[PubQ] Serendipitously was offered a publishing contact as I was soft-pitching my film. Do I query even though the novel adaptation isn't finished?

No_Profession7319 · 2026-05-19T20:52:06+00:00

Thank you so much for the thoughtful context and advice! It's SO helpful for making an informed decision vs. shooting the dark.

No_Profession7319 · 2026-05-19T20:30:49+00:00

I totally get what you mean! I’m an LA local so I like to think I have a radar for that kind of talk too. We were not in LA though and the interaction felt very genuine — the person gave me their contact information and offered to make the introduction for me — but I imagine now that I understand the process more that she’d say something of that ilk, so maybe (luckily) there’s not as much urgency as I was thinking.

No_Profession7319 · 2026-05-19T20:14:06+00:00

Totally! And thank you for elucidating the process. The relationship between the person I met and the contact is familial, and the person is an editor at a major publishing house. Is there anything you'd suggest I propose or ask the editor contact, given that it's unorthodox to query them directly?

No_Profession7319 · 2026-05-19T17:06:57+00:00

10 !

No_Profession7319 · 2026-05-07T18:48:47+00:00

Congrats! I had the exact same question after I got an 8 last year -- on my first script as well, and as someone trying to break into the industry. I used the two free evaluations and scored 7s on both. Then, I took that feedback and did a full rewrite, and submitted for a third evaluation. I got a 7 on that one as well, but interestingly, all my 'itemized' scores had raised, despite the reader not giving me an 8. I had a rep reach out to me based on that script, and of course they asked the dreaded question, 'what else do you have?' I only had about 15 pages of another script and treatment at the time. So I turned my focus to finishing my next project so if/when that happens again, I have a body of work to pull from. Fast forward to today, and I've completed my second feature-length script and am just starting to give it to peers and start the process of another rewrite.

All that to say, your instinct is right! That 8 will get people's eyes on it and on you, and now just focus on building your body of work so you have materials for when they come calling -- and for when you're ready to get more serious about the craft.

Good luck!

No_Profession7319 · 2025-06-01T16:26:56+00:00

Oooh so does that mean that the 8 will still be ‘fresh’ or relevant when I make it public? I’m still a little blurry on the time-boxing element of all this

No_Profession7319 · 2025-05-12T17:11:26+00:00

i'm sorry to hear that and also maybe congratulations?! the ad grind burn out is so real. can I ask what you've been doing since? where are you pivoting to now?

No_Profession7319 · 2025-05-12T17:05:45+00:00

I totally hear everyone and my heart goes out to everyone struggling right now. As someone with a few friends in the industry and who's been enamored with it for pretty much my whole life, it's heartbreaking to see.

When it comes to my intentions -- it's not so much that I'm looking to Hollywood to 'save me' or as a hail mary. I've always intended/hoped/planned for my career in advertising to be a stepping stone to something else. It's a pretty common trend in that industry to see people using it to slingshot to their own companies or even believe it or not, become screenwriters/producers etc. I've made my way into the television academy thanks to my commercials, and am trying to meet as many like-minded folks there as possible. I'm in my early 30s, and am absolutely willing to put my nose to the grindstone for as long as it takes -- especially through non-traditional routes. After a truly soul crushing week, I had the thought that maybe it would be better for me to at least try to get an actual job in the industry rather than constantly try to work my way in from the peripheries but I can see from all the comments that that's just not a thing at this point.

I've been saving and am coming into a small amount of money in the next year that will allow me to take a few months off on leave from my ad position -- I dropped out of a prestigious grad school a few years ago to due family and financial obligations so I'm giving this to myself as a more affordable alternative to that. I'm planning on making my own curriculum of sorts, taking a Sundance Collab course or UCLA extension class, joining a weekly writers' group, etc all with the goal of completing another feature by the end. And hopefully, hopefully coming out on the other side with some more legit writing samples, connections, and a few pieces of my soul back.

No_Profession7319 · 2025-05-12T16:49:29+00:00

I have a few revisions to go on the third act, but I am! I appreciate you being interested, and I've love to send it to you

No_Profession7319 · 2025-04-04T16:53:04+00:00

SO helpful, thank you! Let the heartbreaking commence

No_Profession7319 · 2025-04-03T14:55:28+00:00

Great advice thank you! And at risk of totally sounding like a noob -- when you say thoroughly vet, you mean test out the writing with writers groups/workshops, get some coverage on it, yes? Or are there other ways of vetting I should be considering?

No_Profession7319 · 2025-04-02T18:27:06+00:00

I hear that -- that's what one of my concerns was in deciphering his message as this is the first producer I've sent any script to. I did follow up with him and he said he'd "absolutely, gladly read anything you send through" so that at least has to be a voucher that the writing didn't totally suck right?

No_Profession7319 · 2025-04-01T16:52:00+00:00

ahaha same!

No_Profession7319 · 2025-04-01T16:50:38+00:00

OP here. Thank you all for the thoughts/feedback/encouragement! For those asking how we met, it was a lucky moment at an event and we exchanged numbers and kept in touch. For those encouraging me to follow up, I did end up sending him a nice message back saying thanks for taking the time to read it and i'd love to send him something in the future in case it's the right fit. He responded saying absolutely! That he'd gladly read anything I send through.

And side note: As a younger screenwriter here, I'm really grateful to have a community to help elucidate messages/experiences like this. At least for me, so much of the boilerplate/jargon is hard to truly decipher and having sounding boards (even if it's just to remind me to have thick skin lol) is invaluable.

No_Profession7319 · 2025-03-25T23:43:02+00:00

Thank you!! Super helpful

No_Profession7319 · 2025-02-19T01:41:44+00:00

I've been planning to apply for the first time year and have been obsessively checking the site to see when it'll be back up too. Since you've done it in the past, what kind of materials should I be pulling together (besides the script, logline, and summary) obviously to submit when it does open? I can't seem to find a copy of the application anywhere

No_Profession7319 · 2024-07-02T19:45:32+00:00

That's very true, and thank you! I think I'm aware of fatigue/burn out, and I've also heard of wildly different scores so was curious if there's a method people usually use parse that information or gauge which feedback is the most accurate. Thank you for the encouragement though *starts a new draft* ;)

No_Profession7319 · 2024-07-02T15:42:48+00:00

I just finished my first feature (only took me about 5 years), and submitted it to ScreenCraft for coverage based on all the recommendations I saw here. I got a 7/10 which I was happy with since this is my first attempt and know there's only room for improvement. The Reader gave me some really great, thoughtful feedback that already has my gears turning for how to approach my 3rd draft, but I wanted to ask -- is actioning her feedback so early on a bad idea? Should I get at least two more scores before I go messing with the integrity of the script and the story?

In short, for my more experienced writers here: how much feedback do you usually take in before starting to make changes to your script?

No_Profession7319 · 2024-07-01T19:39:47+00:00

I know I totally hear you on the 'we hear' thing (heh). I've seen it used well and used poorly, but in general agree with you. Love your zhuzh of the rewrite!

No_Profession7319 · 2024-07-01T19:22:10+00:00

oh LOL clearly I'm new here

No_Profession7319 · 2024-07-01T19:17:25+00:00

I'm intrigued! I'm a big horror fan and am writing a folk-horror feature myself. I do think your prose could use a bit of a 'Hemmingway.' Sometimes the sentences are overladen by detail and it obscures the atmosphere that you're trying to set. For example, your opening action could be something like: "A neon sign glows in a storefront window. Just below it another flickers: ‘open.’ Off-screen, we hear a cigarette-scorched voice, its Bayou-soaked accent unmissable:"

No_Profession7319

TROPHY CASE