KinoGo

So, you’re most likely thinking; wait a minute, you jumped from an introductory post on how to write a script to how to sell your script?  What about all the stuff in between?!?  There’s not really going to be any grand structure to how I post these, I’m basically just going to post whatever comes to mind at the time.  And seeing as the ink just dried on my first script purchase, I figure I’d walk through the past years on what I did to get there.

1.)  Query Letters - The letter that sums up everything you want to say about your script in about a page.  It has the logline, synopsis, and anything else you can fit into a medium-sized paragraph.  This is your shot to get the production company interested in, at the very least, handing your script to an intern to read.  That’s right, you spent all this time working on a script, and it’s being put in the hands of an entry-level college grad who’s going to decide your future.  Let’s just hope that college grad’s favorite movie isn’t “Epic Movie”.

(Note: I intern as a script reader)

2.) Competitions - One thing that will really helps your query letter is entering your script in competitions….and winning!  I’m telling ya, being able to put that my last script was the “Semi-Finalist” in a competition was probably the reason it was read as much as it was.  Competitions, especially for screenplays, can be very expensive though, so choose wisely.

3.) An agent - Good luck.

4.) Simplyscripts.com - I know I’ve said it before (and I know I’m going to in the future), but Simplyscripts.com is an amazing site.  It is hands-down the reason why I was able to sell my script.  Because I was an active member on their forums, reading and reviewing scripts, my script was able to rise to the top of the Comedy section, keeping it constantly in the public’s eye.

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This is basically the method I used.  It’s kind of a lather, rinse, repeat method as you go through drafts.  Basically, never give up.   I’d been working on “Based on a True Story” for 6 years before I got a serious bite.

Good luck.

—Matthew Dressel