HOW TO BE YOUR OWN MANAGER

Recently a few people have asked me how to get a manager. Having reps is valuable, but they should be RIGHT for you (shoutout @noahjones). So today I'd like to talk about something even more important: being your own advocate. (1/20)

And I'm prefacing this with the obvious: I'm just one person. For the sake of transparency, I had a great base of connections to build from. I did 4 different internships (while also working!) I graduated from @USCCinema. I've been temping + assisting in TV for years. (2/20)

I was previously repped at a large company for 1.5 years and decided to part ways with them in January 2020. It was a VERY tough decision. But in the interim, I underwent HUGE growth. Not only did my writing improve immensely, but I learned how to fight for myself. (3/20)

So let's get into it. First and foremost is IDENTIFY YOUR NETWORK. It could be the college you went to. Places you've temped, jobs you've had. Lateral networking is KEY. Get to know assistants in development who will eventually become execs. (4/20)

I've literally said it a million times: SPREADSHEETS. Know them. Get comfortable with them. You need to start tracking the relationships you're making. Here's the template I use to do that (w/ fake info filled out) so you know how to use it. (5/20) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FJDX4KpZbyGTv-qifDBK8TsZ0LGTUNHnMI4VpcKFE44/edit#gid=0

So how did I get these meetings?

1) Social Media. Network with people at your own level (assts/emerging writers). Exchange work. Set zoom coffees. Get your name out there.

2) Reaching out to former jobs.

3) Deadline/Google alerts. More on this below... (6/20)

Follow the trades (Deadline, Variety, Hollywood Reporter) on social media. They announce when companies begin development on a new series. Hear about a show you're DYING to work for? Set a Google alert. Now. By the time the show is picked up to series, it's too late. (7/20)

Figure out who's the writer involved, which studio and production companies, and which executives are across the project. Get on their radar EARLY. Find the execs on LinkedIn or even Twitter and reach out, polite and professional. I've gotten staffing meetings this way. (8/20)

Bonus points if you can connect the project to anyone on your networking sheet somehow, whether you know an assistant at the company or know a writer who's worked with them before. Hollywood is built on personal recs. The more people vouching for you the better. (9/20)

Another key part is HOW TO GIVE GOOD MEETING.

At the end of the day, a meeting is just a conversation. But it shouldn't be you doing all the talking. Take time to understand the person you're talking to. Where is the company headed? What do they have in development? (10/20)

General meetings are a personality screening. Would the execs feel comfortable working with you? Would a showrunner want you by their side 8hrs a day? You're a writer, but you also need to be entertaining in person. That doesn't mean be fake. Just be your weirdest self! (11/20)

The most valuable thing is AUTHENTICITY. Talk about what excites you right now. What you're writing. The shows you've been watching. Have a few good jokes and anecdotes loaded up (for example, I talk about growing up religious, trans, and extremely horny). Be yourself. (12/20)

And it's a two-way street. Sometimes the vibe of the company is off. That's fine. It's all a valuable learning experience. Sometimes knowing who you DON'T want to work with is just as valuable (if not more). It's never for nothing, trust me. (13/20)

So let's say you've found an opportunity, connected with the exec, and submitted your material. Great! Now what?

FOLLOW UP. I'm talking 2-4 weeks between each email. But being POLITE and PERSISTENT will go a long, long way to pushing yourself higher up the read pile. (14/20)

This seems obvious, but I need to repeat it: the writing has to be EXCEPTIONAL. You can't send writing that's "kind of okay." Do bad writers get reps? Sure. Do they get jobs? Sometimes. Is that infuriating? YES. But you know why? They networked hard enough. (15/20)

I can talk about it more on a different thread, but I have a tiered system of receiving notes from people to make sure my work is ready. Early drafts go to emerging writers I trust. Later drafts to working writers, execs, and showrunners I'm close with. (16/20)

I have a rule that if the script doesn't make someone laugh or cry (ideally both!), the work isn't there yet. Because you only get one shot at a given job. But you WILL get more than one shot as long as you create your own opportunities. Go back to the spreadsheet. (17/20)

Keep making those connections. Keep writing new material. I have friends who suffered by my side when I was an assistant and they were staff writers. They're now showrunning. And you know what? It's still not easy. It never gets any easier. The climb never really stops. (18/20)

Even once you have managers, agents, entertainment lawyers, etc. it's important to remember that no one can work for you as hard as you can work for yourself. Be your own best advocate. Give your reps something to work with. The process should be collaborative. (19/20)

This job can be VERY hard. I have a lot of mental breakdowns thinking I'll never make it. Like a lot. But I'm also very lucky and try to recognize that.

It's fun, it's challenging, and to me it's the best job in the world. So try to enjoy it when it's good. (20/20)