Is Allowing Your Book to Be Adapted for Film Worth It?

A while back, I was all about the Outlander series, which is based on the books by Diana Gabaldon. The episodes felt paced well, had good intrigue and suspense, and appealed to my period-loving heart. The on-screen chemistry between Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan was stellar.

I got away from watching the series because professional obligations started to take more of the free time I had. But as Outlander wraps up, the writer in me has paid attention to the headlines that have come across my Feedly — fans and outlets have pointed out potential or confirmed deviations from Gabaldon’s books, sometimes with praise and sometimes with lamentation.

sidnicholson73 from Pixabay

Masterstroke or hijack?

Teams that work on adaptations do care about the original storyline, setting, and character development, but if it’s common for them to make minor or even major changes. Authors often are consulted through this process, but they understand as they sign their rights contracts that the production house might make changes.

This is the risk that an author takes — even though they know the production company might modify their story, they can’t always predict how much, and even if they could, they don’t always have control over what those changes will be. There is rarely a guarantee that the production company will adhere to the original storyline 100 percent, and authors take the chance that the adaptation might run significantly contrary to their original idea. Companies often change endings when books are adapted for film– Jurassic Park is a good example, with the book seeing government agencies blow up the park and kill all the dinosaurs.

This then becomes a creative dilemma. Is allowing a production house to change a concept a masterstroke that means more money in a writer’s accounts and the chance for even more projects and, subsequently, a bigger reach? Or is it theft, a hijack of original concepts where the writer gets pushed aside after doing most of the heavy lifting? Where some writers are willing to give up some control in exchange for their work being known, even writing with movies in mind to help their process and seeing film adaptations as the ultimate prize, others see Hollywood film executives as the antithesis to art and creative authenticity.

Individual experiences vary

In Outlander‘s case, Gabaldon has been relatively approving of the way her books have been handled. She acknowledges that the company doesn’t always heed her recommendations for corrections, but she notes, too, that it’s sometimes simply a matter of the medium. Some points in the books might be slightly different in the series because of the way the series has to move quickly or is limited financially. She also faced an interesting situation where the series had to wrap up before she was done writing the final book, meaning the company had no choice but to create their own ending (which Gabaldon says is well done).

Yet, not all authors are as fortunate. Cases where production companies have stolen concepts or otherwise mistreated writers are real. Buchwold v. Paramount, for instance, resulted in a $900,000 win for writer and humorist Art Buchwold. The Associated Press highlighted how difficult it can be for writers to protect their ideas as they pitch them, noting the financial lengths that production companies often go to and the way agents and copyright law can contribute to the problem.

Having your book adapted for film is fine, but draw the line before you sign

Ultimately, the decision of whether to work with a production company and have a book adapted for film is up to each author. But writers should understand from the beginning that agents and publishers who take their original book queries won’t be shy in suggesting changes that might make an idea more sellable. They often have film adaptations in the back of their mind, considering the full range of rights that the author might be able to sell. The more an agent or publisher perceives that a book could work on the screen, the more interest they often have, as it changes who they can approach and increases their own odds of a better cut.

If you have a book ready, pitch only when you’re clear in your own mind how much creative control you’re willing to sacrifice, and always take reasonable steps to ensure that legal boundaries aren’t crossed. It’s OK to work outside of Hollywood or say no to the screen altogether, and if maintaining all your rights is foundational for you, treat self-publishing as your best option.