Screenwriting : Selling Intellectual Property by Pablo Diablo

Pablo Diablo

Selling Intellectual Property

Happy Friday to you all!

Since COVID, I've been writing like a damn boss. Because when you're in quarantine, what else can you do to occupy the time that doesn't involve endless Netflix-HBO-streaming-binges, amirite? My recent work, "No One Likes You" earned a Quarterfinalist spot in Stage32's Screenwriting Competition. Big shout out to the readers and story analysts who made that possible!

I posted this win on Insta and got the attention one of my author-friends reached out to me. He admitted he's been interested in my stories and was asking if I ever considered selling my IP and if so, how much I would offer. He had recently started a production company and has been getting meetings with Netflix and Amazon and wants to throw my material into the mix for their look-book. I was thrown off. I didn't have an answer! So I told him I would do some research and get back to him. Honestly, I thought it was just a friendly catch-up call!

My question is this: around Intellectual Property, where do you even begin? I tried looking up WGA's Schedule of Minimums and found little info.Researching IP only sends me down a rabbit-hole of understanding copyright and trademark law. I'm all for research, but I am also looking for the numbers. Any leads?

Thank you everyone, may your pages flow and your writer's blocks be cleared!

Viquii Johannesson (Vicki Johnson)

What happened to the webinar at 1pm for the docu-series? .. 3rd time paid for a session with S32 with no results and no refunds.

Pablo Diablo

Hey Jack! Thank you for this detailed response! I'll try to answer your questions to clarify my situation.

How many sales? This is my first.

The Subject: He was asking me to pitch my TV-centered IP. One is a horror-centered drama; another is drag queen dramedy; my last is a conspiracy-theory drama. Demographic: 18-40, mainly for streamers, but open.

Production Cost: Horror and conspiracy is couple mill. Dramedy is ~1 mill.

Option:Definitely. Rights would be tbd. In a perfect world, i'd like to be apart of the project/series/1st-Draft and Rewrites. Since my drafts are ready.

Can you define "Hundred Dollar Option"? They just pay $100 option to keep me from pitching to others for a year?

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