The Breakdown - March, 2021
Hello Friends! We’re back with the March edition of The Breakdown! This issue is going to be a fun one. But first, a warm welcome to all my new subscribers! I’m tickled pink to have you aboard. And if you happen to be a Wattpadder, then you’ll definitely want to check out the top News story and the Book Deals section to see interesting news about your fellow Wattpaddians.
Now, this month’s issue doesn’t really have an over-arching theme like past issues did, unless you count how hard it was to find any really trendsetting or industry-disrupting news. There’s some, but not as much as in previous editions. Why is that? You may ask. Well, I suspect it’s because there was an abundance of high-profile news such as the release of The Snyder Cut for Justice League and the release of Disney/Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; there was some high-level shenanigans in the publishing industry (The Dr. Seuss controversy & Amazon withholding their imprints’ e-books and audiobooks from libraries); and there were more announcements about reboots (Punky Brewster, The Wonder Years, Dexter, True Blood) and spinoffs (three for Game of Thrones alone) than you could shake a stick at, all dominating the news cycle.
Does this mean the traditional publishing industry is falling apart or that, for new writers, creating original content for film & TV is just a waste of time? Well, no. But it does point to two things:
1) The traditional publishing industry is in a period of massive change and upheaval, which means they’ll be seeking out “sure bets” as much as possible. But between the consolidation of the Big 5 (soon to be the Big 4); the effects of a year-long, global lockdown on the book market (both traditional and digital); the rapid rise of audio; and the impact of increasingly robust Artificial Intelligence, there’s no way they can go back to business-as-usual once the pandemic ends. Exactly how they’ll change is still unclear, but change is on the horizon.
2) For the Film & TV industry, there’s no denying the increasing influence and dominance of IP (intellectual property) and how it’s driving a lot of development. This shift to “IP first, originals when we get to them” means that Hollywood plans to focus on material they already own or seek out material that’s already been proven to be popular in another, or a previous, market. Now, while that’s good news for fiction writers (book options are hotter than ever), it’s not so good for screenwriters, either in film or TV. But the scenario isn’t all bleak for those who prefer the scripted format, and I’ll dive more deeply into what you can do to better position yourself in the next Premium Post, coming at the end of the month - Industry Deep Dive #3: Selling Your Screenplay in Today’s Market.
So, in short, what do all of these changes mean? Well, it’s too early to tell, although we’ve covered some trends that are most definitely emerging (audio anyone?) But I think ultimately what it means is that if it’s not business-as-usual for the publishing and entertainment industries, then it shouldn’t be business-as-usual for you. Think outside the box when it comes to the stories you want to tell.
Okay, now with all that, let’s dive in!
News
(Click the titles for the source articles)
Cereal Stories - App for Serialized Audio Goes into Beta
A new content publisher has just entered the fray. And this one, Cereal Stories, has a very interesting business model. While you can get a high-level overview of their business model and how they plan to operate via their website, I found a much more interesting write up here on reddit, posted by the Managing Director of the company. Since they’re in very early days yet, he was looking for feedback from the writing community. Here’s a snippet of what he had to say:
Hi writers!
I’m Charlie, Managing Director of Cereal Stories, an audio content publishing company dedicated to helping authors who write serialized content create an audio edition of their works.We are the team behind LOVO, a voice-over production company that uses both human voice actors and AI to create the most amazing voice-overs for any kind of content. We’ve helped create over a million voiceovers in 38 countries so far, ranging from independent audiobooks and radio ads to corporate training and contact centers. Now, we’re taking our expertise in voice over production and trying something new called Cereal Stories: a mobile app that lets users listen to bite-sized, serialized audio stories. Think Radish or Wattpad, but in audio format.
This is how it works: We will produce the first 10 episodes of your work in audio form, free of charge. Our veteran narrators will bring your characters and story to life. Then we will distribute it on Cereal Stories, at around $0.1~0.2 per episode, and you will receive 50% of all sales after fees…
After doing some digging, it’s apparent that LOVO (the parent company) leans heavily into AI, largely for non-fiction, education, and advertising. However, when you check out their demos, there are a few voices that actually sounded quite smooth and could be used for fiction. If you want, you can give it a go, right on their homepage: https://www.lovo.ai/
When I tried it out, I tested out the following:
Hi. I'm here to read your story. Would you like a particular emotion evoked? If not, then I will improvise. And I hope your story doesn't contain the word antidisestablishmentarianism.
I found Jemima, who’s voice is highlighted for e-learning (as well as being British, which I think works best for AI voices) to be the most natural sounding one to me. Chad, the audiobook reader, also sounded pretty good. The other voices sounded a bit odd and definitely artificial to my ear, tbh.
