Tip #11

Have you heard of the "Hollywood Creative Directory"? It's like a "phone book" for contacting people in the movie business. It retails for about $70. But today's insiders tip is to save you some money. If you go on ebay and search: Hollywood Creative Directory, you can find it for much less. I got mine for .99 cents with free shipping! Unbelievable! I know! And it was brand-new plus it was the 64th edition which came out Fall 2008 so the contact information is still accurate.

The only drawback is that many of these production companies do not have an e-mail address provided which means to submit a query you have to do it through their fax number or their snail mail address.

Remember when making first contact that your query be a straightforward query only - no attachment of your screenplay - that's called an unsolicited manuscript and will basically guarantee that it will be deposited in the nearest trash receptacle.

Also, it doesn't hurt to use the phone numbers given in this directory to try and call their office and see if someone is willing to let you submit your query via e-mail and snag an e-mail address - plus you may stand out from the crowd having made a personal "voice" connection with a live person in their office.

Remember that in addition to presenting yourself professionally on the phone it's important to take the extra step to be friendly. People often forget the simple decency of asking a person "How are you?" - those three words can open doors! Especially if you ask with sincerity. Break the wall that comes up with: "How may I help you." Instead of telling them this is how you can help me, a simple "How are you?" in reply can make a world of difference!

See ya next week,
Simon
simonjmichael.com