In a method of depositing a metal sulfide film on a substrate, at least one metal compound precursor comprising at least one thiocarboxylate ligand SECR and at least one solubility-improving ligand L is dissolved in a solvent to produce a solution, wherein a) E is selected from the group consisting of O and S and R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, substituted aryl, halogenated alkyl, and halogenated aryl; and wherein b) L is selected from the group of monodentate ligands, multidentate ligands, and R.sup.1 O ligands. The solution is coated onto a substrate and the substrate is heated to a reaction temperature sufficient to decompose the metal compound precursor to form a metal sulfide film of at least one metal on the substrate.