On the other side of the spectrum, on the Cereal Stories app, their fiction company seems to be relying on human voice actors for their projects, at least for now. They have a small slate of books available since they’re in beta and the narration is quite good and sounds professional, although not in the same league as the top Audible narrators, but top narrators are very, very expensive. If you want to explore the app, Wattpad’s very own Keri Halfacre has a story up called, Delaney Blake’s Guide to Detention. Check it out!
It’s clear to me at this stage that voice technology is getting so good, so quickly, we’ll be able to produce our own fiction and dramatic audio at a relatively low cost very soon. It’s actually quite exciting, and I‘m definitely going to try it out as soon as I have a story ready; although, they’re only open to Romance and Thrillers at the moment. A pretty standard approach for these online serial story apps.
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YouTube Shorts, A Response To TikTok, Launches Beta In U.S.
Following through on a plan announced last month, YouTube Shorts has launched in beta in the U.S.
The launch of the short-form answer to TikTok begins today and will reach the entire country over the next few weeks.
In a blog post, Shorts product lead Todd Sherman noted progress in India, where the platform launched last year. The number of Indian channels using Shorts creation tools, he said, has more than tripled since the beginning of December. The YouTube Shorts player has racked up 6.5 billion daily views globally. Music, a specialty for YouTube, will be a centerpiece of Shorts. U.S. creators will have access to millions of songs from more than 250 labels and publishers, including majors like Universal, Sony and Warner.
The short-form platform will be integrated into the overall YouTube experience, the company said.
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Scribd Audio Launches with Audiobooks from Independent Publishers
The San Francisco-based subscription service Scribd is announcing a new brand, Scribd Audio.
This is the second of two imprints named by the company since its 2019 introduction of Scribd Originals. The audio productions are available as part of a monthly US$9.99 subscription and are meant to see the company “partner with small and independent publishers to bring books to new audiences.”
Presses that the program is working with include McSweeney’s, Counterpoint Press, Unnamed Press, Akashic, Europa Editions, Other Press, Coffee House Press, Mango Publishing, Rare Bird Books, North Star Editions, and Falstaff Books.
While I like to hear that companies are expanding their audio fare, I have to say that I tried Scribd for more traditionally published eBooks and audiobooks and found their business model odd and ultimately frustrating. What they advertise is unlimited access to the entire catalog for $9.99/month. But in reality, what they do is randomly throttle your access as you fill out your library. So at any given point in time (let’s say, after you’ve snagged ten eBooks and five audiobooks), the next time you tried to click on a link for a title to add it to your library, a message pops up telling you that you’ve reached your limit for the month and that title (as well as everything else in their catalog) won’t be available to you until the following month.
So, instead of giving you a firm, transparent limit, like Kindle Unlimited does (ten titles in your library at any one time), Scribd randomly limits your access with no warning. That means, if for example, you find that you don’t like one of the stories you’d snagged that month but then spot that bestseller you’ve been hankering for, well, you’re crap-out-of-luck. You can’t get it until the following month, after yet another billing cycle. It was, by far, the worst subscription experience I’d encountered, and I let them know that when I cancelled at month’s end.
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Fiction Writing Contests Worth Your Time in Spring 2021
This is an extensive list that leans heavily into literary fiction, but it does still cover the gamut and if you’re into contests, this list is a great place to start!
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300+ Writing Contests You Need to Enter in 2021
This list is a complete hodgepodge, running the gamut from flash fiction contests to contests sponsored by Writing Magazine and Hachette. They definitely lean heavily into UK contests, though, but also list contests from around the globe.
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39 Free Writing Contests: Legitimate Competitions With Cash Prizes
Hey, you can’t beat free! And if you need to exercise your writing chops, then this list may be right for you.
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Note - As will all contests, be sure to do your due diligence and research the contests before entering. Here’s a good place to get started: Writer Beware - Contests and Awards
Book Deals
Here’s a key to the deals when mentioned.
Book Deal Sizes
"nice deal": $1 - $49,000
"very nice deal": $50,000 - $99,000
"good deal": $100,000 - $250,000
"significant deal": $251,000 - $499,000
"major deal": $500,000 and up
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WATTPAD BOOKS - DEALS
There were a host of Wattpad authors who scored deals with Wattpad Books recently. And since so many of you also write on the platform, I thought I’d highlight them separately so you could see where the imprint is leaning (in terms of stories) and also send a hearty “Congratulations” to any of the writers you know.
Sondi Warner's debut LEAD ME ASTRAY, a LGBTQIA+ paranormal, polyamorous romance following a newly dead medium who can see her ghost and a P.I. werewolf who band together to solve the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death, all while falling for each other, to Deanna McFadden at Wattpad, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2022 (world).
Fallon DeMornay's debut THE STILETTO SISTERHOOD, following the trials and triumphs of five 20-somethings whose friendship is put to the test as they face relationship dramas, job issues, and all the struggles that come with adulthood, to Deanna McFadden at Wattpad, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2022, by Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (world).
