Has anyone around here paid for coverage before? I’m wondering at which point in the writing process coverage would prove to be most useful/helpful.

On one hand, I’m thinking that it would be best for one to wait until they’ve completed the script to the best of their ability and feel it is ready to be sent out.

On the other, I could understand the argument of sending out an early draft to avoid moving too far down the wrong road, though this strategy would likely hit your wallet a bit harder.

Which is more effective? Does it really boil down to a personal choice between time and money or is one method known to be more efficient?

My thought is to wait until you've either done your best or hit a wall.  I doubt many of us on here can afford to shell out a couple hundred (or in some cases THOUSAND) dollars every few months for a script.

Do your best, get free help from others here and THEN pay for help. And I'd suggest a through critique instead of just coverage.

My thought is to wait until you've either done your best or hit a wall.  I doubt many of us on here can afford to shell out a couple hundred (or in some cases THOUSAND) dollars every few months for a script.

Do your best, get free help from others here and THEN pay for help. And I'd suggest a through critique instead of just coverage.

I totally agree. Personally, what I do is submit them to screenwriting contests and work on multiple scripts at a time. It's kind of chaotic, but if you're the type of person where your head is all over the place going a million miles a second, that method might be the best method for you.

To me it's hard to focus on one script at a time in the rewrite process, because in working at other scripts you can disconnect yourself from the first one and come back to it with fresh eyes. I only do this when I'm the only writer, however. If you have a partner, the process goes much faster.

The best advice I've heard that I can give really is to just "Never stop writing." If you feel any sort of inspiration to write something, even if it's pointless, you might as well do it for the practice. If you never stop growing, there's no limits to your potential you can reach. At least, if you're just starting out. When you're a "veteran writer" it might be time to get your name out there : P

A cheaper option ($19.95)is to buy THE SCREENWRITERS BIBLE by DAVID TROTTIER  (ISBN: 1-879505-44-4) it's a complete guide to writing, formatting, and selling your script.

Always a good point there, :) it is one of the best books you can buy, bar 'Save the Cat' by Blake Snyder. (rip)

Dawn

I'VE PAID for coverage 3 times. 2 of those times, the review and notes were very helpful and didn't sink my wallet. One of those times got me a meeting with a producer after I made suggested changes and on route to one of those meetings I was in a car wreck where I should've died or crippled for life. And I walked away from that with a few teeth missing; broken nose; lots of blood and my Jeep wrecked.
But that's another story. He ended up actually shopping the script around, and we almost had a go until stuff happened in his life and we didn't go forward.
The third time was worthless. The analyst gave me notes - suggestions that were already incorporated in the script. So that told me he didn't read the script that well...and now I won't go back to that company.

Bottom line ?
Research your analysts very, very well. google them like hell. Before you go to any of them? Man, woman...do your work. Read, write screenplays. Study ALL kinds of movies, because a screenplay is a visually driven narrative without commercial breaks. That means that in a real movie...not just on your page...scenes are cut with a sharp knife.  Be your toughest critic, because it's so darn easy to be your biggest supporter. If you don't do the hard work...your money to a paid analyst is going right down the drain...and Hollywood's gonna laugh all the way to the bank on your coin. And no, it's not because no one gets you.

Has anyone around here paid for coverage before? I’m wondering at which point in the writing process coverage would prove to be most useful/helpful.

On one hand, I’m thinking that it would be best for one to wait until they’ve completed the script to the best of their ability and feel it is ready to be sent out.

On the other, I could understand the argument of sending out an early draft to avoid moving too far down the wrong road, though this strategy would likely hit your wallet a bit harder.

Which is more effective? Does it really boil down to a personal choice between time and money or is one method known to be more efficient?

This dates back a bit but what the hell.

You guys are confusing "coverage" with "consulting," the two aren't the same thing, albeit they have similarities.

Coverage refers to an evaluation usually written by a d-person who's acting in a "read script, accept or reject" mode in which his "coverage" is used to advise the bigwigs as to whether the script should be considered or rejected.  He first writes his evaluation of the material in a dozen different categories (a number that can vary from studio to studio or prodco to prodco), commercial potential being an important one.  Summarize the story, discuss its execution a bit.  Checkoff either "Consider" or "Pass," and send it to the honchos.

Evaluation of a script in a more narrow and focused sense that sets all the "commercial potential" kinds of things aside and just looks at the quality of the writing and the script's adherence to good literary principles and the conventions of its genre and its form and execution ... is what a script consultant does (some of them write coverage too) and it's this kind of evaluation a writer can think about having done on their work.

You don't need coverage, you need a good evaluation of your writing.

The trick is, as usual, finding a good script consultant.  They are around and finding a good one is not an insurmountable task.  I guess Google becomes your friend again.  One thing a writer can do to help assure they've got a good consultant lined up is to ask them for a list of their recent clients, with email addresses, allowing you to do some due diligence by talking to those one-time clients of your prospective consultant.  Are they happy with the work this guy did for them?  Do they recommend him?

As with most any kind of professional consulting, there's a layered skein of script consultants out there, from the low end to the high end.  High end guys charge up to $5000 for a consultation.  Low end guys do it for a few hundred.  You should be able to get a fairly decent and detailed and definitive evaluation of your script for around $500.

The "when to do it" question is a good one and my answer to it is when you've got your work as well developed as you think you can make it, get it evaluated, not before.  It ain't that complicated.  I don't think many consultants will actually look at early drafts, they don't wanna get stuck helping writers develop early drafts, that's writer's work, not a consultants.  I think most prefer evaluating a writer's best work, which means most complete work, finished screenplays, albeit they may lack a polish.

Although I have in the past, I no longer buy this kind of service myself, I've now got a posse that reads my stuff and tells me where it doesn't work, and usually why, and I read their stuff for them.  It's a good trade.  Ya usually learn something going both ways.

Personally, I go for a full critique first. I idea that if you can have someone break each section down you are able to see the problem areas better when you go into the umpteenth edit. For me, at least, it makes the editing process faster as you can zero in on the problem areas and not damage what is already perfect.

Can anyone suggest where to get a good critique on a one-hour pilot?

Jed, there are plenty of options for coverage, including our own here at Talentville.  Or, there are Citizen memberships where I personally read and review a script.  Obviously I am partial to our own coverage services, but other members might have other sources they have used that they will want to recommend.

Yes, I see a page with coverage examples but I don't see how to ask for coverage or the cost?

Oh, that is simple, for our coverage:  It is all in the General Store menu, both the Pro Coverage and the Citizenship with a review by me.  Of course, asking other members who they recommend for coverage is always a smart thing to do, there are many options in that arena all around the internet, at varying costs.

Of course, one of the ideas of the site is to get some regular writer feedback before plunking down Coverage money, that is all done with the TalentDollars as you probably know already.

Ben's right.  For whatever it's worth, I'd first recommend getting at least three reviews from peers here on Talentville before paying for professional coverage.  See what the three reviews say.  If they agree on things, then consider making the changes although remember, it's your script so do with it what you feel best.   After three reviews here, I generally always pay for a professional review because they can see things I can't and most times with their fees, they'll give you a logline, and I'm terrible at writing loglines.

Ah ha!!!  I see Ben says you'll get a review by him if you become a Citizen.  Am I reading that right?  That's a bonus in itself and should - in addition to the other perks - be worth the money., at least in my opinion.    Ben, if they buy a Citizenship, could they hold off getting your review until they've got their three peer reviews?