Joanna Boyle's Lounge Discussions

So, a few weeks back I posted about some lessons I'd learned pitching on Happy Writers. At that point all I'd done was pitch, but I'd pitched like a ninja and had got a meeting with a UK based producer (I'm also based in the UK). Fast forward a few more weeks and I've now pitched a load more and the formula seems to be working. And it's this: 1. When the call comes in put a big grin on my face before answering 2. Pretend it's the only pitch I will ever do 3. Convince myself the project is the best thing they will ever hear 4. Convey all the enthusiasm I can muster for the project 5. Remember that it doesn't matter. At all. It's only a pitch. The biggest lesson I've learned from these pitch sessions is that you can be pitching an absolutely turkey but if you're interesting, if you're passionate, and if it feels like you really really care then they will too. Now, obviously if you are pitching a total turkey then that will all come out in the wash. My project is a one hour TV drama and we got shortlisted for Sundance Episodic Labs with it a few months back. Not a humble brag, more a confidence builder. It basically told us that our material had value. And that does one very important thing. It means you can ride out the passes without caring too much. And you really need that. It also gave me the confidence to pitch a lot. I mean, seriously a lot. Like wallet-shredding a lot. I've now pitched 18 times on Happy Writers. You do the maths. That's a lot of money. So why do the blanket thing? Well, the way I figure it, if it's worth doing then you have to commit, fully, 100%, balls out. And be prepared to invest in yourself and your material. Now that could be getting coverage notes, or it could be pitching to a ton of different people. The fact is you never know who's going to connect with your material. Nor why. There are tales of legendary passes nearly every month. Which is why I figured we just had to be in the game. If we felt the work was good enough then we had to back it. But that's hard on the financials and there has to be an end product. So, here's what happened to me. First off I won the weekly best pitcher perk and Joey got in touch personally to suggest a meeting with a manager from Benderspink. And there I was duly having a general on Skype for half an hour with someone who could potentially sign me. Result. I also won a few best of session perks which saved me a bit of money. But the really big thing that happened was that ICM requested a meeting. And then I heard nothing. For two weeks. And this is where I introduce the rollercoaster. Because this really is a rollercoaster. As a writer you're entirely helpless. You might be the puppet master of any work you can spin out of your imagination but in this world, the real world, you're nobody and you actually have no power. So, when ICM wants a meeting then you hear nothing you start to convince yourself that actually they've woken up from whatever drunken state they were in when they made that request and have now discovered you for the fraud that you undoubtedly are. Except of course you're not. And it's just that stuff takes time. And that's when Joey stepped in again. Hooked up a meeting straight away and there I was talking direct to ICM. Which went amazingly. I quote: "I can't say enough good things about the work..." Rollercoaster going up.... And that's awesome, because they requested secondary materials and they want to upstream the project to their TV department. And that's when you realise you're going to be waiting again and most likely it's going to run out of steam and probably won't go anywhere. But THAT DOESN"T MATTER! You're in the game and someone at a big agency likes you. That's absolutely amazing. It might not be work yet but you're getting read. And you're drawing heat. Which as I now know, is everything. So, after the ICM meeting it all went down again as manager after manager passed on the project. And again. That's okay. But you start second-guessing yourself and wondering whether actually the guys who like it are frankly deluded. But again, IT DOESN'T MATTER! You only need one person to like your work. Just one. And, guess what, they did. We were approached by a manager who loved the project. Myself and my co-writer had also just won a best film prize for our debut feature at a big spanish horror festival and it turned out he loved the film too. So, there I was, now having a very long meeting with a manager in the US who loved our work who was hugely enthusiastic about what we were doing and wanted to rep us. Two days later I hear a production company is interested in a meeting too. Now it's been a week since that initial contact and I haven't heard anything again and the rollercoaster plummets again! It's a crazy business this and you kind of have to become very sanguine about the whole thing. Stuff inevitably will happen when it's meant to. HOWEVER, nothing will happen if you're not out there hustling and being visible. But the really important piece of this puzzle is one you may or may not have guessed at already and that's Joey Tuccio. He has no financial interest in what we're doing but he's been the guy facilitating, acting as an intermediary and basically making it all happen. And in the best possible way acting as hype man and cheerleader. He emailed me and said "My goal is to get you signed ASAP." How cool is that? So, yes, I invested cold hard cash in this process. But it's not some mindless coverage scam where you get stung for words. There's a real guy at the other end who genuinely cares and who will repay hard work and a go-get-it attitude with genuine results. When you look at the calibre of people you can pitch to on here it's truly remarkable. I'm sold. I'm signed. I'm a Happy Writer. Good luck everyone.

Howdy--I'm a full-time freelance Illustrator now after a 35 year career with Hallmark Cards, Inc. It' great to be out in the "real" world now, but I'm struggling to get my work "out there" without having to get a rep...check out a sample of my work I submitted to Bored Panda a couple of months ago--Thanks, and my best to all!!! :) http://www.boredpanda.com/healing-angels/