Do you know how to sell a screenplay without an agent? When you work in the entertainment industry, it may feel like everything you do has to either go through red tape or is based on your connections. If you have a script that you believe should be produced, or believe could be the next big blockbuster, you may feel like your only option to get your script out there is to hire an agent. That’s where you’re wrong though.
It’s hard to find tips and tricks on how to sell a screenplay without an agent because the entertainment industry is over-saturated with agents who want you to work with them. So, if you are looking to sell a screenplay without an agent, all hope doesn’t have to be lost – you came to the right place. Throughout this blog, you’ll learn how to sell a screenplay without an agent to help so that you can have all your script’s credits, not have to split funds with an agency and help add credentials to your resume. We promise that the process isn’t as daunting as it may sound.
All you have to do to get started is to keep reading below to learn our eight favorite tips and tricks on how you can tackle selling your screenplay without an agent.
1. Make Sure You Are Ready To Sell Your Script
Before you implement any of the following tips, it’s essential that you first have a script that is ready to be sold. If you get interest, the buyer is going to expect to see a script that is ready for production, not an early, or even a second, draft. Likewise, if you are selling a script that is for film or television production, you also want to make sure it is written in that way and in that voice to get the most interest and to also be taken seriously for your work. If you neglect to have a polished script before you start pitching, you may run the risk of that buyer not wanting to take you up on any future scripts.
Along those same lines, those screenwriters that are taken the most seriously are those that have more than one work to their name. By having more than one screenplay you can credit to your name, you are showing buyers that writing is your passion and that this screenplay is not the first (and only) screenplay you have written. A good practice to follow is to have three full-length scripts completed, in the same genre, that you can bring to a buyer. Buyers often expect that you will pitch a second, or third, script if they don’t bite at the first one, so it’s a good strategy to have a few additional screenplays in your back pocket before you try to sell your first one.
2. Find A Mentor
Those who have been in the entertainment industry for many years have valuable intel they can share with you. It’s important to seek out a mentor that you can not only bounce ideas about your screenplay off with but also have someone close by that can be an advocate for your hard work. Often these mentors have industry connections and can help open a door for you without you having to work with an agent.
3. Ensure You Have A Web Presence
The first place anyone looks nowadays is online. Whether it’s a quick Instagram, Google, or website search, if you neglect to have a web presence, that could be seen as a red flag to prospective buyers. The easiest way to make sure you have a “home base” to send prospective buyers to is by setting up a website. There are countless website templates and formats available but no matter what template you choose, your website can serve as your online resume. From there, you can build out your various social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, to ensure you have a diverse presence.
4. Polish Your Pitch
Before networking and pitching your work, you want to practice and solidify what your “elevator pitch” is. For a query letter, you’ll need this in writing, but if you are meeting with industry professionals at an event or conference, you’ll want to have what you are going to say out loud committed to memory. Beyond the pitch, run through different questions an executive may ask you and have an answer ready to go. This will help build your credibility and will help show you are serious about your work.
It’s important that as you work on polishing your pitch that you also focus on who your audience is. Think about the language your buyers want to hear and what will resonate with them the best to have the most success with your pitch. The best way to do this is by taking a closer look at who is in the room – is it an assistant, a manager, a producer, or someone else – and then frame your talking points around their specific role in the company, and around the information, they would need to take your script to the next person above them.
5. Create A Short List Of Prospective Buyers
Another top tip is researching who your prospective, and target, buyers should be. An easy way to tackle this is by researching those producers that work in the same genre as your screenplay. Some tools you can utilize to create a list of buyers are IMDB, the Hollywood Reporter, and other entertainment publications. The buyers that make it on your short list are the buyers you want to pitch your script to first.
6. Network, Network, Network
Most industries have norms around how best to pitch ideas and build connections, and the entertainment industry is no exception. When it comes to approaching those industry professionals on your short list, email is the acceptable way of pitching an idea and connecting. What you will want to send via email is a query letter. This consists of a short one-paragraph summary of your script, a brief biography on your experience, a logline, and your contact information. You never want to send along your script in this query letter. If the buyer wants to explore your query, they will then request the full script. If you send your script without their request, you run the risk of giving the buyer a “free” idea without any protection on your end.
7. Submit Your Script To A Screenwriting Contest
As you send out query letters, you can also enter your script into a screenwriting contest. While winning a contest won’t automatically ensure your script gets produced, it will help in building your credentials and help drive buzz around your work. In addition to entering your script into various contests, you can also purchase reviews of your script to generate exposure and to also gather feedback on your script.
8. Get Creative With Getting Exposure
While we already noted how you can build buzz by entering a screenwriting contest, there are other avenues out there that can help you get just as much exposure. Anywhere that is a big draw for producers and executives is a good use of your time. Research different pitch fests, conferences, and film festivals that may make sense for you to attend. Even though you can spend your time sending out
query letters and trying to build your online presence, there is nothing better than having a chance to sell your script in person to an entertainment executive. Beyond executives, connect with anyone that plays a part in producing a screenplay, even those who are mid-level or still working their way up. These individuals have daily, valuable one-on-one time with those executives you want to get in front of and they can be a great avenue to get your work in front of the right people. These professionals are also eager to do a good job and to stand out to their boss, and what better way to do that than to present their boss with what could be the next “Best Picture?”
Bottom Line:
Even though an agent can help with selling your screenplay, it is possible to sell one without an agent’s help. Every year countless movies and television shows are produced at all levels and genres, which means that entertainment executives are always on the hunt for new screenplays to produce. The list of buyers you compiled are likely all individuals that work at an entertainment company, which means they have the money to invest in your screenplay – you just have to sell them on it. Work with your mentor, network, and once you find the right producer or executive, the rest will be history.
Furthermore, if you only take away one thing from this article, let it be this: as you are selling, don’t forget that you are selling yourself and your talent, not just the words on your paper. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to sell the specific screenplay that you wrote, but what you want to focus on is not that one screenplay, but your writing as an entire operation. Sure, what you are presenting is one specific screenplay, but you are a writer that will produce other scripts, and that can be appealing to them. So, instead of selling your “script” think about all these tips as a step to sell your writing talent. When you focus your internal dialogue on this, you’ll be able to work towards having a lifelong career in screenwriting, rather than being a one-hit-wonder.
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