Is Your Spec Ready to Show? Probably Not

"Contacts" are delicate things, especially when you're first getting started. Typically you don't have many, so you have to take care of the ones you do have (remember, Contacts breed Contacts). Once a Contact is broken, the chain of people they're connected too is broken as well. So if you have a "solid industry Contact" you're planning on hitting up once you've finished your genius screenplay, never, ever, under any circumstance, tap that contact too early. To wit:

A Friend of mine works at a big agency. We're good friends, have known each other a while outside of the industry, etc. After I finished my first readable draft of my current action/comedy spec, I tapped my Friend and asked if they would read it. My Friend was happy to try to help, but since they work at a large agency, said Friend is naturally very busy. So my Friend gave the script to their partner to read, a Writer a few rungs above me.

The Writer did me a true solid: they read my spec and gently explained to me that though there are some strong elements, the script as a whole was far from ready for market. The implication was not only was a major rewrite needed, but I had a lot of work to do as a developing writer. It wasn't just the script - I wasn't ready for market.

That writer did me a very big favor. I took the advice to heart and spent months not only rewriting the script, but boning up on my screenwriting craft. Reading everything I could, screenplays, books about films, books about writing, books about the industry. Rereading screenwriting books I'd already read. I read the trades daily. I search out podcasts, blogs, interviews of successful/up and coming writers, etc., anything that would enhance my knowledge of the craft and push my writing and myself to the next level. By the way, these are things we should all be doing on a daily basis anyway.

After months of study and months of rewriting, I finally had a new draft of my spec I was very proud of. It was good and I knew it. I contacted my Friend for another read. This time my busy agency Friend gave it to an agency Reader. The Reader read my spec, wrote coverage and my Friend was generous enough to send me a copy.

I am happy to say, aside from one or two issues here and there, the coverage was very positive. I told my Friend to give my script a read, since their agency's coverage was so positive. My hope was if my Friend read and not only liked but saw the commercial potential for my spec, they might be inclined to get it to someone who deals in such commercial projects. However, though they have been immensely helpful, said friend has yet to personally read my spec. Why? Because first impressions stick, and in my Friend's head is their first impression of what they've heard about my writing: I'm still at amateur level, and no one is excited to read the work of an amateur.

Me and my work have to get people excited. In order to do that, the work has to be exceptional, better than good. If it isn't I risk alienating a Contact, and at this stage of the game, I can't afford to do that. Can you?