I'm Curious, How did you get your agent?

[caliwriter]

I was wondering , for the ones who have an agent, how did you guys (and gals) get your 1st agent?

You don't have to tell us who he/she is , just would like to know.

A) query
B) phone call
C) referral
D) YOUR FRIEND OR RELATIVE works at the agency or your friend or relative is the agent
D) NONE OF THE ABOVE

C'mon guys, give us the details!


CW

[Mompboken]

Lit Agent: query.

Film Agent: referral from Lit Agent.

Second Lit Agent: referral from Film Agent.

[Megamoze]

Referral.

[sidneyfalco]

referral referral referral.

everyone i ever worked with i got through a referral or i had someone put a call in for me. honestly, there are too many psychos and flakes in this business to do business with people who cold call you or query you - and that goes both ways. unless that person is already established and done something which can be verified through the trades...then a cold call is okay. But otherwise, the internet has done nothing to change this fundamental fact. that's why its essential to be in LA or at least make it out here occasionally (like 2-3 times a year). Like Woody Allen said, "80% of successin life is showing up."

[CRASH]

Referral from a producer.

[JSomm1]

I got both a manager and an agent through a referel. I've read that query's don't work and I beleive it! For a long time I sent endless query's and got no where. Then a freind of a freind hooked me up with a manager and I quickly got an agent the same way.

Other that writing a great script I'd recomend net working -- it'll cut through A LOT of red tape!

Best of luck!

[BlueParrot2]

glad to know that "I before E except after C" rule doesn't apply with "referel" who can "recomend" without having to resort to "query's".

[warmgoodness]

1st agent - referral from a studio exec.

2nd agent - my past track record and a referral from a producer.

[il postino]

First film agent: query--moved to LA, got the list of the agents from the WGA, and queried only those with Beverly Hills addresses because I had no idea where else to begin.

Second film agent: queried after semi-success in Nicholl competition.

Lit agent: he called me in my capacity as a publisher to hunt down some lost roylaties for a client of his and I pitched him on me (after paying the bill).

There's obviously nothing like a referral as other posts here will attest, but I think it's important for people to know that it is not the only way. A well-written, well-placed, well-timed query will work.

[StoryTeller79]

How bout someone tell those who can not get a referral, how you got said referral.

They might be wondering where and how you got it. Did you start out in the mailroom, some place on the lot, in an office? How did you make establish the contact?

[sidneyfalco]

... actually, I wore this brand-new spankin' PHAT Hugo Boss suite. All the agents and studio execs just flocked to me 'cause they thought I was so frickin' cool lookin'. A guy that sharp must have a million-dollar spec under his arm, right?

No, seriously, read the other topic for the answer on this.

[Megamoze]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> How bout someone tell those who can not get a referral, how you got said referral.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

Getting the contact isn't the hard part, it's having something to show them when you do.

[AnconRanger]

I got my first "agent" by not doing my homework, signing a contract to pay him 30 bucks a month (to market my work) and submitting substandard, first-draft material for him to market (keep in a file drawer). It was a great relationship at first...I thought I was a brilliant writer and he was able to pay his phone bill with my checks.

Eventually, reality set it.

[InvaderUjin]

Query after winning a screenwriting contest.

[JoanEasley]

I've gotten some from query letters, some from meeting them at Women in Film breakfasts, and some from referrals.

[jodeb]

Query, followed through with the script. Was told it needed ten pages more for her purposes and she'd like it to have a happy ending.

I obeyed. :) She liked the revision and we signed a contract.

[caliwriter]

Great post StoryTeller79 !
Someone finally gets it!


TO: Sidneyfalco

Instead of a Hugo Boss suit, try an Armani suit instead :)

Then all the agents and studio execs will flocked to you'cause they'll think you're so frickin' cool lookin'. LOL

[PipeWriter]

I got my agent the hard way, on my knees. And I remember my agitated response when someone finally clued me in. "Whaddya mean blueparrot isn't an agent?!"

[Basic B]

Lit agent: query letter.

Manager: I stalked him until he eventually said yes.

Bonita

[NewBoss]

Lit Agent (for novels) - query letter

Manager (for screenplays) - query email after I got an option deal on my own; you'd be amazed how many requests to see your material you can get when you're able to put 'Writer With Option Seeks Representation' in the subject line of your email, at the top of your fax, or at the front of your phone pitch.

[caliwriter]

next time wear knee pads11

lol!

[caliwriter]

enuff said!

as you can see from the board, the majority got their agent mostly though referrals!!!

[JakeSchuster aka Ostroff]

Except I cold-queried my manager, he signed me, and I'm about to get an agent. So there.

[Emmentaler]

Congratulations, Jake. That's great news!

[ZODITCH]

Had a list of agencies and just started making phone calls.

Seriously.

steve

[A Nonny Moose]

First lit/NYC agent -- referral from other writer

Second lit/NYC agent -- referral from other writer, and on my publishing history

First script/HW agent -- referral from fly-by-night producer, not a good situation

Second (and current) script/HW agent -- cold-calling to get reads.

[VM]

i dont have an agent yet but agents are interested in my screenplay because some one referred me.

the cold query thing didnt work for me!

[medic]

I queried producers with a script, received a decent response, called an agent and they decided to to represent me because they had a couple of scripts with the same prod company. Sometimes think it is easier to get a read from a top production company then it is with a mediocre agent. over

[big novak]

HTML Comments are not allowed

[International Male]

My friend's older brother is a produced screenwriter. He said if I finished my script he'd give it to his agent.

I finished my script, gave it to him, and he never gave it to his agent for some reason.

Maybe he thinks my script sucks?

[big novak]

HTML Comments are not allowed

[MakingMagic]

I took mine out on a date (acted like I didnt know where she worked) then later, married her :)

[Jami]

And she still won't rep you? ;-)

Jami
my husband's not an agent, but at least he can fix my computer ...

[MakingMagic]

Oh, she repps me (when I least expect it)!

[big novak]

I tried this twice now (the above HTML notes), I hope this one works...

A query letter got me repped.

I started out with an agent hit-list in Oct. Made close to thirty cold-calls, which was pretty degrading at times... I had one agent lecture me for 20 minutes on how I should be a feature writer, not a sitcom writer. Sent out 70 query letters. Placed follow-up calls to all of them, once a week after the first month. I even created an Access database to track all of them and my interactions with their office - what a dork...

The cold-calls got me "in" with some assistants, who were great and tried to help as much as they could. That led to about six leads, most of which fell through. Then I got a contract in Feb. from an agent I queried... and called and called and called...

[Grievous Angel]

Manager--query letter.

[Nuraghi]

A friend of mine was repped by an agent. My friend took an interest
in a script that I was working on - my first. He had some people
interested in his other material, but he felt my script was stronger.
Yeah, great for the ego.

He wanted to go out with two scripts, so he helped with a rewrite on
mine - his work definitely made for a stronger story. He shopped them
both, ours got optioned. He dropped out of the screenwriting scene,
but I still have the agent, but still no sales.

[NellieG]

Sending hundreds of queries. On great stationary. Bourbon. Cigarettes. More queries. Phone calls in which I forced myself to seem witty and erudite. Having a pretty good, if not wholly original script which (apparently) indicated my writing did not completely suck. Upshot: perseverence.

[B3K]

Ist lit agent: query.
2nd lit agent: query
manager: through a Screenplayers email marketing campaign (basically, once again, a query)

Sam
www.screenplayers.net/scr...rsnet.html (http://www.screenplayers.net/screenplayersnet.html)