Screenplay News

I registered my screenplay, DEMON, with the WGA, and sent it out on the query trail. I promised I would report back if I received any feedback, or noticed anything out of the ordinary about screenplay submissions. One of the posts on the ISA claimed to have a five picture deal, and needed one more screenplay. The supposed owner of this company in LA wanted submissions with Logline, Short Synopsis, and a PDF copy of the WGA registered screenplay. The description matched HARD CASE, so I sent it in. I received an e-mail back that started out promisingly enough. They liked my Logline, but then things got goofy. The rest of the e-mail read like one of those Nigerian Princess or Bank of Africa phishing scam e-mails. They were looking to add to their Board of Directors, and blah, blah, blah… ending with a vague request I send them a letter by courier, and then they’d get in contact with me (they already had every contact number and e-mail address I have).

Yes, I know. The first impulse is to do exactly what they say no matter how illogical. However, the bloom has been off the rose for me since sending out my first queries and manuscripts by snail mail in the seventies. I answered politely by e-mail with a reiteration of entertaining any legitimate offer for the screenplay or to write any type of screenplay they would be interested in making a deal on. I also did some research on the company. They claimed in the e-mail they were brand new and therefore had made zero mistakes. It reminded me of the tone of an e-mail I received from Princess Shamira. Anyway, there is no background to research, or any info on the supposed owner. I did note that I should try looking up the posters on these ISA bulletin boards before I submit, rather than after I receive an e-mail from Princess Shamira Con.  :)

I did receive what looks like a legitimate response from a director who was in a few databases. He promises to read the synopsis on my Sell Sheet, but would only contact me if interested, because of being bombarded with submissions. The form letter did have a casual tone to it, and even wished me a ‘great Christmas’ which I thought was very nice. I did find out from a few other notifications acknowledging my submissions, that as in the literary publishing world, we dupe writers will just have to assume after a couple months if they don’t contact us they’re not interested. Same old, same old.

That’s the report from deep in the new and exciting world of screenplay writing. I am nearing the 20,000 word plateau in my new killer novel, and started my third screenplay which will continue on as a sequel to DEMON. Be careful out there, my writing friends.  :)