My Films

Module 10 · Lesson 1 of 3

Find out who holds the film rights to your book.

Before you film your book, check who holds its film rights. This is plain guidance, not legal advice.

The steps

  1. This lesson is plain guidance, not legal advice. For your own contract, ask a lawyer or your agent.

If you self-published

  1. You usually still hold the film rights. Most self-publishing services leave them with you.

    Check the terms of the service you used, to be sure.

If a publisher signed you

  1. Check your publishing contract first. The publisher may hold the film rights, or share them.

  2. Look for the words “film”, “dramatic”, “media” or “subsidiary rights”. That part says who holds them.

  3. If the publisher holds them, ask them in writing before you make a film.

If you started from an idea

  1. A story you made up yourself is yours to film.

    Someone else’s book is not. Filming it needs its owner’s permission, even for a short film.

Use the free tool

  1. Open the Adaptation Rights Explainer. Answer its questions about how your book was published.

  2. Write down who holds the film rights. You’ll put it at the top of your rights checklist in the next lesson.

Your film

My Films

Fill it in here. It saves as you type, and later lessons use it.

Do this now

Find out who holds the film rights to your book, and write it down.

Open the Adaptation Rights Explainer

Check yourself

  • Do you know whether you or a publisher holds your book’s film rights?
  • If a publisher holds them, have you asked them in writing?

If any answer is no, go back over the steps, or look below.

Stuck?

I can’t find my contract.
Email your publisher or agent for a copy. In the same email, ask who holds the film rights.
The contract’s words confuse me.
Copy the part that mentions film or media, and ask a lawyer. Writers’ groups like the Authors Guild help members with contracts.
I sold the film rights years ago.
Check the dates in that contract. Some rights come back to the author after a set time. Ask the buyer before you film.

Still stuck? Email info@bookwriter.vip and say which lesson you’re on. A person reads every message and writes back.