Screenwriting agents, waiting game and collaborator please help!

KevinG · Sep 4, 2012

Hello everyone,
I am new here at Absolute Write Water Cooler so I apologize if a thread liked this has already been posted. I am desperately seeking help and I could use all the advise I can get.

I am a screenwriter who had just completed two screenplays (one of them I had collaborated with someone on) and I want take my writing to the next level and get myself a screenwriting agent. I want to know if anyone could please recommend a good screenwriting agent. I ask this because some of the agents I was looking into didn't have a website and when I typed their name into Google, I ended up coming here and I saw they mostly got very bad reviews. Plus I am from New York (Brooklyn) and I saw that are mostly agents for novels not really screenwriters and they don't represent screenwriters.
Would anyone be kind enough to recommend me some good ones as well as some feedback on how they are ? I know they are no such things as a "good" agent but my deepest fear is that I am going to be paying someone a lot of money and they don't represent me.

Another question is what would be a best way to approach an agent ? Should I e-mail them a cover letter along with my script ? If they only accept snail mail, do you send them a cover a letter along with your script or scripts ? Do you even send agents scripts or just cover letters ? This is where I am really confused at. Every site is different.

One of the scripts I wrote (the one with my collaborator) I e-mailed to Roger Corman (who is the one I really want to produce our script. I consider him an idol and me and my collaborator feel that this right up his alley). Here is what happened: I called on Monday, very nervous mind you and I spoke to his sectary. I asked him where can I pitch or submit a script to Roger Corman. He said he only does that through e-mail, so he gave me the e-mail address to contact his assistant/script supervisor. I then asked the dreaded question if they accept outside scripts. He said that they have in house screenwriters but do look at other people's scripts and accept them. I wrote to her on Monday (his assistant/script supervisor) and I haven't heard from her. My collaborator wrote to her last Friday and now we are playing the waiting game. I was hoping if someone can please suggest what I should do ? Should I call or write a follow up letter (and if so how should I say and word it ? As you can tell I need to learn how to be short and to the point) and how long should I wait ? Some say 2 weeks, others 4, others a month. I am not giving up. But the fact that he gave me her e-mail address is a good sign right ? At the same token I just want to make sure she got the script. E-mail tend not to be very reliable.

My last question is where would I go (either on here or maybe outside of AWWC) to post an ad that I am looking for a female screenwriter to collaborate with on a screenplay? I had posted both on Craigslist and another screenwriting site an ad that I am looking for a female writer to collaborate with and since then I have been getting very rude and nasty e-mails. The only reason why I am looking in particular for a female screenwriter is because 1) I have worked with a male writer before and I had a bad experience and 2) because my protagonist and antagonist are females so I feel it would be authentic if I had a female writer come on board. It's a horror/sci-fi/comedy film with B movie flair which plays a homage to 1950's and early 1960's black and white drive camp films but with a modern take. I am tired of people thinking that I am looking for sex. This is strictly professional and I am tired of the e-mails. I even got threatening ones to.

I apologize for the long thread. I am new and I hope I can talk and connect with other writers who can help me. I have been on several forums where people were very rude and nasty so I am hoping I won't find this here. Please be patient with me as I am just starting the chapter of my writing career (we all have to start some where ?) and if these questions are naive or my situation then please forgive me.
I wish everyone the best of luck with their future projects.

timmiebow · Sep 5, 2012

Hey KevinG!! Thanks for posting. I got it from a very high source in the movie business that no one should go to an agent-and agent will find you. The second is on the female voice thingy: I am sorry you had a hard time with a male collaborator but for me...I've made a pretty good chunk of change writing audition monologues for women (or from a 'Woman's Voice') >>> between the ages of 19-26 >>> and I'm a 51 year old man! So dig deep and really find that voice that you need----I don't think you need anyone at all!! Do it on your own and make it interesting! You can do it! TB (hope that helps??)

