Read Then Watch – Books Turned to Television

Stuck in? While there are many things you can do with your time, here is one of my favorites! Read a book and then watch the television adaptation- you can read and watch at your own pace or you can easily fill a day or two or three with this activity. 

On Netflix

Read then watch how agents attempt to understand and catch serial killers by studying their damaged psyches. People who are fond of criminal and detective shows/books this one is right up your alley!

On Netflix

This one is probably the most known adaptation on Netflix, with a whopping 7 seasons! Follow Piper Kerman on her prison adventure along with several other inmates. They do their best to retain some shred of humanity and identity in a system built to take it away. 

On Netflix

We can all recognize that this mystery-solving show will be about the best detective that ever lived. This show will add a modern and spicy twist to the original by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

On Netflix

 You might have seen this show as it took to social media by storm. This twisted series is definitely binge watch worthy, if you are into psychological thrillers. 

On Hulu

Dive into a world that could have been. Where you are divided to provide based on social standing and health and the only hope is to bare children. 

These are simply some of my favorites but believe me there’s more! Reading and then watching the show is a great way to expand your mind and creativity! Develop your own world while reading and then see how others interpreted it on the screen. 

Happy Reading!

Hurling Questions

Not only are we a super-cool blog on the internet, talking about the ins-and-outs of publishing and writing, but we’re a literary agency, first and foremost!

Some things you may wonder about us (or agencies in general) may be misguided by other postings on the internet. It’s best to ask the source directly to find out if the match is real! This doesn’t go for us, it goes for anyone you manage to get in touch with!

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  1. Ask the individual you’ve made contact with how they got to where they are (in life, not your inbox.) Knowing our background helps give you perspective on our passions and how they may or may not coincide with yours.
    1. A great follow-up is asking how long we’ve been in the biz. Passion and credentials.
  2. Sales are really important in this part of the business. Don’t shy away from asking. We won’t give you the nitty-gritty details but we will tell you bout some of our accomplishments as of late!
  3. Before you query, ask us if we’re looking! And if we are, what are we looking for! Each agency has criteria (and posts it on their website most likely) which must be met. Realistically speaking, “The Great American Novel” is not one of them.
  4. Our expertise is important to note as well. Each agency covers every aspect of publishing, but sometimes – sometimes – you’ll come across an agency that’s REALLY good at something. What is it?
  5. Communication is so important to both agency and client. Get it done as soon as possible: how would you like to touch base with your agency? Establish it! Most situations now involve email, but who knows, we can set up calls, video chats, dinner and a movie (no book adaptations, thank you)…(totally joking!)

The most important thing to remember is every agency is different and the people within differ from the others you may have spoken to. It’s always good to keep an open mind to whoever you come across, inside the publishing world and out!

Nine Imps

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Dokkaebi Korea

“Impish spirits that transform from inanimate objects.”

Basic Facts:

  • Also called Korean goblins, they like to play tricks on humans (or help them – it can go either way.)
  • Physical descriptions of the dokkaebi can be found on ancient roof tiles but are usually frightening to look at.
  • Into wrestling? So are these spirits! in order to pass them, you should be able to wrestle your way out of their clutches of evil! Their weak spots include their right side and (some of them are one-legged) a simple push will get them down.
  • There are different types of dokkaebi. To be frank, there are nine common types.
  • Sometimes, rituals are hosted to get in the good graces of the dokkaebi but other times.

Ending The 2010s On A Better Note

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Many issues have risen about the casting in Hollywood. From casting directors putting actors and actresses in roles racially not suited for them to the huge age gaps in some of the leading romances. Well, we’ve come here to say, not all book-to-film adaptations have to be horrible.

We always have to remember what goes on behind the scenes (i.e. contracts between agents and production companies). What we do know is a couple of films have released recently where casting was great and changes were obviously made to make the film adaptation to fit the two hour mark and not six hours and thirty-two minutes. We have yet to see Crazy Rich Asians (which has dominated the rom-com category opening weekend) but in the meantime, let’s discuss the other East-meets-West, Netflix production: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.

Now, you’ll never find an adaptation that will include every detail of the book’s original content. And of course, this novel-based film won’t be excluded from that category. One of the biggest issues in casting that has been obvious for many years (yeah, we aren’t talking just in the last decade, we’re talking since the Golden Age of Hollywood) has been casting the wrong race. Authors, if you’re trying to sell the film rights to your book (as a literary agency, we know how it can be), we know you want the best of the best for your book baby. Don’t forget to bring up your stipulations with your agent. Draw the line with production because if they can’t properly cast YOUR characters, they don’t need your idea on their list of things ‘to-do.’ We know; we want our authors’ work to be best represented by whoever chooses to publish the work.

Shout out to Jenny Han for standing up for her main character being cast as an Asian-American actress and staying true to the main plot of the story. 👍

You’re Watching The Morning News

It’s important to find your muse and stick with it. Keeping the other creative stories at bay could be hard but worth shutting up until your current piece is complete. But what happens if your muse just so happens to be the news.

You know what I mean: writing a fictional story around a political mishap, or some celebrity scandal or even a cool invention that made its debut on the morning news but triggered your creative gears and now you can’t stop piecing together how it came to be.

