Writers Store Editors - Hollywood Screenwriting Directory Spring/Summer Volume 4: A Specialized Resource for Discovering Where & How to Sell Your Screenplay

Dear Fellow Screenwriter,

Congratulations! Youve made an investment in your screenwriting career thats sure to reap significant benefits. The Hollywood Screenwriting Directory is an essential reference guide that takes the mystery out of the script submission process, and literally puts the contact information of the Industrys top players right at your fingertips. Many of our loyal readers have secured representation and found script-selling success using it. And now, its your turn.

This Spring/Summer Volume 4 edition brings you current contact information for more than 2,500 Industry insiders, along with updates on hundreds of our listings. It also features a new Legal 411 for Screenwriters section, which contains invaluable information from practicing Entertainment Attorney Dinah Perez. From script copyrights to writing collaborations through to public domain and derivative works, Dinah gives you the download on topics youd have to pay over $400 an hour for in Hollywood.

Plus, the Hollywood Screenwriting Directory is now online as an active marketplace that allows you to post your project for purchase consideration in an area accessible only to verified Industry execs looking for new writers and fresh material. Visit screenwritingdirectory.com/c/HSDV4J now for a free 90-day subscription. You can also use our handy one-sheet template and screenwriter experience Q&A fields to present your work and yourself as a screenwriter in a way that will catch an execs attention. You also have the option to have your logline included in our monthly screenplay report sent out to Industry professionals.

The HSD is a very specialized directory created by The Writers Store based on our extensive experience serving the screenwriting community since 1982. It contains a range of people to contact regarding your script, from ambitious upstarts to established studio execs, along with management companies who package production deals and independent financiers/distributors with a production wing. For each listing, youll find the kind of useable information you need: Street and email addresses, whether or not they accept unsolicited material, and how they prefer to receive submissions.

While having access to this data is crucial, just as essential is an understanding of the right way to use it. These insiders are flooded with submissions daily. Any indication of incorrect format or other amateur flubs in the first few pages will quickly send your script to the trash.

We cant emphasize enough how important it is that your submission is polished and professional before you send it out for consideration. Screenwriting software makes producing an Industry-standard screenplay simple and straightforward. Programs like Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter put your words into proper format as you type, letting you focus on a well-told story rather than the chore of margins and spacing. In these pages, weve also included a guide to proper screenplay format, along with sample title and first pages to help you send out a professional script.

Besides a properly packaged submission, its also wise to know your audience before you send out any materials. If your script is an action thriller with a strong female lead, dont send it to Paul Giamattis production company. Actors establish their own companies so that theyre not reliant on studios for roles. Pad an actors vanity (and his pipeline) by submitting materials catered specifically to him.

You may find that a good number of companies do not want unsolicited submissions. Its not that theyre not open to new ideas; theyre not open to liability. A script is property, and with it, come ramifications if not handled properly. If you choose to disregard no unsolicited submissions, sending your script with a submission release form gives it a better chance of getting read. Consult with an entertainment attorney to draft an appropriate form, or consult a guide like Clearance and Copyright by Michael C. Donaldson, which has submission release form templates. Its also prudent to protect your work. We recommend registering your script with the WGA (Writers Guild of America, West) or the ProtectRite registration service.

A benefit of the digital age is that the same companies that are not open to receiving unsolicited submissions will gladly accept a query letter by email. Take advantage of this opportunity. Craft a well-written and dynamic query letter email that sells you and your script. We have included a sample query, and some tips and guidelines on how to write great query letters.

While Hollywood is a creative town it is, above all, professional. Do a service to yourself and the potential buyer by being courteous. If you choose to follow up by phone, dont be demanding and frustrated. These people are overworked and do not owe you anything. Its okay to follow up, but be sure to do so with respect. And if you pique a buyers interest and she asks for a treatment, you must be ready to send off this vital selling tool at once! Thats why weve also included a handy guide to writing treatments in this volume.

While it may oftentimes feel like the opposite, the Entertainment Industry is looking for new writers and fresh material. BUT (and this is important) theyre also looking for those aspiring scribes to take the time to workshop their scripts with an experienced professional and get them to a marketable level. The Writers Store can help you get ready for the big leagues through our slate of screenwriting courses, personalized coaching and Development Notes service, which works in a format that mirrors the same process occurring in the studio ranks.

Hollywood is the pinnacle of competition and ambition. But thats not to say that dreams cant happenthey can, and they do. By keeping to these professional guidelines and working on your craft daily, you can find the kind of screenwriting success you seek.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Jesse Douma
Editor