7 best screenwriting pitch sites to help you sell your script.
Once you’ve written the “perfect script,” there’s nothing you want more than to get it out there and into the right hands. The problem is, how?
A technique that’s become extremely popular among aspiring screenwriters is to utilize the services of an online screenwriting pitch site.
For a fee (usually), a screenplay submission site can host your script or even send it off into the industry for you. Some pitch websites also offer script coverage, and access to a roster of managers, directors, producers and an aggregated score that’ll help showcase your work.
Is it worth submitting to screenwriting pitch websites?
Yes and no. While you do have a chance of connecting with an industry professional using screenplay listing services, it can be quite hit and miss. Not to mention pricey.
For this reason, screenwriting pitch sites do have something of a shaky reputation among aspiring writers and professional writers alike, as the odds of getting noticed are pretty slim.
On the other hand, careers have been started via screenwriting pitch sites, which keeps them in the game among aspiring writers looking to break into the industry.
We’ll discuss the pros and cons of using scriptwriting pitch sites in more detail later, (and offer some alternatives) but let’s start off on a positive note by taking a look at the seven online pitch sites that made the list.
Top 7 scriptwriting pitch sites.
In our opinion, there are only seven screenwriting pitch sites worth considering if you decide to implement this method in your script marketing strategy.
They are, in alphabetical order:
• The Black List
• Coverfly Pitch Week
• InkTip
• ISA Connect
• Screenwriting Staffing
• Script Revolution
• Virtual Pitchfest
Let’s take a look at each in more detail.
1. The Black List.
As opposed to the original Black List—a roundup of Hollywood execs’ favorite unproduced screenplays of the year—this is a screenwriting pitch website that acts as a platform for writers to showcase their projects to the industry.
You can’t send your scripts directly to industry personnel, such as agents, managers, execs and producers, but for a monthly fee can host them on the site to hopefully get noticed.
The system works on an aggregate scoring system which encourages you to spend more money on script coverage in the hope of gaining more visibility.
Pricing and other things you should know.
Things can get pricey fairly quickly as it costs $30 per month to host just one script. If you want to host another one, that’ll be another 30 bucks, and so on. (It’s free to use if you’re in the WGA, though.)
Overall, they’re fairly light on specifics on the process of being discovered. Purchasing their $100 coverage might boost your script’s chances of being noticed—but only as long as the reviews are positive, of course. And there’s also no information on success stories from using the service, although many aspiring writers do swear by it.
This is an annual event hosted by Coverfly in which writers pitch online to industry professionals who they’ve been matched with and who are actively looking for projects in their script’s genre.
Not everyone who registers gets to pitch, though. First, you have to put together a portfolio, including loglines and a bio for the Coverfly team and industry pros’ consideration.
If they like what they read and you make it through the selection process, you’ll then be able to schedule a Zoom call and pitch your ideas.
Pricing and other things you should know.
It is completely free to register and take part in Coverfly’s Pitch Week, which is a major bonus, but you do have to become a Coverfly member. (Which is also free.)
The main drawback, therefore, is that it’s the same process as entering a screenwriting contest. You need to make sure that your logline is not just good but outstanding, in order for it to make it through.
(PS: If you think you may need help perfecting your logline we have a Logline Analysis service that can help. And also, a Marketing Mentorship, in which you can practice your pitch on our pro screenwriters.)
InkTip are one of the oldest pitch screenwriting websites in the business—and for good reason as they boast an impressive record when it comes to helping aspiring writers break in.
To date, they say that’s 400 movies made, 300 writers gaining representation and thousands having their scripts optioned or bought.
They’re also more transparent than many screenwriting pitch sites with their “Weekly Successes” page which lists every script that’s been optioned, bought or made every week.
Pricing and other things you should know.
When you’ve signed up, you’ll be on an InkTip Basic plan, but in order to make your scripts visible to industry personnel you’ll have to upgrade to InkTip Pro.
This plan costs $32.50 per month in order to host a script that’s visible to industry personnel and also comes with “Weekly Script Requests”—a bulletin of over twenty-four script requests from execs and producers detailing what material they’re looking for.
ISA Connect lets you upload a portfolio including loglines, scripts, pitches, awards, etc. to their Writer’s Showcase that’s perused by over 5000 industry pros and companies.
These include Gersh, RMG and Rubicon and the service has nearly 4000 writer success stories to its name.
