So I had a lit manager that I queried try to gaslight me and just wanted to share because maybe someone can learn from this. Just FYI — I’ve already made up my mind as you’ll see at the end of this (super long 😅) #thread. #screenwriting 
Above is the last email from our correspondence. Seems normal/reasonable at first, but the background is needed to get the full context. Keep scrolling.
But first — though it can be a gross waste of time in terms of ROI, I’m all for querying. I know there’s debate around it and a lot of people proverbially screaming “queries don’t work!” And I will concede, they’re probably the least effective way to get a rep to read your script
But when you have limited industry contacts/friends, it can be enticing to just shoot a nice handful of reps your logline in a short, succinct email. Plus, there are reps who in interviews/podcasts will say they *do* actually read their queries.
I’ve gotten a decent amount of requests and meetings from queries, but haven’t signed w/anyone I met with mainly because of this issue that inspired this thread. I mainly want to caution writers, especially newer, #PreWGA writers, when querying managers. So here’s the full story:
I queried this manager (large company, 500+ clients, this particular manager has 20 years of industry experience) a few weeks ago with a logline for a feature script. He responds by saying, “Please send the deck for further consideration.”
A caveat: He’d actually mentioned in a webinar I saw him on that he likes to see a pitch deck before reading scripts. So not only did I pretty much expect him to request it, but I happened to already have a deck created for this script. (Sometimes I do them for fun).
Because this project is a feature, I’m like, “that’s fine” because a deck for a feature isn’t nearly as robust as a show bible/pitch deck is for a TV series.
So, I respond with the deck attached. He views it and quickly responds saying, “This could actually make a compelling episodic series, especially with the popularity of a show like "Killing Eve.” Have you considered that route as well?”
I’d actually heard this feedback before and just so happened to *also* have the concept written as a pilot too. So I asked him if he would like to read it.
His response is, “Amber, I'd prefer to see a deck for the series concept first before diving into the script. Can you put one together with a short synopsis for seasons 1 - 5? Thanks in advance.”
Lol what? Like he really thought I was gonna do that. My immediate gut reaction is, “Okay, this guy isn’t for me.” A short synopsis for seasons 1-5??? I’d heard of pro writers who’d gone in to pitch Netflix and only needed to have the first 1-2 seasons lightly thought out.
But this guy was asking for a full bible and synopses for 5 seasons. BEFORE he even reads the script. BEFORE he even has producers in mind to attach to the project. BEFORE —
Oooh. Ding, ding, ding — he’s one of those manager-producers who wants to attach himself to the project. That means he wants ALL the hard work done, hours and hours of work done before he even invests a single hour to read the script and see if it’s something he can shop around.
I’d also been warned by a wise pro writer about managers who ask for show bibles upfront. (This was the 2nd time this has happened to me from a manager-producer I'd queried.) She was aghast that a manager would make this request.
So, I decided I’m just not gonna respond to his email. This isn’t the kind of person I need on my team. I want someone who is a champion of my writing. Who loves my material/ideas. Who doesn’t automatically assume they will be on board to produce any and everything I write.
BTW, I’m not 100% against the manager-producer type of manager. I’m aware of this debate. It’s just not my preference.
But. Even though the request seemed shady to me, I wanted a second opinion. So I checked in with a pro writer friend and she consulted with a couple of her pro writer friends who have taken out pilots in the last year. They all confirmed every thought I had in my head.
In her experience, she had only ever been asked for, “one-sentence episode synopses of the first season to be included as part of a pitch.” But guys, this is a pitch. This guy was asking for way more than this BEFORE reading the script. BEFORE offering representation.
My writer friend was like, “You don’t want a rep like that.” It was exactly what I needed to respond to him with confidence. And I did. I politely told him, “I am really focused on my scripts at the moment and want to find representation that is ready to work with me on that.”
He pretty much got right back with the email pictured above. A condescending mini lecture about why producers want to see pitch decks before reading scripts. Cool. I know that. I queried you for representation. NOT to potentially produce my script.
My thought is that when writers query managers, especially manager-producers, they like to make demands like this because the writer reached out to THEM versus the other way around. So they feel like they have the upper hand.
I highly doubt they’d do this sort of thing if say, the writer had been referred to them by a client or an agent/whoever. I think they assume if a writer is querying they’re super green and can be easily taken advantage of.
But I digress. This is why you have to be careful if you decide to query for representation. The vibe is different. But what do you guys think about this? Have you ever encountered this/a similar situation when querying reps?
Since @johnaugust and @clmazin are big on writers not leaving material behind after a pitch, I’m curious what they think even though this is slightly different.
