Just the other day, I had a conversation with a television producer regarding a reality TV project of mine that his group is considering developing. “Rob” told me that they are moving into scripted programming in addition to reality TV. And he mentioned that they have a couple of projects they are excited about, but need rewrites.
I’m a produced writer of a fairly big feature film and have been paid large sums of money for my movie scripts. So you would think I would turn up my nose at the idea of doing a rewrite of someone else’s script. Well, you’d be wrong. I tossed out the idea that to get in the door with them on scripted television, I’d do a rewrite on spec. (This means they would pay me for the rewrite only if they decided to use it.)
Rob was impressed with my confidence in my ability to do a good rewrite. And he ended up agreeing to have me submit an original teleplay that I’m in the process of writing.
Offering your services on spec like this can be a great way to open doors to new business opportunities. (Especially these days, when money is tight.) Sure, you could spend the time to do a great job and – for whatever reason – still lose out on the payoff. But it’s worth the risk.
Give some thought to how you might apply this strategy and give it a shot.
[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and produced screenwriter who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. For more information on his "Street Smart Business Program," click right here.]
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