Once you’re signed up you’ll also have the chance to apply directly toscreenwriting jobs, apply to be an ISA Development Slate member, and also be featured on the ISA Spotlight and ISA Top 25—all designed to give new writers a chance at being discovered.
Pricing and other things you should know.
ISA Connect is one of the cheaper screenwriting pitch sites, with a price tag of just $10 per month to host unlimited portfolios/scripts on their platform.
Although for these ten bucks you’ll be able to explore screenwriting jobs and potentially get noticed by an industry member on the Writer’s Showcase, to really reap the benefits, your work will have to be good enough to make it onto the Development Slate, Spotlight and/or Top 25.
Screenwriting Staffing is another great screenwriting pitch site that offers both a regular and a paid membership option.
The regular service provides you with a list of screenwriting “leads” (ads for screenwriting jobs, partnerships, collaborations, etc.) in a weekly email.
The paid premium membership will get you the weekly leads email plus the opportunity to post your loglines to a board frequented by industry professionals. You’ll also be able to access premium leads from execs and producers actively looking for emerging writing talent.
Pricing and other things you should know.
Screenwriting Staffing’s regular membership is completely free, but for that you’re just getting a list of collaboration opportunities and writing gigs that everyone under the sun will also be applying for.
To get more out of the service you’re better off upgrading to the premium membership, which costs $19.99 per month (or $129.99 per year), but will at least connect you to their database of industry pros.
We love British screenwriter, CJ Walley’s, manifesto on the Script Revolution homepage:
“I believe artists shouldn’t have to pay for exposure and scripts need time to be discovered by the right people. I know this to be true because that’s how I broke into the industry from outside Hollywood and outside America.”
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be able to upload as many scripts as you wish and create a portfolio for industry professionals to (hopefully) notice and reach out to you directly via private message.
Pricing and other things you should know.
Script Revolution performs the same function as other pay-to-host screenwriting pitch sites like InkTip and the Black List, except CJ’s is completely free to join.
If you want to help with the costs of running the site, however, there is the option to become a “Rockstar” member and pay $7.99 per month (or $60 per year). Members get shoutouts, priority listings, highlighted Rockstar status and are eligible for the Featured Scripts section.
Virtual Pitch Fest has impressive roster of over 500 management and production companies in its network, including UTA, Zero Gravity and NBC Universal.
The site is an IMDb Pro-style database which you can use to filter industry members who are looking for material similar to yours and then pitch them directly.
The main advantage Virtual Pitch Fest has over IMDb is that you’re guaranteed a reply from your chosen exec or manager within five days, which is pretty impressive. If they pass, they’re also obliged to tell you why, via a selection of responses such as, “Strong project, just currently not the right fit,” “The story’s concept is unclear to us,” etc.
Pricing and other things you should know.
Pricing comes in three packages: Standard, VIP and VIP+, which cost $55 for five pitches, $90 for 10 and $189 for 25, respectively. And that’s five, ten or twenty-five pitches in total for that price, not per month.
All packages come with the guarantee of a response within five days.
Okay, so here’s the main complaint leveled at screenwriting submission sites: the vast majority of writers just end up paying a lot of money to host their scripts for very little reward.
The problem is that you’re paying a company to list your logline/script along with hundreds (possibly thousands) of others, in the hope that it catches the eye of someone who can help your career.
On the other hand, many writers obviously have kickstarted their careers with the help of these pitching sites. So let’s take a quick look at some pros and cons.
Cons of screenwriting pitch sites.
1. Cost. This is the biggest drawback to submitting to (most) online pitch sites—the fact that you can only get your work seen if you pay to do so. And the cost can quickly add up if you want to add your script to more than one pitch site. You could easily spend $100 per month, with no real guarantee of a positive outcome.
2. Faux exclusivity. Some scriptwriting pitch sites entice aspiring writers by making them feel as if this list is extremely exclusive. Technically it may be because you have to pay to be on it, but that’s where the exclusivity ends.
3. Industry indifference. Some pitch sites make managers, producers and execs pay to use them. But it’s debatable—what with the tremendous network that they have in Hollywood—whether bona fide industry professionals really need to pay an online pitch site to search for new writers.
Pros of screenwriting pitch sites.
This isn’t to say that we think you should completely dismiss screenwriting pitch sites out of hand, so here are some good reasons for signing up.
