How To: Sell a screenplay

Attention aspiring screenwriters! In this tutorial, learn how to sell that script. You may have written the next Hollywood blockbuster – but unless you can finance the film yourself, you'll need to sell the screenplay to a producer who can make it come to life.

You Will Need:
• An original screenplay
• A copy of the latest Hollywood Creative Directory
• Script-writing software (optional)

Step 1: Finish an entire script
Write and revise an entire script. Unless you already have a reputation, you won't be able to sell a treatment, a synopsis, or anything else but a full, complete script. In the industry, this is known as a "spec" script.

Step 2: Register your script
Register your screenplay with the Writers Guild of America. Got to wga.org to find out about the registration process and how it can protect you.

Step 3: Come up with The Sentence
Distill the plot of the screenplay down into one sentence, known as the "logline." Whenever you meet anyone who might be interested or might know someone who is interested in your screenplay, you can tell them the story without wasting their time with 15 minutes of explanation.

Step 4: Research potential markets
Generate a list of potential markets by identifying the production companies that make films similar to yours. Reference books and typing production companies' names into a search engine can help you locate mailing addresses and the right contact names.

Step 5: Send out letters
Send query letters to production companies, and to agents listed in the Hollywood Creative Directory. Your query should be no longer than a page, and should include a one-line summary of your screenplay, a synopsis, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for their reply.

Step 6: Sell
If an agent likes what they see, they'll take over the job of selling your screenplay, and they'll take a commission of your earnings if a production company buys your work. Or even better, a production company mig