I should caveat this week’s newsletter by stating that I have never had an agent and, though I have had a few offers, I only have my own limited experience to share. But, as a keen observer and analyser, I have gained a fairly strong insight into the process and developed what I hope is a balanced view on the matter. Please take the following in the spirit it’s intended, because everybody’s experience is different.

It’d be easy to spout opinions on a subject without researching it properly first. I’m a big believer in sitting on the fence until I’ve gathered enough diverse information to help form an opinion.

I have spoken to writers across the UK of different ages, backgrounds, career stages, and locations outside London. I have spoken directly to agents, whether that’s one-to-one, in Q&A sessions, or at talks and festivals. I’ve listened to podcasts, read articles, followed agents’ social media posts, and spoken with writers who advocate for themselves and question the need for representation altogether. I’ve also spoken with production companies, commissioners, producers, and executives about how they work with represented and unrepresented writers.

If I’ve missed something, please do let me know. I genuinely like having a 360-degree view of important topics.

The obvious answer is, of course, to get me work.

And perhaps, six or seven years ago, that may have been enough. But nowadays it seems agents may make introductions, put you forward for opportunities, and help open doors, but you still need to maintain momentum and relationships yourself.

Earlier this year, while attending the Rocaberti Writers’ Retreat on a full scholarship, somebody asked me a question that really stayed with me:

“What can an agent do that you can’t do yourself?”

I’ll admit, it stung a little. But it was also a fair question.

By that point I’d already had a General at BBC Studios, secured a commission for a high-budget short that received a theatrical release, worked with established producers on BFI applications, and built relationships with executives across different departments, all without representation. Nothing more than persistence, curiosity, and a growing confidence in networking. And since I have had another General and I’m working across two features with known industry players.

Well, honestly, because I have a day job. I commit at least thirty-five hours a week to paying the bills. I live in the South West which, whilst far less of a barrier in the digital age, still means I can’t just pop out to networking events or meetings in London at the drop of a hat. And face-to-face really is where relationships deepen fastest.

And then there’s health.

Perimenopause has absolutely beaten me over the head with a stick for the last four years and I’m only just now getting it under control. A lot of women would understandably say, “it’s part of life, just get on with it”, and believe me ducks, I do. But I also think it’s important that we talk honestly about these things, because symptoms vary wildly and they absolutely affect our ability to sustain momentum creatively, professionally, and emotionally.

For me, it was migraines. At its worst, over sixteen a month.

We shouldn’t underestimate how much our health impacts our ability to get up and go, particularly when we are trying to sustain a second career around work, family, and life. It always comes back to balance. You are no good to anybody if you’re running yourself into the ground.

Think about this wording for a moment.

A little bit longer…

Nope, read it again!

The key word here is SCRIPTS.

Meaning…? Yup, you’ve got it. There is NOTHING to stop you from emailing.

I’ve had a few offers, yes. But nothing that felt quite right.

To take fifteen percent of my income, an agent needs to demonstrate a genuine investment in me, an interest in my work, and a desire to complement what I’m already doing. I said to another writer recently, perhaps slightly flippantly, that you wouldn’t pay a plumber to simply tell you to look it up on YouTube.

Now, I know I’m doing a lot of good agents a disservice when I say that. There are brilliant agents out there. Passionate agents. Career-defining agents. But like every industry, there are also people looking for an easy win and others who genuinely care about the craft and the people behind it.

I just haven’t met the right fit… yet.

And honestly, I’ve had no real problem securing commissions, attracting producers and directors, or getting general meetings without one, or being shortlisted for BFI funding grants. Granted, there are rooms and opportunities an agent might be able to fast-track me into, but why sit around waiting for the world to come to me?

I also use the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain extensively. As a candidate member I pay a relatively small monthly fee and have access to contract templates, legal advice, training, and support. Trust me when I say I make them work very hard for that membership fee.

I think the other thing worth saying is that the process of finding an agent itself takes an enormous amount of time and research. There are hundreds of agents across the UK and you need to work out which agencies are relevant to your career stage, identify the right individual, understand what kind of writers they’re looking for, and hope they’re even open to submissions at that particular moment.

That alone can take weeks.

And for me, that’s time I could otherwise spend writing, networking, building relationships with production companies, or making work.

When the time is right, they will come to you.

Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t approach agents or put yourself out there. But I do think many writers convince themselves an agent is the missing piece before they’ve fully developed the career foundations around them.

You’ve made a short film. Wonderful. But what does it demonstrate about you as a collaborator, a writer, a professional? How you can take on board feedback? How to write to a brief?

You may believe your script is the next Adolescence or the next big summer blockbuster, and perhaps one day it might be. But unless you’ve proven yourself within the industry ecosystem, it’s incredibly unlikely those projects are suddenly going to leap into production overnight.

That doesn’t make the work worthless. Far from it.

Your spec script is your calling card. It demonstrates voice, perspective, craft, and potential. It may well get made someday. But often it is the thing that opens the next conversation rather than the final destination itself.

Manage that expectation early and you save yourself a lot of heartbreak when inevitable rejections arrive.

I keep bringing this back to the title of this publication, The Business of Writing, because increasingly I don’t think screenwriting is just about writing anymore. You need to understand the industry, the market, development, collaboration, networking, relationships, visibility, and how to sustain momentum over a very long period of time.

I think that’s the part many of us don’t realise when we begin. We think the challenge is becoming a good writer. But increasingly, the challenge is learning how to sustain a creative career alongside everything else life asks of us.

So do you still think you’re ready for an agent? Let me know!
Helen

Next up… Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. (Why It’s Actually a Good Thing for Writers)