Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents, 1999-2000 (Writer's Guide): Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over! [Paperback]

Skip Press (Author)

Book Description

Series: Writer's Guide | Publication Date: October 28, 1998

In Hollywood, it's not just what you know, it's who you know that counts! With Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents you have the friend you need to succeed in this very competitive industry. In this insider's guide, Hollywood screenwriter Skip Press tells you who's who, what they're looking for, and, most important, how to reach them—by mail, phone, fax, even e-mail. Also included:

• Essential information on submission protocols and preferences for hundreds of agencies and production companies
• Extensive interviews with key people
• How Hollywood works: An A-Z tour
• Books, CD-ROMs, and other back doors to Hollywood
• And much, much more!



"Skip Press has written a book that combines fearless opinions and invaluable hard facts, both of which are hard to find in Hollywood. This book is thoughtfully written, clearly laid out, and of great value to beginners and old-timers alike."

—Gareth Wigan, co-vice chairman, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group


"An invaluable resource for breaking into the movie and television business."

—Barbara Anne Hiser, Emmy-winning cable and network television producer


"[This book is] not only entertaining but a valuable tool for anyone interested in show business."

—Paul Mason, Sr., vice president of Production, Viacom


"The bonus for any reader of this book is that Skip Press is just a good writer—accessible, clear, persuasive, motivating, and easy-to-understand."

—Jerry B. Jenkins, author of the Left Behind series and 'Twas the Night Before


"An insightful guide to the intricate Hollywood network."

—Oliver Eberle, founder and CEO, ShowBIZ Data.com


About the Author

Skip Press, a novelist, screenwriter, and producer, is the author of How to Write What You Want and Sell What You Write and dozens of other titles, as well as hundreds of entertainment articles and short stories. He lives in the Los Angeles area.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Author Skip Press has assembled an eminently useful one-stop compendium of agent and producer listings (directors are subsumed in the producer section) for neophyte screen scribes. It includes fairly informative essays ("Maybe You Should Write a Book" as a faster way to break in), up-to-date stuff on the Internet, and listservs of interest to wordslingers. This is a good place to start for a screenwriting overview before deciding whether to proceed to more specialized volumes--or straight to a film career. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

In Hollywood, it's not just what you know, it's who you know that counts! With Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents you have the friend you need to succeed in this very competitive industry. In this insider's guide, Hollywood screenwriter Skip Press tells you who's who, what they're looking for, and, most important, how to reach them?by mail, phone, fax, even e-mail. Also included:

? Essential information on submission protocols and preferences for hundreds of agencies and production companies
? Extensive interviews with key people
? How Hollywood works: An A-Z tour
? Books, CD-ROMs, and other back doors to Hollywood
? And much, much more!



"Skip Press has written a book that combines fearless opinions and invaluable hard facts, both of which are hard to find in Hollywood. This book is thoughtfully written, clearly laid out, and of great value to beginners and old-timers alike."

?Gareth Wigan, co-vice chairman, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group


"An invaluable resource for breaking into the movie and television business."

?Barbara Anne Hiser, Emmy-winning cable and network television producer


"[This book is] not only entertaining but a valuable tool for anyone interested in show business."

?Paul Mason, Sr., vice president of Production, Viacom


"The bonus for any reader of this book is that Skip Press is just a good writer?accessible, clear, persuasive, motivating, and easy-to-understand."

?Jerry B. Jenkins, author of the Left Behind series and 'Twas the Night Before


"An insightful guide to the intricate Hollywood network."

?Oliver Eberle, founder and CEO, ShowBIZ Data.com


About the Author

Skip Press, a novelist, screenwriter, and producer, is the author of How to Write What You Want and Sell What You Write and dozens of other titles, as well as hundreds of entertainment articles and short stories. He lives in the Los Angeles area.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Prima Lifestyles; Revised edition (October 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761514848
• ISBN-13: 978-0761514848
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,315,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Skip Press (www.skippress.com) has edited a Hollywood entertainment magazine, produced and directed plays, made instructional videos, sold feature film scripts, served as the Hollywood correspondent for Boys Life, been a staff writer for a UPN kids show, published young adult novels and non-fiction series like Star Families, and taught an online screenwriting course that was available in 1,500 schools. He has published almost 40 books, including four editions of Writer's Guides to Hollywood, four editions of the Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting (including one in Russian). He had three books come out in 2009 including This Is My Song: A Memoir, by Patti Page with Skip Press. His most recent book (2010) is the Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money with Craigslist. His most recent screenplay consultation resulted in a director getting his first feature film deal with The Bubble Factory in Los Angeles. His first how-to writing book, How To Write What You Want & Sell What You Write, has been selling steadily for almost two decades. The latest version from Fall River Books comes out in the summer of 2011. Many of the books he ghost-writes and edits have hit #1 in their category on Amazon, such at the Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing & Design, which stays at or around #1 (Press sold the book and edited it).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK-IT'S OLD, July 18, 2000

By 

michael - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents, 1999-2000 (Writer's Guide): Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over! (Paperback)

I queried several of the agencies and companies listed in this book, and guess what? The post office returned many of the letters because the addresses were either wrong, outdated, or the recipient was no longer there. AMAZON SHOULD TAKE THIS BOOK OFF THE SITE; IT IS A RIP-OFF!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some basic info, poorly organized from naive author, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents, 1999-2000 (Writer's Guide): Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over! (Paperback)

This book tries to cover so much - from how to choose software to how to get an agent - that it gives everything short shrift. You'd really have to be a raw beginner to get much value from this thing.

If you decide to read this, focus on objective info, like addresses for web sites, and non-industry info, like picking out software. The author has some really bizarre ideas on how Hollywood works, probably because he has no success there himself (it amused me the "about the author section" was 2 or 3 pages - like many people of small accomplishment, he tries to enlarge what he has done, like going on at great length about his articles for "Boy Life" magazine.) Yup, we aren't talking William Goldman here; in fact the author, despite professing his status as a screenwriting, doesn't offer one tangible accomplishment. That's ok; I just wish he had positioned himself as an journalist rather than "a friend in the industry."

In many instances the author comes off as astoundingly naive. My favorite anecdote was the author recalling a producer who said the first 40 pages of the author's script was some of the most exciting he'd ever read, but he didn't have time to finish it. Um, right. The fact that the author repeats this with apparent belief the producer was telling the truth made me chuckle.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This Book Is Outdated, August 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents, 1999-2000 (Writer's Guide): Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over! (Paperback)

...

There are plenty of other books on Amazon that are muchmore useful than this one (and they're written by someone who has actually sold a screenplay). Pass on this paper weight book.