Dear SS community,

If you're an aspiring screenwriter like I am, chances are you have listed your script for sale or option online.  There are many sites to choose from.  Some are free, while others charge a listing fee.  My personal feeling is that sites that charge a listing fee are more likely to attract a higher caliber writer.  I'd also imagine that these "pay to list" sites have far fewer listings for prospective filmmakers to weed through.  

I'm curious to know the thoughts of others in the screenwriting community and would like to pose the following questions:

1)  As a writer, would you pay to list your script online if you honestly felt it would provide you with the right exposure?  If not, why not?

2)  Do you believe that sites with free listings attract a much higher ratio of writer to filmmaker?

3)  How much would you be willing to pay (per script) to list your feature length screenplay on a website that attracted a high percentage of bona fide filmmakers?

I look forward to your feedback!

I have listed scripts on InkTip (infact have one right now $60/four months) and I have one on the blacklist site ($25/month and $75 for one review) ... BUT the only place I  have SOLD a script from is here on simply scripts. The Bunker feature was found here... $1000 ....Dysgenesis was found here ($1000 to write it into feature) and a short I wrote here called 12 Steps ... was picked up and that producer came back to recently by my feature Cougar Camp for $1250 with backend cap at 50K.

Sooooooooooooo my two cents.... simply scripts has done me BETTER than any other site and I've tried just about all of them to be honest(except Script Revolution...do'nt have any over there yet) ....

I've used everything other than Blacklist (including Script Revolution).

80% of my Short scripts have sold/been optioned through SimplyScripts.

My feature sales/options/commissions have come through people finding me via my own website and through SimplyScripts.

So I'm in total agreement with Dena!

Quoted Text 1)  As a writer, would you pay to list your script online if you honestly felt it would provide you with the right exposure?

Absolutely!

Quoted Text 2)  Do you believe that sites with free listings attract a much higher ratio of writer to filmmaker?

No idea

Quoted Text 3)  How much would you be willing to pay (per script) to list your feature length screenplay on a website that attracted a high percentage of bona fide filmmakers?

A commission.

I got a free trial six months trial on Ink-Tip for a script that was 2nd place PAGE Winner. Many views of the log-line - no contact from anyone.

Tried Blacklist years and years ago - think it is just a money making scam.

I tried virtual pitch - scam IMO.

All of my real contacts have come from here of Script Revolution - both free sites.

This is the only way I would pay for a service now.

COMMISSION!

I want a site that will list your script and only charge you a commission when you get paid from a script selling. Kind of like a virtual agent. That would incentive them to highlight quality scripts, push exposure, seek producers, etc. etc. There incentive now is to get you to post or list a script so that they can get $$$$$$$. I only want them to get money if as a result of their efforts I sell a script. Other than that - they can bugger off.

One of my scripts was found on Script Revolution. A free site.

One was found on InkTip. A pay site.

All my other ones, 40+, have been found here at SS. A FREE site.

I like Dave's idea of a commission based site.

Quoted from Grandma Bear One of my scripts was found on Script Revolution. A free site. One was found on InkTip. A pay site. All my other ones, 40+, have been found here at SS. A FREE site. I like Dave's idea of a commission based site.

Thanks - make them earn their money :)

I like the idea of a commission-based site, but I'm not sure how it would actually work. The site would rationally expect some to make first contact through the site then work around it to avoid paying the commission.

The site would need a stake in the script's copyright and its own WGA registration in case of a dispute, at least until it was established that courts took them seriously.

Maybe it's reasonable to give a site that kind of a stake, but what happens if you make your own contacts at a festival? You'd still have to pay the commission.

The site would need to be designed carefully to prevent leaking the writer's contact info, and it would require you to either post the work exclusively with them or attach a notice of the site's interest, and the terms of service would probably assume any breach of confidentiality was entirely your fault... such as unblinding your authorship at a festival.

So the model isn't perfect... they could sit on their butts and still collect a trickle of commissions... but I think it does incentivize them to get off their butts to earn a decent income through commissions.