When new screenwriters finish their scripts, they often begin the search for a rep to submit the work around town. But is that the best way to do it? Well, sure! But it’s not the ONLY way to do it. As you prep to get your script sold, incorporate this info into your marketing strategy:SEEK REPRESENTATION But only if you have a bona fide “in” to their direct office line! It’s very difficult to get a lit agent to read a script for representation without a personal introduction by a repped client of theirs. If you know a screenwriter or other industry member with an agent who actually is getting scripts read by real studios and funders, and you have TWO solid scripts (more on that later), ask for an introduction. Give your contact a substantial gift whether you are signed or not! Of course, it’s not necessary to have a lit agent to shop a script. Make getting an agent only one part of a broader shopping strategy. EXPLORE LEGITIMATE SUBMISSION OUTLETS The main places you’re trying to get your script to, production companies, studios and even top-five actors’ shingles, are sometimes more accessible than lit agents. If you’re not already, make sure you join professional writers’ groups like ScreenplayLab and Scriptwriters’ Network, and attend every possible event to make those contacts. There’s a list of organizations to get you started at Movie in a Box – Links. Again, the way to shop a script in our industry is to know someone. It’s tough to open a new professional relationship by asking for the considerable favor of an agent referral, so try a strategy where you’re offering something they could use in exchange for the introduction (like Web site design, database entry, etc.). And expect them to request to read your script first – and listen to their notes without argument. Another credible outlet for getting your script noticed is via some of the online sites. If you’re not already, make sure you’re active at Inktip, for example. And be sure to explore the hundreds of screenplay competitions, like Scriptapalooza – but check first to see what success stories you can verify from their sites.WRITE AND QC MORE THAN ONE SCRIPT “QC” stands for “Quality Control.” Do not ever submit a script that is not structurally sound, no matter how ready you are to stop looking at it! This is neither a judgment, an assumption, an insult or a joke. It truly is a requirement. I was a reader at one of the biggest prod cos in Los Angeles, I’ve had scripts optioned, I run a filmmaking seminar, I’ve taught at UCLA Ext, I’ve written a very popular screenwriting book. Please trust me on this. There are no second chances for first impressions in our industry. And it’s not just your rep on the line, but also the rep of whoever opens that door for your submission. Why “more than one script”? That is because if someone reads work of yours and thinks you have promise, their next request (to confirm the initial impression) is very often, “Can you send me another spec?” If you can’t, that is by no means a dealbreaker. But if you CAN, and the second script is equally hot, that could be a dealmaker! The second script needs to be structurally sound, as well. Be sure that your screenplays are structurally solid (on a first submission, nothing else will do! Trust me!). Be sure that an experienced Hollywood reader has read the script and you’ve addressed the notes. As I always say, “if the story does not fit, you must not submit!” If you submit a flawless first spec, you will never have to live up these standards again, but you should. If you submit a flawed first spec, you will not get the chance to live up to higher standards at that company; you will be blocked from future submissions.CONSIDER PRODUCING YOUR WORK YOURSELF If you find you are getting great feedback on your work, but it’s never quite the right fit, consider producing the film yourself. This is a great approach when you have a lower-budget indie project (think “Open Water”) versus an effects-laden thriller! It is an enormous undertaking to produce a film, but there are many resources out there for people who have compelling scripts to develop. And just as you studied and trained to write well, be sure to research and train extensively before taking on a massive project like producing a movie. Your first stop should be a professional organization like Film Independent (FIND), which can connect with you with terrific partners and/or mentors, as well as vital resources. Look into comprehensive seminars like Movie in a Box, as well. However you decide to get your screenplay sold, it should be clear by now that you don’t do it alone – you need community support and resources – and no one else does it for you – even an agent! It is no one’s responsibility to open a door for you to sell a screenplay. It is your responsibility to create a tight script, research appropriate buyers, and relentlessly seek submission opportunities until someone buys – or you decide to produce your work yourself!

