Strong stories need a plot, a setting, and most importantly, engaging characters. Agents and editors will tell you that all stories are character-driven. However, if your characters are stereotypes, one-dimensional, or predictable, the reader will soon...

The explosive independent (“Indie”) film market is the primary entry point for books seeking adaptation to film. Indie producers are much more accessible to new authors today than are studio buyers, and can be approached through representatives like...

One thing that is very important for authors to understand about Hollywood is that Hollywood does not read books. Of course, there are many individual people in Hollywood who read, but as a rule, when it comes to deciding which projects to produce, Hollywood...

One piece of the market puzzle is the elevator pitch. Your elevator pitch is a short, part hook/part summary of your book. It's called an elevator pitch because it should take a 30 second elevator ride to share it. An elevator pitch is a big piece...

When a writer is just beginning, it can feel impossible to ever reach full-time author status. Thinking of all the steps between “start-up” and “self-sustaining” can be daunting. When facing doubt, it’s often helpful to listen to other authors’ career...

Think your story has what it takes to be made into a film? Find out in this exclusive webinar! Though the market for stories among the major Hollywood studios has greatly changed over the past five years, the mechanics of selling to this extremely...

Moira Allen wrote a wonderful book recently that included information on how to impress publishers, editors, and agents with your understanding of the book market. She said something I have seen in other writing blogs since then: sometimes it pays just...

Audio book rights are an area of subsidiary rights that I think will continue to grow. Audio books have had their ups and downs, but they are on a growth spurt at the moment, because content is king. We’re coming up with new ways to listen to books and...

A blog can establish your identity as a writer in two ways; by raising awareness of your work, and by raising awareness of yourself. Let's start with the work itself. Whether you are still looking for representation or are already published it is difficult...

The industry has changed a lot in recent years, and women directors are in high demand, which means there are women producers who are looking for more women-focused projects. That’s a great thing. However, it’s also true that it can still be hard to...