The Screen Playbook: A Writer's Guide to Negotiating Creative Rights Like a Pro

A Writer’s Guide to Negotiating Creative Rights Like a ProMost 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.What you’ll learn:The difference between shopping agreements, option agreements, and purchase agreementsHow intellectual property and chain of title affect your projectCommon contract terms writers should understand before signingHow leverage impacts negotiation strategyWhat producers, managers, agents, and entertainment attorneys actually doThe realities of pitching, packaging, and project developmentHow to protect your creative rights and avoid common industry mistakesThis book is for:ScreenwritersAuthors adapting their work for film or televisionIndependent filmmakers and producersContent creators developing narrative projectsEmerging professionals navigating the entertainment industryClear, 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. Read more