Here's what screenwriting coach Lee Jessup advises about agents or managers representing your screenwriting work.
1) Agents and managers should not be collecting fees off work you booked before working with them. If you got your deal before they were your agent or manager of record, they should not be collecting fees off of it, unless they become involved in the negotiating of your contract.
2) In any particular agency or management company, you may get multiple reps on your team. Example: In an agency, you might have both a TV rep and a feature rep if you work in both formats, or else a junior and senior rep in a particular space. This does not mean that you pay 10% to each of them; you pay 10% collectively to the agency or management company.
3) You are expected to pay commission whether or not the rep got you the work, or you got it yourself through industry relationships. The idea here is that you are a team, and everyone benefits when you get working, no matter where the work comes from.
4) Should you be a writer on a TV show, and have your contract renegotiated once your original contract expired, new reps, who may not have been with you and therefore eligible for commission when the deal was originally signed, will likely seek to commission your new contract, either at a fraction or at the full 10%..
If you want to read the entire article, here is the link.
https://leejessup.com/screenwriting-representation-commissions-and-perce...
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Thanks for sharing this, Phil. Everyone needs to know #1. You should not pay for representation! In all facets of the entertainment industry, if someone is asking for money to represent you, walk away. Stage 32 has several webinars about getting representation, here are two good examples:
https://www.stage32.com/webinars/How-to-Find-and-Choose-the-Right-Screenwriting-Manager-for-Your-Career
https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Find-and-Work-With-the-Right-Screenwrit...
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Niki: You're welcome. I've been waiting for S32 to put me on the payroll, but the offer never comes. Bwahaha! Folks would be wise to take one of your seminars before paying the high fees that many grifters are asking. Like the Nigerian Internet Cafe Scam, I've seen many variations of scam artists praying upon screenwriters. Warning: Don't let your desire for representation allow you to be fleeced.
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Thanks for sharing, Phillip E. Hardy, "The Pro From Dover". I don't plan to sign with an agent or another manager (nothing against agents and managers), but the tips will come in handy if I do.
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A screenwriter doesn't pay for their work to be seen; they get paid for their work to be seen (if it's good enough). Let these representatives sell themselves to you, don't pay to sell yourself to them.
Don't fall for the snakes in the grass; in regards to this industry, they're everywhere, especially on this platform.