This feels counterintuitive to the writing experience and to what writers often hear—”I met (so-and-so) and they ran with my project–and my career took off from there!”

Even from the executive side, we often hear stories like “It was undeniable from page one and I had to work with them.”

However, the untold part of these stories is why a writer’s–or any artists’–experience meeting any one executive doesn’t matter as much as one might think.

First, these stories overlook and bypass the countless hours of writing and rewriting on multiple drafts of multiple pieces of work before the writer had that “undeniable” piece. It also overlooks the countless others who could in fact deny it—the number of wrong execs who happen to be reading your work at the wrong time, meaning prior to your work being seamless, which would be ready to be read (by the right executive at the right time).

So while writers often look at a speaker–whether producer or executive or literary manager–as their immediate ticket to success, they are overlooking that THEY—the writer—are the ticket to their own success.

While JG often has relationships with these individuals, and while at times they do pursue opportunities and writers through us, any one contact is not necessarily a substitute for how your work can attract numerous contacts.

Each speaker—agents, managers, producers, filmmaker, showrunner—has their own business model and may not fit what you individually are doing.

For example, some managers are so successful they don’t need new clients, they only look for evergreens—meaning writers who are already established in the industry (read: already earning significant revenue) rather than emerging artists.

Overnight success is a process and after a writer has spent a few years honing their craft by way of cultivating a set of writing samples, it then can take another 2-3 years for a manager or representative to introduce that writer effectively to the town.  We consider a set of at least five or six samples developed through multiple drafts and profound rounds of conceptual vetting to be professionally relevant.

Yes, there are always exceptions to the rules by exceptional individuals.  But writing is a profession–and professions require professional education and experience.

Ultimately, when our professional members are exposed to speaker after speaker, they realize the recurring emphasis that the one thing that matters is the caliber of their writing work.

So remember, the best way to be prepared to meet these individuals and showcase your industry readiness is by being industry ready BEFORE you meet them. By having an arsenal of industry ready work. By understanding the industry landscape…

By showcasing why they need you rather than why you need them.

If you are looking to enhance your writing ability and prepare yourself for a career in film or TV we’re here to work with you—Learn more about Basic Training or fill out a Career Survey to have a conversation about your next steps