You’re reading the Relatable Voice magazine, so you’re a writer or one who wants to get get your book published. I hope each of you reading this article achieve that goal. After all, you’ve lovingly worked on that novel for months, years, perhaps even decades.
But what will you do next, aside from marketing the book you published? Most novelists start writing another story when the inspiration hits them.
Have you ever consider finding out if your book is amenable to being made into a TV show or series, or a movie? The idea might seem absurd. The competition certainly is very heavy but these days it’s less so now that streaming services and cable TV exists.
Should you try it? If you want to, here’s how I went about it:
I had no experience in the entertainment at the time I decided to see if my novel – First Second Coming – could be adopted into a TV or film property.
I chose to look into this because I had four reason to think the novel might fit that industry:
1. I’d hit upon a unique premise for my debut novel. (Or maybe it hit me.);
2. The novel’s theme was timely given today’s intolerant, uncooperative world, at least in the USA;
3. Excellent editorial and reader reviews implied viewer interest; and
4. Most importantly, streaming service channels were frantic for good content from known and unknown novelists.
I began with reserch to learn how the entertainment industry grew from it’s beginning to the current day, and read up on what knowledgeable people predected for the next few years. This convinced me that my book was best suited for TV in streaming channels or movies created from independent film studioes rather than corporate owned film companies.
My next step was a fortunate one. I had a casual acquaintance with Mark Moses – an actor who has worked on 50+ TV or film properties. He read First Second Coming and felt the book is adaptable. Mark also gave me the name and phone number of a retired film director, who had the same opinon and gave me some helpful advice.
Negatives You Should Not Overlook:
Upon pitching my book as a property adaptable for TV or movies, I expected the same disinterest I received when I had tries to pitch my unpublished novel to literary agents.
To my complete surprise the film industry greeted my book with open arms. I was quickly signed up with one of the independant film companies. That was in 2021 – and now, three years later, the book is in only the second phase of adaptation for TV series.
The first phase is creating the screenplay for the so-called “pilot.” A producer and a screenwriter did that, with my minimal involvement. Once done, the producer alone handles the “shopping” phase, meaning he would try his best to find investors interested in the project so that money could be obtained for the third step - producing the TV series.
During the “pilot” step, the first screenwriter was busy with other jobs, and then was replaced due to poor health. The first year of work basically was a throw away period. The new screenwriter, who had earlier worked as a comedian, was a better choice as a screenwriter for a TV series meant to become a romantic comedy.
Just as shopping the screen manusript began, actors and screenwriters commenced strikes which lasted four months. Soon after the strikes ended the election season began in earnest. Investers, concerned about whether Trump and his MAGA cult followers of far-right and/or religious extremists would win. We now know they did. More shopping by the producer has rendered no interest at all about a story that contains Earth’s new god, a deity who’s a planetary turnaround specialist.
I can’t blame the film company for the medical delays, the strikes, the election or it’s unfortunate outcome. In my opinion the attempt to adopt my book into a TV series is a victim of poor timing.
Just as I began to consider ending my relationship with the film company, a production agency approached me. They claimed to have a strong interest in turning my book into a TV film. As I write this article I have serious doubt as to whether these people are legit. The entertainment industry is well known for shady characters who aren’t the fictional type. Novelists often get scammed by people claiming to be in the entertainment field but aren’t. I haven’t yet received sufficient information to convince me that this group’s for real.
In conclusion: if you want to get your book adopted into a TV show or a movie, do the reserch you need to do. Be exceedingly careful of whom you chose to work with. Sometimes no one is to blame, things don’t workout as intended. But stay on the watch for scammers too.
Find out more about Jeffrey Pollak at https://www.instagram.com/jspollak.
Article published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - December 2024.
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