Embarrassingly, I just learned this week about the self-publishing stuff on Amazon.
So as I near completion on my second screenplay for Amazon Studios, I now want to make it a book and put it up through the KDP.
As I understand it, if I submit to Amazon Studios first, I get the right to online make one book based on the characters, premise, etc. Which sucks, as I have designed this specifically to have a sequel. Or a second book.
If I post the book first (which I haven't even started on the novelization), then submit the screenplay, would I then be able to later work on the second book?
Has anyone else dual submitted like this- screenplay and novel?
As I understand it the rights between movies and publishing are not related in any way. By posting your screenplay on AS it has nothing to do with publishing rights. You can do whatever you want when it comes to publishing your work.
Where are you seeing the info about the rights to make one book. Did it change?
I have dual submitted.
http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Prince-Michael-Anthony-Gill-Branion/dp/1467995681/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336608751&sr=1-1
In my opinion, if you believe in your screenplay, then you should consider going that route first. I wrote the Trilogy first and self-published last year. I just learned about Amazon Studios this year in late April.
But, who knows? Maybe the best thing is to ask an IP attorney? For me, my goal was always to make the story into a movie so the novel was a necessary piece to create breadth and depth to the story.
I swear I saw something the other day that says you can do one book, but I can't find the passage now...
In a worst (best) case scenario, you could turn down the $10k if they didn't want to be flexible on the book option. You're not required to take the money. But worrying and sitting on it, you're guaranteed nothing. Take your shot.
Can you turn the option down? I thought you agreed to it when you upload. Also, I thought I read that if you don't sign the additional documents for the option within 5 days, they can sign them on your behalf.
As always, I could be wrong.
You can't refuse the offer to extend option if you are under the 45 day option.
Let those who get paid $200,000 for their scripts at Amazon worry about these issues. Which, so far, means nobody. Although 15 people are very close. So just Scott should worry about it. And I don't think he does.
@ Ed - It's not based on the sale, but on the option.
In the FAQ section -
"And you keep four things with respect to your work:
The right to continue to revise it until we exercise the option (if we exercise the option).
The right during the option term to write one novel, comic book or other book based on your work, and the right to publish that book and any other books you first published before the work was on Amazon Studios. If we exercise the option, you keep those publishing rights, but you may not write any other books based on the work.
If you are a stand-up comic, the right to perform stand-up comedy based on a character from your work. You may also record and distribute those performances, but only until we exercise the option.
The non-exclusive right to publish and perform your original songs from the work, but only if your work is not a musical."
We lose the musical writes to musicals?
There goes one childrens series idea down the toidy.
"If we exercise the option, you keep those publishing rights, but you may not write any other books based on the work."
Still not much of a problem. Waiting for the option: 45 days. Writing two or more books and publishing them: years. A $10,000 option is good enough to postpone writing the sequel of a book yet to be written. If everything goes perfect, you'll get $200,000 and still be able to write and publish the first book. If the movie and/or the book become hits, the original writer still is the best option to write the sequel. You'll negotiate that sequel and probably get more than $200,000. If they decide to write the sequel themselves, you'll still get $100,000 and move on to other projects.
I wish someday I'll have the hypothetical dilemmas that are raised in these forums.
(Note: the "you" in my reply includes most of us who have not won anything in this contest -- or elsewhere. People like Scott, who already racked here $50,000 or so, could more realistically have these problems. But most probably they won't be bothered as they have other projects.)
I think I may have signed up (recently) to the old Amazon studio contract -- I'm wondering if the new version contract takes precedent, and now we are all party to the new contract conditions?
The 'new' contract trumps the old I believe BUT I'm no attorney so please don't make any decisions on my laymans understanding = contact AS for confirmation - all the best, Jim.
