Online Bookscouts For TV, Movies

Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 8/2/1999

Looking to provide TV and film producers with up-to-the-minute information on book properties, a veteran of the movie business has teamed up with two New York book scouts to launch The Storyworks Company, an Internet-based subscription service aimed at the entertainment industry. Storyworks will also launch a separate site aimed at the European film industry this fall.

Located on the Web at www.bookscouts.com, the Storyworks company was founded by Judy Kauffman, who has worked as a story editor, script consultant, associate producer and independent producer in the TV and film industry. Kauffman launched the firm with her own money and has joined with Alison Bond and Eugena Pilek, experienced New York -- based literary scouts, to produce the site's monthly scouting report on book properties.

Kauffman told PW the password-protected site provides a monthly book report on about 40 properties that have have either been signed or are on submission to major publishers. Kauffman also calls her report "affordable," with rates that begin at $925 a month, compared, she claimed, to $2500 or more a month to hire a New York scouting firm. Her report provides information on the houses considering the book, the agent, a brief synopsis of the story and background notes on writing or plans for marketing the book.

"Filmmakers want to know if the book is adaptable; if it's a good commercial story. I know what my subscribers want," said Kauffman. "Everything is done online -- the reports are updated thoughout the month." The site also has a feature called "A Closer Look," which highlights titles at least three years old that have been overlooked.