Screenwriting : The Black List by Mike Cam

If you're getting feedback that is solely on grammatical issues, then I don't think it is a Black List thing. It's just a thing. The best way to avoid grammatical issues is to not rely on spellcheck or anything program and also to have someone qualified to read it. Maybe this is an English teacher/professor. Maybe a pro editor. Maybe a peer writer who is a grammatical whiz. If you know your grammar isn't your strong suit, always have an expert (or a few) proofread it for you because for even the best writers, it's hard to see certain errors. And if it's something you've gotten more than twice, then it's definitely something you need to invest in before you put your scripts up for evaluation.

Mike Cam I recommend using the search function on Stage32 and typing in "Black List".because this is a well-worn subject in these forums. My impression is that most think it's a waste of time (myself included), but I could be wrong.

I think one of the more helpful aspects of BL is if you need help with a synopsis for your script, but I agree with the above comments about unnecessary money going to a company that has essentially monopolized the script listing market. They've suddenly become the gatekeepers, and that is something difficult to deal with. Their evaluation can be helpful, but so can the evals from other sights because it's all a matter of opinion essentially.

I have used it and will agree. The eval is useless. It's something like $25 a month or something just to have your script listed and the evals are $75 and I'll tell you now, it didn't help me in the least.

Commented on many of these threads, but BL is the worst. No idea who is reviewing. My 7's seemed to be to pay more to get to 8's. I cut it off completely. I've used the coverage and phone call services where an executive reads your script and then call you here and had meetings with 3 executives now. Nothing has come close to the value and feedback. The bonus is now I have 3 executives who have welcomed me to send them anything I write.

I appreciate everyone comments... I thought the same with using it to develop a synopsis. I was questioning myself especially when I change a whole script base off one of the readers suggestion, then when I resubmitted the script the next reader torn it apart

Mike Cam - Yikes! Please don't ever "change a whole script based off of one reader's suggestion" unless that person is A. paying you a good amount of money; or B. they're a producer or director with major connections who has asked you to write a script on spec. Otherwise, I suggest always getting (at least) three professional opinions and looking for the commonalities between them. That will give you a much better idea of where you might be able to strengthen your script.

Stage32 is all you need. More positive REAL ALIVE feed back, experience pitching while you do it, more affordable. The blacklist is just too amorphous. You don't know who's reading your stuff, and you don't have any recourse if you get a bad rating. It's basically like contests - a shot in the dark.

I agree Sarah Gabrielle Baron!

I agree with James Drago and Sarah Gabrielle Baron ... a waste of time.

Dan M. Or pay nothing at all. That is my choice.

The black list has become this massive crazy juggernaut of capitalism over creativity. all these armchair gate-keepers they hire to make judgments abut your work that may or may or may not be myopic, biased, or downright harmful to your career.

I think all that pollutes the creative process.

I have used them also. Evaluations range tremendously. It seems like they want you to pay for evaluations over and over to get the rating up since it has to be over a certain rating to be considered on the preferred list. I have received some really good feedback from there but also some really basic and useless feedback. It's a crap shoot.