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You’ve finished your big “this will make your fortune” script and you start sending query letters to agents, producers, production companies, commissioning editors, all the biggest names you can find and…
Well, maybe they aren’t interested in reading, maybe they don’t even reply, or they send you a bland nothing of a letter with one of those boiler-plate excuses, like they’re too busy to take on more work.
What’s to do?
Well, one thing you need to do is make them interested in you.
Of course, that’s easy if you have a strong CV, but what if you have no credits, no track record, and aren’t the son of a Booker-prize-winning novelist?
You have to get clever.
What can you do to enhance your side of the equation? Nowadays there are many options, especially with the Internet. With Twitter, blogs and social media many writers are establishing strong credentials for themselves, and a ready-made audience.
Blogs are particularly good for this.If you have an expertise that is close to the subject of your script (a deep knowledge of (say) Taiwanese crime, pedigree terrier breeding, Iyengar Yoga or 17th century Japanese porcelain) then start a blog. Or a Facebook page. It proves you can write for an audience. Some blogs have become so popular that they’ve been sold as books, films and TV dramas in their own right.
Competitions can also be excellent ways of establishing yourself. Everyone loves a winner. It adds enormously to your approach if you can say that you have been shortlisted for an award, or even won.
Check what you sign up for – some will ask you to pass some or all of your rights over to the competition owner which is absolutely to be avoided (with Euroscript competitions you always get to keep all your rights). And ensure they are professional and are offering something concrete (rather than a vague offer to “consider” your script for production).
There are many different competitions out there and a number of websites that will update you with the latest deadlines. We highlight some of the best on our website from time to time, and we offer a competition ourselves.
Once a year at Euroscript we run the prestigious Screen Story Competition, which awards the winners with up to £1,000 worth of development help to ensure that you can make sure that script is the best you can possibly deliver. You keep all the rights and every entry receives a 2-3 page bullet point report on the submitted treatment.
DEADLINE: 31st March
If you’re interested click here – and start getting seen.
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