Here's a novel way to plug your book: 'Give away' the film rights

Usually, novelists get paid something when they sell their film rights, then the project can end up in limbo for years. But Author Jonathan Lethem has a better idea.

Lehman is offering to "give away" the option for his new novel "You Don't Love Me Yet" -- but only if the filmmaker coughs up 2 percent of the movie's budget as a fee, and releases "ancillary" rights such as distributing the project online or adapting the story for the stage.

The book was published today by Doubleday.

Lethem, a National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author, is certainly correct that artists should have a say about how content is commodified, instead of just leaving it up to media conglomerates. Why shouldn't authors get a piece of the box office and be able to set some conditions?

This was also a brilliant bit of publicity by Lethem and Doubleday -- offering to "give away" the film rights in exchange for a percentage. That virtually guarantees a film will be released within five years.