WritersLittleBlackBook
PRODUCERS • AGENTS • MANAGERS • CONTACTS
My name is Michael Elliot, a veteran screenwriter who has sold over 25 projects to studios and networks; four of which were made into films. My latest, a romantic comedy called “Just Wright” starring Queen Latifah (Fox Searchlight Pictures), is in theaters now. But things weren’t always so rosy.
Twenty-five years ago, I was a homeless high school dropout, surviving on the streets of Philadelphia. With a heavy dose of resilience, determination and a gift of resourcefulness, I went from being a statistic to being an entrepreneur and entertainment exec, experiencing success in the worlds of music, publishing, television, and radio. But after walking away from a well-paying day-job, I got the crazy idea to be in the movie business. After living in Los Angeles for 18 months, and writing three screenplays that went nowhere, I was broke and desperate. I needed to get my latest script read, and quickly. And I needed a producer or studio to buy it, and fast.
Seven days after initiating my unconventional strategy to getting my script read and acquired, I sold my screenplay to 20th Century Fox – without representation. With a belief that other writers who’ve yet to sell their screenplays could launch their careers using the strategies that worked for me, I created the Writers Little Black Book.
WritersLittleBlackBook.com is an online directory of ‘unconventional’ industry contacts that can be instrumental in helping new and unrepresented writers sell screenplays.
Click the “HOW I DID IT” link on the left to learn the unconventional submission tactics that led to my first script sale, how you can use my covert tactics to try to sell your screenplay, and how the Writers Little Black Book could be of help to you.
