Getting Your Script Read (Tip #51)

Since writers are always talking about how difficult it is to get their script read, I found a quote from Christopher Lockhart, story editor at WME, from a post he wrote on his blog “The Inside Pitch” several years ago.  This is an excerpt for a question he received from a Colorado screenwriter who asked a question that essentially asked the questions, “How do I get read?”

“The easiest way to get read is simply to ask. It’s easy because it doesn’t take much time or cost anything. You can ask by letter, e-mail, phone or in person. If you ask 100 executives, most will say “no.” But some will say “yes.” And that’s a perfectly good place to start. The fear of rejection and embarrassment plays a big part in causing writers to shy away from such tactics. I suggest to take a pill or something and get over it.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, try to contact reputable managers who are open to new writers. A scribe who lives in Colorado needs a mouthpiece here in town who can work on her behalf. But never exclude anyone who might be willing to read your script.

Of course, you need to keep writing. Turn out 2-3 new scripts a year. The more scripts you have, the more likely you are to find the right match for one of them – which in many cases is all it takes to launch a career. Set a quota for yourself: Contact X amount of execs, producers, managers and agents a month in an attempt to get your script read. The more queries, the more likely someone will say yes to a read.”
Christopher Lockhart

There you go—you have not because you asked not. (Or haven’t asked enough.)

This posts follows a five-day Q& A I did with Lockhart and one post on the DVD “The Inside Pitch,” which features Lockhart and Jack d’Annibale with more Hollywood insights.

Scott W. Smith