Tips on Selling your Script, Treatment, Screenplay or True Hollywood Story
Selling Ideas Before Selling a Treatment
Finding news quotes from successful treatment writers can give you insight to amend your working plan accordingly and possibly improve the odds of selling a treatment. For example, one writer who has successfully sold more than on screenplay said this: “You don’t sell a treatment … you sell an idea and try to get them to pay you to write the treatment.” This aspect is lost on many fledgling treatment writers. You may end up wasting time finishing a story in entirety, as opposed to first selling the concept and later finishing up if a director or producer indicates interest. Read the rest of this entry »
Routine Marketing to Help Sell a Script or Treatment
When all is said and done, script writing is a business. You are creating a product to sell, for a profit. Successful businesses employ marketing, to reach target audiences and make sales. Simple, right? Then you, trying to sell a script, need to add marketing skills to the array of skills you need to be successful in the business your are entering. Mailing queries and spec scripts to producers and assistants is part of the equation, because it’s like mail marketing your product to potential buyers. But this kind of hawking print materials is about selling a product – your Script or Treatment. Will it help sell a script if you sell yourself? Read the rest of this entry »
Selling a Treatment or Script in other locations besides Los Angeles or New York
The world of trying to sell a script often focuses on Los Angeles and New York City, and for good reason. However, as you write and contemplate selling a script, it might be wise not to overlook some other towns, particularly those with unique or burgeoning film festivals. One, in Boston, will celebrate its 10th year in July 2008. The Roxbury Film Festival for years has carried the tagline, “Celebrating people of color,” but in recent years has branched out to show films focusing on Bosstown locations, as well as how to use MySpace or YouTube to get your story out there. The Festival might make for a nice summer vacation, while at the same time gaining you contacts or insight toward selling a script. Read the rest of this entry »
Marketing Through Online Script Registries to Sell a Script
As you aspire to sell a script or treatment, it goes without saying that you need to market yourself and your story. There are numerous tools out there, including a vast universe online. One emerging tool is online script registries – an online database accessible by industry professionals who subscribe. You just post a logline and synopsis of your script, and hope for the best. It’s not surefire for success, but there are a lot of registries out there, and costs are manageable. Online script registries can improve the odds for selling a script because of the market they cater to. Read the rest of this entry »
Hot Topics to Help Sell a Script
If you are exploring writing and selling a script, you might research which types of films are winning awards in various industry festivals or contests. For example, for the third year in a row at the January 2008 Sundance Film Festival, a movie about immigrants claimed the top prize. So, three years running film watchers preferred stories about the struggles of immigrants. That gives you an indication about what producers or directors may be interested in, and if you can write a similar story, perhaps the odds will increase in terms of selling your script. Read the rest of this entry »
