production-house screenwriters will often work with the author to ensure they remain true to the characters and themes of the book, the movie studio usually insists on the right to alter the story to create a more commercial or more general audience-pleasing movie.

So, if you have the money, consider hiring a professional screenwriter to turn your book into a screenplay. Hiring a screenwriter with a proven track record and stellar industry reputation can help your story impress the right people. It also gives you the ability to choose exactly who you think is right for the job.

A book agent can both pitch your book to publishers and can connect you to a film agent ‒ or help you shop the film rights directly.

5. Using the Power of Proven Audience - Producers are always on the lookout for material with a built-in audience. So, if your book has already sold thousands of copies, a producer may show interest in turning it into a film. You can find producers and production companies (through IMDB pro) and contact them directly by searching for people who have made films before in your genre and similar to your story.

Again, as the ultimate experience is to see your work dramatized before a huge audience all-at-once on the big screen in the form of a major motion picture, made for television drama, or adaption by Netflix or Hulu. At Leadership Book, we can help you publish your book, build its audience, and then – using our network of contacts – find interest within the movie community in getting your work produced into a film. Contact one of our literary consultants today to begin your journey, today!

If you have a story to tell, let Leadership Book help you tell it!

Leadership Books Publishing is an emerging powerhouse in book publishing. We’ve joined the two worlds of traditional and self-publishing into one company that can help do it all. Our capabilities and relationships allow us to create targeted and integrated book campaigns that mobilize high-profile contacts in your niche, capitalize on word-of-mouth marketing through social marketers, and extend your reach into the most prominent media publications. Our authors have the unparalleled service of an Executive Editor, one who will work with you in putting your story ideas into book form. Once that’s completed, our professional designers will work with you to design the cover and interior to make your book ready to sell.

Leadership Book markets your book by distributing to every major book seller on three continents.

About Michael Stickler

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