Which it isn’t
All the Southeast Michigan literary mafia get quoted in an Ann Arbor News story on selling the movie rights to your novel. (You do have a novel, don’t you?) Writers Steve Amick, Steve Gillis, Laura Kasischke, and Elizabeth Kostova share their experiences. Check out Gillis:
Some authors, like Ann Arbor writer Steve Gillis, turn down movie option deals.
Gillis, who founded the 826 Michigan program for young writers, had an offer for his book, “Walter Falls,” but passed on the $20,000 option when he realized the producer wanted to turn the novel into a mystery, “which it isn’t,” he says.
“I didn’t want to get caught up in the whole process, and I felt I was selling my soul to the devil,” says Gillis. “My agent nearly killed me.”
I liked Walter Falls a lot. BTW, I just saw today that Gillis has joined forces with Dan Wickett to create a new nonprofit publishing company, Dzanc Books. Gillis’s stubbornness plus Wickett’s energy: this could be fun. I’ll be watching from a safe distance.
Also on the subject of souls to sell or not to sell: Gina Frangello.
September 18th, 2006 07:23
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