Your goal is to sell your screenplay

You've spent months writing your script and now you're eager to present it to prospective buyers. But is it ready? Considering the large time and money investment you've made (and are about to make selling it), it makes good sense to be sure of where your script stands and how to position it in the marketplace.

(For a list of Dave's nine services and corresponding fees, scroll down.)

Five reasons to send your script to Dave

1. Dozens of his clients have sold their work. Two have won Nicholl Fellowships and one a National Play Award. Hear their stories.

2. He is a produced screenwriter who understands the market.

3. He has taught and motivated writers for over a decade. Although he has succeeded as a screenwriter, his greater talents are in analysis, coaching, and helping writers reach their potential.

4. Dave's book, The Screenwriter's Bible, now in its fourth edition, is one of the top-selling screenwriting books in the world.

5. His exhaustive "Master Evaluation" is complemented by a one-on-one story conference that allows you to follow-up on the written evaluation and get the answers you need to revise and sell your script. (See "2. Master Evaluation & Consultation" below.)

Absolute honesty at reasonable rates

Most written evaluations are completed within 3 - 4 weeks of receiving your material, so there's no long wait for a response, plus Dave will both email and snail mail you a copy of his analysis. A RUSH service is available.

All evaluations are done by Dave himself

Dave has no assistants helping him evaluate your script; he does all of the evaluating himself. And each script is carefully read, sometimes twice. Dave is direct, clear, and realistic; and his criticism is both constructive and motivating.

SERVICES AND FEES

1. 14-POINT ANALYSIS

Dave evaluates your script on fourteen key spec writing areas, as follows: 1) spine of the story and plotting, 2) heart of the story and relationships, 3) foreshadowing and unity, 4) conflict, 5) characterization, 6) character development and motivation, 7) dialogue, 8) theme, 9) action and narrative description, 10) formatting, 11) believability, 12) originality, 13) title and concept, and 14) commercial appeal.

Dave will rate your script as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor in each of the 14 areas, plus he will add a concise paragraph regarding each area.

FEE: $325. Turnaround: 3-4 weeks.

For 1-2 week RUSH service, add $100.

For scripts over 120 pages, add an additional $3 per page for each page over the 120-page limit.

2. MASTER EVALUATION & CONSULTATION

Dave's deluxe master service consists of the following:

A 14-point analysis as described above.

A thorough, market-wise 10-15 page written critique of your script that integrates the 14-point analysis. Dave tailors his comments to your individual script. His exhaustive evaluation will help you strengthen the structure, bring your characters to life, improve your dialogue, correct your formatting, and enhance your commercial prospects. Dave helps you see the pluses and minuses, gives specific examples, and presents you with possible solutions to your script's problems.

A telephone story conference of up to one hour. Once you digest Dave's thoughtful and incisive evaluation and 14-point analysis, then you may call him for a story conference to discuss the evaluation, the script, the market, or just brainstorm new ideas--whatever you need whenever you need it. You provide the agenda for this one-on-one consultation. You'll find Dave to be a friendly and insightful mentor.

FEE: $675. Turnaround: 3-4 weeks.

For 1-2 week RUSH service, add $100.

For scripts over 120 pages, add an additional $4 per page for each page over the 120-page limit.

For a screenplay previously evaluated by Dave: $625

DISCOUNT: Send Dave your script and query letter together for evaluation and pay only $710. That's a savings of $80.

3. WRITE A SCREENPLAY IN 4 STEPS

If you're just beginning a script or are in the idea stage, then let Dave mentor you through four steps of the writing process, culminating in the completion of a showcase script. The fourth step of this Write a Screenplay program is the equivalent of Dave's Master Evaluation & Consultation (#2 above).

4. QUERY LETTER EVALUATION

How to apply for an evaluation

5. ONE-SHEET EVALUATION

For 2-7 day RUSH service, add $80.

How to apply for an evaluation

6. TEN PAGES EVALUATION

For 2-7 day RUSH service, add $80.

How to apply for an evaluation

7. TREATMENT EVALUATION

How to apply for an evaluation

8. ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION

FEE: $200 per hour for telephone consultations or meetings with writers, producers, and investors. Script doctoring rates vary, depending on the nature of the project—call for a proposal.

9. FORMATTING REVIEW

Dave's formatting review is available to those who want their script, or a portion thereof, reviewed for formatting issues only. Dave will hand correct the formatting on each page.

Note: Dave's Master Evaluation & Consultation service described above (Service #2) includes a review of formatting with suggested corrections of each type of formatting error or problem.