KevinG · Sep 6, 2012

Thank you timmiebow for your advice

I am having great difficulty trying to get one of my screenplays out there, so I figured my next step would be representation.
I don't how I would be able to get myself to be discovered.
I am thinking I may go solo. I really don't want to but if no one is replying back to my ads and all I get are nasty ones in return then I guess I have no other choice.
Again, I truly appreciate your help

gambit924 · Sep 6, 2012

I am continually disappointed with Craigslist. For every one serious inquiry you get, there are about ten more you get from complete assholes, lol. Now that you're here, you might want to ask people under the non-paying markets whether they would be willing to help, making it clear what you expect. Then again, I'm here and I am a woman (perhaps older than the voice you're looking for, but still), ask me questions about what a woman might say and I may be able to help you. I am a long time lover of the science fiction/action genre (I'd rather watch an action movie than a romantic comedy any day), and I'm always willing to help a friend. Anyway, let me know. Cheers!

KevinG · Sep 6, 2012

As of late Craigslist has gotten really bad. It use to be a decent site to post ads. But now, not only do you have to worry about who you meet on there but it's haven for internet bullies.

I tried looking for the section on AWWC 's non paying section but couldn't find it. I am going to post in the screenwriting section.

I would love to collaborate on a project with you gambit924. I don't care how old the person is along as they are dedicated, communicate and have a passion to write. If you are interested shoot me a private message

I appreciate your help and tips as well

That means a lot because truthfully I am not looking for sex. I am looking for someone who wants to help me write a one of a kind script.

KevinG · Sep 6, 2012

Also no word from hearing from Roger Corman's assistant. I am keeping my fingers cross and will wait until next week to contact her again via e-mail. I hope to hear from her soon as I am praying to God and keeping my fingers cross.

dpaterso · Sep 6, 2012

Did whoever you spoke to say send a query (e.g. a logline, possibly a short synopsis) or did they say it was okay to email the full screenplay?

Either way, I'd try to calm down and not be hopping from foot to foot waiting for a fast reply, with all my hopes pinned to this one screenplay. How many queries must someone like Roger Corman receive from hopeful wannabe screenwriters?

If you don't get a reply, I'd take that as a pass, they're not interested. Poking them so soon is unlikely to change this. It might even irritate, who knows?

While you're waiting, write another screenplay, don't just stop and hope for a magic response. And/or improve the screenplay you're querying so it's a better product. From time to time I read stories about aspiring screenwriters who option or sell their first screenplay. Good for them, may they see their screenplay produced and earn a ton of money for everyone. But such stories are few and far between. If and when someone asks you, "What else have you got?", ideally you'll have more than two screenplays finished and ready to pitch.

Check out the tips thread, post #3 suggests how/where you might find prodcos and agents.

-Derek

Katrina S. Forest · Sep 7, 2012

First of all, e-mail is perfectly reliable. Moreso than phone calls, in my opinion. Second, I wouldn't take the fact that you got the e-mail address as a sign of anything. If Roger Corman is open to submissions, then that e-mail address is likely listed on his submission guidelines. (Though I know next to nothing about submitting a screenplay, so don't quote me on that.)

From your other thread, it sounds like you've done a lot of the fun stuff of writing (planning out the setting, the characters, the plot ect.) and you're asking a co-writer to just help you do the hard stuff. (Actually write it down, make sure you keep your MC believable, ect.) People who are serious about co-writing want to feel like they're working together with you, not just doing the work you didn't feel like doing. (I know you probably don't mean it that way, but that's how it comes across, and it's likely why a lot of people on other boards aren't being kind to you.)

Consider instead if you wrote the script yourself and asked for a female perspective only if you needed it at a specific point. If you feel completely incapable of writing an MC of the opposite gender without a co-writer, perhaps this is not the best story for you right now. Remember -- us lady writers have our own stories we're very passionate about. It's not like we're sitting around fanning ourselves and thinking, "Oh, my gracious. I sure wish some talented screenwriter would come by and give me the opportunity to help him write down his brilliant ideas, as I have no ideas of my own."

(Edited to clarify: I'm sure you don't actually you don't think of women writers that way, the above was my lame attempt at humor to show how a well-intentioned call for a co-writer might come across the wrong way.)

"Not giving up" is a great attitude, but you need to apply it correctly. If by "not giving up," you mean you're going to contact every screenwriting agent repeatedly until one of them represents you or they all block your e-mail address, that's not a good application of your willpower. If you mean you're going to perfect the craft of screenwriting until you write something that gets picked up, that's a much healthier way to go.

