# Really serious writing/editorial question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097 "2007-11-19T22:53:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ink\_a\_dink\_a\_dink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ink\_a\_dink\_a\_dink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ink_a_dink_a_dink)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/1 "2007-11-19T22:53:15Z")
How would I go about finding out if someone had a book optioned already? I’m Just a Josephina nobody, but am really interested in giving a marvelous book a go at a try of adaptation but want to make sure I am not stepping on toes first. You can always e-mail me, too…I’d truly appreciate the help. Ink ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/2 "2007-11-19T22:54:47Z")
I’m not in the biz, as it were, but wouldn’t a good starting place be the author’s agent? ---
**Author:** ![Ink\_a\_dink\_a\_dink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ink\_a\_dink\_a\_dink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ink_a_dink_a_dink)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/3 "2007-11-20T00:03:33Z")
Great idea but published over 25 years ago - I’m not sure of the rights holder anymore. Ink ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/4 "2007-11-20T00:43:50Z")
Is the author still alive? I imagine if you really were dead set on this, _you_ could hire an agent and have him look into this for you. That’s part of what they do, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Ink\_a\_dink\_a\_dink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ink\_a\_dink\_a\_dink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ink_a_dink_a_dink)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/5 "2007-11-20T00:48:26Z")
The Author is Julie Andrews Edwards. You know - of Marry Poppins fame? I suppose I could write her agent. Thanks for the idea. I’ll let you know if it works out. Hope it does cause I’ve got nothing else. Whangdoodles away. Ink ---
**Author:** ![filmyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@filmyak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmyak)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/6 "2007-11-20T01:00:25Z")
I’ve gone down this road several times, and have optioned some properties. You 100% should start with the author’s agent. If you don’t have that, start at: > **[WhoRepresents.com | Database of Talent Representatives](https://www.whorepresents.com/)** > > Contact any celebrity. Celebrity Jennifer Coolidge Amy Schumer Selena Gomez Anthony Mackie Olivia Rodrigo Ramy Youssef Geena Davis LaDainian Tomlinson Hailee Steinfeld John Krasinski If the author is alive and has as a website, you can always try contacting them directly to ask who their agent is. Many authors will respond to emails. Good luck, it’s not easy. ---
**Author:** ![Nekosoft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@Nekosoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nekosoft)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/7 "2007-11-20T01:05:14Z")
HarperTrophy released a [30th Anniversary](http://www.amazon.com/Last-Really-Great-Whangdoodles-Anniversary/dp/0064403149) of the work in question at the end of 2003, so presumably they (or HarperCollins) would be able to put you in touch with the rightsholder. Their rights information line is (212) 261-6720 (from [here](http://www.harpercollins.com/footer/subRights.aspx)) . It really is a marvelous book. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/8 "2007-11-20T02:40:09Z")
[QUOTE=filmyak] > **[| WhoRepresents.com](https://www.whorepresents.com)** [/QUOTE] I’m sure I’m not the only one who read that as whore presents. What an odd name. ---
**Author:** ![filmyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@filmyak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmyak)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/9 "2007-11-20T03:39:49Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] I’m sure I’m not the only one who read that as whore presents. What an odd name. [/QUOTE] I’ve read it the same way many times. Not really an odd name after all, when you consider the whole Hollywood thing. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/10 "2007-11-20T12:44:07Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] I’m sure I’m not the only one who read that as whore presents. What an odd name. [/QUOTE] Ditto. Why are so many people arfaid to use upper-case when they type a web site? Isn’t [www.WhoRepresents.com](http://www.WhoRepresents.com) so much easier to read? ---
**Author:** ![filmyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@filmyak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmyak)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-serious-writing-editorial-question/427097/11 "2007-11-20T18:00:57Z")
[QUOTE=Keeve] Ditto. Why are so many people arfaid to use upper-case when they type a web site? Isn’t [www.WhoRepresents.com](http://www.WhoRepresents.com) so much easier to read? [/QUOTE] Because that’s not NEARLY as funny!