Choose a book to adapt. Consider whether your source material will work in an episodic format. A book of interconnected short stories can be split into episodes more readily than a lengthy Modernist novel.
Contact the publisher of the book you wish to adapt and secure the rights before you begin any serious work. Many an over-eager writer has written a screen adaptation of a literary property, only to find that they could not afford the film rights, or that the rights were unavailable. If you cannot secure the rights to a particular book, return to Step 1.
Decide what events from the book will occur in the pilot -- or first episode -- of your animated adaptation, and write a script using commercial screenwriting software or a free alternative like Celtx (see link in Resources).
Recruit talent to work on your project using Internet classifieds, animation forums and user groups on free video hosting sites like YouTube and Vimeo. Hire crew who own their own software and equipment whenever possible.
Draft a budget for your animated show. Figure out how much money you have to spend on software, art supplies, sound recording, peripheral equipment like drawing tablets, fees for actors and crew, and post-production services including audio mixing. Estimate how much money you can fund-raise.
Plan a production work flow with your crew members. Choose hardware and software, and plan how you will manage digital assets, or files including script drafts and artwork. Consider using free and open-source software to reduce costs.
Design the visual style of your show, including colors, backgrounds, and model sheets, or character designs drawn to scale.
Rehearse with your actors and record them performing the script using free and open-source audio recording software like Audacity.
Draw a storyboard and scan each drawing. Combine the scanned drawings with the recorded script to create an animatic — a rough version of your episode made up of stills cut together in the video editing suite of your choice.
Produce your pilot and put it on the Internet. Once you have secured financing, assemble your cast and crew and produce your pilot. Animation production steps include designing backgrounds, sketching, ink and paint, photography (or scanning), and rendering your completed project to a video file.
Promote your pilot and seek additional financing. Pitch your idea to friends, family and other potential investors. Consider using underwriting or crowd-sourcing to fund your animated show.