Screenplay Writing Services and Book-to-Screen Adaptation

Screenplay writing services at The Author Publishing turn your story into a script in professional format. A screenwriter plans the story with you, writes in your voice and adapts your book or idea for the screen, with your approval at each stage. You keep your rights, your royalties and your accounts.

A screenplay is a different art from a novel. It shows what can be seen and heard, runs to a tight length and follows a format that producers and readers expect. Many authors have a story that would work on screen but have never written a script, or want their book adapted. This service is part of our fiction ghostwriting services and sits close to our comic book writing.

Hire a screenwriter: story told in pictures and dialogue

Film and television tell stories through action and speech. Inner thoughts have to become visible choices, and long descriptions have to become single images. Your screenwriter finds the visual core of the story, builds a structure with clear turning points and writes scenes that start late and end early. Dialogue is short, has subtext and sounds like real people.

Format is part of the craft. We write in the standard screenplay layout, with scene headings, action lines, character names and dialogue set out the way readers expect. A feature script usually runs about 90 to 120 pages, and a short film much less. We keep descriptions lean and specific, because readers of scripts, from agents to producers, read quickly and lose patience with padding.

Screenplay types we write

• Feature film scripts. Full-length stories with a three-act structure and a clear central character.
• Short film scripts. Tight stories of five to thirty pages, suited to festivals and showreels.
• Television pilots and episodes. A first episode that sets up the world, the characters and the series engine.
• Book to screenplay adaptation. Turning a novel or memoir into a script, keeping its spirit and cutting for the screen.
• Documentary and corporate scripts. Narration and structure for factual films, brand stories and training videos.
• Audio drama and podcast scripts. Stories built entirely from sound, dialogue and music.

Book to screenplay adaptation: what stays, what goes

A novel can be 100,000 words and a screenplay only 20,000, so adaptation means choosing. We identify the spine of the story, the characters who carry it and the scenes that work best on screen. Subplots may be merged or cut, and internal thought is turned into action, image or voice-over used sparingly. The aim is a script that feels faithful to the book without copying it page by page.

Rights matter in adaptation. If your book is your own, you control the screen rights. If it is based on another author’s work, you will need permission, and we cannot write an adaptation for you without proof that you hold the rights. Our ISBN and copyright service explains how copyright works for your own books.

How this service works, step by step

1. Story and format brief. You share your story, your book or your idea and the format you want. We agree the length, the tone and the scope.
2. Logline and outline. We write a logline and a scene-by-scene outline. You approve both before any script pages are written.
3. First act. You read the first act to confirm the voice, structure and format.
4. Full draft. You receive the full script and give notes, which shape a revised draft.
5. Final script and pitch materials. You receive the finished script in standard format, with a logline, a synopsis and other materials you chose.

Treatments, pitches and what happens after the script

A finished script is only the start. Producers and agents usually want a logline, a one-page synopsis, a treatment and a pitch deck as well, and we can prepare these with the script. We can also format the script for a particular contest or fellowship. The screen industry is competitive, and we cannot promise that a script will be bought, produced or placed. What we can do is give you a clear, professional script and package, and advice on where to register your work in your country.

Who this service is for

• Authors who want their novel or memoir adapted for the screen
• Creators with a film or series idea but no script
• Filmmakers who need a writer for a short film or pilot
• Businesses and organisations that need scripts for video and audio

What affects the timeline and cost

A feature screenplay is usually about 90 to 120 pages, a short film is much shorter and a pilot depends on the format. Your quote sets out the scope, the schedule and a fixed price before work starts. The main factors are:

• The length and the format of the script
• Whether it is an original idea or an adaptation of your book
• How much of the story and outline already exists
• How quickly you review each stage and send notes

See our packages and pricing or ask for a free quote. We reply within 24 hours with a scope, a timeline and a fixed price.

Your rights and what you receive

You own the finished work. Your agreement sets out ownership and credit before writing starts, and the work is published under your name. You receive every draft and outline, and nothing is published without your approval. Read more about how our process works or browse our frequently asked questions.

Related services

• Comic book writing services
• Novel writing services
• Young adult ghostwriting
• Novella ghostwriting services
• ISBN and copyright