KevinG · Sep 7, 2012

@Katrina S. Forest: I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying (if I was) to contact every single screenwriting agent out there and wait for a response and then write a follow up e-mail or call them if I don't hear from them (four to six weeks I would wait) or are you saying that I would say, e-mail one screenwriting agent and e-mail him or her constantly until I get a response ? I may be a novice but I do know how unprofessionally it would be if I harassed an agent or agents with e-mails. I could understand if I constantly e-mailed one agent and he or she would block my e-mails but if I was to e-mail more then one agent they would block my e-mail address ? Are we only allowed to contact one agent and that's it, throw in the towel ?

We all have to start some where. I am not Roger Corman. I am not his assistant/script supervisor. Maybe they passed on it ?, maybe they didn't. Maybe she deleted the e-mail immediately she read the subject line ? maybe they are currently reading and discussing about it ? There are a million scenarios and they have lives outside of the computers. So I am a little optimistic ? Is it a law, a belief in the screenwriting biz, that the writer can't do a little prayer or have some what a bit of hope that a studio he/she sent his/her screenplay to might get back to him/her ? At least I actually did something about to see how it could get into his hands instead of being a coward and go by, he won't read it in million years. For all I know he could be reading right now as we speak. Who knows ? If I had a teleporter then maybe I could get an answer ? We live once. Everyone's saying he passed on it. How does everyone know ? Because I didn't get a response the second I sent out my e-mail ? Not all the time studios or producers get back to people right away.

@dpaterso: he's only a secretary. I don't know maybe you know about the biz more then I do but I couldn't find it anywhere in Syd Field's book, Screenwriting that secretaries say "okay let me hear the pitch or your log line etc." He said that Corman deals with screenplays only by e-mail. So whether he is interested or not he will get back via e-mail. If Croman doesn't accept unsolicited material then why would he give me a contact info ? He's not going to give me his assistant/script supervisor's e-mail address if that was the case. Wouldn't that be giving information without permission ? But that doesn't mean I am going to e-mail her every day until I get a response. I think I may come off that way. I only sounded like that because I needed a place to vent (although something tells me I came to the wrong place).

I don't see what the big issue is of me wanting to collaborate with a female screenwriter ? Truthfully, I don't care what people think. I am not asking for a photo, I am not asking if she is married or of her age. Again, is it another screenwriting law that men can't work with women ? Are we suppose to be separated, boys with boys and girls with girls ? Whether your a human or a Muppet, if you have a thirst for writing, you want create original and unique characters and have a passion for film then their shouldn't be a problem. As I said before, I had a bad experience working with a male writer. If male screenwriter can prove to me he is passionate about writing, can fully commit to our project and we can communicate then hell, I'll work with a male writer. I go by, two heads are better then one. I don't care, call me a sexist, call me a pervert. At 25 whatever people say or feel about me I shrug off and move on with my life.

I appreciate everybody's advice. Your all giving me blunt advises and tips. But I am new at this and one point so was everybody else . Screenwriting and this script that I wrote (I wrote others) is what's keeping me going. Maybe you guys didn't have this thing happen to you. But I am a very depressed person. Not that everybody cares for I know you all have your own things going on but I lost two of my dogs (one last year and another this year both on the same month) and they meant the world to me. I know yous guys have lost a pet or two but this just happened to me so I am trying to take it in. I have a real s****y job where I work with minors and pain in the a** boss where I everyday I hope this won't be my career job. I don't have a girlfriend and while I am 25 (please be kind of my age) I want to settle down with someone, have a daughter and actually be happy and not have a broken heart. I am four online dating sites (it's very embarrassing) and I been on dates and started to get to know someone where suddenly they stop talking to me for no reason. I don't have any friends, all my "true friends" showed their true colors and I lost a good fair amount and I am contemplating several times of taking my own life.
I apologize for spilling my guts out but this screenplay is what makes me happy. Writing is what makes me happy.
My dream, seeing something I have written come to life is what makes me happy.

So yeah, maybe I should just take my script about so and so and say screw it, it'll never get it made and it was such a waste of time and even though I got a friend (who lives very far) out of it and I'll never get a screenwriting agent blah, blah, blah. Kevin, stop writing. Just do everyone a favor and jump right into the body bag. Stop whinnying.

