You think your book would make a good film. The first step is a screenplay.
We turn novels, memoirs and non-fiction into screenplays you can put in front of agents, producers and directors. To begin, we'll adapt a chapter of your book for free.
- £1,200 fixed fee
- First draft in about two weeks
- No catch or obligation
Great Expectations
“Hold your noise!” cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves at the side of the church porch. “Keep still, you little devil, or I’ll cut your throat!”
A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared, and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.
“Oh! Don’t cut my throat, sir,” I pleaded in terror. “Pray don’t do it, sir.”
“Tell us your name!” said the man. “Quick!”
“Pip, sir.”
EXT. MARSH CHURCHYARD - DUSK
Wind off the river. PIP (7), small and alone, cries beside his parents' gravestone.
A MAN rises from among the graves. This is MAGWITCH: soaked, caked in mud, a great iron on his leg.
Magwitch
Hold your noise!
He seizes Pip by the chin. His teeth chatter.
Magwitch (cont'd)
Keep still, you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!
Pip
Oh! Don't cut my throat, sir. Pray don't do it, sir.
Magwitch
Tell us your name! Quick!
Pip
Pip, sir.
Tricorn Books has published independent authors for over 17 years, and our founder Dan Bernard has worked with more than 200 of them. We've adapted books for the screen since 2023. Screenplays we've written have reached the stage and had a feature film option taken up.
Why the screenplay comes first
Authors tell us the same thing: “I think it would make a good movie.” Often they're right. The hard part is getting someone in film or TV to consider it, and that's the job a screenplay does.
We won't promise you a film deal. Nobody honestly can. What we can do is give your story a proper first step, at a price that makes sense for an independent author.
Film and TV people work from scripts
Agents, producers and directors read scripts every day. A screenplay shows them your story as it would play on screen, with the scenes, action and dialogue set out in the format they expect.
A script gets you real feedback
With a script in your hands you can approach people and ask what they think. Their answers tell you whether to take it further, before you invest in more development.
You keep it, whatever happens
You retain all the rights, and you get a professionally bound and printed copy. Some authors pitch theirs. Others simply want to see their book as a script, to read, share and keep. That's a perfectly good reason too.
From your book to a finished script, in four steps
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STEP 1
Tell us about your book
Fill in the short form, or give us a call. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.
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STEP 2
Get a free sample
Send us your manuscript and we'll convert a chosen chapter or scene into a screenplay, completely free of charge. See what we can do before you commit to anything.
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STEP 3
We adapt the whole book
If you like the sample, we write the full screenplay. You have a dedicated account manager throughout, and a first draft usually takes about two weeks.
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STEP 4
Your script arrives
Formatted to industry standard, professionally printed and bound, and ready to send to agents and producers. We can handle submissions for you as well.
The big screen, or a series?
We adapt books for both. If you're not sure which suits your story, it's one of the first things we'll talk through with you, at no cost.
Film
A feature film screenplay
One clear story, told in around two hours. Your whole book adapted into a full-length script.
£1,200 + VAT for books up to 80,000 words
TV series
A pilot script and series bible
Some stories are too big for two hours. We write the first episode, plus a series bible that shows producers where the story goes next.
Quoted individually
One fixed price, agreed up front
We understand the realities of independent publishing, and we know screenplay adaptation can feel like a large and uncertain investment.
So we've built an affordable service specifically for authors, with one purpose: to get you real feedback from producers and agents before you invest in further development.
- Longer books can be accommodated. Ask us for a quote.
- Discounts are available for authors who have already published with Tricorn Books.
- TV adaptations are quoted individually.
Film screenplay adaptation
£1,200 + VAT
Full adaptation of a proofread and edited manuscript of up to 80,000 words.
- Expert adaptation of your whole book
- A dedicated account manager
- Industry-standard formatting
- A professionally bound and printed copy
Optional extras (quote on request)
Proofreading and copyediting, submission to agents and producers, extra bound copies, storyboarding and an animated trailer.
What it's like to read your book as a script
“It flows at pace capturing the story even better than the book. It rises with threat until the horrific end. As I read, I saw it as film and visualised the scenes - it'll be a great production!”
“I couldn't believe the amount of detail and visual storytelling you were able to capture. I'm so happy with the result.”
A small publisher that answers the phone
Tricorn Books is an independent Hampshire publishing house. We've been helping authors get their stories into print for over 17 years, and since 2023 we've been adapting them for the screen as well.
We're a small & personal team. We answer phone calls and emails, and you are welcome to pop into the office and meet us. Your story; your way.
Dan BernardFounder & Creative Director
Gail BairdFounder & Marketing Specialist
We wrote the workbook
Screen Ready
Our workbook for adaptation writers, for authors who'd like to try adapting their own book.
Still working it out?
We've written plain-English guides for authors on how a book becomes a film or TV series.
Common questions
- Does my book need to be published?
- No. We adapt published books, self-published books and unpublished manuscripts. What matters is that the manuscript is finished and edited. If yours needs a polish first, we offer proofreading and copyediting too.
- How much does it cost to turn a book into a screenplay?
- A film screenplay is a fixed £1,200 + VAT for a manuscript of up to 80,000 words. Longer books and TV adaptations are quoted individually, and there's a discount if you've already published with Tricorn Books.
- How long does it take?
- A first draft usually takes about two weeks.
- Will a screenplay get my book made into a film?
- It can't guarantee it, and we'd be wary of anyone who says otherwise. What it gives you is something to send to agents, producers and directors, so you can get real feedback on your story. Screenplays we've written have become stage performances and had an option taken up for a feature film.
- Who owns the rights to the screenplay?
- You do. The author retains all rights, to the book and to the screenplay we write from it.
- Is my book a film or a TV series?
- A film needs one clear story told in around two hours. A series can follow more characters over a longer time. Long or multi-book stories, big casts and memoirs that cover many years often suit TV. It's one of the first things we'll talk through with you, at no cost.
- How does the free sample work?
- You send us your manuscript and we convert a chosen chapter or scene into a screenplay, completely free of charge. There's no catch or obligation. It's a chance to see what we can do before you commit to a full adaptation.
- Can you send my screenplay to agents and producers?
- Yes. Submission to agents and producers is an optional extra. Ask us for a quote when you get in touch.
- Do I need to be in the UK?
- No. We're based in Portsmouth and work with authors across the UK, the US and worldwide. If you're nearby, you're welcome to pop into the office and meet us.
See a chapter of your book as a screenplay
Tell us a little about your book. We'll get back to you within 24 hours to arrange your free sample, and answer any questions you have.
No catch or obligation, just a chance to see what we can do before you commit to a full adaptation.