As screenwriters, you all want to be paid for your craft and earn a comfortable living from your chosen career. As entrepreneurs, it’s important for you to specify your place in the market place. You need to wear both a creative and a business hat. Here are some things to think about beyond the screenwriting craft:

1) Know Your Lane

Screenwriting (and any artistic endeavor for that matter) is a creative and business enterprise. Firstly, you need to know your brand. Understand and define how you want to be perceived in the marketplace. Oftentimes this is the genre you prefer such as the gritty, character drama writer, but now it is expanding into other formats (such as YouTuber or Podcaster). When you’re starting out, it is better to have a narrower lane so you’re easier to remember and you have a focal point for your writing. There is a benefit in a restaurant being known for its signature dish rather than a decent menu. (Few restaurants have a signature menu). As you progress in your career, you can become more of a generalist or switch lanes.

2) Competition

Competition has a nuanced meaning in the writing world. In a traditional marketplace, competition indicates a product or service that is better, cheaper, or more efficient than others doing a similar thing.

Competition among screenwriters is more subjective. Does the “better” screenwriter always get the job? Typically, competition among screenwriters comes down to personal taste. If a producer is seeking a comedy writer, they will choose the one they like best and fits their resources. There are few objective measures here because there are no guarantees of how the film will perform in the marketplace. Similarly, multiple writers are often asked to pitch their takes on a specific project to producers.

Competition among screenwriters ultimately comes down to your work. Tangible factors like meeting deadlines and being easy to work with certainly come into play, but it’s your uniqueness and voice that separates you from other screenwriters. Paradoxically, there is no real competition among screenwriters because only YOU can write YOU.

3) Find Your Tribe

This is more than a matter of finding other writers who get you and your sensibilities. These people are important because they can help to elevate your screenplay into its best shape.

Seek out technicians, cinematographers, directors, producers, and financiers who can help progress your project. They may come from the unlikeliest of places. Attend those mixers and professional networking events. Be visible so the industry knows you’re still a screenwriter and what you’re working on.

Finding your tribe means you must contribute too. Ask people if they’re looking for something on their current projects. You can’t always be the one asking for things. Replace what you take in a group dynamic.

Photo by Martin Mekerman

Don’t isolate yourself. You are part of a community so don’t deny yourself its riches. Every successful screenwriter has a team behind them to stimulate their creativity.

4) Negotiation

Don’t be a martyr for your art. If a producer wants to option or buy your script, or even hire you for a writing assignment, ask about payment without shame. Don’t be afraid to realistically negotiate a higher fee if you feel you’re worth it. If you want to be treated like a professional, act like one. If the producers are taking unusually high fees or insist on a helicopter to get to their meetings, speak up. The reality is that many producers (especially independent ones) have deferred their pay or maxed out their credit lines to produce your film. Be reasonable and realistic in your negotiations.

Not all negotiations need to involve cash transfers. You can negotiate the right to rewrite, first dibs at new projects, an associate producer (or other) credit, or back end profits. Since most films make a paper loss, focus on upfront fees as best you can.

5) Downtime

Don’t forget to relax. Don’t feel the need to run in overdrive 24/7. You will only burn yourself out and that will negatively impact your creativity. Take a few short breaks throughout the day to recharge your batteries and clear your mind. Pace yourself. Take care of your physical and emotional health.

Photo by Drew Coffman

Do everything in moderation. Too much downtime will also harm your creativity. You will likely lose motivation, passion, or drive. You run the risk of becoming one of those writers who talk about writing without doing any actual writing.

6) Finances

We all know that not every screenplay results in a paycheck. This is even true of Oscar-winning screenwriters. Many writers also a “day job” to support themselves. Create budgets and stick to them. Live frugally and save where you can. Invest your surplus both into profit-making ventures but also into professional development.

Think about additional ways to trade your writing skills for cash in non-screenplay related areas. Perhaps you can write scripts for corporate videos, write reviews, provide script feedback, or write articles, user manuals, or ebooks on an area of interest.

Screenwriters are generally freelancers unless you land a staff position in a TV writers’ room for a few months. Good for you! Think laterally and creatively about what you can sell and trade your time.

Once you’re ready to plan your production you may be looking for high net worth investors. This is often easier said than done. Family and friends are also worth approaching. A more realistic option would be to use an online crowdfunding platform. You’d be amazed at how many supporters you’ll find that believe in you and your story.

7) Stay Focused. Stay Nimble

One thing that many seasoned entrepreneurs don’t tell you is that they spend a good deal of time being uncomfortable and lost. They don’t have a solid ten-year business plan. They often plan as they go depending on how one phase of their plan turns out. This is different than not having clearly defined goals. They are agile and have the ability to change direction as the business landscape changes. In business parlance it’s called a “pivot.”

There is rarely a linear path from script to screen. One thing leads to another with a few surprises along the way. Success always takes longer than you thought – even with A-list screenwriters. This is the process of “asymmetrical success.”

As a screenwriter, focus on the things you can control – namely your writing. Be accountable. Every time you type “The End” you have reached a milestone which is the inspiration to type “Fade In” in your next screenplay.

Spread your risk. Don’t labor over one screenplay forever to make your career. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t revisit your passion project from time to time to see if the industry appetite has changed.

Build your portfolio. Hedge your bets.

Be prepared for the long-haul. Financial returns for screenwriters are rarely quick. If you believe in your screenwriter yourself and keep working on your craft, you’ll eventually write the right thing at the right time and you will see results.