Member-only story
How To Make Money as a Screenwriter (Without an Agent)
Welcome back, citizens of Stage 32! For those who don’t know me, I’m an award-winning writer, director, and producer who has written more than 50 screenplays and sold or optioned somewhere around 10. My day job right now is as a script doctor and ghostwriter, I’m developing a sci-fi heist movie called Quantum Theory (which I already have a composer for, but thanks guys!), I’ve been a development executive for 15 years, and I’ve been in showbusiness since before my mom stopped picking out my clothes. When I handed last month’s blog in to Stage 32’s blog editor Taylor C. Baker for publication, she asked if I wouldn’t mind writing an article on how I’ve built a sustainable screenwriting career without the help of an agent or manager.
In fairness, I’ve had two managers over the years. Both of them were cases where a colleague wanted to build a reputation as a power player in Hollywood, where I signed on, and where life proceeded to get in the way. While I never made money or built any long-term relationships through the efforts of my managers, I have created billable income for them and I’ve supported their other clients. While these relationships never bore the kind of fruit that my representation was hoping for, my approach to them is precisely what drives my success.
