Time it takes your agent to read material?

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  • Time it takes your agent to read material?

    I'm curious how long it takes other folks' agents to get back to them on a new script? My managers are super fast. Usually a matter of days. We then go back and forth on notes over a few weeks until it's ready to share with my agents but then momentum tends to sloooow... as I find they (often) take a few weeks to read the script. Usually requiring one of my manager's to have to check in with them on it and nudge.
    Last edited by Mintclub; 06-03-2019, 05:43 AM.

  • #2
    Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

    Ever since I fired my manager, my agent has become more attentive and reads my stuff faster. Maybe it's because he now knows HE'S my go to guy. And I no longer have someone more interested in producing than managing.

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    • #3
      Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

      I'm not repped now, but I recall agents being much slower than managers because they usually have many more clients than managers. Usually.

      Also the manager is probably really reading it and agents I think many of them rely heavily on assistants and readers to "read it" for them. I'm sure agents read their big clients stuff, but this just feels like how it works.

      I don't know what agents do really? All the ones I had I did not find a huge benefit and they actually got in the way. Managers and lawyer I think are my next reps in my heart.

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      • #4
        Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

        Following the retirement of my original agent (after placing four books with publishers), I had an agent who, on one occasion, when after eight months I wrote (this was in pre-email days, when manuscripts were submitted as hard copy) to ask if he'd gotten around to my submission, told me he'd forgotten to read it.

        At another time, after six months, he told me he'd started my new submission, had to leave for vacation, then, when he returned, forgot about it. Naturally I now have an excellent new agent who gets to my work within two weeks, and often sells it just as quickly.

        Amazing how someone who works for you can so easily forget you. It happens in H'wood, as well, as I know from experience.

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        • #5
          Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

          Thanks for the replies folks. I’m currently 3 plus weeks now and nothing. Managers are baffled by it too given my agents just lost all their WGA clients. Managers checked in with ‘em after 2 weeks as they’re keen to get my new script out to producers. Point Agent tells ‘em they’ll get to it ASAP. Another week. Still nothing. Very odd.

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          • #6
            Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

            Same thing going on here. Slow agent turnaround times. Could be random but usually it's a weekend read. Three weeks now.

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            • #7
              Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

              If you have manager what do they say? What's the point of agents then? Can't managers move work without them?

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              • #8
                Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                Originally posted by Bono View Post
                If you have manager what do they say? What's the point of agents then? Can't managers move work without them?
                Managers can certainly move stuff independently but the ones I've worked with often like to have agents onboard (if that's an option) as it means there's more people pushing the project around town.

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                • #9
                  Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                  Originally posted by Satriales View Post
                  Same thing going on here. Slow agent turnaround times. Could be random but usually it’s a weekend read. Three weeks now.
                  You’d think they’d be more available in the current climate.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                    Originally posted by Bono View Post
                    If you have manager what do they say? What's the point of agents then? Can't managers move work without them?
                    I've always taken stuff out with my manager. We're trying to package this one before exposing it beyond our select producers we've slipped it to. Thus the agency involvement.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                      I had both manager and agent, but my first managers, were like let's try to sell this spec before we get you an agent... so that's why I have yet to totally understand why one needs an agent when if a sale comes up, you get a lawyer which is a good problem to have. I still have yet to figure out what an agent does that a manager doesn't. Not what they are supposed to do. But real world for up and coming writers, it seems redundant... you sell something or get a movie made, then yes an agent will spring into action. Maybe.

                      What I'm asking are your managers at all hinting, maybe we should fire the agents and just do this ourselves? Usually they defend each other... Did you ask about this option? Are they pressing agents so you don't have to be bad guy? I mean WTF really....

                      Were your agents quicker to respond before or always this slow?

                      Why does this business always suck? asking for a friend who is actually me.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                        Originally posted by Bono View Post
                        I had both manager and agent, but my first managers, were like let's try to sell this spec before we get you an agent... so that's why I have yet to totally understand why one needs an agent when if a sale comes up, you get a lawyer which is a good problem to have. I still have yet to figure out what an agent does that a manager doesn't. Not what they are supposed to do. But real world for up and coming writers, it seems redundant... you sell something or get a movie made, then yes an agent will spring into action. Maybe.

                        What I'm asking are your managers at all hinting, maybe we should fire the agents and just do this ourselves? Usually they defend each other... Did you ask about this option? Are they pressing agents so you don't have to be bad guy? I mean WTF really....

                        Were your agents quicker to respond before or always this slow?

                        Why does this business always suck? asking for a friend who is actually me.
                        My managers have always said they don’t need the assistance of agents to take a project out to the town (and more often than not it’s hard to please the agents) but that it’s good to shop it wide with the clout of an agency behind them.

                        That said I do get the feeling that with my agents endorsing the project my managers are much happier.
                        Last edited by Mintclub; 05-15-2019, 07:56 AM.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                          In my case it's for packaging. The two we've taken wide-ish were without agents. You certainly don't need it but having the muscle of a respected agent making calls to augment your manager in preparation of taking something out is a nice-to-have.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                            Man alive, I'm starting to fully understand that old phrase "hurry up and wait!" So my agents finally read the spec after a month. They loved it. Great news. They think it's perfect for the market. Fantabulous. Buuuut... now they wanna attach a hot director to increase its selling potential before taking it out to folks. My managers think this is a smart option. Turns out there's a very hot director on my agency's roster who is looking for this kinda script. So my agent talks to the director about the script, director likes the sound of it. Script is sent across... 2 weeks later and I'm still waiting to hear whether the director is attaching or not. It's been almost 7 weeks since my managers signed off on the spec, keen to go wide with it. Ooof this is the most drawn out process I've had with a spec before it's gone out. I've done page 1 rewrites in a quicker time! Any other DD'ers experienced something similar before?

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                            • #15
                              Re: Time it takes your agent to read material?

                              Originally posted by Mintclub View Post
                              Man alive... 2 weeks later and I'm still waiting to hear whether the director is attaching or not. It's been almost 7 weeks since my managers signed off on the spec, keen to go wide with it. Ooof this is the most drawn out process I've had with a spec before it's gone out. I've done page 1 rewrites in a quicker time!
                              And every last one of these folks will want to have their input, as will the producers, and the financiers, and the other actors, and the guy who sweeps the set...

                              But if all works well, you can start trying to anticipate what the tuxedo styles are for the 2025 Oscars!

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