The right pitch, the right timing, and the right partner can get you to the right audience
There are two familiar paths a self-published novelist can possibly take to achieve a box office hit: pitch to a producer or pitch to a screenwriter. Just like any produced material, there is always some form of pitching involve if you wish to put your work out there for the world to consume. Marketing is a crucial part for every pursuit. A typical scenario for self-published writers would start off with paying loads of cash upfront to gain coverage. Then, possibly, generate a return of that effort in the form of either more book sales or expressed interests from film executives. It’s close to the ending every self-published writer hopes to achieve. Luckily, it’s not the only one out there.
Ashley Myers, one of the most prolific and successful self-made screenwriters today, follows a few simple rules when it comes to turning novels into screenplays. They sound simple but the legwork is not. It’s hard work and almost always prone to rejection.
“You basically have three choices, and the choice you make depends on your own situation. You can either shop the book around to producers (or agents, directors, and actors), you can hire a screenwriter to turn your novel into a screenplay, or you can try and write the screenplay yourself,” says Myers.
In his blog, sellingyourscreenplay.com, he’s created a tested and proven step-by-step guide for making it big with small. When we say small, we mean minute but very methodological steps that have worked for him over the years. His five-week program is available for download online for free. It’s an entire process that details what a writer needs to do to make the transition from printed to projected medium. What a writer has to do for film rights buyers to actually “show the money.”
As for the actual screen writing, Myers goes out for the kill at the onset: the logline. To him, there’s no better way to make a first and lasting impression. It has to start with deciding who gets to write the screenplay. He discourages novelists from doing it themselves. Though it may seem like the most economical and viable option, he is not for it. Unless the author has changed his or her passion for writing and redirected it to screenwriting which doesn’t happen often. Learning the craft of screenwriting requires years of discipline. Being an author requires the same in equal measure. And since a novelist has already put in the work for writing novels, his advice is to best leave screenwriting to those who have an established affinity for it. If you’ve already met with a film producer, part of his or her investment in your story is to hire a screenwriter. If you already have a screenwriter in mind, you need to make sure that he or she is the right person to repurpose your novel to a visual medium. Keep in mind that once you’ve partnered up with a screenwriter, your work is tied to that person until it is done.
In an interview with Jane Friedman, a highly esteemed industry expert in publishing, Myers shared his humble beginnings. His first attempt in selling his screenplay was to go through back listings of trade magazines.
“It was bittersweet. The first screenplay I sold had been rewritten substantially, and I didn’t think that it was very good. So it was exciting, but some of the lustre was taken off because of the extensive changes that had been made, which I thought really detracted from the piece. I would say the greatest moment of pure, unadulterated joy was actually when I first optioned that script. My writing partner and I were paid $500 for the option, and we were young and naive enough to think that it was certain that this script was going to get made. At that point the producers were all compliments, saying it was perfect the way it was. It did get made, but as I mentioned it was so rewritten it was barely recognizable as our screenplay. But looking back at it now, the producers were very lucky to actually get the project going. Since then I have optioned dozens of scripts with very few actually getting made.
I will say this: the producers were a bunch of really cool guys, even though we didn’t see eye to eye on the script changes. My writing partner and I were on the set numerous times, and it was everything I thought it would be: exciting, fun, and mingling with celebrities.”
Before considering turning books to films, ideally, the work would fare better if it has generated ample interest. Awards or any kind of recognition for your work would help you gain more traction from film executives compared to works that have yet to earn a mark from the book world. Authors need to concentrate a good amount of effort in building a community for their work and establishing a network of film rights buyers. As Myers would put it, unfortunately, there is no room for ideas coming from outsiders of the movie circles. Hollywood is innately guarded in that way. Screenwriters have their own, probably hundreds, sets of ideas that could potentially turn into a good movie. They’ve already poured in years of their lives for their ideas to try and make them work. For someone who’s just starting, it would do you more good than bad to learn from them. Producers also have their own set of standards on what works and what doesn’t and what they’re willing to invest on. To understand this dynamic in the movie industry is to get inside the circle. You need to be where they are. Myers took a leap a few years back and relocated to Los Angeles where the top honchos of the industry are. It turned out to be the best decision he ever made. He made a successful career as a screenwriter and is also considered as one of today’s renowned mentors. You need to put yourself out there to get a feel of what the industry is like up close and get a better idea on how to position your book with the right pitch. Joining annual film conferences, festivals, and pitch sessions is a good starting point for meet ups and building your contacts. If you can’t be there physically, then try and build a compelling presence digitally by sending out query letters on a regular basis.
Also, since we mentioned legwork, being where the right people are also comes with a real-life, first hand understanding of what the industry is looking for. Whether or not the kind of book that you’ve already written is something they are keeping an eye out for. Timing is everything, especially in the movies. Come to think of it, the whole industry is built on timing. The right script, the right director, the right cast, the right crew, the right budget—every detail is exacting as can be to effectively deliver a good story. A story that we sit on for less than 2 hours (sometimes more) and yet we get to experience joy and pain and suffering even, at times, love. But what if, along the way, you find out that your story is not ready for the big screen? In motion pictures, dedication is real and takes years, so does patience and persistence behind the scenes. If you’ve truly found the real essence in writing (or even when you’re co-writing), it’ll get you through your worst by showing you how you are at your best. For your story to push forward, the first right move is on you.