Journalist Tamara Lush's DRIVE, set against the high-octane world of race car driving, following an arrogant driver and pit crew member, whose "showmance" is derailed when the pair find themselves falling for each other, to Deanna McFadden at Wattpad, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2022, by Amanda Leuck at Spencerhill Associates (world).
Brianna Joy Crump's debut THE CULLED CROWN, centered on a girl who must defeat nine other girls to take the crown, or die trying, to Deanna McFadden at Wattpad, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2022 (world).
Warona Jolomba's REST EASY, a coming-of-age tale pitched as inspired by a true story, centered on two teens who form a bond while volunteering in a retirement home over a fateful summer filled with love and loss, to Deanna McFadden at Wattpad, for publication in fall 2021 (world).
*****
OTHER DEALS - Fiction Debuts
Christine Simon's THE PATRON SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES, about the self-appointed mayor of a small Italian village who, in a bid to save the town and increase tourism, invents a rumor that a famous movie star will be filming on location, roping in the entire community to contribute, until the gossip reaches the actor's ears, to Kaitlin Olson at Atria, by Allison Hunter at Janklow & Nesbit.
Ainslie Hogarth's MOTHERTHING, a domestic horror novel in which a woman haunted by the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself, a darkly humorous exploration of marriage, motherhood, and the abject horror of being completely vulnerable to another human being, to Caitlin Landuyt at Vintage, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2022, by Rach Crawford at MacKenzie Wolf (NA).
Sid Karger's BEST MEN, pitched as a gay spin on Bridesmaids or My Best Friend's Wedding, about a man who thinks he has everything figured out, until his best friend announces her engagement, forcing him to navigate his shared wedding party duties with the groom's charming, infuriating, and (really, really) hot gay brother, and not make his best friend's wedding all about himself, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (NA).
TJ Alexander's CHEF'S KISS, an #OwnVoices LGBTQ+ rom-com starring a type-A pastry chef whose professional goals are interrupted by not only a career transition, but the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager, who happens to be undergoing a transition of their own, to Lara Jones at Emily Bestler Books, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2022, by Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (world).
Jenny Howe's THE MAKE-UP TEST, pitched as ONE TO WATCH meets BEACH READ, about a 20-something woman whose prestigious literature PhD program becomes a battle of wits (and lit) when she discovers that her college ex and biggest regret is now her rival TA for a once-in-a-life-time research opportunity, to Sarah Grill at St. Martin's, in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2023, by Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (world English).
Shelby Van Pelt's debut REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, in which a grieving widow befriends a curmudgeonly giant Pacific octopus, a very reluctant resident of the Sowell Bay Aquarium; when a grifter comes to town, the three unlock a truth tied to her son's disappearance 30 years ago; pitched as for fans of My Octopus Teacher and Kevin Wilson, to Helen Atsma at Ecco, in a major deal, at auction, for publication in Spring 2022, by Kristin Nelson at Nelson Literary Agency (NA.) Rights to Emma Herdman at Bloomsbury UK, in a good deal, in a pre-empt; also to Cordelia Borchardt and Julia Schade at Fischer (Germany), in a good deal, at auction; to Ana Maria Caballero at Grijalbo, in a pre-empt; to Piroska Szabo at General Press (Hungary), in a pre-empt; to Christina Yhman Kaarsberg at Gads (Denmark), in a pre-empt; to Chiara Scaglioni and Donatella Minuto at Mondadori (Italy), in a pre-empt, by Jenny Meyer of Jenny Meyer Literary Agency.
Kristi DeMeester's SUCH A PRETTY SMILE, a dual timeline feminist horror story about a string of shocking murders targeting preteen girls in present-day suburban Atlanta, which are similar to a pattern of killings in pre-Katrina New Orleans, where a beautiful young artist on the rise is haunted by visions of menacing dogs that only she can see, to Alexandra Sehulster at St. Martin's, in a major deal, in a pre-empt, for publication in winter 2022, by Stefanie Lieberman at Janklow & Nesbit (world English).
Angel Khoury's BETWEEN TIDES, based on the true story of a 19th-century seaman who traveled between his two families (each ignorant of the other), one on the North Carolina coast and one on Cape Cod, to Michelle Dotter at Dzanc Books, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2021, by Madison Smartt Bell at Ayesha Pande Literary (world English).
Book-to-Screen Adaptations
If you didn’t click on the link above that mentions book adaptations being on fire (that’s okay…as long as you’re reading, you don’t have to click the links 😄), then you might have missed how Netflix is so tickled pink to have their adaptations creating such massive buzz, they had to put out a press release about it. They were especially pleased to have also helped boost many of the source books—The Queen’s Gambit, Bridgerton, Lupin, and Firefly Lane—onto The New York Times Best Sellers list.
