Hollywood and Writers
The key to lasting success in this business is multiple income streams. One of those streams can be licensing for film adaptations. The topic came up recently on one of the writer boards I subscribe to. Hearing short story writers talk about film adaptations and film money reminded me how much I’ve learned about the topic over the years, witnessing the licensing conversations about work by Denise and my ghostwriting clients. I dug through my files, did some research, and put together an article discussing this topic. If you’re a writer who has written even a single book or short story, you will want to read this.
The post is up today at SleuthSayers, the mystery blog. It’s entitled:
Maybe You Don’t Want Hollywood to Turn Your Book Into a Movie!
I know—my title sounds like bullshit. The whole thrust of my article is the fact that you, as a writer, can make money for years optioning your work, getting paid year in, year out, even if they never make your story into a film.
I was moved to write the article when I thought back to the experiences of a few writer friends. They made more money on options that were never made into movies than they did on the advances for those books, and the traditional bookstore sales of those books.
A quick taste of the article:
Most books are never optioned by Hollywood. And the ones that are are rarely made. Notice how many times I have used the word if in discussing everything up to now. As you may have surmised from my headline, I am here to argue that sometimes it’s perfectly okay if an optioned piece of writing never gets made into a movie.
My premise is based on the experience of a friend who started in journalism and later switched to writing narrative nonfiction books. (That’s code for history that doesn’t suck.) All but one of his titles have been New York Times bestsellers. None have been made into movies. His big breakout book sold modestly in hardcover but hit its stride in paperback, when—goes the publishing biz theory—it was eagerly gobbled up by book clubbers who wanted to read a real-life story that “read like a novel.”
Decades later, his breakout book still hasn’t been made into a movie, despite being optioned way back in the early 2000s, and having a revolving door’s worth of name actors, directors, and producers attached to it over the ensuing years.
Said friend is not weeping over this state of affairs. At the time we first met him, he estimated that he had earned $100,000 from a decade’s worth of option money. That figure is now probably $200,000. The studio he signed with just kept extending the option. Again and again and again.
After I wrapped this piece, I felt like I had more to say. I am far from an expert in this world. I’ve never optioned any of my own work, but I’ve been privy to a lot of deals because of my work as a ghostwriter. I plan to circle back to this topic in a few months because it’s a big one, and I have a few other exhibits to share. (If you went and read the article at the above link, you know I’m talking about.)
There are no end of great books about Hollywood and writers out there. It’s practically a genre unto itself. Two fun ones I recommend—affiliate links alert!—are…
Hollywood vs. The Author, Stephen Jay Schwartz, editor.
This is a collection of sobering, often hilarious essays by writers who have worked with Hollywood. Just a fun nonfiction book to sink your teeth into if you like Hollywood gossip and are interested in how writers fare in a city that loves stories but devalues the peeps who write ‘em.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling, by J. Michael Straczynski.
I love this book, I love this author, I just hate spelling his surname. Look the dude up. He’s written a ton of films, TV shows, and comics. He’s the executor of Harlan Ellison’s estate, for fuck’s sake! Lots of great anecdotes about how he become a writer, and the everyday battles to art with integrity. Really fun and funny, too.
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Okay, I’ve thrown a lot at you, including some fun film clips in the SleuthSayers link above. Good and read, ponder, and digest. Off with you, me lad, and be lively!
I usually try to mention one of my books when I post here. Preferably, one that fits the topic I’m writing about. But I’ve never written a book about Hollywood or the movies. But I did write a murder mystery that deals in part with the murder of a sleazy record producer. That’s my cozy mystery, Murder on Book Row, (affiliate link) which has a great new cover.
Click for details (affiliate links).
Theater image copyright 2019 Joseph D’Agnese.
