By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox
‘The Appetite for Cross-Border Storytelling’
Earlier this year, Ingram Content Group launched MediaScout, a database designed to connect film and television professionals with books available for screen adaptation.“MediaScout was born out of a clear gap in the market: the lack of a service that showcased frontlist, deep backlist, and not-yet-published IP in a centralized, rights-aware information service for film and television professionals,” says Margaret Harrison, Vice-President of Digital Services at Ingram Content Group.
Margaret Harrison, Vice President, Digital Services
“As Ingram talked more with book-to-screen professionals,” she says, “we saw firsthand how many compelling stories were invisible to producers and studios.”
MediaScout offers advanced search functionality across over 2 million titles and authors from many parts of the world, each entry featuring comprehensive, up-to-date rights information. The titles included are already in Ingram’s vast distribution catalogue.
For publishers who are looking to revitalize their backlists, the database provides an opportunity to include older titles in addition to new releases.
Ingram provides curation on the site to highlight books that may be relevant to buyers. At the time of writing, the program is featuring the US National Book Award longlist as well as featured selections from the Venice Film Festival.
Subscribers can browse or search for books on relevant subjects on one centralized cost-effective platform, and then be connected quickly with the author, publisher, or agent to option the book. MediaScout provides a free data management tool for rights owners to share updated contact and rights information to help with that seamless connection, including email, titles represented, author bios, rights status, and a description of the agency or publishing house.
The database began in the United States and quickly expanded its service to include the United Kingdom and Europe with further global expansion on the horizon.
Currently, MediaScout features titles in 52 languages, the bulk of which come from the current markets in which it is available – the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
“We’re actively working to onboard titles and authors from diverse regions and languages, because great stories transcend borders—and we want MediaScout to reflect that,” says Harrison. “Our goal is to make it easier for international publishers and authors to showcase their work to a global entertainment audience.”
In addition to titles in 52 languages, MediaScout also features thousands of books by independent authors not found anywhere else. Ingram Spark, the independent publishing platform also owned by Ingram Content Group, helps writers publish their work directly. With MediaScout, now the work of those authors can be seen by film and television professionals around the world.
“One of the most exciting trends we’re seeing,” Harrison says, “is the appetite for cross-border storytelling. In particular, we have received requests for content from the Nordic region.
“MediaScout is designed to facilitate that kind of global rights discovery—giving publishers, agents, and authors from anywhere the chance to connect with filmmakers everywhere. It’s a powerful shift, and we’re proud to be part of it.”
More from Publishing Perspectives on the book-to-film market, the film industry, and Ingram’s MediaScout database.
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