A Writer's Guide to Negotiating Creative Rights Like a Pro
Most screenwriting books teach you how to write a script.
This book teaches you what happens after someone wants to buy it.
An insider's guide to protecting creative rights in the entertainment industry.
Where storytelling meets strategy.
In today's entertainment industry, understanding the business side of storytelling is no longer optional. Writers, creators, and producers are expected to navigate contracts, intellectual property, pitching, packaging, producer attachments, and negotiations-often before they fully understand the implications of the deals they are signing.
The Screen Playbook is a practical, real-world guide to the legal and business foundations of film and television development.
Written by entertainment attorney Tisha Morris, this book breaks down the agreements, deal points, and industry dynamics that shape how creative projects move from script to screen.
Whether you're adapting source material, negotiating an option agreement, attaching producers, or trying to protect your rights as a creator, The Screen Playbook provides an accessible roadmap through the often-overwhelming business side of entertainment.
You'll learn:
• The difference between shopping agreements, option agreements, and purchase agreements
• How intellectual property and chain of title affect your project
• Common contract terms writers should understand before signing
• How leverage impacts negotiation strategy
• What producers, managers, agents, and entertainment attorneys actually do
• The realities of pitching, packaging, and project development
• How to protect your creative rights and avoid common industry mistakes
This book is for:
• Screenwriters
• Authors adapting their work for film or television
• Independent filmmakers and producers
• Content creators developing narrative projects
• Emerging professionals navigating the entertainment industry
Clear, practical, and grounded in real industry experience, The Screen Playbook helps creators approach the entertainment industry with greater confidence, clarity, and control-so they can protect their work, advocate for their value, and give their projects the best possible chance of reaching the screen.