Let’s talk about why it might be down your alley to talk about the trends in our society.

People read the news and are consumed by it. Good, bad, whatever it may be. This is what people will always turn to. If you’re in the writing gig and have a general interest in recreating the last scandal that popped up on your phone or TV, we say do it.

Some of the most recent best-sellers included work about politics, magical realism, plain ol’ literary realism/naturalism…but not a nonfiction story.

No, stay away from that unless you’re in a situation where you like the research your conducting.

To put it into perspective, when the Royal Wedding came around…twice…there was a huge influx in sales for stories about princesses and fictional retellings of how the couples came to be.

Think about that the next time you’re tuned into the six o’clock news.

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At It Again!

About a year ago, we talked about how the online writing community we all know as Wattpad has its pros and cons for the published community. Maybe you want to dive in and work on some short prequels. Or possibly write a quick spin-off for your begging readers. The site has wonderful resources to both expand on your writing abilities and become a platform for you to share the little details about your world to a new generation.

But it doesn’t stop there. Wattpad has had more than one success story.

There are authors who have signed traditional book deals for their works on Wattpad’s shelves. But just this past weekend, Publisher’s Weekly wrote up a great article discussing the most recent optioned pieces. You read that correctly: OPTIONED.

hollywood.gifHollywood has decided that maybe the comic book movies and remakes are not cutting it for the box office. It’s now very possible to be recognized by studios and producers who are trying to find the next big thing! All they have to do is refresh their page and see what everyone is reading!

So upload everything you can onto Wattpad. You’re (hopefully) going to Hollywood, baby!

The Warrior of My Dreams

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I’m going to be honest, I haven’t touched Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series but from the looks of it…I’m going to have to start, haha.

Jamie Fraser just sounds like my type of guy: intelligent, dreamy, a natural leader. And all I’ve seen are the gifs of Sam Heughan portraying this hunk of burning love but I have not had a single complaint since I came across him.

Looks like I’ll be updating my Goodreads books tonight…

Emotion in Writing

Laurie Halse Anderson:

“Write about the emotions you fear the most.”

Making It On The Big Screen

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On this episode of “The Road to Publishing,” we’re going to talk about  the important things to know when it comes down to handing your rights over to make your book into a movie, a TV show, or even a Broadway show.

For film and television deals, it’s important to know your agent. There are a lot of literary agents who are very experienced and connected in the Hollywood scene. Even if your agent doesn’t have a ton of these connections, as long as they have a working knowledge of the film industry and the contracts/agreements that go along with it, then you will be in good hands when a deal comes your way (fingers crossed!). If yours doesn’t seem to have many connections, or the appropriate knowledge, then seeking out a film agent might be your best bet. You can query film agents like you would literary agents, they typically want to know (and are looking for) the same things. You could also take a  bold step and query right to a producer. This way will certainly get you a bigger buck for yourself, but unless you have your own connections, it’s also very likely that your query will never make it in front of their eyes.

No matter who your agent is, there are a few things you should keep in mind to make sure you are getting the best care possible. First, you should never sell your film or television rights to an inexperienced producer or script writer. Your book should land in the hands of someone who has made a film or television show before (or has been an actor/actress with the appropriate connections). The less experience the licensee has, the less likely your movie or television show will come to fruition.

Another point to consider is where the producer is coming from. Are they a producer coming from a studio in Hollywood? Or are they a small-time producer from a reputable indie production company? This is crucial to know because it can determine the fate of your work, as well as your involvement in the project. When a major studio is involved, although very exciting, your chances of being involved in the process often become minimal. It’s also just as likely that you will never see your book on the big screen. Hollywood has a lot of money to throw around in order to find their perfect next block-buster, so producers can go out and buy 300 ideas (including yours) and scrap it in a month or two because they narrowed it down to two or three projects they hope to move onto production. If the producer is coming from an independent place, scope out their other work and ask to be involved in the production process. That way you can get the product the way you envisioned and can also be involved in finding a studio for it.

It’s also important to consider what you are looking for negotiation wise. Negotiating your movie and television rights deals is just like any other. If you have already been involved in print, e-book, audio, or translation deals then you already have a pretty good feel for what’s ahead. You will come across all sorts of deals/offers out there. Some of those deals are going to have a lower price tag than normal, especially if you go with a less experienced producer or a smaller production company. You need to decide what your target revenue stream is and at what point it just doesn’t make sense to relinquish those rights, no matter how enticing the idea of a movie is. A stipend is also usually given to the author while production is underway. It’s important to make sure you are being compensated for your hard work the way you should be.

Second to last, utilize your confidence. Remember when you first queried literary agent about your novel and how much you believed in the book and in yourself? During the film/television submission process channel that same energy once again. Make sure not to come off as desperate. This will turn anyone away from even picking your query letter up again because if you don’t believe in yourself, why should they? An experienced producer or agent will be able to tell the difference right away, so be sure the look things over (perhaps with multiple people) before you reach out.

FINALLY: Be patient! These sorts of deals don’t happen overnight! Agents/producers need to be found, deals need to be negotiated, and you need a moment to breathe as well.