Book Deal

Actually, it might be worth setting up a series of reviews here for when you're about to have your first book launch - set up publicity for when you really need it the most. Just a thought.
 
I said:
Actually, it might be worth setting up a series of reviews here for when you're about to have your first book launch - set up publicity for when you really need it the most. Just a thought.
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Sounds like a great idea. Thanks. :D
 
Final details of the deal were set in place last Monday. Unsolicited email from Warner Bros film scout received by agent on Wednesday.:D Further unsolicited email, this time from Universal on Thursday.:D :D Seems like the film people like the sound of my new title.:D :D :D
 
Absolutely spectacular Mark! Reading all this has given me at least a good feeling about finishing the book I'm working on. And I promise, I'm planning on ordering all of your books because I've been very impressed with what I've read of yours on here so far. :D
 
Hello Mark

I am rather new to all this type of talk and was wondering if I have the right understanding here. If I follow correctly you were originally made an offer for a two book deal with an option for a third and that offer was then doubled?

Also, how much do numbers change with the type of Genre your writing as well as the degree to which the publishers like your work.

Thanks Bob
 
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Big Congratulations, Mark!

And thanks for your willingness to share the process you went through to get to this point. It's very helpful and incredibly inspiring to the rest of us! :)

Two different movie studios interested??? :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
There's a big difference between buying the movie rights, and actually making a movie, though. :)

My initial suspicion is that studios will try and buy out the movie rights for newer writers as a sort of investment - buy as cheaply as possible, and then hang on to them so that if the writer excels the studio doesn't have to pay current market price - else will simply sell the rights on for a profit.
 
No need to rain on Mark's parade yet Brian! ;)

They usually step the deals - a chunk of money for the rights (sometimes for a certain amount of time, which is recommended, rather than forever, which they also try to do sometimes - "...in perpetuity in the entire universe" - I'm not kidding, that's how they word it), a chunk of money when it goes into production (this is usually a more significant amount of money), and then a chunk of money when the film is done (usually matches the second chunk). There may also be performance royalties after the fact, as well as a first draft deal if the writer gets first crack at the screenplay.

That two different studios are showing interest is good for Mark. They may start a bidding war, which means more money up front and overall.

The trickier aspects are attached costs and things like that. If a studio has your property for a certain amount of time and "develop" it, they run up costs, which they may attach to your project. Then when and if they decide not to do it, those costs follow the property (you need to read the fine print, it depends on how the contract is worded). This extra cost then has to be reimbursed by any new interested party and if it's a lot of money it makes it harder to get a new studio interested.

It doesn't hurt anything to take an offer, even one that doesn't pay a lot initially, if they don't tie it up forever and don't attach costs. It is also true that every deal in Hollywood can be renegotiated if the situation significantly changes. For example, if Marks books all end up on the best sellers list and he made a cheap deal for the rights, the studio would fully expect to be re-approached by Mark's representatives to renegotiate the deal. They'll want to keep him happy so they can get more of his work. I believe this happened with J.K. Rowling. Most of the time they leave the first deal alone and just make a new deal that compensates for the first.

That Mark has a foot in the door to this process is not insignificant, Brian. While it is true that he may not get a zillion pounds up front, many people spend a lifetime trying to get what Mark just got!

You go, Mark! :)
 
I said:
There's a big difference between buying the movie rights, and actually making a movie, though. :)

My initial suspicion is that studios will try and buy out the movie rights for newer writers as a sort of investment - buy as cheaply as possible, and then hang on to them so that if the writer excels the studio doesn't have to pay current market price - else will simply sell the rights on for a profit.
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Ah, Brian, your cynicism is so spot on! My agent has explained the process to me in some detail. I don't expect to get much for the rights, but apparantly, much like a book deal, if you can get the companies to bid against each other such that they pay a reasonable amount for the rights - the more they pay for the rights, the more they are likely to make the film. If they do ever make the film, then that's when the big bucks roll in. However, as Aurelio pointed out, many people would give their right arm to be looked at, so I'm pretty happy with the whole situation.:)

I thought it was strange that no one responded when I posted the news a month ago, but now I'm overwhelmed by all the congrats - thank you all. :D
 
Stargazer1976 said:
Hello Mark

I am rather new to all this type of talk and was wondering if I have the right understanding here. If I follow correctly you were originally made an offer on a two book deal with an option for a third and that offer was then doubled?

Also, how much do those numbers change with the type of Genre your writing as well as the degree to which the publishers like your work.

Thanks Bob
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Stargazer,

Your logic was correct. The final deal was a 2 book deal for a five figure sum/book with an option on a third. They have also taken an option on my other 4 self published books. I'm told that this is better than average for a new author. My understanding is that if you get offered 10 000 per book, this is a 'good' deal. However, my bargaining position was strengthened by the fact that I've already sold over 25 000 copies of my self published works, so I got a bit more than this.

There is always the exception to the rule, and the occasional author will get a ridiculously high advance for a first novel. However, this places a lot of expectation on that novel's sales and if it doesn't live up to its hype... bye bye career. All in all I'm more than happy with the deal I've got.
 
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I missed all the excitement! Major congratulations! I hope the movie studios duke it out and get you a good deal. However, I'm even more hopeful that a movie gets made - how cool is that?! I can't wait to start reading them.
 
Apologies, I certainly wasn't trying to sound disrespectful. I think I was more trying to make a point that there's a difference between rights being bought, and an actual movie adaption being made. However, the more Mark can sell him work, then obviously that's all to the good. :)
 
I said:
Apologies, I certainly wasn't trying to sound disrespectful. I think I was more trying to make a point that there's a difference between rights being bought, and an actual movie adaption being made. However, the more Mark can sell him work, then obviously that's all to the good. :)
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There was no offense taken, Brian. Your summation was very accurate. Let's just hope that they like the idea enough to make the movie someday.
 
That would be a dream come true. Hollywood still seems very nervous about making fantasy movies even with the success of Harry Potter and LOTR. They're a bunch of losers and that will never change. Was it Miramax who wanted to make LOTR as one movie?
 
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