Script Writing 101: Selling a Screenplay in the 21st Century: ScriptBully Book Series

ScriptBully Books #5

by Michael Rogan

Want to sell a screenplay, but figure there’s no chance it’ll ever happen?I mean, you don’t know a soul in Hollywood, right?You don’t have James Cameron on your speed dial. Christopher Nolan isn’t in your yoga class.Quentin Tarantino doesn’t shop at the same Whole Foods that you do.I mean, who’s going to take a chance on you?There’s no way you could ever sell a screenplay.Right?Well…The truth there has never been a better time to get your screenplay read, noticed and ultimately sold. Never. Ever. I could tell you it's because of the power of social media to make connections with decision-makers like never before before. Or the fact that the line between content creator and distributor is as thin as a Russian supermodel's waist line.Or that it's about the systematic collapse of the traditional publishing industry that has redefined what a “published' property is, making any self-published novel, ebook or blog fertile ground for starting a bidding war.But, really, I think it's that nobody in this business knows what the hell “media” is going to look like in the future.Are we going to even go to movie theaters in five years? Ten years? Next week?Will action movies need to be shot, not just for 3-D, but also for being played on a cell phone?Will there even be a window between the time a movie is released theatrically before it arrives on your TV/DVR/Blu-Ray Player/Robot Maid?Nobody knows.And that scares the hell out of everybody who works in this town.But fear is good for the screenwriter. It means the gatekeepers don’t’ know where the gates are.

So if you’ve got a script you think that kicks some major butt, and you’re looking for a way to crash the film industry and, hopefully, quit that crappy day job you’ve been slaving at, then give my book a try.I can’t promise you’ll sell your script. (The FCC tends to throw people in jail who do that.)But I can tell you these are sound strategies to help you approach producers, directors, actors and production companies in a professional and unique way that will make you stand out.And if we can get your script as good as I think it can be then you might have the makings of a seriously awesome writing career in front of you.Good luck with your writing!

Genres: Writing

Audible Audio

First published May 15, 2012

Reviews

[Alyxandrya Prynce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This book was quite insightful. Some of the things I knew, other things I didn't! A quick read with a lot of helpful tips and tricks most screenwriters need but don't yet know it. Thank you for writing this! Not all heroes wear capes. :-)

[Laura Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having now read most of Rogan's ScriptBully advice books, I definitely think this one's his best. Even if you don't need help creating convincing characters, writing rockstar dialogue, or simply formatting your script, you probably still don't know what the heck you should be doing to get your script sold.

For just $2.99, this book packs in a lot of excellent tips. (Example: Sign up for the 2 week free trial of IMDb Pro and make a list of the contact info for every director, producer, actor, etc. that fits into your genre so you can stop wasting time on message boards in search of this info.) It's also got great advice for those of us who don't happen to live in Hollywood, but don't want to come off as "outsiders," as well as some best practices for social media usage. While I've been reading about Twitter etiquette for a while now, I had never really thought about applying the 80/20 principle to the number of fun vs. self-promotional tweets I put out there, but it makes complete sense.

Even if you're not planning on writing and selling a brilliant script, this book contains some great networking advice that can benefit anyone eventually looking to sell their latest novel, CD or widget. If there's one thing that's too important to screw up, it's networking. Rogan offers great advice for both the shy and the self-involved to bring more to the table than "Buy my script!", as well as a helpful dialogue to try out on industry gatekeepers.

Best money I've spent this week!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Wow!

Straightforward. Insightful. Inspirational. Hilarious. Packed full of amazing tips. Timely. Just Wow! A must-have for aspiring screenwriters. Go buy it!

[Ruth Lorenzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book!

I think this book was super helpful. I'm glad this guy wrote it. Anyone interested in the film industry should read it.