BOOK REVIEW - EVERYBODY WORKS IN SALES by NIRAJ KAPUR

You're probably thinking, 'Why is Dom reviewing a sales book on his screenwriting blog?' You may even be thinking I've gone slightly mad in doing so. I can assure you I haven't. The reason I'm reviewing this book is that as a writer you HAVE to sell yourself and your work and there's some great advice in these pages that all writers should be implementing on a daily basis.

Truth be told, Niraj's book is actually less about sales than it is more about personal development. All of its lessons, if rigorously applied, can help anyone succeed regardless of the industry they work in. These are life rules everyone should know of and live by.

Niraj breaks his teachings down into twenty-seven handy little lessons, such as; Learn your craft and keep on learning every day - Don't let money rule your life - Caring - Dealing with difficult people - Adapt to change - Taking a break - Dealing with failure - Dealing with bad luck. Even with these few examples, you should already be seeing why this book could be so valuable to you.

Dealing with failure is a big part of being a writer. You'll be rejected again and again, even when you've 'made it'. Dealing with bad luck is also something you should know about and be prepared for. Bad luck happens to everyone and it can be extremely frustrating when things fail especially when they are beyond your control. Adapting to change and learning more about your craft every day is as important as being a good writer. It's all there in this book just waiting for you to pick it up and start learning how to sell yourself to others and gain an advantage over your fellow writers.

Personally, I think the most valuable lesson in Niraj's book is - Do more than what you get paid for. This links back to what I was talking about last week, about going that extra mile, proving you're better than all those other writers out there and why you should be the first choice in every producer's mind.

I did spot a few spelling mistakes in this book and the layout did cause me to become a page-blind after a while, especially when I tried to read several chapters in one sitting. It's an easier read broken down into small chunks without losing your place and it can be used as a handy reference guide you can easily dip in an out of.

Niraj kindly gives examples from his own life to back up every lesson, showing not only how these lessons can be applied but also how they work in the real world. There are even interviews in the back of the book with people who don't directly work in sales but who do use sales techniques in their daily lives. Overall, it's a solid book with a lot of valuable lessons within its pages and one definitely worth investing in.

Happy writing!

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

When you're a new writer it's easy to concentrate on what others can do for you, how they can help move your career forward, help to get you your first commission or get your work made. But if you really want to be noticed it's well worth reversing that thinking and asking yourself, 'What can I do for others to help them?'

Make yourself available for others. Offer your services without conditions. Give of your time freely. This is the quickest way to build strong relationships and have people remember you for all the right reasons. Go the extras mile so they will never forget you.

How can you do this? There are several ways. You can contact production companies and offer to give feedback on screenplays for them for free. Yes, it will cost you time but it's time well spent and by doing so you'll have a foot in the door. Start with the smaller companies or the newly established ones. The larger companies will most likely already have a reader or a team of them in place.

Why do you think you see the same names pop up on the credits of TV shows time after time? It's because those writers have made a reputation for themselves as reliable people who are great to work with. They are sought after and get regular work. Producers know when they go to them they will deliver. So if that production company you have been reading for for free are suddenly in the market for a new writer, who do you think is going to be high on their list? Don't you think that's worth unselfishly giving up a few hours a week to help someone else?

The same goes for more established writers. I'm not saying they should work for free, far from it. Established writers have paid their dues and should always be paid correctly and fully for their work. However, there may be the occasional time when doing a favour for a friend is a good idea. Making the time to write up a six to eight-page treatment for a producer you know well and have worked with before when you're very busy with other projects will be appreciated. They will remember you made time for them and will think of you in the future.

There are the usual things you can do to get yourself noticed as above but to go the extra mile you need to think outside the box, find or create new avenues to get yourself noticed and to show how helpful and valuable you are and can be. For example; this morning I went on to a producers' network page on Facebook and offered to give feedback on a screenplay for anyone who was interested. I plan to only do this for the first person to get back to me, and yes for free, as I'm not overly busy this week. It's two to three hours out of my week. It's nothing really, but the producer who takes me up on that offer will be grateful and remember that I put myself out to help them.

So think more about what you can do for others, not what they can do for you. Don't promise what you can't deliver. If you can spare two, three or even four hours a week then give it without reservation. And if you promise something, make sure you deliver.

Happy writing!

ASK & LISTEN

Write what you know is a saying I hear often. While this is true, it is also important to ask and listen, especially if you're pitching to a specific production company.

Most writers will send their screenplays in blind. They won't even bother to check to see what the company has made, is currently making or actively looking for. If you're happy with your work being quickly and easily rejected then this is fine. If however, you want to give your work the best chance of being considered you'll need to do some research. That research is will come in two forms.

1 - Look at the company's back catalogue. This will help to identify the type of films they favour and also help to avoid sending in screenplays that are too similar to something they've made before. They may prefer crime thrillers so sending a rom-com isn't doing you any favours. If they have made a film with a plot that's very similar to your screenplay's it's a good bet they probably won't be interested in making yours. You must bear in mind that companies receive several screenplays a month similar to other stuff they've made, especially if their film or TV show was very successful. Thinking about what you're going to send already puts you way ahead of the majority of writers.

2 - To give yourself the best chance of your screenplay hitting the mark it's worth asking the company what they are looking for. Email is great, phoning is better. It's easy to ignore an email and let's be honest everyone responds well to a nice friendly voice on the other end of the line. Once you know for certain what they are interested in you won't be wasting your time, or more importantly, theirs.

To give you an example. I recently researched a production company, going through their back catalogue to try and decern the type of feature they might be interested in. After feeling pretty confident I knew what that was I emailed them a pitch for a feature idea.

I received a 'no thank you' email from them yesterday (03.04.2018). Despite this, I was delighted to discover they really enjoyed my idea and work. I'm also very grateful to them for going a step further and not only telling me what they are actually looking for but for also giving me examples I can go away and watch. Now I have a better idea of what to send them in the future and I can tailor my pitches to their current needs. What could be easier?

Don't waste your time and just settle for sending out any old script, make sure you know exactly what the production company is looking for and it will really make you stand out.

Happy writing!