Do you want to know the best way to submit your script to agents and producers? Okay, you’ve got your finished script in hand and now it’s time to get it into the hands of someone who can turn it into a movie or TV show.
But stead on there cowboy. Before I tell you how to submit your script, here are five important things you need to check first:
1) Is Your Screenplay Unique and Original?
When you’re submitting your script to agents and producers, you want to make sure that your screenplay is as original and engaging as possible (unless you’re doing an adaptation which is also an excellent idea).
So what is a unique and original script you might be wondering? Isn’t it impossible to be unique and original when most stories have been done before?
The answer here lies not so much in plot lines and characters but in the originality of your voice. Gangster movies have been around for decades, however, Quentin Tarantino brought a fresh perspective to the gangster movie.
Now I’m not saying that you have to use Tarantino’s style or dialogue here, but a new perspective is always welcome… most importantly, take your audience to a world they haven’t seen before, with new and original characters.
2) Format Your Script the Right Way
It’s important that when you submit your script it meets industry standards. That means your script has the right layout and structure. It’s very easy to do this nowadays using a program like Final Draft, or free software programs like Celtx or Amazon’s Screenplay Writing Software.
It’s amazing how many screenwriters get shot down by agents and producers because the script they submit is badly laid out in Word or PDF format. There’s no excuse now not to be able to submit your script in the right format.
Now I have experienced a few occasions, back when I used to work as an agent, when I would receive a screenplay from a new screenwriter and it was so badly formatted and laid out I almost threw it in the trash, but something about the opening sentence grabbed my attention and compelled me to keep reading (however, those situations are few and far between).
3) Proofread
Before submitting your screenplay to agents and producers, please make sure that you proofread your script. I know you’re excited because you’ve just finished your script and you want to submit it as fast as possible, but it’s really important at this stage to just let your script rest for a couple of days. Then, when you’re feeling fresh, come back to it and read it over one more time to check for spelling and grammatical errors. It’s also a good opportunity to use this time to check for continuity problems as well.
4) Put Your Business Hat On
Now you’ve finished writing your script and it’s time to get it out there into the big bad world. You want to submit this screenplay in time for dinner, but you need to think about something very important first… that is, where is the commercial appeal in your screenplay?
I know, I know. No screenwriter likes to think or talk business, but unfortunately Hollywood is a business and successfully submitted scripts are often rejected because they don’t have any commercial appeal or angle.
So what exactly do I mean when I say, “Put your business hat on?” In this situation, you need to imagine that you’re a producer and you’re going to read your screenplay for the first time.
What is it about your script that would make it commercially appealing? What kind of audience does it appeal to? Are there any other movies in your genre that have done well commercially and are similar in nature to your movie (not identical, note, but similar in style)?
Is the genre of your story trendy at this moment in time; or, even better, is it an evergreen movie (by that I mean movies that never go out of fashion)?
Take a moment to think about the commercial nature of your script for a moment. Because you’re going to need to appreciate this point if you’re going to be able to put together an effective query letter.
5) Get Your Query Letter Ready
Writing a query letter doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it’s actually really easy when you know what to do (we’ve put together a useful article on writing a query letter here, and you can also find our popular FREE guide How To Write A Great Query Letter at the bottom of the page). However, it’s important that you don’t make your query letter too long.
A lot of screenwriters will try to submit a query letter that is pages and pages long. They want to cram every single detail of their story into the query letter. Please don’t do this. It just ends up making your query letter unattractive and too long to read.
Keep it short. Keep it sweet. And keep it simple. In the case of the query letter, less really is more.
Don’t Submit Your Script Just Yet
What? You’re probably thinking. I thought this article was going to tell me how to submit my script to both agents and producers. Well, don’t worry, it is. But there’s something you need to know about the submissions process first.
Your screenplay must be requested by agents and producers first. In order to make this happen you need to first send them a query letter talking about your screenplay and briefly introducing you as a person.
Now as a next step you’ll need to get the contact details for agents and producers. You can find these by checking online or looking up the details on IMDB.com (which is a great resource). We also offer a service where you can submit your script to over 400 screenplay agents and over 650 producers for a small fee.
Once you have these contact details you can now submit your query letter to agents and producers.
If you’re gong to submit your script to agents and producers, then you need to make sure that your query letter has been proof-read and checked for errors too.
You don’t want to send your query letter out with lots of bad spelling and grammatical errors, because this will be a big red flag for anyone reading your query letter.
It sends the signal that your script will also be badly formatted and laid out. You want your query letter to attract agents and producers, not repel them from taking an interest in your script.
Once your query letter is good to go, you’re now ready to send it out. Once this is done, now what?
You’ve submitted your query letter, what do you do now? Now you wait. You let your query letter do the talking and you wait to hear back from those agents and producers who would like to read your script.
In the meantime, a lot of you might be concerned about protecting and copyrighting your script. We have an article here on the best way to protect and copyright your scripts which I highly recommend you read, if for no other reason than to put your fears at rest (screenplay theft really isn’t a problem you should be worrying about).
*Liz Fairbanks has worked as a reader, development assistant, and talent agent in Los Angeles over the last seven years. Liz loves traveling, reading and yoga. Liz also works as a freelance consultant for Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).