Screenwriting : How do "Screenwriters" monetize what they write?? by MagicBrad Gudim

MagicBrad Gudim

How do "Screenwriters" monetize what they write??

Do you need to write it, then go pitch it to someone? Who do you pitch it to? Is there a place to post what you write, and then buyers bid on it? I'm looking to understand the profession.

Kerry Douglas Dye

Okay, I'll try to give a straight answer. To monetize your writing, you either sell your writing, or you use it to get future writing jobs. How do you do this? Well, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. I know a few ways: 1. Query agents to see if they want to represent your script. This is incredibly difficult if you don't have an inside track. Maybe smaller agents, if you have an awesome script with an amazing hook. 2. Query production companies and see if they would consider buying your script. If you query a hundred with an excellent query, you may get a few who agree to read it. If the script is amazing, then who knows? 3. Enter contests. If you win, or place very highly in the major contests, maybe the agents or producers will come to you. 4. Pay for an online marketplace like InkTip.com. Producers can find your script there. You can also subscribe to their newsletter which will inform you of producers seeking scripts. There are other places where you can pay to pitch (online or in person). Here, I think. Virtual Pitch Fest. Hollywood Pitch Festival. 5. Network. Meet people here, go to script conferences, talk up your work, see what happens. Good luck. Everyone who "monetizes" does it a different way so I'm sure I forgot some. I personally have had success monetizing with 3, 4 and 5. Your mileage may vary.

Kerry Douglas Dye

PM = "Punch in the Mouth"?

William Martell

What Kerry said and what Lisa analogized (which seems to be a real word, or spellcheck is broken). (Spellcheck is not a real word, it seems.) You write a stack of screenplays to learn your craft. You find a way to get scripts out there (Kerry leaves off "accidental" which is my entire career... you give someone a script for some non business purpose and it gets passed around town until it accidentally lands on the desk of someone in the biz who loves it and wants to meet you.) Usually people in the biz will want to keep reading new scripts by you until they either find one they want to buy or hire you for an assignment... so you will keep writing "spec scripts" for the rest of your life. Once you sell a script (or land an assignment) you are unemployed and need to find a new job (once you finish that gig). So you are always looking for work. Sure, there's some heat once you have a script go out wide... and you will try to stack up as many gigs as you can while the iron is hot. But only 1 in 10 sold or assigned scripts ever gets to the screen, so you can do a lot of paid work that is under the radar... and need a new spec script to get back on the radar. People make a living writing screenplays, and a few people make a ton of money doing it. You always hear about the guy or gal who sold a script for huge money, but that is because getting that kind of money is news (ie: unusual). So don't think it's a way to get rich quick. It's work. It's writing every day. It's meeting deadlines. It's dealing with idiot bosses. It's everything you hate about your day job... but you are telling stories for a living.

Edward Higgins

like my ad for an agent-- "Wanted sleezy money grabbing agent to sell my screenplay for seven figure sum" 10,084 replies. It's gonna take forever siftin through these.

Edward Higgins

Really I would like to know how much money you guys invest in getting your screenplay out there.

William Martell

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William Martell

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