Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

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  • #16
    Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

    Originally posted by CColoredClown View Post
    My pilot got an 8 on the BL, so I've been querying lots of reps. Carr is the only guy to respond with an offer to read for a fee. You can land reads through cold queries, but I don't think you should be paying any rep to read it.

    What did Carr say in his response email?

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    • #17
      Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

      Originally posted by Friday View Post
      What did Carr say in his response email?
      It was that same email that everyone's posted.

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      • #18
        Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

        I've been watching this thread from afar and get quite a chuckle out of it.

        It would seem obvious that this guy Carr has a full stable or whatever denigrating term you want to use, and he's just using the pay-up request to whittle down the applicants.

        I don't have a rep and frankly gave up looking about 7 years ago. But there was one guy (who repped a pro writer whom I admired) who got an annual pitch from me for a few years. He was nice about it but responded that he wasn't taking on new clients. Obviously, he wanted to make sure he provided the best service possible to his existing folks, stable, whatever.

        If what I'm suggesting is Carr's situation, or he's even close to being maxed out, his only alternative is to simply not respond to queries. That would seem an efficient thing to do, but then he'd probably get a reputation of being unapproachable. Can't win, no matter what you do.

        Here it is, sounding like I'm defending reps when none of them have ever given me the time of day. But my apparent sympathy for this character is only because I like to think I know how things are done in this business. It's only then, knowing what odds you're up against, that you can try a different approach, or one that's most suitable to your own circumstances, or simply move on to the next darn person in the list.

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        • #19
          Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

          Originally posted by catcon View Post
          He was nice about it but responded that he wasn't taking on new clients. Obviously, he wanted to make sure he provided the best service possible to his existing folks, stable, whatever.
          Sorry, don't mean to be rude, but this isn't a thing. There's no rep in town who is too full to take on new clients. No one is passing on a writer whose work they love because they have too many clients. It just doesn't happen. They make time. "I'm not taking on new clients" is a polite pass.

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          • #20
            Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

            > There's no rep in town who is too full to take on new clients.

            Really? Thanks for the warning. I'd stay away from them.

            Look, there's no naivete at my end, as I am the ultimate skeptic about just about everything.

            But the responses I received, which mostly were a long time ago, were for "queries about representation". Since most say up front, "no unsolicited material", all I wrote was a bit of a bio, not even actual script queries. They weren't passing on my material, since they didn't get it.

            When I have sent queries, the response is often what it is from producers: "Not right for me/us".

            My point is, saying they're not taking on new clients is a completely legitimate response when it's true, and preferable to simply not responding.

            No doubt about it, my age/location/background/type of material written can make it hard for some of these folks to want to work with me. I accept that, and just move on.

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            • #21
              Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

              Originally posted by catcon View Post
              It would seem obvious that this guy Carr has a full stable or whatever denigrating term you want to use, and he's just using the pay-up request to whittle down the applicants.
              If he really wanted to whittle down potential clients, he'd just move to a referrals only system. This feels like a guy trying to keep the lights on.

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              • #22
                Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                Just wanted to thank everyone for their input and replies. I'm not going to mention the name of the person I was referring to as it's obvious there are plenty out there. This business is like no other and for those who are legitimate and who charge for reading, I say: do what works for you. I personally won't be forking over the cash as I don't have it and email is free.

                But on another note, the latest Scripts&Scribes podcast has Scott Carr talking about his reasons for charging to "read". I'll save my opinions and let you make your own.

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                • #23
                  Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                  So, I watched that latest Scott Carr podcast, and while at a glance his reasons for charging for reads seemed to initially "make sense" due to all the confident razzle dazzle of his explanation - ultimately it just is not how it's done, nor should be.

                  Telling a writer to "put their money where their mouth is" and "prove their seriousness by being willing to spend money" is a dangerous, counterproductive, extremely unreasonable philosophy for this profession, as writers are already often treated quite poorly in the grand scheme of things. i.e. Writers will spend endless hours doing free labor for producers on the HOPES of getting paid at some point, while managers like Carr will probably tell them it's part of the process (it sadly is sometimes, but just making a point here) and accept it with a smile and thank you. Meanwhile it is in fact the producers who should "put their money where their mouth is" and "prove their seriousness by being willing to spend money" - not the writer.

