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Writers often ask us about how to follow up after an agent, manager or
producer has requested a script. Philippa Burgess, literary manager at Mason/Burgess/Lifschultz,
who represents screenwriters working in Hollywood, was kind enough to answer
that for you. Her company shares clients with the major agencies and deals
directly with the studios and numerous studio producers.
Follow Up and Follow Through
You've had your first date and you thought that it went really well. In
the case of the screenwriter, this means that an agent, manager, or producer
requested your script. You double check that you have good submission etiquette
and you send it off to them with high hopes. Now you are left wondering
if you'll close the deal and a have a great future together; but what's
your next move? Not knowing the right next step can cause a budding relationship
to falter. Too often you fail to follow up or don't know what to do if you
never hear back. Sometimes when you do get a response it seems cryptic and
you don't know how to interpret or apply the criticism to improve your product:
namely yourself or your script. It is important to know that in screenwriting,
as in love, your goal is to make a good impression, see if it will be the
right match, work on self-improvement, and learn how to cultivate relationships.
Making a good impression is the first step. This requires that you keep
all of your submissions and interactions professional. The biggest mistake
new writers make is trying to gain representation or seek producers without
having perfected their first screenwriting efforts or without adequate knowledge
of the business or buying trends. There are so many classes and services
available to grow you in the craft and give you constructive feedback until
you know you are at a level where you are able to compete. When you are
ready to submit, review the art of submission (previous article available
at www.inktip.com/tips-psubmit.php) to make sure that your script passes
first inspection. This way you will be absolutely confident in your follow
up, and they will be respectful of you in turn, knowing that you are not
wasting their time.
Once the script is out the door there is a flurry of anticipation and a
certain amount of confusion. You are probably asking yourself "Should
I follow up?" "How long should I expect to wait before I hear
back?" "What if I never hear back?". These are all common
questions. The answer to the first question is yes, you should always follow-up.
It is preferred that you use the same means, (i.e. email, letter, call)
by which you connected with them initially. Secondly, you can check in after
a week or two to confirm that they have indeed received the material, and
ask what their anticipated turn around time will be. Given a set time, or
generally one month, be sure to check in as to whether they have read it
or if they have a response. Finally, if you get no response, then wait another
month, and check in again. You should always be professional and polite,
even in the face of no response, and if you don't hear back within six months,
move on and let it go, as it is their loss.
Keep all of your interactions brief and courteous (no more than a short
paragraph or two, preferably just a couple of sentences). Please don't try
to be their new best friend or lash out at them in your frustration, and
this shows up as frequent contact or sassy comments. If you don't hear anything
after you follow up, know that sometimes they file the follow-ups, but they
typically make a point to get back to them all eventually. Either they haven't
read it yet or they may already have it in a stack of passes to deal with
all at once at a later time. We are all really busy with our regular business,
so responding to scripts submissions is something that we often deal with
about once a month, which is why that is the recommended waiting period.
Even if you follow up it can take time to hear back, but your chances of
getting an answer are infinitely increased. For the most part it is the
case that if they never hear from you, you will never hear back from them.
The significance here is not just that you want to necessarily collect a
pass, but possibly gain some insight into what exactly it is that they are
looking for or get the constructive criticism on how you can improve your
writing, story, or marketability.
Know that you are a work in progress and that every interaction is a steppingstone
to greater opportunities. Always be ready to take notes or feedback from
professionals. It is important to make the distinction if it was the writing,
story, or marketability that caused them to pass. Most of time the concept
just falls short for those of us who are looking for material to sell on
the spec script market. When your writing wows them, but it was not the
right project for them, they will probably be interested to see what else
you have for them to consider. Or if your writing style or story development
have a lot of room for improvement, it is important that you recognize this
and work on developing your craft. The more clearly you can identify the
problem, the better chance you have of solving it. Perhaps you can glean
some insight, but certainly don't push it if this information is not forthcoming.
When you have an opening with an industry professional use it wisely. Let
them know that you value their opinion and you look forward to their comments.
Given any interest from others around town on your material, feel free to
use that when you check in. They don't necessarily care that others have
requested it, but if you are taking meetings or if you are considering doing
a rewrite based on another professional's insights, then you may want to
share that information. Also let them know if you have new material for
them to consider. If it is a manager or an agent, if they responded well
to the writing, see if they can tell you what they'd like to see from you
next that would be a better tool for them to market you. Let them know you
are excited to move on to the next idea that will get you the positive attention
you need to get going.
If we are really excited about a writer we typically call them to talk
to them about their script. We are interested in developing this script
as a potential spec or are keen to know what else they have and if they
are willing to write something that is more appropriate for the spec market.
As a manager, this is typically our most positive response. Even if we are
interested in working with someone, there usually is a lot of work that
needs to be done on the writer's part before they have a spec script ready
and we can sign them for representation. Even if we can take your script
immediately to market and sell it, still the real work has only just begun.
You need to come up with more ideas, practice pitching, write treatments,
take rounds of meetings, take notes, do rewrites, and make sure you deliver.
Our job is to get you out there, but you have to hold your own with all
the producers, development and studio executives.
You always want to present yourself as "fun, smart, and great to work
with" so that people want to find a reason to get in business with
you. You need to approach your career as a screenwriter with the same level
of professionalism as you would any other professional career, like that
of a doctor, or a lawyer, or a businessman. The only difference is that
you wear a different uniform, but you need to demonstrate a comparable level
of expertise in your field, if you are to expect equal compensation. There
is a very specific culture embodied in the entertainment industry and just
like there are many specialized areas of medicine or law, within the expansive
landscape in entertainment, ours is a specific subset in studio feature
film development. Your goal in building industry relationships is to help
you embrace the culture, expand your knowledge, and begin to develop your
own network within it.
All told, if you follow these guidelines, and your script is what they
are looking for, you should not end up in the great silent abyss of passed-on
submissions. You now know how to make a great impression and will be on
top of your game when it comes to following up on your scripts. By getting
the feedback, you can make the distinction if your material is not right
for them (script needs improvement) or they are not right for your material
(just not the right home). That script request was the first date that left
you swooning about happily ever after. Alas, you realize that happily ever
after includes a lot of responsibility. The good news is you are ready,
and if you cultivate great relationships with managers, agents, and producers,
you can share the journey together.
Best regards,
Philippa Burgess
**********
I hope you find this information useful. You can find other articles in
her 'Marketing for Writers' series at www.inktip.com/tipslinks.php.
Philippa Burgess is teaching an online class for Indieproducer.net on 'Selling
to the Studio System: Marketing Yourself and Your Script', with Tracey Wise
(Development Executive and Producer) this Fall. The course is six weeks,
beginning the week end of September 19th, with an additional three-week
intensive workshop available. Information is available at www.indieproducer.net.
Best,
Jerrol LeBaron
President
www.InkTip.com (formerly www.WriterScriptNetwork.com)
Getting the Right Script Into the Right Hands.
September 12, 2003
Copyright by Jerrol LeBaron, 2003
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