So you want to be a screenwriter, but where do you start? What tools and resources are necessary to learn to be a screenwriter? Do I have to spend a lot of money to get started? These are all common questions, which I will answer in this article.Easy tips on how to write a movie script:1) Read as many screenplays as you can. Learn the format and language of how screenplays are constructed. For instance, screenplays are always written in the present tense and often use minimal description to set scenes and create atmosphere. The rule of thumb is: never write more detail than you need. There is a standard shorthand that is common to most scripts, as well as certain terminology that is used to set up scenes and indicate transitions. Reading lots of screenplays will allow you to learn how professional screenwriters use this jargon. You can pick up some free screenplays to study at ScreenwritingTips.com.2) Use computer software to format your scripts. As mentioned above, to succeed in Hollywood, you have to use proper screenplay formatting and jargon. People who work in the industry are used to screenplays following an accepted format and layout. If yours does not, you are out of the ball game before it has even started. If you’ve got the money to spend ($100-200), I suggest Movie Magic Screenwriter as the software of choice. In my opinion, it FAR SURPASSES the competition, even the prevalent and ever-popular Final Draft. If your budget is tight, there are also many low-cost software options available (under $100), as well as free templates that plug into MS Word.3) Learn to outline your stories. You can do this on a computer, or you can use the “traditional” method of breaking down your screen story through the use of index (3×5) cards. Either method will allow you to move your scenes about and find the proper flow of your story. During this process, you may discover “miracles” that will take your story to the next level… or you may find out that that “precious” scene you’ve been thinking about is not even needed! Beginners often have too much material for their story, or too little. They must find the happy medium. Outlining helps get clarity and allows you to see what can be chopped or what must be enhanced. Storytelling is an art.4) Purchase some screenwriting books to help you learn the process of storytelling and how to structure your story. William Goldman, screenwriter extraordinaire, is famous for saying that screenplays are, “Structure, structure, structure.” Movies don’t have time to meander like novels. They need to be tightly constructed, with no flab. There are some great books on the market. Hit your local bookstore to familiarize yourself with a few. One of my favorites on how to write a commercial screenplay is Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT! Snyder really focuses on the importance of your STORY IDEA and how crucial it is to creating a screenplay that will sell in today’s Hollywood. I also like HOW TO WRITE SCREENPLAYS THAT SELL by Michael Hauge because it starts with the basics and lays out proper story construction. It’s an easier book to get a grasp on and is great for beginners.

One of the most asked questions in screenwriting is “How do I sell a screenplay?”
Over the last 10 years, I’ve interviewed many produced screenwriters and they all went through their own version of the following steps as they made their first sale.
Those steps are:
1. A well-written script that is marketable.
2. A pitch.
3. A market.
4. An “in” into the market.
5. A negotiation that leads to a sale.
Of course, each of those steps can be fulfilled in many ways. My purpose in presenting this article is to help you easily recognize opportunities when they arrive and quickly surmise what might be stopping you from succeeding.
Let’s look at some details on those five steps.
1. A well-written script that is marketable.
To write a great script, you need a great story and a fresh voice that is entertaining to read. It takes a combination of passion, skill and creativity. But there is another side that needs to be there…
Basically, you are bringing a product to a market. If you want the market to pay you for it, you need to make sure the product meets their needs. In this business, that translates into a marketable concept, castable parts, and great writing.
If you really want to be successful as a screenwriter, you need high marks in both the artistic side and the business side. The more of a master you are at both “arts,” the better your chance of having a true breakout career.
KEY: If you want to sell, design your script to be as attractive as possible to the decision makers in the movie biz.
Amazing lead characters will attract top actors. High concepts will attract producers. Great writing will satisfy readers. Do all three and you have a winner.
Remember, the script is your product. If that script is amazing, then people will want to do business with you. This is a choice that you have 100% control over — WRITE TO ATTRACT.
2. A pitch.
What is a great script without a great pitch? A writing sample.
You’ve spent six months writing your script. You’ve agonized over the characters and their story. You’ve rewritten some lines of dialogue twenty times. Now, it is worth it to create a great pitch.
The whole purpose of a pitch is to get your script read. Usually, your marketing materials consist of a logline, synopsis, and One Page, but there is an important distinction you need to make.
