Douma Jesse (editor) - Hollywood Screenwriting Directory Spring/Summer: A Specialized Resource for Discovering Where & How to Sell Your Screenplay

Dear Fellow Screenwriter,

Thank you for purchasing the Hollywood Screenwriting Directory. Whether this is your first volume or your eighth, youll find that this Spring/Summer edition has the most comprehensive Industry contact information and submission guidelines you can find. Thats because we thoroughly check each entry to ensure that its always the most accurate information available. The updates youll find include new contact info, along with updated Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn details, and changes to submission policies.

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, from ambitious upstarts to established studio Execs, along with management companies who package production deals. 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.

The Screenwriting Directory is also online as an active marketplace that allows you to post your project for consideration in an area accessible only to verified Industry Execs looking for new writers and fresh material. Visit screenwritingdirectory.com/c/HSD8TZ5 now for a free Silver subscription.

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.

The first thing these A-listers see is your query letter. This is your one shot to impress an agent or exec enough to request a read of your script. So its essential that this all-important doc is perfect before you send it out. We recommend using our top-rated ScriptXpert Query Critique service to ensure its ready for the big leagues. For just $39, you receive a high-level review of your query, offering up helpful advice and pointing out reasons that an agent or buyer may stop reading your letter. We also offer detailed Screenplay Coverage and Development Notes, in which our professional readers and coaches will help you take your work to the saleable level.

We also 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. 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.

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 more, 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.

Speaking of success, wed love to hear all about your achievements. Be sure to contact us at 800.272.8927 or via our website to tell us about your Hollywood experiences.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Jesse Douma
Editor