You know that saying...
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Well recently I had it proven and it is something that all writers should beware.
Over the years I have written quite a number of books. Books We Love has published most of them, mainly as their primary publisher, but on several occasions when copyright from older titles has reverted to me, it has republished them, for which I am extremely grateful. I have one book, however, that is published by Amazon and this is the book that comes with a red flag.
When I checked my emails the other day, one popped up from an unknown sender. Although I am usually cautious it looked harmless so I opened it. Immediately my blood pressure went up and my heart started beating fast because it was from a Literary and Talent Agent who was asking if I would be open to pitching my book for a possible film adaptation. He explained the growing demand for book-to-film projects, gave details of the submission specialist partners and studio managers who wanted to work with me, and suggested a Zoom meeting to explore next steps.
Have any of you daydreamed about turning your novels into a film? I certainly have, and coincidentally this particular book has always been at the top of that list. For all of five minutes I saw my book up in lights. I wondered who would play my sparky heroine and my moody hero. Would the location be the one I wrote about in the book? While I was in this state of euphoria I dashed off a reply. Not an effusive, excited one though because, in case you are wondering, I am not that green!! I merely sent a note asking for more details. Then, while I was waiting for his reply, I googled 'book-to-film' scams. And wow!
I not only discovered a great deal about the various scams that are out there but, more importantly, the huge sums of money some writers have been persuaded to part with in an attempt to get their story onto the big screen. When I made it very clear to the agent that I wasn't that person we parted on friendly terms, with him thanking me for my candid reply. He also said the door was always open if I changed my mind and wanted to invest. Not prepared to part with a single cent I went back to thinking about what I might write next, not for film, just for me and my readers.
I did feel sad though, learning about all those writers who have been duped. As we all know, writing a book is not the path to fortune except for a fortunate few. It is more a labour of love, something that however time consuming and frustrating it can be, we just have to do. We are thrilled when readers get in touch, so of course we would be even more thrilled to see our stories up on the big screen and the scammers know this. So they search out the gullible and take their money not once, but again and again while they purportedly take the newly drafted script from studio to studio, so please fellow writers, remember...
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
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Thanks for the warning, Sheila. I had my adventures with film makers in the past, even had a Hollywood agent once, and quickly realized that even the most legitimate offers are fluid, flaky, and never reliable. So, I'm not surprised scammers are taking advantage of innocent writers in this murky business. I also had friends who got paid for the film rights to their books, and when the movie came out, they were mystified, as they could not recognize the story or the characters and some were ashamed of what their novel had become on the screen. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI, too, had a couple of literary agents approach me with the intent on bringing my novels to the big screen. And of course, I had to put some $$ up-front. It was Jude, our publisher, who suggested I investigate further as most are 'scams.' Jude was right. Glad you didn't get dragged down this rabbit-hole, Sheila!
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