When you feel like your script is ready for producers to read, you have to make every effort you can to get the attention of a legitimate producer. You can do that by sending them emails or meeting them somewhere or maybe trying to get them on the phone. It’s an exciting process when you finally get their attention, but sometimes that excitement lasts only for minutes — until you read the part of the email after “Sure it sounds interesting…” and you get to the part that says: “…Have your agent send it over.”
It can be so disheartening!
You make all that effort.
You manage to get their attention.
And then they send you back to square one telling you your agent needs to send it to them. In my head, it’s kind of like , “Hey, buddy… if I had an agent, they would have been contacting you instead of me, dumb#!%!”
But of course, you can’t say that part out loud.
So what’s a screenwriter to do in this circular situation?
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as “Hey, just do this…” But the good news is that there are things you do in this situation. In the options I give you below, I’ll assume you’re communicating by email, but if you happen to be on the phone or in person at an event, you can adapt the following ideas to use in those situations.
First, just know that a producer is used to dealing with agents, so they may automatically say to have your agent send it over, but they may also be okay having you send it over yourself.
In your email replying to them after they have agreed to read your script — by the way never, ever send the full script unsolicited — you can either:
1) Go ahead and attach the script and email them a message, along the lines of: “I don’t have an agent, so I’m sending the script over myself (see attached). For your convenience, I have included a Release Form along with my WGA registration number. Or if you have your own in-house Release Form, I would be happy to sign it. I hope this is sufficient such that you will move forward in reading the script — which I think you will enjoy!”
Of course, you’ll need to find a Release Form on the internet or use one similar to one you may have signed in the past. But make it very simple.
2) Write back something similar to above without sending the script. In that case, you wait for them to agree that it’s okay for you to send it — and if they say no, then you don’t send it.
If they let you know they can’t read it without receiving it from a rep, you can try one of the following things.
Contact an entertainment attorney and see if you could pay them a flat fee just to submit your script. There are some attorneys who will submit it for a flat fee. This may or may not be satisfactory to the producer. Sometimes they like to know of the agent or attorney who is submitting. For your part, you could potentially line up an entertainment attorney ahead of time in case you do need them.
One thing I would caution against here if you’re a new screenwriter is that you don’t need to go out and spend a lot of money on an attorney ahead of time when you don’t know if you’ll need them. Sometimes, between paying for contests and script-writing software and books and classes and such, your writing expenses can start accumulating very fast.
It doesn’t hurt to have a game plan in mind in case you need one, but you don’t need to hire an attorney before you really even start getting requests.
Another possible action is
4) Try to get an agent. I can tell you that from my own experience, it is NOT easy to get a screenwriting agent. For over 20 years, I’ve helped writers get their script to production companies — and that’s not easy but it IS DOABLE. But getting an agent for a newbie writer is so challenging that I quit offering the specific marketing package to help writers get a literary agent or manager. I have helped a number of writers get reps over the years, but it was so challenging that I don’t do it anymore. But it is an option that you could try to get one.
I’ll tell in advance that some writers think, “Oh, but if such and such production company wants to read it, won’t that get an agent (or manager) interested?” The answer is “it might.” But most agents realize that taking on a new writer is a commitment that takes time and effort. Given the odds of that one script selling to that one producer, they may not think it’s worth their time. However, that should not stop you from mentioning it. The caveat is for YOU not to think that just getting a script read means you’re selling it and buying a new house. And you shouldn’t come across to the agent as thinking that either, or they will think you are so naive that it could be a hassle to work with you. I have worked with people like that — it’s not fun — and we don’t want you to come across like that.
You don’t have to act like you know everything if you are new to the business, but you should have some sense of the real challenge of selling a script and getting a movie made by anyone — let alone a writer who is not established.
Okay, I hope this gives you some ideas… and some hope.
Overall, I like to get my writers thinking from the place of being creative in your marketing. Many times, it seems impossible to work around the obstacles so people give up on a great script they have written.
The key to your opportunity is to learn as much as you can about how the business works as you go along, and then also be creative and authentic in your marketing! Oh and finally… Always be building relationships. Look for my other posts to learn more about that.
Good luck. This is Melody Jackson signing off for now.