In this article I’d like to talk about turning your screenplay into an actual published book/novel. Yes, it is possible to do and it’s also very easy to accomplish. But first, why would you want to do this?
Turning your screenplay into a book is a great marketing strategy as well. Not only does it give you the instant ability to get your story out there into the world (while you wait for the movie to be made), but having your script turned into a book has the following benefits:
– You get your book and story published.
– You can reach a wider audience.
– You can start to make money with your story.
– You get more fans and supporters of your work.
– It’s easier to convince Hollywood to invest in you.
– Agents and producers will be much more interested to read your script if you already have a book version of the story published.
– Agents, producers and Hollywood executives are constantly checking Amazon looking for the next great story to turn into a movie.
*(Note: Script Mailer now offers a service to screenwriters where we can turn your screenplay into a book for you and publish it on Amazon as well. If you’re interested in this service, please send us an email and let us know).
With that said, turning your screenplay into a book is a highly effective strategy you can use to generate interest in your screenplay in a very short period of time, and convince Hollywood professionals to take you seriously and invest in you as a writer.
Turning A Screenplay Into A Book Isn’t Difficult
There’s a great deal of fear among screenwriters that turning a screenplay into a book is a bridge too far and something that is incredibly difficult to accomplish. This is understandable. A book is usually wordier, longer and much more descriptive than a screenplay… or is it?
Believe it or not it doesn’t have to be that way. Not every successful author is a Dickens or Shakespeare; in fact, one of the most successful contemporary authors was Elmore Leonard (who had many of his books turned into successful movies).
In case you don’t know who Elmore Leonard is, he was a very prolific Crime and Western writer and one of the great inspirations for Quentin Tarantino and his development as a writer.
When you read an Elmore Leonard book one thing becomes clear, his description is very easy going and sparse. It’s barely descriptive at all, in fact, Leonard’s writing technique is simply to focus on the dialogue between the characters (short snappy dialogue, much like a screenplay). It’s no wonder that Hollywood loved Elmore Leonard.
Formatting Your Screenplay Into A Book
If you want to turn your script into a book then your main focus really just has to be on changing the tense of the screenplay from present tense in the description to past tense for the book (i.e., (in the screenplay) “John walks over to the bedside table and pulls out a gun” —> (in the book) “John walked over to the bedside table and pulled out a gun”).
You also just have to become familiar with how to layout book description and dialogue and that’s it. It’s a simple case of going through your screenplay and re-formatting it to look like a book in Microsoft Word or any other word publishing software.
You really don’t need to worry about adding too much more description to your book as well. A book doesn’t have to be 200+ pages long. It’s perfectly acceptable to publish a book that is 80 pages long. You can still pack one hell of a great story into 80 tight, suspenseful pages.
In fact, the more lean your book is, the faster it will flow and the more exciting it will be to read. Truly great authors understand that the faster you move your story along, without getting bogged down in too much detail, the more likely your story is to be exciting and readable. As Elmore Leonard also said, “When you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.”
Publishing Your Book
So by now you’re probably thinking: okay, I’ve adapted my screenplay into a book, now what? How do I even get my book published and who’s going to publish it for me? Well, one of the wonderful changes to take place in the last ten years has been the huge change seen within the publishing industry.
No longer is the publishing industry a world with strict gatekeepers effectively controlling who gets their book published and into bookshops. The last ten years has seen the publishing industry effectively lose all its power and control.
It’s now possible for anyone to self-publish their book and start making a living as an author (without permission and without having to wait for someone else to give you the green light).
READ: 10 Self-Published Authors Who Made It Big
The strategy I recommended if you want to get your book out into the world is as follows:
1) Adapt your screenplay into a book using Microsoft Word.
2) Register for Amazon Kindle Self Publishing here
3) Format your book for the Amazon Kindle Publishing platform (an in-depth guide on how to do this can be found here).
4) Upload your book and a description of your book to the Amazon Kindle platform.
5) You’ll also need to get a simple book cover designed as well. You can do this by using an excellent piece of free software called Canva or by hiring a designer or illustrator to design a book cover for you.
That’s it! Adapting your screenplay into a book and self-publishing your story is as easy as that. It’s important not to feel intimidated by this process and to take things one step at a time. Once you’re able to break these tasks down into simple, manageable steps you’ll be amazed at how fast you can get your script adapted into a novel.
Benefits Of Adapting A Screenplay Into A Book
Imagine sending your query letter to an agent or a producer and you tell them that you’ve just written a screenplay, but not only that, your screenplay is based on a published book that you also wrote.
This is an incredibly attractive prospect for anyone working in Hollywood because it tells them that (1) you’re a published author and therefore a serious writer and (2) it’s much easier to get financing and interest in a project if the story is a book as well.
By adapting your screenplay into a book you’re adding a huge amount of credibility and kudos to your script and your story. You’re also adding a lot of weight and credentials to your resume as a serious and established writer.
The benefits of adapting your script into a novel mustn’t be overlooked. Overall, it’s a fantastic move that can dramatically increase your prospects as a screenwriter and put money in your pocket at the same time.
PS. Script Mailer now offers a service to screenwriters where we can turn your screenplay into a book for you and publish it on Amazon as well. If you’re interested in this service, please send us an email and let us know.