By Michael Elliot

Twenty-five years ago, I was a homeless high school dropout, surviving on the streets of Philadelphia.  With a heavy dose of resilience, determination and a gift of resourcefulness, I became an entrepreneur and entertainment exec, experiencing success in the worlds of music, publishing, television, and radio.  But after walking away from a well-paying day-job, I got the crazy idea to be in the movie business.   

I was almost 30 years old, with limited savings.  I had no real ‘industry’ connections.  Still, I packed a suitcase and purchased a one-way ticket to Hollywood.  I was going to be a screenwriter.  But after living in Los Angeles for 18 months, and writing three screenplays that went nowhere, I was broke and desperate.  With less than 500 bucks left to my name, I needed to get my latest script read, and quickly.  And I needed a producer or studio to buy it, and fast.  It was time to beat the odds. 

Breaking & Entering.

My first move was due diligence.  I researched a number of film production companies that my script might appeal to, and then analyzed their staffs.  Why?  Because sending my script to busy development execs would have been futile.  I didn’t know much about the business, but I knew that successful development execs are besieged with scripts from writers who have representation and produced credits.  I had neither. The odds of these development execs even opening my envelope to read my script were a million-to-one.  So I mapped out a different strategy, a new and unconventional approach to getting access. I’d send my script to the people at the company whose only value might be that they have a job there; that they were on the inside. Many of the people working at these companies, for very little pay, are there because of their passion for movie making and/or they’re ambitious.  They might want an office one day, maybe a VP title.  They might want to produce, and/or see their names on a movie poster.  I figured that these were the people who read 50 scripts a week.  These were the people who didn’t get calls from CAA, ICM and William Morris agency.  These were the people whose career aspirations hinged on finding a diamond in the rough; finding a great script that no one else could.  I wanted that script to be mine.   

So, after identifying these people, I created a list of individuals who I referred to as ‘the insiders’ – mostly underdogs at over 200 companies. I knew that most of these companies didn’t accept unsolicited submissions, but I didn’t care.  I had nothing to lose.  Worse case scenario: they’d ignore my submission.  Best case: one of these ‘insiders’ – hungry to find the script that could change their career – might disregard company protocol to read my script.  And if one of these ‘insiders’ loved it, they could easily concoct a story for their boss about how they happened to come across it.  Improbable?  Maybe.  But hey, anything is possible.   

Next, I needed a crafty method of pitching my screenplay to people at companies whose submission policies prevented them from considering material from unrepresented writers.  Once I determined the perfect unconventional submission strategy, I sent out a mass cleverly designed query to about 250 of these ‘insiders’.  And then the most improbable thing happened:  the very next morning my phone began to ring as about 20 of these ‘insiders’ called to request my script.  Some were ready to immediately fax over a legal document requiring my signature that essentially protected the company from being accused of, or sued for, stealing my idea.  I quickly realized that if production companies are interested enough in an unrepresented writer’s query, their “no unsolicited material” policies can become extremely flexible.  The key is to get them interested enough to request your script, and of course, to get them to read your query – even if they didn’t intend to (more on that later). 

Access Granted.

One of these ‘insiders’ read my script within 2 hours of receiving it.  Unheard of, I know.  But true.  Impressed, this ‘insider’ knocked on the office door of the company’s VP and urged her to read it too.  This ‘insider’ was so passionate, so excited about the script he had just read that the VP held her calls until she could see what all the fuss was about.  By 7 pm later that same day, I was having coffee with this ‘insider’ and the VP.  They told me of their deal with 20th Century Fox and of their plan to submit my script to the studio for acquisition.  I was closer than I’d ever been to my dream being realized, and it was all because I had strategically queried the hungriest person at the company, and because I didn’t let the company’s “no unsolicited submissions” policy deter me from querying them anyway.   

Exactly seven days later, I sold my first screenplay (that ironically was named “Seven Days”) to 20th Century Fox for $250,000.  I went from facing eviction and a return trip to Philly, to seeing my name in The Hollywood Reporter, getting an agent, the largest check I’d ever seen with my name on it, an embarking on my dream career.  

The Power of One.

I sincerely believe that my unconventional approach to getting read and discovered could work for other writers.  We all face the same kind of obstacles.  We all just a want fair shot at being read.  And all we need is one person to believe in us, one person to open the door, one person to push us through to the people in a position to change our lives, and our dreams can come true.  I created the Writers Little Black Book to help aspiring working writers find that one person who can help change their lives and careers.   

The Invisibles.

The Writers Little Black Book is an online directory of over 1,200 film production companies, over 300 agencies and over 300 management companies.  But what’s unique about the Writers Little Black Book are its unconventional contacts.  I personally analyzed the staffs of each company in the database, and identified the one person at each company that I – if I were in your shoes, with no representation, and no ‘industry’ connections – would address my (cleverly constructed) query to.   

Many of the suggested contacts in the Writers Little Black Book are ‘invisible’, they’re company underdogs (readers, story editors, assistants, receptionists, even interns).  And as such, you may not find their names in the ‘other’ conventional directories.  But these individuals – no matter how lowly they may appear to be – are on the inside.  And if they’re on the inside, they’re closer than you are to people in position to buy your screenplay.  Many of these contacts work at companies that – as a policy – aren’t supposed to acceptunsolicited submissions.  But if you think like I did, you’ll query them anyway.  After all, it only takes one recipient to discreetly read your query and request your screenplay, to change your life.  The upside of selling your screenplay is just too great to not explore every possibility, no matter how remote.  To help you pitch your screenplay to the directory’s suggested contacts, the actual cleverly designed query that successfully pitched my screenplay to companies who didn’t accept unsolicited submissions, is included in the Writers Little Black Book database (it’s accessible to members/subscribers). 

A 12-month subscription to WritersLittleBlackBook.com will cost you about $4 a month for the year, and includes access to my Covert Submission Tactics. 

The Coffee Maker: A Success Story.

The unconventional strategy that the Writers Little Black Book is founded upon – the idea of generating the interest of a film producer, agent or manager through a company ‘insider’ or one of the company’s ‘invisibles’ isn’t unique to my success.  There are many accomplished screenwriters who attribute their big breaks to the efforts of unlikely company ‘insiders’.  One of these writers is Don D. Scott.  Don wrote the films “Barbershop” and “Barbershop 2” for MGM – both starred Ice Cube, and generated combined box office revenues of $142 million.  Don has also done production polishing on films like “Charlie’s Angels”.  And none of this would have happened if not for the unconventional strategy that inspired the Writers Little Black Book. 

Click here to hear Don’s inspiring story.