Done Deal Wary of Storybay Criticism?

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  • Done Deal Wary of Storybay Criticism?

    I could be on glue, but a message posted with a link to an article critical of Storybay and other screenwriting services seems to have disappeared. So, for testing purposes, I will post it again -- Filmmaker Magazine Feature: Slush Pile

    If it disappears again. Well... we must question the integrity of this message board.

  • #2
    My apologies. The message was not deleted, I just couldn't find the forum in which it was posted. The site's search engine couldn't locate it, either. It's in the Script Services & Software forum.

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    • #3
      Interesting article.

      I see many posts where writers complain about the
      barrage of STORYBAY phone calls. (BTW, the UTA
      JOBLIST recently had a listing from STORYBAY -
      the company was looking for aggressive sales people.)

      But is it truly the methodology and tactics of STORYBAY
      that offends or is it simply the $150 bucks?

      Would writers be offended if STORYBAY contacted
      them (after getting the query from an agency) and
      wanted to read the script for FREE?

      Any thoughts?

      Comment


      • #4
        Correct

        CE - I agree with you. If Storybay was a free service, a clearing house lets say, for these companies people on here would be singing praises (well maybe not but they wouldn't be so pissed) to Storybay. If they call, tell them to leave you alone and never call back. If they do, tell them they're in violation of the law (which they would be at that point). Someone had a link up on another post that explained how to deal with solicitors, it was quite interesting.

        I get a call or email from them once a week, it's bound to happen with mass Q's. But I don't let it bother me. They call, I don't answer. They email I delet it. Simple. I almost see it as a sort of revenge from the prod co's to us writers. They get letters upon letters, calls upon calls, from us. So perhaps we're just getting a taste what they deal with. Dunno, but those are my thoughts.

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        • #5
          For me, it's their methods. If they called one time and explained their services, I wouldn't have a problem because we're all trying to make a living. The problem begins when calls continue to come nightly after I've made it clear that I'm not interested in their service. To their credit, they did remove my name from their call list after I requested they do so in an email, however several verbal requests were not honored.

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          • #6
            They contacted several times. I haven't heard from them for months and I am not sure that I ever asked to be taken off of their list.

            I am pretty confident that they received my number from multiple sources, so they may not have known that they had called me before. For instance, suppose that Monday they make calls off of the list given them by Joe Blow. Tuesday they make calls from the list they got from John Doe. If I sent queries to both Joe and John I might get calls both nights.

            If they spent the time cross-checking their lists, then they might save us from having to answer the phone a couple of times. But, if this is all they are doing wrong, it doesn't seem much worse than when some of us send off query letters to fifty agents/prodcos without researching what they might be looking for.

            When they've called me they haven't been obnoxious or aggressive. Maybe they have been with others.

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            • #7
              I've gotten a few emails and calls from them; I don't mind because I want to know every single company that forwarded my query to them.

              If Storybay were a free service ... no, I wouldn't mind at all. (unless they automatically trashed every script they read for free, even "Casablanca" with new names, and then said, "For $500 we can tell you how to fix your script ...)

              What bothers me about Storybay, the pimps, the Sharks, the Jets, the Screenwriters Online ... is the screaming subtext that unless you've got a personal in, you have to pay to get read.

              The more writers use these services, the more "pay to play" will become the norm.

              Sure, I can't blame agencies and well-known prodcos to want someone else to sort through the dreck. But why can't they be the ones to pay Storybay? Or some other giant company of readers that goes through the scripts, recommends the best, and gets a percentage paid by the agency or production company, not the writer?

              Jami

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              • #8
                I feel like it's just one more barrier between writers trying to break in and the people we want to get the script to.

                Should I pay for another barrier? No.
                Would I be happier if it were free? Not really, due to the above reason.

                I like what someone in the article said, something like the names alone should clue you in. Maybe it's because I can barely afford printer cartridges half the time, and have to steal my reams of paper, that the "pay to play" aspect really irks deeply.
                Same with most people who call themselves script consultants.
                I feel it has predator written on it.

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                • #9
                  KlingKlang,

                  No one needs to be questioning this board's intergrity, thank you very much.

                  The general business section is there for questions regarding contracts, money issues, etc -- as noted in the forum description. Since the other post was moved, don't you think that means we want posts about script services in the SCRIPT SERVICES section?

                  I'm not sure who moved the other message but I'm going to move this one down here to script services where it really should be, so people can always find it without having to do a search.

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                  • #10
                    Done Deal Wary of Storybay? (Why pay for reads?)

                    I understand why there's resentment of a company trying to finagle a piece of your action when you have paid it to read your script. That's totally unreasonable. The article that is linked to the original posting in this thread is very persuasive on that count:


                    But having been a pro reader for five years, I would say that it's completely valid and useful to use a paid reading service if the goal is to improve your craft/the crafting of a particular story. Improving craft is always a neccesary step for new writers. Those who don't have 'ins' in the biz yet could do worse.

                    (Disclaimer: I have recently posted an ad here- and only here- for doing low-cost private reads. I would't have posted the ad if I didn't think it was a valuable service.)

                    Reason: It's the only way the average lay person is going to get useful feedback which will help them craft a sellable script.

                    If you are one of the 20,000+ people whose script gets to a film company this year- they're going to pass it to a reader that is paid $50 to read your script and deliver a two page book report "coverage."

                    In this instance it is not in the reader's interest to 'put the best spin' on your story- or to suggest to the producer how it could be made better if it's only half-realized. Readers are ordered NOT to over-recommend projects. At some places you can be fired for recommending too many scripts for consideration. My first story editor told me "We need you to be like an assassin. Get these scripts out of the slush pile. A lot of them suck, and the execs don't want to look at them if there's a reason not to."

                    If you were stuck getting paid $50 to read scripts under such circumstances, how far would you stretch your neck to get someone else a six figure paycheck?

                    Unless the script is in such great shape that one or two tweaks will make it work, you're not going to get useful feedback. The feedback you will get will be a sugarcoated distillation of the reader's coverage.

                    If your script gets read by a reader at an agency- same thing. They don't want to alienate you so they'll give you some nugget of hope to chew on, but you will NOT get real critical feedback.



                    Now- if you pay a web site or a private reader/consultant- their take SHOULD be the opposite: the only way to stay in business is to give useful feedback.

                    I think the average new writer is far better off getting such a service than grinding their wheels for years on what little insight comes back from the blind submission process.

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                    • #11
                      hmmmm...

                      Take a class, join a writing group or just WRITE!

                      I do take offense w/ this service(?). I did not query them & I can't say I care for a prod. co. that sends these in. Throw it in the trash for all I care. If you're not interested~fine.

                      Yes, I was just contacted by them. I sent out some queries last week, but already have 2 reads. I can do WITHOUT!

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                      • #12
                        Re: StoryBay

                        I'm new to screenwriting, and I got a call from them just after having registered on a screenwriting website (don't know which one). When you are new, trying to break in, and get a call from someone like them, I can see how someone could be eager to try them.

                        Would anyone be interested in posting some of the companies that may have given StoryBay their number or email address?

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                        • #13
                          this company gave my query to Story Bay

                          Irish Dreamtime
                          - not an impressive business practice.

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                          • #14
                            Storybay contest

                            newbie here, was wondering if anyone knew anything about the storybay producer and screenwriting contest? Is it worth entering or a waste of dough?

                            Also who is 9th Floor Media? Are these guys legit, or scam artists?

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