I can't think that. Sure my depression kicks in but this is what gets me going. Writing is what gets me going. Maybe you guys had this done to you. Maybe you completed a screenplay and wanted your idol (whomever that may be) to read it. Maybe you had fingers pointing at you, telling you listen if no one got back to you in a matter of two weeks, give up. Maybe you had people scoff and look down at you for asking naive questions. They yelled at you and told you, "your script sucks and I wouldn't even wipe my a** with it." Maybe you had a studio who you felt deep down that this script would be right up their alley and people told you "they wouldn't read it in a million years." I don't know any of you and what was going on when you just started your careers or path in the craft of screenwriting.

I don't need anyone to remind me that I am in a tough field and rejection is as common as you change into pair of socks. I been rejected before and if I want something I do whatever I have to get it. I read the books, I took the classes and yes I watched the documentaries.

I am doing what I have to follow my goal. I am learning by trail and error and that's with anything.

Katrina S. Forest · Sep 7, 2012

KevinG, I can see that the way I phrased things did not at all come across the way I meant them. I did not mean to judge you or discourage you in any way. I sent you a PM, please let me know if you didn't get it.

KevinG · Sep 7, 2012

Katrina S. Forest said:
KevinG, I can see that the way I phrased things did not at all come across the way I meant them. I did not mean to judge you or discourage you in any way. I sent you a PM, please let me know if you didn't get it.

Just got it and replied

padnar · Sep 7, 2012

I am fortunate in my colloborators. My Guru Lloyd Boyd use to criticise me a lot , but now I am happy,I learn something . I am proud that I am able to write a script alone.

DevelopmentExec · Sep 9, 2012

timmiebow said:
I got it from a very high source in the movie business that no one should go to an agent-and agent will find you.

I don't know who your source was, but this is surefire advice for getting nowhere. How is the agent going to find you? Most agents and managers aren't spending their time looking for new clients. They're busy servicing the clients they already have and are inundated by perspective clients who are referred by people they know or are querying them. If you are a finalist in the Nicholl Fellowship Competition or find yourself in some other buzzworthy situation, an agent might seek you - other than that, they're not looking.

You need to research agents and target ones that are most likely to be a good fit for you. And you need to be sure that your writing is at a level that can compete with professional writers.

gambit924 · Sep 10, 2012

DevelopmentExec is right. You can't expect people to just be looking around for you. You need to actually seek agents out. Maybe they want you, maybe they don't, but you have to make the first move. And do not constantly bother these people. They're busy ass people with thousands of scripts to read. They don't want to be bothered every ten seconds by some random guy who wants them to focus on his stuff. Call or email maybe once or twice, and when you think it's no good, contact someone else. Check out Writer's Market Guide to lit agents. They always have a section on script agents. Anyway, I'm gonna be pretty busy writing my own stuff with school coming up, but if you have any questions, I'm not an expert, but go ahead and ask. As Mr. Garrison says on South Park there are no stupid questions, only stupid people, lol.

KevinG · Sep 10, 2012

I am truly sorry for not replying right away guys. I just started an acting class yesterday. I appreciate everyone's advice. Gambit924 be look on the look out in your PM box I am going to send you a message

Thank you so much for allowing me to contact you if I have any questions

Screenwriting · Sep 27, 2012

Producers, agents, and managers who accept unsolicited queries from unproduced writers

KevinG said:
Hello everyone,
I am new here at Absolute Write Water Cooler so I apologize if a thread liked this has already been posted. I am desperately seeking help and I could use all the advise I can get.

I am a screenwriter who had just completed two screenplays (one of them I had collaborated with someone on) and I want take my writing to the next level and get myself a screenwriting agent. I want to know if anyone could please recommend a good screenwriting agent. I ask this because some of the agents I was looking into didn't have a website and when I typed their name into Google, I ended up coming here and I saw they mostly got very bad reviews. Plus I am from New York (Brooklyn) and I saw that are mostly agents for novels not really screenwriters and they don't represent screenwriters.
Would anyone be kind enough to recommend me some good ones as well as some feedback on how they are ? I know they are no such things as a "good" agent but my deepest fear is that I am going to be paying someone a lot of money and they don't represent me.

Another question is what would be a best way to approach an agent ? Should I e-mail them a cover letter along with my script ? If they only accept snail mail, do you send them a cover a letter along with your script or scripts ? Do you even send agents scripts or just cover letters ? This is where I am really confused at. Every site is different.

