In the past publishing companies handed over the rights to their properties for developments in media including television and film. However, publishers such as Walker Books are retaining the rights to their properties. In doing so they are able to negotiate individual deals and partnerships, keep their authors happy, and be more involved in the creative process.
Walker Books Managing Director, Helen McAleer explains how co-productions benefit the imprint.
Back then, we knew that as a children’s publisher we owned numerous rights that had the potential to cross over into other platforms. Historically, we might have exploited those rights by selling them to a third party. Increasingly, however, we were coming to see that there were more longer-term benefits to be had by retaining them and developing them through co-productions. Now we create individual deal structures and partnerships for each new project. This means we hold a greater stake in the resulting productions. It leads to a greater revenue share for us, as well as the uplift in book sales that generally accompanies a TV series.
Get the full story at MIP World.
