[Justin Marks](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1098479/) is a screenwriter who has worked on feature films ranging from the geek-driven to the way-too-serious. I first met him on the Film France [trip to Paris](http://johnaugust.com/2008/paris-days-1-and-2) in 2008, when his career was in its early stages.
Last week, Justin [tweeted](https://twitter.com/#!/Justin_Marks_/status/73791695103332352):
> Protip: Get a manager. A great manager. The best manager. It’s the difference between having a career and having no career.
> On that last note: there are pros who disagree with me. But they came up in a different generation. So be mindful of that.
I mildly disagree, but: I came up in a different generation. I may be wrong. It’s entirely possible that the experience I had coming of age as a screenwriter in the late 90s is enough different that some of my reflex opinions (e.g. managers are useless) should be questioned. I asked Justin to write up his experiences and opinions. He has has graciously agreed.
You can follow Justin on Twitter [@justin_marks_](https://twitter.com/#!/Justin_Marks_).
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Hello, my name is Justin Marks, and I’m a working screenwriter.
Feels great to say, doesn’t it? It’s not the kind of job description that happens overnight. It was born of more than a decade of frustration and hard work. Good scripts and bad scripts. Good advice and bad advice. Good days and bad days. Easily the most satisfying and unnerving years of my life.
But when exactly did I become a screenwriter? Was it the first time I wrote a screenplay? The first time I got paid to do it?
No.
For me, the moment I became a screenwriter was when I met my manager. He taught me the fundamentals -– how to build a career in a competitive and at times impossibly frustrating business.
Which is why, with John’s permission, I’d like to speak about this thorny issue of literary managers.
So let me come out and say it: if you want to make it in today’s business, I believe you need a manager. It’s as simple as that.
Strangely, among the community of established writers, you’re not likely to find a strong consensus on this topic. Opinions range everywhere from “they’re awesome” to “what kind of moron are you for giving up ten percent to someone who does nothing?” And while I won’t pretend to be some kind of ultimate authority on the issue, I think my insight can be particularly helpful to other young writers looking for a way to get their start.
Here’s the thing about the writers who say you don’t need a manager: chances are they “broke in” during a very different era. As early as five years ago, there were better DVD sales, a writers’ strike that hadn’t yet happened, and far more studios willing to spend far more money on the development of scripts.
Today, not so much. There are fewer screenwriters being paid to do what they do. Even if you’re an established writer, it means doing a lot more work for free, competing with a lot more writers for assignments, and accepting significantly less than your quote for the assignments you get.
And if you’re not yet an established writer…oh boy. The window of entry has narrowed to a pinhole, and your margin for error is nearly non-existent. Write a bad script, slip it to the studios, and your name will be in that computer system for years to come. Every time someone looks you up, you’ll have the stink of negative coverage tied to your name. It puts ever-more precedence on starting with your best foot forward.
Not to mention the agent issue. Say you’re lucky enough to score one. Congrats! They’ll look out for your best interests, right? Sure. There are great agents out there. But they’re also looking out for the best interests of a thousand other clients their agency now represents –- the result of mergers necessitated by the shrinking job market.
How do you get the attention you need when your agent has to handle hundreds of phone calls from dozens of clients, many of whom are competing with you for the same job?
Enter the manager.
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A lot of people wonder what a manager does. After all, an agent gets you jobs. A lawyer negotiates them. So who is this other strange person collecting ten percent in the middle of all that?
Let me answer your question by telling you what my manager does. Or rather, what he did to get me where I am.
[Read more…] about Get a manager
I write six days a week, four hours a day. I’m putting together a portfolio for when I move out to L.A. next year. I’ve finished a musical comedy, am in the middle of a comedy drama, and have two children’s films outlined and in the queue. (One of which I’ve already written as a 35,000 word children’s novel.) So I’m on a surprisingly strict writing schedule considering I have no “real” deadlines.
Take it seriously. I’ve had problems in the past, and regretted waiting as long as I did to do something about it.