One of the scripts I wrote (the one with my collaborator) I e-mailed to Roger Corman (who is the one I really want to produce our script. I consider him an idol and me and my collaborator feel that this right up his alley). Here is what happened: I called on Monday, very nervous mind you and I spoke to his sectary. I asked him where can I pitch or submit a script to Roger Corman. He said he only does that through e-mail, so he gave me the e-mail address to contact his assistant/script supervisor. I then asked the dreaded question if they accept outside scripts. He said that they have in house screenwriters but do look at other people's scripts and accept them. I wrote to her on Monday (his assistant/script supervisor) and I haven't heard from her. My collaborator wrote to her last Friday and now we are playing the waiting game. I was hoping if someone can please suggest what I should do ? Should I call or write a follow up letter (and if so how should I say and word it ? As you can tell I need to learn how to be short and to the point) and how long should I wait ? Some say 2 weeks, others 4, others a month. I am not giving up. But the fact that he gave me her e-mail address is a good sign right ? At the same token I just want to make sure she got the script. E-mail tend not to be very reliable.

My last question is where would I go (either on here or maybe outside of AWWC) to post an ad that I am looking for a female screenwriter to collaborate with on a screenplay? I had posted both on Craigslist and another screenwriting site an ad that I am looking for a female writer to collaborate with and since then I have been getting very rude and nasty e-mails. The only reason why I am looking in particular for a female screenwriter is because 1) I have worked with a male writer before and I had a bad experience and 2) because my protagonist and antagonist are females so I feel it would be authentic if I had a female writer come on board. It's a horror/sci-fi/comedy film with B movie flair which plays a homage to 1950's and early 1960's black and white drive camp films but with a modern take. I am tired of people thinking that I am looking for sex. This is strictly professional and I am tired of the e-mails. I even got threatening ones to.

I apologize for the long thread. I am new and I hope I can talk and connect with other writers who can help me. I have been on several forums where people were very rude and nasty so I am hoping I won't find this here. Please be patient with me as I am just starting the chapter of my writing career (we all have to start some where ?) and if these questions are naive or my situation then please forgive me.
I wish everyone the best of luck with their future projects.

Kevin,

I humbly apologize making a lengthy, post, part of which is a blatant commercial plug for my book, in response to your question. However, I think this resource would be useful to you:

I just published an e-book listing 220+ producers, agents, and managers who accept queries (and in a very few cases, creative content) from unknown writers. It is for sale, so this post admittedly hopes to lure people to buy. This e-book is the only resource of its kind. My researchers and I took the time and effort to actually check every one of the listings in this e-book.

This e-book provides precise, specific information on how each producer, agent, or manager wants to be approached (mail, email, website), what sort of communication each wants (usually a query letter), and what kinds of scripts (genres, TV or movie, etc.) they seek.

The book also contains a section on how to write a query letter, with cites to multiple online articles on what to do and not do in a query letter.

The e-book also contains a strongly-worded response to your question (not directly to you, of course) about what you should do next after your contact with Roger Corman’s company. I can summarize it in a sentence: DO NOT BUG THEM. There are many other producers who seek similar scripts. One suggestion: I know that Lloyd Kaufmann at Troma looks at unsolicited ideas. He, like Roger Corman, likes horror and horror-comedy scripts.

Regarding seeking a female writing partner and the nasty responses you got back: first, accept that nastiness is a given with a certain small but vocal percentage of people who read any post, including the screenwriting community. Brush it off, re-check the wording of your ad, and try again elsewhere. Post your request at other screenwriting forums.

Information on my book is available at http://screenwritingcommunity.net. The list price for this 300+-page e-book (PDF) is $19.95, temporarily reduced (09/2012) to $17.95.

The Hollywood Creative Directory Online used to have much of this information buried in it for a $25/month subscription, but alas, it is gone from the web.

Who am I? I am the former publisher of Creative Screenwriting Magazine and former executive producer of the Screenwriting Expo, which, alas, collapsed financially last year. If you want to reach me personally, please go to screenwritingcommunity.net and write to me through one of the email addresses there.

Screenwriting agents, waiting game and collaborator please help!

KevinG

timmiebow

KevinG

gambit924

KevinG

KevinG

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Katrina S. Forest

KevinG

Katrina S. Forest

KevinG

padnar

DevelopmentExec

gambit924

KevinG

Screenwriting

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