Happy Sunday! I'm Steffany, a screenwriter in Southern CA.
Earlier in the week, I received an option offer from a company for one of my projects, a Christmas fantasy rom-com. As exciting as that always is to get an option, the contract gave me some concerns.
They offered a flat fee, which was pretty low, so I asked for a percentage of the budget. They wouldn't budge on that, so I countered with other terms, such as first right of refusal on rewrites, and they agreed to revise the contract. Yay!
As an unproduced writer, sometimes it feels like I have to take whatever I can get, and that I don't have any bargaining power, but this is a script I'm proud of and definitely want to make sure my name is on. It felt good to stand up for what I felt was fair.
It's okay to ask for what you want - you might not get it all, but if you don't ask you won't get any of it!
Keep on writing everyone!
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Steffany Lohn Sommers, congratulations on your success and even more so for standing up for yourself. Best wishes from an American in Germany.
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this is great news and I hope it moves forward for you with great results. When my first book came out I had to do a lot of negotiating and it was a really stressful thing to confront people who I thought knew what they were doing with changes I wanted made.
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Congratulations, Steffany Lohn Sommers! You're right. Don't be afraid to negotiate. I've done it a lot, and it always worked out great for me.
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Congrats on the option, and for standing up for yourself.
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Steffany Lohn Sommers, thank you so much for taking the time to reintroduce yourself and for sharing such a powerful reminder with the community! Huge congratulations on the option offer, and even more on standing up for yourself and your creative work. It takes courage to negotiate, especially early on, but you’ve shown how important it is to advocate for fair terms and protect your voice in the process.
It’s stories like this that remind other writers they don’t have to settle and that their work has value. Cheering you on and excited to see where your Christmas rom-com goes next!
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Wyman Brent, thank you!
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Thanks for sharing your experiences, Jaye Viner :)
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Glad you found it helpful, Asmaa Jamil :)
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That's awesome, Maurice Vaughan!
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Thanks, Julia Pearlstein - I appreciate that!
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Appreciate the vote of confidence, Ashley Renee Smith!
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Hi Steffany, I think that really shows the strength and ability you have as a creator. It seems so simple, but even finding the voice to raise those points is incredibly impressive. Simultaneously: congratulations on the deal!
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I can only say one word: RESPECT!
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That shows a lot of confidence in yourself as to where many probably would have taken the first offer, but you decided that you weren't going to just settle. Good for you. I hope it all works out in your favor.
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Thanks for the kind words, John X. Ingram!
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LOL, thanks, Max Sappa!!
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I appreciate your words of support, Kelvin Thornton :)
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You're very welcome. We should be giving each other word of encouragement.