I’ve Written the Next Oscar-Winning Movie — How Do I Go About Selling My Screenplay?

Selling a screenplay may seem like a daunting task to you if you’re like most screenwriters. In fact, applying yourself in this part is harder for most screenwriters than even writing the 110 pages of the screenplay itself. The process of selling a screenplay can be a difficult road to get started on, and even once you get your foot in the door, it’s still not all fun and games because you have to follow up and also have patience.

The most important part of trying to sell a screenplay is to learn how to pitch it. Hollywood executives are bombarded by scripts and ideas on a daily basis. If you’re one of the few who are fortunate enough to get their attention, you will only have it for a sentence or two. If they’re not hooked by then, they will simply let the rest of what you say go in one ear and out the other. Simply put, they don’t have time to listen to everyone who thinks they have a good story to tell. So practice your pitch and make sure the first couple of sentences are memorable.

A query letter is another necessity to selling a screenplay, although it does require a bit of effort to write. These letters are a great way of reaching producers and agents while they’re in the comfort of their office. Again, it’s important to hook them right from the start.

Does selling a screenplay still seem like too monumental a task? There are agencies, such as Smart Girls Productions, who help up-and-coming screenwriters with all of the daunting tasks associated with selling a screenplay. Many screenwriters prefer to let someone with experience in this area of screenwriting handle this challenging task. Selling a screenplay — at least getting your screenplay read — really doesn’t have to be so complicated, it’s simply a matter of pitching, hooking the reader, and having the courage to handle rejection. And then you have to stay at it for as long as it takes.

As always, with one warning. Before you take any action toward selling your screenplay, it is critical that you make your script is ready to be marketed and sold to Hollywood. Otherwise, you could blow the chance you worked so hard to get!

Welcome to Hollywood!