                  I think his entire strategy and business model is incredibly toxic and sets a terrible standard for struggling and emerging writers.

                  For that matter, him saying he'd prefer to work with people who have financial independence, who don’t work other jobs, don’t have families, are very young, etc who can easily afford to throw money at contests, readers, trips, moves to LA, and so forth just stacks the deck against so many aspiring writers, and ensures that the only ones who can “make it” under such a model are what… 20-somethings with a trust fund? In addition to just being ridiculous, it seems almost certain to narrow the field down to young, white collar white males, as they are - statistically - more likely to fit that bill. And in an industry that desperately needs more women and minorities, less ageism, and more voices and representation from all walks of life... that's just not ideal at all. He's perpetuating a broken system, while somehow making it even worse by leaning into a predatory business model.

                  But, I suppose this WOULD be helpful to him to have clients of that nature, as he must not be getting them enough work, so he needs them to already have money in the bank, meanwhile he pays his own bills through “consulting fees”.

                  Smh.
                  Last edited by scripto80; 06-22-2018, 05:16 AM.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                    It must be an uncomfortable correspondence for him if he gets paid for a read and ultimately isn't into the script. "Sorry you paid all this money, but the script just isn't for me."

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                    • #25
                      Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                      Originally posted by Friday View Post
                      It must be an uncomfortable correspondence for him if he gets paid for a read and ultimately isn't into the script. "Sorry you paid all this money, but the script just isn't for me."
                      For most of these situations, including contests/pitchfests etc., don't forget that the fee is for "access", not positive results or even any sort of helpful development notes.

                      Sometimes I feel pretty lucky: I'm just too darned poor these days to engage any of these services, and it hasn't stopped my output one iota. No doubt they contribute to my still being on the outside, looking in, but someday, ladies and gentlemen, someday...!

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                        Originally posted by catcon View Post
                        For most of these situations, including contests/pitchfests etc., don't forget that the fee is for "access", not positive results or even any sort of helpful development notes.

                        Sometimes I feel pretty lucky: I'm just too darned poor these days to engage any of these services, and it hasn't stopped my output one iota. No doubt they contribute to my still being on the outside, looking in, but someday, ladies and gentlemen, someday...!

                        You'll get there.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                          Originally posted by scripto80 View Post
                          So, I watched that latest Scott Carr podcast, and while at a glance his reasons for charging for reads seemed to initially "make sense" due to all the confident razzle dazzle of his explanation - ultimately it just is not how it's done, nor should be.

                          Telling a writer to "put their money where their mouth is" and "prove their seriousness by being willing to spend money" is a dangerous, counterproductive, extremely unreasonable philosophy for this profession, as writers are already often treated quite poorly in the grand scheme of things. i.e. Writers will spend endless hours doing free labor for producers on the HOPES of getting paid at some point, while managers like Carr will probably tell them it's part of the process (it sadly is sometimes, but just making a point here) and accept it with a smile and thank you.
                          So the definition of a writer proving their seriousness is putting money into his pocket? Pretty funny. Lately there seems to be a proliferation of people looking to bank on writer's desperation.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                            Originally posted by scripto80 View Post

                            For that matter, him saying he'd prefer to work with people who have financial independence, who don’t work other jobs, don’t have families, are very young, etc who can easily afford to throw money at contests, readers, trips, moves to LA, and so forth just stacks the deck against so many aspiring writers, and ensures that the only ones who can “make it” under such a model are what… 20-somethings with a trust fund?
                            But he wants writers to work with a manager that has a second job as a READER.

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                            • #29
                              Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                              Does he refund the $250 if he accepts you as a client?
                              "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

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                              • #30
                                Re: Reputable agents/managers charging a fee to read

                                Originally posted by StoryWriter View Post
                                Does he refund the $250 if he accepts you as a client?
                                What??? $250 reading fee? Why should he accept anybody? Read just 4 scripts a day. Doing that 5 days a week is $5K a week, which is a quarter million a year FOR JUST READING SCRIPTS FROM WRITERS THAT YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO REPRESENT!!!
                                This guy is BRILLIANT!!!

                                Of course, that assumes the golden goose doesn't get wise...

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