Nate FedermanYou’ve written a great script (or ten) and you finally land representation. Congrats! But now what? Do they just like get you work? Not exactly. So this week’s #Scriptsky #Screenwriting thread is on what to do after you get an agent and/or manager. Spoiler: the same stuff you did beforehand.
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I’ve been with the same agency for 18 years. They’ve set up lots of meetings for me and helped me get jobs there’s no way I would’ve gotten otherwise. Having great reps makes a huge difference, but there are limited jobs and your reps have lots of clients, so they can’t put you up for everything.
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If a show is hiring, they want to find the best writers available while reading as few writers as possible. Reading writers takes time and execs/showrunners have limited time. So reps can’t put all their writers up for every show. They prioritize certain clients for certain opportunities.
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So if you want to get work, you need to assist and advocate for yourself. Ask your reps for any and all pilot scripts that will be hiring if they get a pick-up. Then, in an excel file, list the pilot, your thoughts on it, if/why you’d be a good fit, and any connections with the folks doing it.
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After updating this Excel file, send it to your reps. Tell them exactly which shows/projects you would kill to work on. It can’t be all of them. But if you’re passionate about a few and/or have strong connections, your reps will be much more likely to put you up for it. Advocate for yourself!
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This goes for generals and open writing assignments too. If you want to be put up for OWA or go on lots of generals, tell your reps where and what you’re interested in. If your agent is juggling 40 other clients, your needs might fall through the cracks unless you communicate with them. Speak up!
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This doesn’t mean issue a bunch of demands and scream at them for not doing their jobs better (although that might occasionally be necessary). Rather, this is a partnership. And you need to be a good partner. That means ask them how you can help them help you. Many writers never do this!
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You should also ask your reps to get feedback after you have a meeting/pitch. My agent used to always tell me I was too humble and needed to sell myself better. That didn’t mean being braggadocious, but I didn’t have to be so self-deprecating. Take 1 person’s feedback with a grain of salt, but…
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If your agent tells you they heard the same thing about you/your pitch from several places, make adjustments. At my first few generals, I was too shy. My agent told me to come up with a list of my best anecdotes and figure out ways to tell them during generals. I did and my meetings went better.
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But here’s the real key to getting work AFTER you have reps. Get it for yourself. Many writers mistakenly assume the point of getting reps is so they will get you work. Wrong! Sometimes they do, but you are your own best advocate. Your relationships will get you more work than your agent if…
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You build and maintain relationships. The people you meet and like when you’re trying to get reps are the same people you should be talking to after you have reps. Don’t make it transactional. Help each other out and you’ll all move up in the world together. Just friends helping friends!
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On my third show, I shared an office with a writer named, Mike Yank. Amazing writer, amazing guy, unfortunate last name. At the end of the season, Mike left to take another job. When his boss was looking to hire, he pushed for me and helped me get the job. Same thing happened a few years later.
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My agents had very little to do with me getting either of those jobs. I got them because of my ongoing relationship with Mike and because he knew I was looking for work and would be a good fit. I’ve gotten probably 1/3 of my jobs without my agents initially submitting me. Relationships matter!
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Which is why it’s incumbent on you to foster those relationships. A few weeks ago, I ran into an exec I hadn’t talked to in a decade. I suggested we grab a coffee and catch up. He was game and we had a great chat. It wasn’t business, but it ended with him saying he’ll put me up for some OWAs.
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People want to work with people they know they want to work with. If an agent says, “Nate’s great; you’ll love him!” that means a helluva lot less than someone who actually knows me and likes me. So before/after you get reps, build and maintain relationships and advocate for yourself!!!
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