Can You Turn Your Book into a Movie or TV Show?

Producers in Hollywood are always looking for their next big project. When we were at podcast Movement Evolutions, which was held in downtown Los Angeles, we met People representing HBO, A&E and a few production companies, and they were on the hunt for podcasters trying to find their next voice and being the only booth with a showcase of books. Naturally, they all swung by to say hello and chat with us about what kind of books we had available or on display. And if you're wondering if your book is the right fit for adaptation to screen or how that would happen, this video is for you. Hey there. I'm Julie, the book broad from Book Launchers. We're your professional self publishing team helping you write, publish and promote a nonfiction book that will help you have a powerful impact on your readers. And done right will help you grow your brand, build your business, and make you money. And the best part, you get to keep all rights and royalties. Whether you've written a memoir, a science based research book, a a finance book, a book for new graduates, there is a possibility your book could be adapted to screen. But don't take my word for it. Well, I do live in Los Angeles. I'm a Canadian gal who spent more of her working life in and around real estate business than I certainly have anywhere near Hollywood. No, my friends, take the word of a Hollywood veteran that your book might be something that can be adapted to screen. Please meet Tori Foster of Underground Jam. But the biggest question on my mind when I first started talking with Tori is, is what if the book isn't a memoir? Can it still be made into something that can be on a screen? Let me ask Tori.

Hi, I'm Tori Foster from Underground Jam. And for many years I've been developing treatments and scripts to help people develop and sell and launch their projects in the entertainment industry. I've worked on thousands of projects over the years. A lot for established entertainment players and also a fair number for emerging voices. So. So what kinds of books written by indie authors have the best chance of making it to screen right now? That's a great question to be asking because it changes all the time. Trends change. We've had a really big change recently with the COVID 19 outbreak really changing the world and changing audience habits. Maybe a couple years ago the big hot topic was female buddy movies. Probably there's gonna be a big demand for outbreak type projects. There's a huge interest in heroic doctors and scientists right now. I think there's a growing understanding of the work that they do and how important it is. And there's probably going to be some demand for that. Science topics, true military stories, true police stories, social science, and, you know, then also, hey, surprise us.

You know, one of the big things that really stood out to me in my conversations with Tori and her partner Megan was the fact that when we think of this, we tend to think big screen movie when we think turning your book into something. But there's actually many ways a book can go on screen, including reality tv, which is really common for nonfiction books, documentary based on a true story movie or tv, scripted tv, short films. And there's actually far more options out there than you realize. I mean, really, you can Even think about YouTube and a lot of the other online spaces that are looking for content. And the number of projects that aren't just memoir is far larger than I realized. There's even new networks coming out focusing on short content Only the author gets.

To have vision in terms of where they send their book and what form it ends up taking. So it's a really exciting part of the process, and it is something that my team would be happy to consult on to discuss where this property should.

Go, like what would really be the.

Best medium for it and the best format for it. Those are some things that are exciting to think about right now.

Undiscovered voices find their way onto the screen and have their stories told. And Book Launchers has partnered with her and her company, Underground Jam, to help our clients take their book to screen. And if you're interested in getting some sort of a deal, I asked Tori for her best advice for all authors.

It's really, really important that you come in strong and that you come in in the right way because you only really have one chance to make a first impression. And you have to be able to present your book quickly in a language that industry people can understand and something that really shows them how valuable it is and how great an adaptation it would be. And you want to meet those expectations that they have, and you want to be able to compete with established players. So there's a little bit of insider knowledge that can be really helpful.

Insider knowledge Tori is talking about is something we're going to cover in a second video covering the the process of adapting your book to screen. So make sure you've subscribed to the channel so that you catch that video when it comes out. Essentially, she's talking about the fact that you don't just start shipping your book all around to production houses. First, you want to do some research about where your book might fit into the marketplace. What could be the angle or the pitch, and most importantly, who is the audience. Then you get a treatment created which is essentially a couple page document covering the vision for the project and finally the sales sheet. And with that, your project needs to find a champion to move it forward because there's people with hustle in the industry who can make things happen. And without that person, most projects don't go anywhere. But your project first has to connect with that person. So these steps are critical to helping your project find the right person to drive it forward. I know it seems daunting, and I actually feel like Hollywood is kind of the secret society. And so I asked Tori, how can an independent author, miles and miles away from Hollywood, ever, ever break in? And here's what she had to say.

When I worked at one of the major agencies in town, one of my first jobs, I noticed that there was just a pipeline going from the major publishers. They would quickly get it out to every agent in town. Every big producer in town would get a look at it before it even hit the shelves. And so it would end up being optioned and being spoken for being bought, you know, before it was even, you know, a bestseller sometimes. The Wolf of Wall street, you know, that was the Leonardo DiCaprio's company and you know, the guy that that was about wasn't one of the most famous people in the world, but it was a project that, you know, that company found. So you want to be that incredible find and you can be like, if you're a really undiscovered author, someone new with something new to say, you know, you are that special find that a lot of people are looking for that no one else is going to see, you know, so you have that, you know, really great new kid on the block thing going for you. Then it's really the key is coming in and communicating the value of your project so that it will be treated with the respect it deserves and so that you will be treated with the respect you deserve in the process.

Bottom line, in working with Underground Jam so far, I've discovered that just about any book can be adapted for screen with the right pitch and the right presentation. Whether it gets made or not depends largely on whether it hits the right people with the right timing. But there are things you can do to set your book up for a better chance of success. Like this video smash. That thumbs up button. Go ahead, try it. It makes you feel good, I promise. And please be sure to say thank you to Tori for her time in the comments below. Now, while you're commenting. What is your favorite show or movie that was adapted from a book? Let's chat about it in the comments below. And when you comment the day a video is released, you'll be entered to win some of our sweet book launcher swag. Like our hashtag no Boring Books mug where coffee, tea and hot chocolate taste better in it. Guaranteed. It has been such a pleasure to hang out with you and I would be truly honored to spend a little more time with you. And I actually think you'll really like this video on the time it takes to self publish. But if you've seen that, or you're feeling like watching the newest from the channel, then this video is right here for you. Go ahead. I'll get the coffee started and and we can keep hanging out in the next video.