Re: RARA-AVIS: name changes - Parker

From: M Blumenthal ( blumenidiot@21stcentury.net)
Date: 31 Mar 2002


--Terrill Lankford:
>
. Smarter than most
> writers, Westlake wisely put clauses in his contracts when Hollywood (and
> France) came a callin' allowing the producers to buy the stories of the
> various Parker novels they were interested in, but not allowing them to
own
> the character. Writers who write series characters
> and get courted by the movies should emulate Westlake's business savvy
> whenever possible, otherwise a producer can tie up two or more books just
by
> optioning the rights to one. It's happened to some pretty smart people out
> there.
>
Terrill, Doesn't it work the other way also? IIRC, John Jakes' very successful series that began with the Bastard was thought up an commmisioned by a prominent agent/editor whose name escapes me now (could it be Lyle Wagoner?) who made a mistake by letting Jakes' name appear as the author. When the series became successful Jakes was able to control it, but he would have been unable to if the author was given a house name. Mark

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