On Marketing Multiple Scripts… Or Not

Welcome to “Ask the Coach.” As a writing coach, I answer questions from writers about making the work of writing happen, tackling craft, business, and personal questions along the way. (Have a question you’d like answered? Check the details at the end of the article about how to submit one.)

Today I’m responding to a writer about marketing their work:

Many screenwriters have questions about marketing, so it’s great you wrote to ask. There are a number of aspects to this question, so let’s address them one by one.

As you’re venturing into the industry marketplace, it’s important to be aware of the message you’re sending by attempting to pitch 44 screenplays at once.

While sometimes newer screenwriters think marketing a large volume of work is the best way to tackle breaking in, it primarily signals inexperience to industry professionals to approach them this way.

This is — in part — because the sheer number of screenplays suggests that you may be writing for quantity over quality. Since I’m not reviewing your scripts directly, I can only guess about this. Perhaps they are all wonderful. And, anyone being approached with such a large number of screenplays will likely assume you’ve written a significant number of first drafts without revising.

Since revising is an all-but-guaranteed-to-be-required and a critical process to refine and elevate your scripts, the implication that you’re not revising is disqualifying. 

And we don’t want you to disqualify yourself.

Again, since I’m not personally evaluating your work, this isn’t a judgement about its quality, but rather an assessment about the signal you’re sending by attempting to pitch so many scripts at once. It sends the wrong message and suggests your work is unlikely to be up to industry standards.

You’re also essentially asking industry professionals to wade through a huge number of screenplays, which is a significant burden of time and energy. And since their quality will be in doubt, the quantity becomes even more off-putting.

Steven Spielberg and CAA are at a high level in the industry. It’s important to set realistic expectations about who you’re approaching. The chances are vanishingly low that either Spielberg or CAA would accept a newer screenwriter’s work (and certainly not that many all at once). You’ll instead want to do the work to find industry professionals that are a good fit for you and where you are in your writing career.

Screenwriter Jeff Howard, in his courses, suggests approaching “baby producers” first. These are smaller producers who can help get projects they believe in to higher level producers. You’ll want to research these producers through IMDBPro.com to find those who have worked on projects similar to yours in terms of audience, genre, and budget.

Additionally, understand that if you’re attempting to market multiple scripts, it’s hard for anything to stand out.

Instead, market one script at a time, so it can shine in a query letter.

You’ll want a professional, simple, and direct query letter that positions your script as attractive to industry professionals and demonstrates that you can clearly convey both the story and what makes it marketable.

Instead of trying to market 44 screenplays, pick your very best script to market. Just one. Then, improve it.

Ensure you’re fully delivering on the concept you’ve set out to write.

If you read through the draft and find it falling short, fix it.

If you read through the draft and don’t see any issues yourself, send it out for feedback from trusted and objective sources. Evaluate the notes you receive back and make decisions about how best to revise the script.

Continue sending it out for feedback until you feel confident it’s the best it can be.

Then work on marketing that single script.

When you’re ready, move on to your next best script. And repeat.

Although it’s easy to feel like the best move is to get as much of your work out in the world as possible and all at once, a volume approach isn’t the way to go. Instead, work on elevating and marketing your best screenplays one by one. It’s okay to market the next one on the heels of the first, as long as you’ve improved and elevated each one before taking it out.

Thank you for reading, and happy writing.

Warmly,

Jenna

Screenwriters, what challenges do you run into that you'd love to see addressed in this column? Take our short survey here, submit your question to be answered anonymously via my online form here, or email me directly at askthecoach@calledtowrite.com. Look for answers to selected questions in my monthly “Ask the Coach” column on the third Thursday of the month.

Find me on Twitter @JennaAvery and Bluesky @jennaavery.bsky.social.