1. Success stories. Writers obviously do option/sell their scripts and gain representation via pitching websites all the time, as shown in the fantastic testimonials on sites like InkTip and Script Revolution.
If you’ve got a fantastic script then you’ll probably increase your chances of selling it if it’s hosted on a pitch site than if it’s not.
2. Motivation. Sometimes the very act of finishing a script and getting it out into the world can be a problem for writers. Procrastination has taken hold of many a career to the point that it never gets going.
Knowing, however, that there’s a place where you can easily upload your work and make contact with industry pros, can be highly motivating.
3. Quality control. If you upload your script to a screenwriting pitch site and nothing happens for months on end, it could be a heads-up that something in it needs fixing.
This can be an invaluable wake-up call to get feedback from a fellow writer or professional script reader to put things right before you really start marketing it in the real world.
A 3-step plan to submitting your work to screenwriting pitch sites.
Registering with a script pitching site can certainly be a viable method to add to your marketing strategy. But the key phrase is “proceed with caution.”
If you do decide to give online pitch sites a try, there are a few steps you should do in order to get the best out of the experience.
1. Create a first class portfolio. We’ve spoken about this before in relation to how to sell a script in the real world. You need at least two, but preferably three, A++ scripts, a logline, query letter, synopsis, pitch, etc. before heading out into the industry.
The same rule applies here with pitch websites. If you upload second rate material you’re really just wasting your money, so make sure you get feedback first.
2. Research thoroughly. Once you’ve got a portfolio ready to go, take some time to properly vet the pitch sites you’re thinking about submitting to. Yes, we’ve narrowed down the list for you in this blog post, but what might be a good fit for one writer might not be for you.
How transparent are they? What exactly are you paying for? What happens if I put “[Add company name] reviews” in a search engine?
3. Try one at a time. Rather than signing up for two or three screenwriting pitch sites at the same time, choose your favorite and register with that one alone. Try it out for a few months and see what happens.
If the answer’s not much, is that because of the script or the site? If it’s the script, rewrite and come back with another draft. If it’s the site, move onto your second on the list.
The alternative to spending money on scriptwriting pitch sites.
Do the work and get your scripts out there yourself.
Once you have a first-rate portfolio, there really is no substitution to doing things the old-fashioned way and simply putting in the work required to market it yourself.
Plus, it’s free. Move to Los Angeles if you can. Get a job at an agency. Mix with industry pros and other writers.
Another problem with screenwriting pitch sites is that they have a tendency to make writers complacent. Like all they have to do is pay thirty bucks a month, sit back and wait for the offers to come rushing in.
But marketing a script doesn’t work like that. Even if you have one hosted on a pitch site, you should never just put your feet up and think that’s all you need to do.
4 quick n’ easy ideas to get started marketing your script yourself.
If you’d rather stick to the more traditional ways of selling a script, here are some options below.
1. Sign up with IMDb Pro and/or Done Deal Pro.
You’ll have to pay a monthly fee to sign up at IMDb Pro or Done Deal Pro, but you will also get the direct contact details of managers, execs and producers and be able to make real connections yourself.
Alternatively, much of the same information can be found online for free, but it takes much more digging. A good place to start, though, is to sign up for our newsletter and receive a free copy of our Top 130 Hollywood Managers list.
2. Try to get on the original Black List instead of the paid website.
Another option is to simply learn how to write a script that’s good enough to get onto the original Black List of unproduced scripts circulating Hollywood executives.
A good place to start is by familiarizing yourself with the loglines and scripts that actually make it onto the Black List, which you can do via this post. Then you’ll know the standard you have to achieve and the kind of work they’re looking for.
3. Join our Script Reader Pro Marketing Mentorship.
If you’ve already done the work and have a portfolio of scripts ready to go but aren’t sure where to start, our Script Marketing Mentorship can help.
The mentorship involves three one-hour video calls with a professional screenwriter who will guide you on the next steps to take to kickstart your writing career. We ask all prospective mentees to first purchase a $69 Initial Assessment to make sure we’re a good fit.
4. Learn everything you can about how to sell a script.
We have a blog post category devoted to how to become a screenwriter where you’ll find a ton of information you can start applying to your career today. For free.
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Have you used online screenwriting pitch sites? How did you find them? Or do you use the IMDb Pro method? Tell us your experiences in the comments section below.
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1. The Black List.
3. InkTip.
4. ISA Connect.
