The Black List Expands Into Fiction

The Black List, renowned for its annual survey of unproduced screenplays, is expanding its focus to include novel manuscripts, aiming to bridge the gap between early-career writers and the publishing industry. This new initiative allows authors to create profiles, host manuscripts, and receive professional feedback, with the introduction of the Unpublished Novel Award offering $10,000 grants across multiple genres. Franklin Leonard, the founder, emphasized this move addresses a significant market failure where talented writers lack access to quality feedback. Randy Winston, formerly of the Center for Fiction, will lead the expansion into fiction, which is seen as a natural progression for the platform. Partnerships with film production companies, including Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films, will help option exceptional manuscripts for adaptation. The initiative marks a significant evolution for The Black List, which has already seen over 400 scripts from its annual survey produced into films.