How to Sell Your Screenplay Even If You Don’t Have an Agent
Can it be done? Well, yes—but should you even try?
How to Sell a Script to Hollywood
If you’ve been in the screenwriting game for any length of time, you’ve probably heard that in order to sell a screenplay, you first need an agent.
If you don’t have an agent — and don’t know how to get one — you think, how can I sell my script without an agent? That’s what we’ll tackle today.
I’ll tell you right now that I have an answer for you, but more importantly, you’re asking the wrong question. (To see what the real question you should ask — and it’s answer — stick around til the end.)
In fact, most working screenwriters sell scripts on spec less often than the past and instead get paid for OWAs, which means “Open Writing Assignment.” That means they’re hired liked a freelancer to write an idea the production company already has.
Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash
Still, yes — you can actually sell a screenplay without an agent. It’s rare, but it does happen.
Example #1
For example, Mexican-American screenwriter Manfred López Grem’s spec script Mad Rush placed in the top 25 of the Tracking Board Launch Pad, and then one of the judges liked the script so much that they optioned and then bought the script!
Grem’s Amazing LinkedIn Profile
Example #2
Or take Ashley Scott Meyers. He sold his script Rushlights by sending a query letter in response to an ad in the trades. He says this about agents:
“Getting an agent isn’t the be-all-end-all in screenwriting. I’ve optioned dozens of scripts and sold a few and I’ve done so without the benefit of an agent on every single sale and option I’ve ever made.”
Still, the approaches that these guys used aren’t the norm, but they illustrate that when it comes to the business of screenwriting, you’re probably thinking about things totally backwards.
So, if you DO try to go this route — selling without an agent — then it’s even more important to have an entertainment lawyer look over your contract before you sign off.
Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash
The REAL Issue
Now, I said earlier that the deeper issue of selling a script is that by focusing on an agent, you’re asking the wrong question. What do I mean by that?
You’re focusing on an unrealistic short-term goal instead of an achievable long-term goal.
Screenwriting is a marathon, not a sprint. Folks like Grem and Meyers didn’t just write a script and turn around and sell it; they worked for years to perfect their craft and make connections before “suddenly” appearing on your radar.
Even if you do beat the odds and sell a script — with or without an agent — it ain’t like winning the lottery with the money you’ll make. You won’t sell one script and then retire — it just don’t work that way.
Ashley Scott Meyers says it this way: “If you don’t know how to get an agent you probably aren’t ready for one.”
So the question you should be asking yourself is this: How do I build a sustainable career in screenwriting? That’s what you should be focusing on.
If you want to learn my three keys to doing this — without having to move to LA first — then watch my Masterclass on how to launch your screenwriting career!
