Dear all, I really need your help. I would like to acquire TV rights for a non-fiction book. Can anyone tell me how much I have to offer for the TV rights? What's standard in the industry? Can anyone recommend me an agent to negotiate or is it possible to do it without even an agent?
Screenwriting : Catherine MacDougall by Catherine MacDougall
Catherine MacDougall
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
1 person likes this
Speak to the writer yourself if the writer has an option with a network get to working relationship with them. Find them on Facebook introduce yourself having something in common sparks their interest. Novelist are published so they are quite punctual in response since you want something dear from them.
An entertainment attorney might be another option.
1 person likes this
Get in touch with writer and see if the rights have reverted back to them. Tell them how much you enjoyed their work and want to have a crack at writing it for tv and dont be afraid to tell them you're a 'nobody' so to speak. You can either option the novel or buy the rights outright. I contacted an author from my childhood (who was actually successful and had previous work made into tv series) and I explained how I wanted to make one of his novels into a film. We got talking and he basically said he's done alright out of this author thing and sold me the whole rights for a cheap but fair price that was well under market. You just never know.
1 person likes this
I’ve optioned a couple of books for zero dollars. There is something called a shopping agreement and that is different than a straight option. This gives you the right to shop the project and raise the financing and close a deal. You can find templates online. I contacted the author myself for both.
1 person likes this
Thank you for the comments. I met the writer who is lovely. She gave me her agent. I've got a lawyer who is proposing to pay for an option, then for an extended option, plus certain percentage of the budget on the commencement of the shooting, plus success fees. Seems like a lot to me.
1 person likes this
Negotiations are a must. Don’t let the publisher ask for too much. I had one ask for $5000 one time and I eventually got them down to $500. The thing is to make them realize they need you more than you need them. They might never get this opportunity again. Email me at ralph.esparza1965@gmail.com and I’ll let you know how I did what I did.
1 person likes this
Dear Pete, unfortunately, I am not a 'nobody' so to speak. I am a producer and the script writer of a 4 part series for a major European TV network, currently in pre-production.
Catherine MacDougall that's even better leverage to try and secure the rights!
If anyone can recommend a good entertainment attorney who knows the UK market, I would be very grateful.
How about asking the suits (salary execs, tv agents, lawyers) who worked on your major 4-part tv series in Europe for an assist? They must know.