Books and Movies

Hollywood and publishing are both still in the news (see the post for March 3, 2008). And, once again, it’s the LA Times talking about the marriage.

This time the one talking is ICM agent Ron Bernstein. He’s the agent you turn to if your book is an award winner or a masterpiece – authors like Horton Foote, Carl Hiasson, Patricia Cornwell, or Margaret Atwood. If he believes in your book, he doesn’t give up easily. Either he keeps on searching and selling the book until he finds the producer to take it on.

I knew it would be hard to sell it. I took it out to a list of producers. To a man, everybody turned me down. Then I went to a new list of people. Still no luck.

Or he negotiates what he wants and sells the producer.

But part of what I do in selling people is to educate them as to why I’m doing what I’m doing. Whatever it is I’m negotiating for—money, credit—I explain to the buyer why I’m asking for what I’m asking.

Books to movies. Or, actually, author to agent to book (or before) to agent to producer to movie.