The Savvy Screenwriter : How To Sell Your Screenplay (And Yourself) Without Selling Out! [Mass Market Paperback]

Susan Kouguell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967994802 | ISBN-13: 978-0967994802 | Publication Date: September 1, 2000

This real-life guide to surviving in the film industry offers advice from an industry player on being a financially and artistically successful screenwriter. From writing the first word to watching the credits roll, every step of writing for the big screen is explained by a writer who has been there. This handbook reveals what studios are looking for, lists the dos and don'ts of pitching a script, and explains how scripts are rated. In addition to the instructions on writing a successful query and synopsis, invaluable tips on contract negotiations, development deals, and working with agents and entertainment attorneys are also offered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Her thesis - that savvy screenwriters will do better than ignorant or misinformed ones - shines." -- Creative Screenwriting Magazine

"Kougell explains a difficult and perplexing process in language writers can understand." -- New York Screenwriter Monthly

"Kouguell's blunt and honest approach provides a sobering, insightful guide to the realities of the marketplace." -- Scr(i)pt Magazine's E-Zine

"The book is concise, well structured, objective - and a bit humbling." -- MovieMaker Magazine

"This much needed book is both extremely informative and surprisingly readable." -- Ira Deutchman, President, Redeemable Features

"[Kougell] . . . has quite possibly written the most comprehensive new book you will read this year." -- newenglandfilm.com

“If you make your living as a screenwriter (or simply hope to!) you need this book. -- Dan Brown, National best-selling author of 'Digital Fortress' and 'Angels and Demons'

“The Savvy Screenwriter is a remarkably comprehensive, enjoyably irreverent and practical guide to the realities of the film marketplace. -- Jeremy Pikser, Academy Award nominee for Best Screenplay \223Bulworth\2

About the Author

Susan Kouguell teaches screenwriting at Tufts University and is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, a motion picture consulting company whose clients include Miramax, Warner Brothers, and Fine Line Features. Six of her acclaimed short films are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. She lives in Exeter, New Hampshire.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: TL Hoell Books (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967994802
• ISBN-13: 978-0967994802
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Suspect Publicity, December 25, 2006

By 

Mark Twain "Sam" (MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Savvy Screenwriter: How to Sell Your Screenplay (and Yourself) Without Selling Out! (Paperback)

Wonder why all reviews are done within a week of each other Oct-November 2000?

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaches difficult lessons in a gentle way, November 7, 2000

By 

Thomas S Moore (New York, New York, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Savvy Screenwriter : How To Sell Your Screenplay (And Yourself) Without Selling Out! (Mass Market Paperback)

Susan Kouguell's book is a superb resource! In rich detail, she leads the reader through the process of marketing one's work, mapping out the tasks and the people involved. Her book is wonderfully balanced with empathy for the writer's vulnerabilities and clarity about the industry's expectations. Ms. Kouguell teaches difficult lessons in a gentle way, leaving the reader to feel hopeful and informed. I unequivocally recommend this book to any writer who is taking that brave step of putting his or her work out into the world.

Thomas Moore Winner, Edward Albee Foundation, Blue Mountain Foundation

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Savvy Screenwriter is more than just "SAVVY...!", November 9, 2000

By 

Rose Ann Miller (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Savvy Screenwriter : How To Sell Your Screenplay (And Yourself) Without Selling Out! (Mass Market Paperback)

How about everything you ever wanted to know about selling your screenplay in one fantastic book. Sound too good to be true? It IS too good to be true and it exists! THE SAVVY SCREENWRITER is clear, concise, helpful, engaging, and *humourous. Throughout, Kouguell recounts her own adventures during her novice days in the business. Biblical in its wisdom, reading the THE SAVVY SCREENWRITER is akin to having someone in the biz reaching out, taking your hand, and leading you through what can seem like (and IS) a daunting process. Daunting no more, enigmatic no more, Susan Kouguell demystifies the scary endeavor of breaking into the business by providing the tools, savvy, and "know how" necessary to succeed. Thank God for this resource. I can't recommend it enough.