Don't end up on the WRONG list

Before you worry about HOW to market your completed screenplay, you really must first determine IF your script is truly ready to market. What is your objective evidence that your screenplay is written to Hollywood’s professional standards?

Perhaps your screenplay was a finalist in a script competition. That’s something. Becoming a finalist is good. Winning a script competition is better. But unless it is the Nichols Fellowship or Sundance Lab or MAYBE Scriptapolooza, script competitions generally haven't yielded many actual screenplay sales based on hundreds of THOUSANDS of entries. Why so few?

Because, today's Hollywood studio feature film is going to cost in excess of $100 Million to produce. Mind you, that is actual money, someone ELSE's money. So, are these money people likely to risk so much on a first time writer or instead bet the farm on someone who has delivered time and time again, like Scott Frank, Steve Zaillian, or William Goldman in film ... or someone like David Milch, John Wells, or Dick Wolf in television.

I found it fascinating to hear Jeff Nathanson speak at an event last year. After all, the guy has written THREE movies for Steven Spielberg! He must have some good advice. Actually, he was incredibly insightful. He did something different than almost every other writer on the planet. Jeff finished writing FIVE original screenplays and then decided to put all five scripts in a drawer and NOT SHOW THEM TO ANYONE!!! His gut said none of those screenplays was probably good enough to meet the standards demanded by Hollywood's gatekeepers. But his sixth script he showed to people he knew, and it got him an agent and was eventually optioned, if memory serves. Years later, Jeff happened to pull out that drawer and discovered those five early scripts. To his horror, they were all MUCH WORSE than he had imagined. Jeff believes he would have never had a career in Hollywood if he had sent out those early scripts to anyone. Jeff's conclusion is quite reasonable. Here is why.

No one in Hollywood has enough time to read. Therefore, when someone does take valuable time to read your material, only TWO possible outcomes will occur. First, they will decide that you have talent and they will gladly read anything you submit. Your name will go on the GOLDEN LIST. Second, and most common, you are deemed to NOT be ready for the professional ranks; yet you didn't mind wasting the time of extremely busy people. So, your name will go on the OTHER list. That list means they will NEVER read you again unless, of course, you manage to get some produced writing credits in the meantime. Don’t believe it?

I have interviewed PLENTY of development people at Sherwood Oaks College events and I believe it when they tell me such lists exist. These days, there are script databases that story analysts, assistants, and execs at studios and production companies can access. Some of these story analysts have been known to "swap" script coverages with each other because they don't have the time or desire to read every script submission. So, a script that got bad coverage at one studio might end up receiving bad coverage at another studio without even being read there. Although the actual risk of this is probably minor, it does speak to the bigger question, which is, "What's the hurry to submit my material?" Everyone will appreciate you submitting quality material when the time is right, however long that takes. They will also deeply resent writers who waste their valuable time by submitting material that is not yet ready.

So before you even think about submitting your script to potential buyers, you must first get brutally HONEST, objective feedback about your material. If your screenplay is regarded as meeting Hollywood’s professional standards, then you can start the marketing process. If the feedback says wait and rewrite the material, then you are in the same boat as every other writer. But at least you haven’t ended up on the wrong list!

Therefore, you must find a good writers group and/or script consultant. You certainly don't need to use me, but make damn sure you get the complete TRUTH about your material before submitting it to gatekeepers. Remember, Hollywood is a relatively small community where people increasingly share information. So, you can't afford to burn too many bridges if you expect to have much of a future.