Well, this is tricky, and it's a balancing act. I mean, those who are good at it could go on AGT and place, as there is an art to it.
Once you are finished with your script, the hard part starts.
You thought writing was the hard part? Nah, that's the fun part.
Even if you have an agent, manager, or both, the cold, hard reality is that you will be the best advocate for your work and do 99% of the leg work. That's just the way it is.
But Stephanie? What? I thought that once I finished, it would be easy, people would automatically recommend my brilliant script to all the producers and connections they have?
IT SHOULD BE SO EASY!
As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, NETWORKING IS EVERYTHING, it is, but don't expect others to sell your script.
Newbies do this thing: They write a script, take classes with top professionals in the industry, and then expect them to sell their work.
PHOTO: CLUELESS PARAMOUNT PICTURES
So, here is the thing: It could happen, but it's unlikely. I can't tell you how many times in the past year, especially this summer, I have heard writer friends complain about how they spent money on a class or mentorship and then, the nerve of the person teaching, not getting their script sold.
This is a common thing. I get asked all the time when I am contacted about my courses and or working with me, "Will you get my script to a director? Who have you sold? Can you connect me?" People get upset when you can't do that.
It's mind-boggling to me that people think this way.
Please read my post about networking. It will help, I promise.
I'll get into some steps to help you in a second but first, the way you do it is as a professional. You want to be respectful, kind, honest, and never ever slide a script under a bathroom door or go up to someone at a function or like George on Seinfeld when he went up to actors to tell them about his great idea. Don't be a George!
HERE ARE SOME STEPS
CREATE A LIST of who you want to work with, including directors, actors, agents, managers, and studios.
FIND CONTACTS via IMDB Pro, or via other writers and contact them. Yes COLD contacting still works. It just takes time and patience.
Understand the market you are in and what the requirements are. This means that if you are writing TV holiday movies, it's much easier to contact people directly than if you are writing a 100 million dollar budget feature film intended for the big screen. Low budge horror films are easier to break into as well. Want to get into a writer's room on a TV show? All of these things will take a different approach, and so often, writers don't understand this.
Start contacting people you already know in the industry. It's OK to ask if they know anyone looking for this type of script; just be respectful if they can't help. Contact people you have met in classes, at conferences, etc.
Enter contests, but always make sure you study which ones are worth it.
Look for an agent or manager. The truth is right now, in 2024, it's hard to sign with agents. They just aren't signing a lot of people, no matter how good you are but it's worth a shot. Managers are taking on writers but know that your manager is not the same as having an agent. So, figure out if this is how you want to go and make a plan.
Attack this like you are looking for a job. This is a business, so treat it as such.
Attend writing conferences and festivals to meet others in the industry.
Attend workshops with agents, producers, directors, etc., who are looking for what you are writing.
You must sell yourself. Getting meetings is hard but it's not impossible. The truth is that all agents want that script that will sell in a multi-seven figure deal. All directors want to find the next great script but your amazing script sitting in a folder on your desktop is doing you no good.
A few words of advice on being ready to go out there.
Have multiple scripts ready to go. These are your samples. You want to have more than one that has been revised, worked on in a workshop, mentorship, been covered, had other eyes on-meaning, it's ready. Have a few of these so when they ask, "What else do you have?" You can say...this...this...and this.
Practice pitching your story without reading. Know what it's about. Be able to tell someone about it in two minutes or less in a way that makes them want to read it.
Have a written pitch ready for every script you have ready. Have the one-page synopsis, the longer synopsis, and the pitch page; some places ask for a pitch deck.
Please be specific about who you contact. Don't toss spaghetti at the wall and hope something will stick.
Understand that even when you sign with an agent or manager, you still have to do all the above. The great thing is that you can say, "My script is with so-in-so at William Morris." or wherever.
I'll blog soon about big agencies, small agencies, etc. My experience with both.
Having an agent or manager does give you some respectability that not having one doesn't, but it's not impossible without one, you just have to be more creative.
I love agents, but managers are on the rise, especially for new writers. It's a personal choice.
I hope this is helpful.
Honestly, the business side of this is the hardest part but you can do it when you approach it the right way. It doesn't have to consume your entire day either. You can plan for time to do your research and time to contact people.
If your writing is good and you are networking, you will start getting meetings and what we call GENERALS.
Happy writing!!
Keep going!!
Know that rejection happens more often than not but it rarely is about you, so just keep getting better and keep putting yourself out there.
PHOTO CREDIT: Back to the Future
I'm showing my GenX-ness here but when I was 16 I went to see BACK TO THE FUTURE and it changed my life. I'll never forget watching it and thinking that both Marty and George had it wrong, but soon realized that I was doing that at auditions for things, out of fear of rejection.
You've got this!!
XO Steph
Follow me on social @stephobourbon
Join my FB group for female writers if you are a female writer looking for support and a safe space to talk about writing HERE
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