Ever read a book and imagined who should play the characters in a movie adaptation? I found a neat internet company call The Imagine Film List (The IF List) that lets you become a casting director, imagining your favorite book transformed into a movie with your choice of stars. It’s fun and it’s free.

Over coffee at Book Expo America last month, The IF List co-founder Noel Spangler explained to me how his company can help authors build a greater following for their books, possibly even attracting the attention of filmmakers. “We provide simple, but powerful tools to visualize any story as a movie, propose a dream cast, and nominate filmmakers to bring the story to life on screen. Proposals that receive the most support from fans are ranked at the top of The IF List, where they are in the best position to attract the attention of producers, casting directors, celebrities and others who have the power to turn ideas into reality.”

In addition to being a creative platform, The IF List is a comprehensive database and search engine – the first of its kind for imagined films and TV shows. “Our listings include profiles of thousands of proposed stories, roles, actors, and filmmakers, all with updated scores that reflect what is most in demand among moviegoers,” said Spangler. “Over the next two years, with the contributions of our fans, we plan to increase the size of our database tenfold, establishing The IF List as a valuable resource for discovering potential movies.”