How to Get a Manager for Screenwriting
Teaming up with good representation is a very helpful career move for a screenwriter. A literary agent represents writers in order to help facilitate meetings, sales, hirings, and contracts. A manager is there to help develop a career, hone your craft, and even provide feedback on drafts. A manager can be extremely helpful for the emerging screenwriter to break in, so let’s talk about how to sign with one.
PREPARE
A manager takes a percentage of their clients’ wages; in other words, they don’t get paid unless you do, so it is your job to become as marketable as possible, both as a writer and as an individual.
Your writing samples need to be excellent, both conceptually and in execution. The competition is extremely fierce in the industry today, so a logline needs to be attention-grabbing and the screenplay needs to be fantastic. You can get by with a great writing sample that isn’t marketable; maybe you wrote a spec script of an existing show to submit in a fellowship application; chances are slim to none that you’ll ever sell that script, but if it is unique, memorable, superbly written, and showcasing your voice then it could be the script that grabs the right person’s attention. That said, if you don’t have original pilots or features among your writing samples, then chances are a manager will wonder if you can execute new concepts.
But it isn’t just your writing samples that need to shine: what makes you hirable? “I’m personally interested in people I can build a business around,” shared Talent/Literary Manager Ashely Calloway for WeScreenplay. Managers want to see passion, drive, and business-minded individuals.
Clean up your resume, study the industry, know what you bring to the table, and work on your elevator pitch for yourself and your samples. Make it easy for someone to connect with you.
RESEARCH
It won’t do you or your career any good to sign with just any manager - you want to find a connection that will be mutually beneficial. Time to do some research. Who has successfully worked with writers at your level and helped them launch their careers? Who works with writers in your genre? They’ll have the connections you may need. Or who is oversaturated in your genre? They might not have the time to focus on you as their other clients will already be bringing in money. Are there managers that you have personal connections to? They are great to reach out to either to see if they are interested in representing you or to give you feedback or referrals. Start with a list of 5-15 names for people you genuinely think would be a good fit.
ASK FOR REFERRALS
A personal referral is the best way to meet and sign with reps. It means connecting directly with a manager, rather than hoping your submission stands out among the dozens if not hundreds of others. If you know someone who is repped by a manager you think you’d be a good fit for, reach out to them and ask what their relationship is like and if they’d be willing to refer you.
Be prepared for your contact to politely decline your request - there are many reasons someone may not feel comfortable giving a referral. You could always follow up by asking if they have any advice for you going forward with your search.
SEND YOUR QUERIES
Whether you submit via a manager’s website or get a personal referral, you will need to be prepared with your query letter. Keep it simple, personalized, and sharp. Include a personalized introduction (don’t just BCC twenty reps and address it “to whom it may concern”) - tell them why you are reaching out to them. Let them know a thing or two about you, including previous work or recent accolades. Provide 1-2 relevant loglines but do not attach your screenplay unless directed to - that is a legal issue and many will delete your missive unread if there is an attachment.
SUBMIT TO COMPETITIONS
There are many screenwriting labs and competitions that include meetings with talent managers as prizes for finalists and winners. Competitions can also be an opportunity to see how your writing compares to others on the market. If you’ve won a competition or you have been invited to take part in a writers lab or fellowship, politely ask the leaders of the program or even the judges about gaining representation or potentially working together in the future.
CREATE A PROOF OF CONCEPT
It can be challenging to get strangers to read your screenplay. Most industry professionals are inundated with scripts to read. They might have time to watch a sizzle reel, a trailer, or a proof of concept short film, especially if they are excellent. You could even produce your screenplay or a portion of it as an audio narrative and send the link along for someone to listen to in the car. If you have something undeniable, the work will speak for itself, but a quick and easy introduction to it will help cut through the noise.
CONCLUSION
There is no one way to get reps, so the best thing you can do is work on your craft, get savvy about the business, do your research to create your own opportunities, and be ready when the moment is right.