Screenwriting : Talentmailer.com by Lendell Wallace

Scam scam scam scam. do not waste your money or time.

I thought so, thanks Danny for confirming.

Lendell have you heard any more about talentmailer? This is the first place I'd seen anything negative about the site. The sites that review scam businesses actually give this a high rating. If it is a scam, have you had any luck finding anything reputable? I'm working on seven screenplays and two sitcoms at the moment and would like to find direction as to where to send query letters.

This is scattershot rather than targeted, so your query is going to a bunch of the wrong agents for you... and that will piss them off. I suspect this service probably pisses off a lot of agents and also makes it difficult for the rest of us who do the research and target agents or producers who match our screenplays. Larger issue is: WHY PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN DO FOR FREE?

Good advice, William. Spending a ton of time doing research, however, is far from "free", since it takes you away from valuable writing time. I'm not out to piss off agents, believe me. Where do you find the best agents/production companies in the list of hundreds? Even in here, there are agents who charge $500 up front just to read your script. Who knows if they're any good? Testimonials can easily be made up as well.

Thank you, Sam. What are your typical fees for reviewing screenplays?

I'll happily vouch for Sam, got some great notes on my feature recently, really helped with the re-draft and Sam was good enough to take a second look at a few of the changed pages.

In order to be a WGA signatory agent, you can not charge any fees (just 10 percent when the script sells). So step one is avoiding the scam agents by just using the ones from the WGA list. Look, screenwriting is a business, so part of writing is doing the business part. That research will teach you more than just who are the best agents or managers for you, it will teach you how the business works. One of the things that makes screenwriting different than any other kind of writing is that every story decision is also a business decision. Make your lead a 80 year old man? What 80 year old actors are there who can open a movie? Write a story that takes place in 1840 Paris? How much will that cost to recreate? Every decision is a business decision, so the more you know about and understand the business side the better your chances of making money (business). Don't ignore the business side if what you want is to get into the business. Let's say you use this service and get a nibble from an agent... you haven't done the work, so you have no idea who these people are or if they are scammers or real or if they are a good fit for you as a writer. Waste of money.

Thank you, William. I've ordered a copy of Hollywood Screenwriting Directory yesterday as a research tool for focused shopping of my script. I wasn't aware about the WGA signatory agent rule, but that's definitely worth noting. I've been in business for 23 years in medical software sales, so trust me in that I see screenwriting as a business as well and can attest to the validity of what you've said. Here's to all of our anticipated successes. Cheers!

I'm not trying to knock someone's hustle but don't pay for internet coverage notes from anyone. I have zero problem with taking classes, or sitting down with someone in person as long as you do your research on them. The good eggs will have no problem telling or showing you what they have done but PDFing your work into the internet ether to be given a cursory skim by a reader trying to meet their special offer 24hr turnaround deadline and getting paid peanuts for it? Please. (shaking dice)

@Oliver, so you are okay with paying for classes but not on the internet? And if the same person offered both services???

I get your point, Oliver. That's why I ordered the Screenwriting Directory. I have a much safer feeling when there is a physical address to write to, when there are legalities involved. Anyone from a country, hostile to our own, can easily throw up a website that looks like they're from Tulsa, Oklahoma (Yipee Kay Yay and all that) and not suffer any legal reprise should a problem arise. And to comment on Anthony's question, YES, if someone offered BOTH services (physical location and Internet) I'd be okay with that. At least there's a physical address where they can be served, should something unethical happen. With googlemaps, the street view also can show you if the address is a UPS store, mail drop or someone's trailer. Legit businesses in the US are registered by the respective state's Secretary of State office, which is of public record.

Internet classes can be an extremely fun and rewarding experience , especially if they are interactive and give you the opportunity to ask questions. I can recommend Jacob Krueger studio in NY. www.writeyourscreenplay.com. Why do I prefer classes online or in person? Sitting in a classroom for a few hours is an opportunity to meet and greet, share work, ask questions and make your own notes about your own work, and have discussions with the teacher, (who should have real credentials, not just in teaching, if you are planning on parting with your hard earned cash, which is where your research comes in) or with other students, some of which can be far more experienced. Indeed, many good classes are attended by working professional workers. Writers in general are a friendly bunch, so the opportunity for networking is most definitely worth the financial outlay. And if they offered both? I wouldn't use their services. Why? A few impersonal notes written by someone who you don't know and probably never will, comes across as a money grabbing side line which directly contradicts the personal learning experience of sitting in a classroom. I'm not on a crusade to try and put people out of business but I'd prefer to work with someone face to face (or screen to screen) than read an intern's hastily scribbled coverage. Oliver

Each to their own.

Sam Classes aren't for reading an individual's work, that's not why you go to them. The teacher is there to help a group of people but there are opportunities to ask questions relating to the topic at hand that everyone could benefit from. If individual attention is needed, one to one options are available. I can see, hear and meet a teacher. Coverage notes are so impersonal. A script could be read by a coverage reader who you don't know and won't meet twenty times but it is still never going to beat sitting in a room with someone who can tailor your learning experience completely to your needs. As an example, It's probably going to take you a while to respond to this but if you and I were in the same room, you would have by now. Oliver

Oliver - I think you hit the nail on the head there... 'classes aren't for reading an individuals work'... they are for being taught... coverage notes don't fulfil the same purpose at all, because they don't 'discuss the topic at hand', they look at the script being covered. So you enjoy learning in a class, great, works for you, all good - but by your own admission it's not for reading someone's script. If however, like me, you want feedback on your individual script, not a topic. The coverage services offer this... How good or bad they are... well asking S32 members is one way of finding out what people think of individual coverage services. They aren't the only places to get feedback either, I have a couple of writers who I've met through S32 who I swap notes with, it and they are great! But they are aspiring writers like me... coverage is a little more objective (in my experience). Ultimately horses for courses, and I hope you enjoy your classes.

Anthony Agreed, classes are for being taught, which is why I mentioned one to one services that focus solely on your own work. These are a significantly better option to reading notes written by a stranger, albeit a more expensive one. I am fully aware that the financial outlay is prohibitive to some, but in my opinion, coverage services are not a good alternative and the results are not a worthwhile investment. I'm all for meeting other writers, networking, reading work, giving and receiving notes but if money is involved, if I can't meet you or talk to you about my work, I won't hire you. Which is why internet coverage services are not an option. The recurring theme seems to be, do whatever works for you and I believe that's something that we can all agree on, so I feel that the discussion need not go any further. Sam Back atcha :)