Lateral reversal, a popular concept within the book and publishing industry, refers to turning books into movies, TV series, video games, and other forms of media. The aim is to bring existing material to new audiences in exciting ways.
This practice allows publishers and content creators to make the most of their stories or intellectual property by adapting them for different platforms. Once a book has been transformed into another format, it can reach people who might not have otherwise discovered it – as well as those who were already fans – leading to bigger sales.
The reason lateral reversal works so well is that every medium has its unique strengths. Books are great at telling intricate stories with complex characters over long periods. By contrast, films and television programs use visuals and acting performances to punch home their points quickly. Adapting from one medium to another ensures the story reaches readers or viewers most effectively.
The lateral reversal also includes digital formats such as e-books, audiobooks, or interactive experiences made possible through technology on platforms such as phones or tablets. It means even more storytelling techniques can be utilized: gamification (where elements of gaming are added), augmented reality (which places items in real-life settings), or transmedia (telling part of a story on one platform with another chunk elsewhere).
However lucrative lateral reversal may be when done right, expanding audiences and finding creative possibilities from different angles isn’t easy. Successfully moving any piece of work from one medium requires careful thought about what should be kept and how best each platform’s strengths can be used; preserving essence while exploiting power takes help from an expert in that particular form.
In summary, lateral reversal means putting written content into forms outside traditional books such as movies, TV shows, and video games; audiobooks, e-books; phone apps; anything immersive inside books, etc., all aimed at reaching more people by talking about it differently. And the better each form’s good at stuff, the more money can be made from work.