The house builds
True Crime Film Books
True Crime asks for particular handling. Drakenscroll builds true crime film books and audio books with that handling written into the plan before a line is recorded.
A true crime manuscript is a factual account that must not sensationalise what it shows. A film book takes the whole work — not an excerpt, not a trailer — and performs it to picture and score, so the story arrives with everything the page had to imply. What that means for true crime in practice is care with real names, and nothing dramatised beyond the record.
The rate does not change by genre: twelve percent of the word count for a film book, seven percent for an audio book, one percent per two voices, one percent per five sound effects, fifteen hundred for score selection, cutting and licensing. What changes is the plan — the cast, the pacing, the sound bed and the restraint.
If the work is a series, the house keeps a series bible so a voice, a name and a pronunciation hold across every volume. If the work suits it, a third vessel exists: the Novel-Game, where the reader walks the book a gate at a time.
What authors ask
Can you make a film book from a true crime manuscript?
Yes. True Crime is regular work for this house. The plan accounts for care with real names, and nothing dramatised beyond the record, agreed with you before recording starts.
How much does a true crime film book cost?
Twelve percent of the word count, plus chosen voices, effects and score. Genre never changes the rate. Price your own manuscript at the Forge and the figure is yours in the open.
Does the film book come with an audio edition?
A matching audio book edition rides with every film book at thirty-three percent of the film book production. An audio book on its own is seven percent of the word count.