1st Edition
How to Manage Your Agent A Writer’s Guide to Hollywood Representation
REPRESENT: No Vocation Without Representation; Types of Representation; Anatomy of an Agency; FEATURE AGENTS: Quick Overview of the Feature Business; Original Material—Specs and Pitches; Writers-for-Hire—Development, Open Assignments, and Rewriters; TELEVISION AGENTS: A Quick Overview of the TV Business; Staffing Season…or, How Agents Help Clients Get Hired; Development Season…or, Selling Your Own TV Show; Reality Agents; OTHER TYPES OF LITERARY AGENTS: Book Agents; Theater Agents; Video Game Agents; Digital Media Agents; YOU AND YOUR AGENT: Finding and Agent; Working with Your Agent; Parting Ways with an Agent; Networking in Hollywood; Getting Your Own Job in Hollywood; APPENDIXES: Glossary, Agency Contact Info, Professional Orgs and Associations; Schools, Classes, and Workshops; Contest and Festivals, Books & Periodicals; Websites, Chatrooms, & Blogs
Biography
Chad Gervich is a television writer/producer, bestselling author, and award-winning playwright. He has written, produced, or developed shows for almost every major network and studio in Hollywood, including E!’s After Lately, starring Chelsea Handler; Disney Channel’s Dog With a Blog; Food Network’s Cupcake Wars; and ABC’s Wipeout. Chad’s first book, Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer’s Guide to the TV Business, has been a staple in film and TV writing programs at USC, UCLA, California State University, Long Island University, as well as in programs at NBC, CBS, and the Writers Guild.
"The writer/representative relationship can be tricky for writers and representatives to navigate. But thanks to Chad’s book, it just got a whole lot easier!"
-- Noah Rosen, Manager, Circle of Confusion; Producer, Dan in Real Life
"All eager, creative hopefuls should have a clear understanding of an agency's place in the entertainment industry and what an agent truly does before picking the person who will be representing their creative voice around town. Simply put, anyone who has the questions: ‘Why doesn't my agent call me back; what does s/he do all day??’, ‘My agent is telling me that I need another new sample!! What should I write and why?’, or ‘How do agents pitch me to executives?’ should read this book."
--Christel Miller, Network Executive, Current Programming, NBC
"Chad is that rare writer that not only has written for series television and sold pilots, he has the ability to take a confusing subject and make it accessible and understandable to writers and aspiring writers of any level. This book is AWESOME. Do yourself a favor, buy it, read it, then read it again."
-- Aaron Korsh, Creator/Executive Producer, Suits
"The author has produced a veritable 'bible' on every aspect the role that agencies fulfil, truly the work of a man who has been there, done that, worn the tee-shirt and made the film!"
--Wendy Laybourn, Network Nine
