What or how do go about selling a script any advice/help will be appreciated or am I stabbing in the dark as so many scripts get written each day ??????????
Screenwriting : Selling a script???? by Alan Lee Blair
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First, don't doubt yourself. Doubting yourself doesn't help. Second, in all honesty selling a script is about a few things "who you know" and what your script is about? If it is something new and original and never been done before than your chances are so much higher. Another thing to look at is if you don't have an Agent or Manager that will hurt, a lot of places won't accept unsolicited work. Now on to good stuff, make sure your format and story structure are sound and fool-proof. Basically make your script perfect and you have a much better chance over the people who wrote a script without any formatting. No one knows who you are so your screenplay needs to be as professional as it can be. Aside from those pointers on making sure your script is perfect before you have any industry professional read it I can't offer much more advice. I'm sure someone on here knows about Query letters.
How many finished script do you have, Alan?
If you do not have an agent or a manager, you can try entering it into a contest such as the Nichols Fellowship. If it's good, you will place and get great exposure.
Hello, Steve and Jolene thank you for advice I will look into those avenues and se what I can. Rik I have to date written 2 film scripts and 3 episode scripts for a tv Series but thery are still in first draft stages
You are not stabbing in the dark, Alan. Scripts are purchased every day. You can sell also. When you have three to five truly excellent, marketable scripts and the three, finished TV scripts you can begin the process of getting a manager or agent.
Don't count on contests to "make" you're career. They are a wonderful exercise to work with a prompt and a hard deadline, but they will in no way break you in. Your best bet it to acquire copies of the Hollywood Creative and Representative Directories, take ten of each agents and producers (not randomly, research on what they are looking for. imdbPro is a fantastic tool), call them, find out their query letter procedures, send out, wait a couple weeks, rinse and repeat. NEVER send unsolicited scripts or pitches. Ever. It's both annoying and can cause legal complications. And keep records of what was sent when. Be sure to register your script with the WGA and Copyright office before showing them to anyone. The "mail it to yourself with postage date as legal cover" isn't viable because its too easy to steam open the envelopes and repackage the contents. It's a pain and expensive but necessary.