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Reader Question: Are the holidays a lousy time to submit a spec script?
December 1st, 2010 by Scott Official Screenwriting Blog of the Black List

From Courtney:
Tis the season and everyone is ready to enjoy turkey football and naps. Which will soon lead to that jolly man in the red suit. A large

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percentage of folks throttle down during the holiday season which spawns the question is submitting a script during the holidays a deathblow because in my mind most folks are in cruise control until January one. Or is it time to strike while everyone else is knee-deep in eggnog?

This could be the shortest answer in GITS history by me simply saying yes. The holidays are the worst time to submit a spec script. Basically from the second week in December until mid-January, Hollywood heads for the hills if you consider ski resorts like Aspen, Whistler, and Chamonix Mont-Blanc hills. Actually since the Sundance Film Festival typically runs toward the end of January, that entire month can be a tough time for specs. And August aint so great either. Now thats all conventional wisdom per my understanding of it. Lets compare to reality. Here is the breakdown of spec script sales in 2009 by month: January: 3 February: 8 March: 10 April: 8 May: 7 June: 4 July: 5 August: 4 September: 3 October: 5 November: 5 December: 5 Hmm. Doesnt quite match up with CW, does it? While January is slow, December is on par with most other months with 5 sales. Of course there are extenuating circumstances such as last fall when two studios announced they werent buying anything until the new year, so that likely depressed numbers in October and November. One thing to consider: February-May seems to be the best period in terms of spec script activity.

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Ill go back through spec sales in 2008 by month. And after this year is over, Ill be doing a 2010 spec script sales review. By the way, you can look at what Ive done for 2008 and 2009 here: 2008 Spec Script Sales Analysis 2009 Spec Script Sales Analysis UPDATE: Logically, too, its probably safe to assume that the holidays are not a great time to send out a spec to potential reps. Yes, agents and managers are always looking for a great script and thats not to say that you couldnt get a rep by sending out a script this time of year. However when the Hollywood lit side of things slows down this time of year, it impacts everyone involved. So perhaps better to go out right after the New Year when people come back with renewed energy and a fresh attitude to kick ass in the upcoming twelve months. Posted in reader question | Tagged | 5 Replies

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5 thoughts on Reader Question: Are the holidays a lousy time to submit a spec script?
1. Mike says: December 1, 2010 at 5:33 PM

What about lead time? Five specs may have been sold in, say December, but when were they submitted? November? October? September? Just thinking out loud.
Log in to Reply 2. Scott says: December 1, 2010 at 8:25 PM

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Mike, that's a good question. Some spec script sales happen almost immediately upon the script hitting the market. Increasingly they take more time, especially as studios tend to prefer packaged projects, and getting attachments is time-consuming. I think at some point you just have to have faith in your script, say a prayer, and ship it off, perhaps with the proviso of avoiding late November through December. But as soon as I say that, you can be sure somebody will sell a spec that just went out recently. It's with questions like these that it's good to remember the William Goldman quote about Hollywood: "Nobody knows anything."
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3. Courtney says: December 1, 2010 at 11:11 PM

@Mike. You asked the perfect question! @Scott. There will never be enough cocktails or rewrites to make it perfect. I believe that is where I stand right now. A few months back you replied to one of my many questions by saying "let it go." Meaning at some point and time polishing and rewrites can become nitpicking caused by fear. Had a little "time out" with myself and realized you were right. However I plowed through another rewrite or two because, to be honest, it needed it. But! It's time! I'm taking a little break tonight to post here and thanks for answering my question by the way but to give you an idea where I stand my final concerns are the "it's" and the "its" the "they're" and the "there." That's how close I am the story has been told. So in the next few days I will be ready to, in your words, "let it go." With all of that I may have to be the rebel and throw it out there soon. If I sit on it I will pick. A long time friend has steered me to an agent who accepts specs. She is not in L.A. but makes the rounds. I'm sneaking in another question here but can you advise a newbie what in the world should I prepare myself for when I pick up the phone with sweaty palms and ask her if she will take a chance? Most job interviews bring about the standard questions "Tell me a little about yourself." "Where do you want to be in five years?" "What qualifies you for this job?" I've turned down two job offers to keep a "keep the lights on job" so I could follow a dream. I'm over the fear of letting it go then POW the next hurdle hits me like a ton of bricks the potential agent. Any insight on how to prepare for that first call? What could they ask that if not prepared could land a writer flat on his face? Scott, I was driving blind for quite a while. Yes there are books out there but real life with its up's and down's hell, reality, real life will always trump "how to." And that's why I come here. Some day, I hope to shake your hand and thank you in person even share a yarn (yes I said yarn) after I make this damn dream a reality. And of course a libation or "two." It's time to "let it go." And for that I thank you. Courtney
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4. Courtney says: December 1, 2010 at 11:27 PM

Just read your update. Like most folks reality ends after Detroit plays on Thanksgiving day. Waiting until the ball drops may very well be the smart thing to do a new year a new beginning.
Log in to Reply 5. Scott says: December 1, 2010 at 11:50 PM

@Courtney: I can so sympathize with your emotions just now. I remember the weekend when K-9 went into the creative group at 20th Century Fox. That Sunday night, I went out for a drink with my wife (we were living in Berkeley at the time). I told her, "I think it will sell." Honestly if I had known what I learned later, I would have laughed in my face. But as I was driving to SoCal the next day for a stand-up comedy gig, I called up my wife from the road and the first words out of her mouth were, "Fox wants it." So you just never know. Here's a big piece of advice for you: Make sure you have at least 2-3 good story ideas in hand. Preferably you've worked them out to the point where you could pitch them. If all you have is one script, then it's hard to translate that into a career. You can do a word search of GITS for "A Story Idea Each Day for a Month" to see my rant on that. The other thing is this: You can't be (at this point) anything more than you are. So don't try to impress or blow smoke. Be honest in your dealings with Hwood types. No, you don't have to spill all your 'negatives' (self-perceived). But you also don't need to hype yourself beyond that which you can't deliver at present. Besides Hwood types, at least in my experience, find honest, outsider types to be refreshing. But the main thing: Buttress whatever spec script you have with at least a few other potentially good story ideas.
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