Before you show your script to anyone in the Entertainment Industry, make sure you first get "coverage reads" from seasoned professionals. And, the more coverage you can get  the better. This is foundational to your success. Don't count on opinions from friends or family. And, don't get coverage the hard way. By wasting your shot with a Studio, Producer, Agent, or that one individual who could have changed your professional life.
 
 
 
Coverage reports are prepared by industry readers primarily for studio executives, producers, and agents—who do not have time to read every spec script in town. It's a screening processes whereas the reader fills out a simple report card rating the script from poor to excellent, as shown below. In addition, the reader writes a 1-3 sentence logline, and a 1-5 page synopsis of the screenplay, as an attachment to the report. Most importantly (the holy grail), the reader makes a personal judgment to either: consider, recommend, or pass on your project. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of the time the reader elects to pass. To make matters worse, most studios, agencies, and production companies keep a database of Screenwriters they have covered. If you end up in their rejection database, good luck trying to get back in. You only get one shot.
 
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
Premise
 
X
  
Story Line
X
      
Characterization  
X
    
Dialogue
X
   
Production Value  
X
    
Pass X
 Consider Recommend
Who are these so called "Hollywood" readers? Well, one things for sure. They're not high-powered gatekeepers to Hollywood. Typically, they're interns, students, recent grads, aspiring screenwriters, etc., who are burdened with reading ten or more scripts a week. And, for very little remuneration. Some are freelance readers who work out of their homes and receive a mere $25-$50 per script. Needless to say, they're not the six and seven figured Hollywood moguls & deal-makers you'd love to have read your script.
 
 
 
Yin: Unfortunately, due to the nature of the beast, most industry coverage readers play it safe by passing on virtually every project they see. It's the safe, easy, standard, "fit-in" thing to do. One must understand the potential consequences of recommending a script thereby causing someone higher-up the food chain to make the read. If they (their boss) doesn't like the script—it potentially opens the door to wondering if the reader is even capable of recognizing a valuable project. And, there's something about development professionals being forced to read a bad script that causes anarchy and disdain. Somehow, the "risk verses reward" factor just isn't worth it for most readers. It's safer just to engage in cynical repartee and pass. After all, anyone can tear something down. But, how many can actually create something, or take a stand for something they believe in? Don't get us wrong, we are not saying all coverage readers and work scenarios fall into this category. However, in a general sense, we believe the reflection is sadly accurate. Bottom line, who can afford to risk it? The odds are against you. It's much better to have your script read by industry professionals higher-up the ladder, i.e., producers, senior development executives, decision makers, etc., as opposed to being buried (perhaps permanently) by the coverage department.
Yang: There are many sincere and talented professional coverage readers who would absolutely love to read a great script and recommend it with great enthusiasm and conviction. Unfortunately, the vast majority (90+%) of the scripts they read are deplorable, dreadful, horrifying, unbearable, as bad as bad can be, if you will. A wise man once said: "You're never a loser until you start blaming others for your failures." It's not the industry readers fault. Do your homework. You don't pick up a guitar and just play it. You go through a lot of pain and practice. Screenwriting is no different. Aspiring screenwriters are notorious for diving-in and writing their first script with minuscule focus, and discipline for the art and craft of story structure and screenplay format. And, to make matters worse, they all think they've just written the next Hollywood blockbuster. And guess what? They're all sadly mistaken --save a percent or two. We recently heard from an extremely competent, veteran industry reader, who sadly stated that out of the last three hundred (300) scripts they covered, they only liked two (2). You do the math, and while you're at it, carefully considered their deliberate usage of the word "liked", as opposed to "loved."
 
 
 
Perhaps the best way through the doors of Hollywood is to have Agents, Producers, Production Companies, and Studio Executives calling you to read your script?


All scripts (member or nonmember) officially covered by the Screenwriters Guild of America (or any approved affiliates) receiving a green-light (consider or recommend grade) will be eligible for publication on the SGA's Green-lit Market. The SGA is proud of its proactive stance as a market-maker in the spec script market worldwide. This is an invaluable service to Screenwriters and the Television & Motion Picture Industry at large. Screenwriters Guild of America is the quintessential resource for scripts that have been professionally covered and made the grade. We are staking our reputation on it.
Screenplays selected will be asked to provide a professional synopsis and logline of their script to be published alongside our official SGA coverage grading report. Industry subscribers interested in your script will contact you directly. There are no listing fees for "green-lit" SGA Member or nonmember scripts. In the event Screenwriters Guild of America enables the eventual sale (or option for sale) of a project published traditionally (via SGA publications) or digitally (via SGA websites), the SGA will not collect any fees from the gross proceeds of any such sale. There are no commissions due SGA for sales. Member or nonmember, it matters not. Screenwriters who have put in the work, paid the price, and made the grade, deserve the opportunity to be read—one and all. Our mission is to provide "the market" with Guild sanctioned, professionally covered, green-lit scripts. A milestone for the Screenwriter, and the Television and Motion Picture Industry at large.

Script Selection Criteria: Our focus is on solid writing, great storytelling, story structure and proper screenplay format. We are not here to make judgments on current trends. That's Hollywood's job. We are here to make sure you have a polished "reading script" not James Cameron's shooting script. And, a "reading script"  that's well written and properly formatted to accepted industry standards.
 
 
 

SGA Coverage/Analysis services are available for both Member and nonmember Screenwriters. Our priority however, is to service our Membership first. Frequently, our coverage pipeline will mandate our acceptance of SGA Member submissions only. This will be reflected by the flashing red light. All SGA approved Script Consultants also have the ability to submit scripts to the "Green-lit Market."

SGA Members $250 - $400 depending on membership level Nonmembers $500
Coverage/Analysis Fees include up to 120 pages. $2.00 per page thereafter.

Analysis Breakdown: First, an approved SGA Analyst will be matched to your script based on its genre. The assigned Analyst will read it, analyze it and make any necessary notes or comment right on your script pages. This immensely improves the communication between Screenwriter and Analyst. Next, the Analyst will evaluate and grade your script according to the industry standard coverage scorecard shown above. In addition to the standard categories, the Analyst will also grade your script for proper Screenplay Format. This is not done by industry coverage readers. If it's not formatted properly, they won't read it to begin with. After grading your script, the Analyst will write a professional logline of your screenplay, but will not however, dwell on the proverbial one to three page coverage synopsis. Instead, they will generate a freestyle report that resembles something between studio-style development notes, and a Screenwriting Professor's communiqué. The size of the analysis will vary based on the condition and the complexity of the material.
 
 


 
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