How to sell a screenplay is both what you know and who you know. This is one of those old adages that sounds like a cliché, and it is, but for good reason – it’s completely true! An important part of knowing how to sell a screenplay is trying to get as many people as you can (within the industry – not your mom) to read your scripts, no matter where they are on the totem pole. If the writing is good, people will send it to other people who are higher up on the ladder, and so on and so forth, and it will be because they genuinely like the work. Here are some things that you should keep in mind when you are trying to learn how to sell a screenplay:
Don’t Show Any Of Your Fans Anything But Your Best Work
There are literally millions of videos on YouTube and the rest of the internet, and it is beyond easy for your content to get lost in the shuffle of pre-existing material out there. If you want people to get excited about your work and fully understand how to sell a screenplay, you need to, as the old song famously says, “give them something to talk about.” Make sure your treat your fans the way you would treat industry insiders, and you may be surprised at how far you get.
Don’t Show Anyone In The Industry Anything But Your Best Work
This should by all accounts be a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how often this is overlooked by writers who are new to the industry and do not yet know how to sell a screenplay. Remember, you only get exactly one chance to make a first impression, and to be frank, this industry has a long memory and a very small tolerance for foolishness, so if you have the opportunity to put a foot forward in the door somewhere, make 100% certain that it’s your best one.
Don’t Pressure People – Let Them Come To You
This is by far the simplest one of the tips that will be listed here in terms of understanding how to sell a screenplay. Once you’ve given them the script, treat the situation as if you were trying to date the person. There’s a fine line between being passionate and being clingy, and you want to be sure you stay on the former side of it so that you can successfully manage to sell a screenplay.
Source by John Halas