Your pitch needs to present your story in the most compelling way possible. They need to create a strong desire in your reader or listener, and ultimately cause them to demand the right to read your script.
Believe it or not, your pitch can cause agents, managers, and producers to pursue you…if it is a great pitch.
KEY: Find the hook in your story.
The hook is the most interesting, unique, amazing, intriguing, or fresh part of the big idea for your story. It is the thing that will intrigue potential buyers and cause them to demand the script. The right one or two-sentence hook will have more impact than a five minute pitch.
If you find the right hook, it will give you enormous power when you need it most — when you are face to face with a producer.
3. A market.
There are many different markets in this business and each of them has their own needs. In general, there are markets based on budget — extreme low budget, low budget, mid-range budget, and high budget. There are markets based upon venue — TV, Cable, straight-to-DVD, Theater, etc. There are markets based upon funding source — government funding, private funding, grants, etc.
Also, there are new markets opening up — Web movies, cell phones, and others we haven’t even discovered, yet.
Now, here’s the key. Look at your script, determine the best market for it, and get to know that market. What do they already make? What size budgets? What level of special effects? What limitations are on them? Etc.
Understanding your market will help you present your script in a way that makes sense to them. It will also make it easier for you to become an “insider.”
KEY: The “right market” will match your script.
You are looking for the perfect market for your script. This is where a lot of writers mess up. They are looking for glory or status or to win the lottery, but they’ve written a script that is perfect for a low budget market. Rather than beat your head against the Studio’s gate, go find the market that will love and honor your script.
Then write another script that matches the market you want to be in.
4. An “in” into the market.
Somehow, you need to get in the door of your market. The traditional route is to get a low-level job and work their way up, looking for opportunities as they go.
Another way is to find an “in.” That person could be an agent, manager, producer, director, actor, assistant, or anyone else who has contacts. Getting that “in” is just a matter of finding people, pitching the script, having them read it, and most important, having them fall in love with the work.
In reality, you may find the one contact that will champion your work and get you a deal…or you may have to find twenty champions. You want to keep building fans of your writing until you are safely inside the business.
KEY: If you’ve done the first three steps well, you will be welcomed by people who have connections in your market.
Why? Because you are bringing them a great script, a great pitch, and both fit their market well. What more could they ask for?
Of course, the better your writing and pitch, the easier it is going to be to establish yourself with the players in your market.
5. A negotiation that leads to a deal.
There are two kinds of writers — those who have representation and those who negotiate their own deals. Obviously, it is much easier to have an agent negotiate on your behalf. But there are other alternatives. You can hire an Entertainment Attorney. Or you can negotiate on your own.
If you are working with a small production company, there may not be funds up front, which means you’ll likely be doing the negotiation on your own. Don’t worry. Just keep focused on making the deal.
That may sound obvious, but newcomers to this business are often trying to score the “million dollar sale” when the market only gives that in about 2% of the cases. Of course, those make the news and then everyone jumps in demanding “their right” to the big money.
More important than money is the credibility a sale will bring you. It puts you in the clubhouse. It says you belong in this business. It opens doors. It gets you meetings, where you pitch your next project that will make you even more money.
KEY: Make sure you keep both parts of this step in mind…
1) A negotiation… 2) that leads to a deal.
When you negotiate, make sure you get the sale. All other items are in a lower category. I’ve seen writers demand all kinds of crazy things — Associate Producer title, million dollars, be on the set, meet with the star, final edit approval on the movie, back end points, etc. and most of them lost out on their chance at success because of a little greed. Don’t do it.
REMEMBER, you need to get that first sale in order to get on the inside of this business. That is your ticket into the show. Once you have your ticket, you will get many perks. But you don’t get any of them without a ticket.
For most people, selling a screenplay is a dream come true. It takes you behind the scenes, gives you the opportunity to do what you love — and get paid very well for it. It gets you on the Red Carpet at the premier of your movie. And for some, it catapults you into the spotlight to enjoy a little fame.
You know the path, now. Follow it.