Writing a script or a book requires ideas that are crafted with precision but are also thought of with a lot of dedication and love. With ideas being penned down, it deems to be a waste if they are not put to action. Realizing that it is not easy to get on board with a publication or have authorized screenwriting partners, Script A Hit, a first-of-its-kind platform in screenwriting and publishing was launched in April 2021.

The platform headquartered in Bangalore is founded by Jaishankar Krishnamurthy that helps young minds who have ideas but not the proficiencies, time, or resources to turn their thoughts into a novel to be published or into scripts for audio-visual content production. The founder through some light about the impeccable journey of his brand and the details involved in acing the industry with his thoughtful strategies.

1. When was Script A Hit launched and how did you get the idea to start the brand? Is the company funded or bootstrapped?

We launched Script A Hit’s website amidst the pandemic in April 2021.Launching the platform was my idea as I was aspiring to write a novel for 4 decades but somehow could never complete penning a single book. Being married to a successful writer, Krishna Udayasankar, who is also the co-founder and who has published many bestsellers, I pitched to her a plot, which she then worked on using her exceptional skills. Now, my first book, FARSIDE, co-authored with Krishna is forthcoming from Penguin Random House in October 2021.

I have also completed my second novel in collaboration with another writer. The book, MIND GAMES, is currently being pitched to various publishers by the reputed Redink Literary Agency.

For my third book, I engaged a writer to bring to life his concept of an intriguing financial thriller to life. He now has three complete manuscripts, with a fourth in the works, in a span of less than two years.

As a result of these experiences, I realized that there are several individuals like me who may not have the time or skills to write, or the resources to convert their unique ideas into novels. Script A Hit is a unique platform for such individual to realize their dreams of becoming an author or the creative mind behind an audio-visual production – be it a movie or an OTT series.

Currently it is being funded by investment from friends and relatives.

2.What is the concept of Script A Hit. And how is it different from a publishing company?

Script a Hit does not aim to publish manuscripts, rather, our aim is to help people transform their ideas into manuscripts that can then be submitted to leading publishers, to be published as books. As a result, what we look for in terms of submissions is not the entire manuscript, but a concept note - the seed of what can be a spectacular novel.

Many people may have amazing ideas but do not have the skills, time or resources to turn that idea into a complete novel. We cater to these individuals by helping bridge the process between idea and manuscript.

As a result, once we accept the submitted idea, we employ professional writers to convert the idea into a novel. We then will approach reputed publishing companies to publish the novel.

In short, we see ourselves as adding value by serving as a bridge between the ideator and publishing houses, thereby serving both their needs

3. Who is the target audience of Script A Hit

Our target audience is any person who has an idea for a story. The person could be a homemaker with an untold story of challenges and emotions, a police force member who has seen the best and darkest of criminal minds, a migrant worker whose trials and difficulties the world needs to hear about, a single parent struggling against a society full of expectations, a daily laboureror a billionaire. We target an ordinary person with a great idea. At Script a Hit, we believe that art imitates life, and that fiction comes from reality.

4. How does the idea work?

Any person who has an idea can submit a detailed synopsis of their idea by registering at the website. If the idea is selected by the Script A Hit team, we enter into a legal contract with the submitter acquiring the idea with initial payment of INR 10,000. We then employ professional writers, chosen with care to fit the particular genre and proceed to write out the entire manuscript. We will then pitch the manuscript to reputed publishers. Depending upon the idea, we will also simultaneously present a detailed pitch to (audio-visual) content producers.

5. How many entries have we received till now? Please explain the kind of entries you receive and where are they majorly from?

We have received over 200 registrations and have received 100 story ideas. Right now we are accepting submissions in English, Hindi and Tamil. Except for one submission in Hindi, two in Tamil, the rest have been in English. The genre of stories range from romance, science fiction and fantasy to crime and thrillers.

6. How do you think your platform is providing a great opportunity to people who have ideas in their minds and would like to sell their ideas to OTT platforms? Also, how the brand generates revenue through this

The demand for content, especially in the form of webseries available on OTT platforms is growing at an exponential rate, supported also by a change in lifestyles in recent times. A recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers report projects India to become the sixth largest OTT market by 2024, with the OTTvideo segment’s share in the overall entertainment and media sectordoubling from what it was in 2019. The report says that “Subscription VOD will be the prime driver of revenue, increasing at a 30.7 per cent CAGR from $708 million in 2019 to $2.7 billion in 2024.” We have unique advantage of having on board an accomplished writer, Krishna Udayasankar, who has optioned all of her novels to date to content producers, including the likes of Disney Hotstar and Phantom Films. She has also been engaged to write screenplays for web series, which are currently being pitched to leading OTT Platforms. Also on board is Neha Lamba Grover, formerly of Star TV and now working with HCL Technologies in their Media Telecom sector in the US, dealing with a broad content-production client base. She brings both her contacts and considerable expertise in the audio-visual content production to the table. These, combined with our vision unique vision, make us a game-changer brand in the world of literary and audio-visual entertainment. We get a portion of the royalties from the publishers and amounts paid by content producers and that is the source of our revenue.

7. How can a person submit an idea on the website?

All an author has to do is submit an idea in the form of a synopsis on the official ‘Script A Hit’ website. Signing up is free. Submissions in English, Hindi, and Tamil are currently accepted. If a person's idea is shortlisted, that person signs a co-development agreement and receives a signing fee of Rs 10,000. When the company gets into the process of manuscript development with a team of professional writers. Once the manuscript is ready, we pitch it to established publishers and entertainment platforms. Finally, if the manuscript gets published, the original idea submitter will receive co-author or concept credits and also a share of the advances and royalties

8. What is Script a Hit's expansion plan or anything else you want to share

Our aim is to sign up for 10 stories in FY22 which we hope to increase to 25 in FY 23.