They even went so far as to crow about the next slate of book-to-screen adaptations, coming soon:
Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie -- premiered March 3
Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s YES DAY -- premiered March 12
Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone -- premiering April 23
Things Heard & Seen based on Elizabeth Brundage’s All Things Cease to Appear -- premiering April 30
A.J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window -- coming soon
Maurice Leblanc’s Lupin -- Part 2 is on its way this summer
R.L. Stine’s Fear Street Trilogy -- coming to scare this summer
Jojo Moyes’ The Last Letter From Your Lover -- coming soon
Beth Reekles’ The Kissing Booth 3 -- coming soon
Caroline Kepnes’ YOU -- Season 3 is coming soon
Robyn Carr’s Virgin River -- Season 3 is coming soon
Sherryl Woods’ Sweet Magnolias-- Season 2 is coming soon
Concrete Cowboy, based on Gregory Neri’s Ghetto Cowboy -- coming soon
J.A. White’s Nightbooks -- coming soon
Stephanie Land’s Maid -- coming soon
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Makeready Options New Fantasy Trilogy ‘The Gilded Ones’
Makeready will turn the fantasy tale The Gilded Ones into a film, and the producer/financier has set its author, Namina Forna, to write the script in the first of what will be a trilogy. The novel debuted in February in the U.S. through the Penguin Random House imprint Delacorte Press.
The Gilded Ones is an bold and immersive West African-inspired and empowering feminist fantasy story that follows sixteen-year-old Deka living in Otera, a deeply patriarchal ancient kingdom. There, a woman’s worth is tied to her purity, and she must bleed to prove it. But when Deka bleeds gold – the color of impurity, or that of a demon – she faces a consequence worse than death. She is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature: she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts. The stranger offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with others just like her, or be destroyed.
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Addison Rae will star as Padgett Sawyer, inspired by Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Zackary Siler role, in this new spin on the Rom-Com favorite which will now be told from a teenage girl’s point of view. The contemporary story follows an influencer (Rae) who accepts a challenge to turn the school’s biggest loser (Buchanan) into prom king. Additional cast includes Madison Pettis, Peyton Meyer, Isabella Crovetti, Annie Jacob, Myra Molloy and Matthew Lillard. Netflix will release the film globally later this year.
Okay, technically this isn’t a straight-up adaptation of a book, but it’s said to have been written as a loose adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and George Cukor's 1964 film My Fair Lady. And speaking of recycling IP, this one will be on it’s third iteration and there’s probably a fourth on the horizon.
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OTHER DEALS
N.K. Jemisin's THE INHERITANCE TRILOGY, optioned to Searchlight Television for series development, with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Studios producing.
Rights to all 22 of Brian Jacques's REDWALL books to Netflix, starting with an animated feature based on the first book in the series with writer Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio), by Random House Children's UK.
Kristen Gudsnuk's HENCHGIRL, an original graphic novel published by Scout Comics and collected by Dark Horse Comics, to Freeform with screenwriter Alex Ebel (Deadly Class) attached to adapt and Lindsey Shockley (Black-ish) attached as showrunner, and Ruben Fleischer and David Bernad (Venom, Zombieland) executive producing through The District (Stumptown, Superstore), by Jason Yarn at Jason Yarn Literary Agency.
Syed Masood's THE BAD MUSLIM DISCOUNT, an inclusive, humorous story following two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016, to Urooj Sharif at Netflix Original Series, with the author attached to provide consulting producer services, by Addison Duffy at UTA and Melissa Edwards at Stonesong.
Louise Mumford's SLEEPLESS, about a young woman who suffers from chronic insomnia and agrees to participate in a biotech company's experimental sleep trial on a remote island; at first the results are encouraging, but then bizarre things start happening to her and her fellow patients, to Mark McColey at Insurrection Media, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Emily Hayward-Whitlock at The Artist's Partnership, on behalf of Kare Shaw at The Shaw Agency (world).
Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas's CHAMPIONESS, based on a true story, set in 18th-century London, in which a woman struggles to make ends meet for her sister and herself while facing the fiercest female bare-knuckle boxers of her day, to Watford & Essex, for publication in April 2021.
Final Thoughts
I’ll definitely be digging into the whole IP movement because I have some ideas about how you might be able to work it to your advantage. Yes, developing IP is largely a big boys’ game, but it doesn’t have to be. Look out for that Premium Post later this year.
Also, I’m keeping an eye out for more of these out-of-the-box writing opportunities because I think it’s these avenues that offer new writers the best chance of getting their work out there and seen. It doesn’t mean that you can’t pursue more traditional routes, no, not at all. But in today’s market, it’s those who are willing to venture outside-of-the-box or dive into creating their own IP, who stand the best chance of success in an increasingly changing and competitive world.
Until next time!
~ Paula
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