This class has a 100% satisfaction rating!

Learn how to approach managers the right way to get the representation you need to further your career from a literary manager at The Cartel, with clients on IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, THE UPSHAWS, LUCIFER, and more!

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

All writers think they have the next great screenplay or series. And maybe you do! But to get the proper feedback, get the script into market shape, and have a confidant on the business side of your pursuits to get your work out there, having a great manager who's plugged in can make all the difference. It’s your manager who often is the key to getting in front of execs, getting staffed on a TV show, and building your career to writing full-time. But as most writers can attest, finding a manager can be HARD. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though. It’s more in your power than you may think.

Most managers will tell you that most newer writers make the same mistakes when looking for a manager that can prevent them from ultimately finding representation. The good news is that these mistakes are easily avoidable and can be replaced with effective strategies and actions that can greatly help your chances. It’s time to hear from a successful literary manager herself on how she finds clients and what you can do to find the representation you need for your own career.

Audrey Knox is a TV literary manager at The Cartel, a premiere management company with clients on shows including the Emmy-nominated IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, Golden Globe winning CALIFORNICATION, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, BONES, LUCIFER, HAPPY!, BLACK LIGHTNING, STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, and more. For years, Audrey has been helping clients get their work in front of execs and networks and most recently staffed one of her clients on THE UPSHAWS for Netflix. As an established and successful literary manager, Audrey has seen more than her fair share of queries and writing samples and has met her fair share of hungry writers. She knows very well what mistakes most writers make and how the writers she ends up working with find success. And now she’s going to lay it all out for the Stage 32 community.

In a special and exclusive 2-part on-demand class, Audrey will give you the tools you need and the strategies you’ve been lacking to put your best foot forward and better your chances of getting a great literary manager for your own screenwriting or TV writing career. In the first session, Audrey will walk you through how to approach managers the right way and explain the proper approach to query letters, writing samples, bios, and loglines. She even dissects brave volunteers’ own query letters and writing samples. After laying out this approach, Audrey will leave you to put these skills to use and actually reach out to managers on your own!

The second session will discuss how the new approach worked and then dive into next steps you can take as a writer once you have an interested manager, including signing, how to be a good client that your manager will want to keep on board, and the other members of your team you may or may not need, like agents and lawyers.

If you’ve been struggling to find representation, there are likely things you can be doing differently to better your chances. here’s no one better than Audrey to help you adjust your approach and ultimately get the representation you’re looking for.

Praise for Audrey's Teaching:

"I can't say enough good things about Audrey. She cares about helping her students and provides very valuable information. I wish she was MY manager!" --Sam R.

"I didn't realize how much should go into reaching out to reps until I took this class from Audrey. I was doing it all wrong!" -- Morgan B.

"Audrey is one of the best teachers on Stage 32. I can't recommend learning from her enough." -- Sydney M.

Session 1: How to Approach a Manager and Get Him or Her Interested in You

• Approaching Managers the Right Way
  • What’s the best way to find a manager?
    • Hint: it’s not queries, contests, or even fellowships!
    • Audrey will lead a special exercise for everyone to complete in real time
  • First impressions: how to make the most out of pitch sessions
  • How to Query: what to do and what not to do
    • Audrey will bring in samples of effective query letters to use as inspiration for your own
    • Audrey will also bring in some samples of horrifying query letter stories to show you examples of what NEVER to do
    • Query letter dos and don’ts: length, font, how many details to include, tone, etc.
  • The art of the logline
  • The art of the bio.
  • How do I find a manager’s contact info in the first place???
  • The art of the follow up.
• Special Query Letter Workshop
  • Audrey will critique brave volunteers’ query letters and offer blunt and constructive feedback for each
• The Importance of a Great Writing Sample
  • What makes a good writing sample that managers will actually want to read?
• Special Writing Sample Workshop
  • Audrey will critique some brave volunteers’ first 1-3 pages (including the title page!) and offer constructive feedback
• Rejection: How to Handle it and How to Strategize
  • How to respond to a pass.
  • How to submit to managers strategically.
• Q&A with Audrey

There will be a homework assignment after this session

Session 2: What to Do When You Get a Yes From a Manager

• Review of Session 1’s Assignment—How did it work for everyone?
• The Critical First Meeting With a Manager
  • What to wear and how to act.
  • Zoom Etiquette and how to handle remote meetings.
  • What should you talk about?
  • Frequently asked questions
    • Including what Audrey always asks potential to determine if they’re a good fit
  • Potential pitfalls
    • What should you not talk about?
    • What are other common mistakes writers make in these meetings?
  • What to do if you don’t hear back
    • How to maintain an amicable relationship.
    • How to follow up in the future when you’ve grown as a writer or moved up in your career
• Signing! And What Does That Even Look Like?
• Contracts (this is a trick question)
• Information (what will they ask from you?)
• How does the money work? (Your mileage may vary)
• How to Be a Good Client
  • How to make your manager love you.
  • How to annoy your manager.
  • How to make your manager hate you.
  • What does the process of going out for development and staffing entail?
  • Reasons you might get dropped
  • When you should drop your manager.
• What About Agents and Lawyers?
  • Do you need an agent?
  • Would a lawyer suffice?
  • Business managers, financial advisors, and loanouts.
• Odds & Ends
  • What if I’m a multihyphenate?
  • Gifts and holidays
  • Social media
  • Paying it forward – When can you start recommending your writer friends to your manager?
• Q&A with Audrey

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

All levels of producers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of the screenwriting role.

All levels of filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of the screenwriting role.

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to enhance their skills.

Actors looking to learn about the role of a screenwriter.