Professional Screenwriters know the benefit of industry standard coverage and how it translates to the bottom line—script sales. Before you submit your screenplay to anyone in the entertainment industry, make sure you first get professional coverage with story notes and analysis from seasoned industry veterans. This is foundational to your success as a working Motion Picture & Television Screenwriter. Never seek or rely on professional input or opinions from friends or family. And remember, there’s a big difference between professional coverage analysis and industry standard studio coverage. See Studio coverage below.

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 feature length screenplays (member or nonmember) officially covered by the Screenwriters Federation of America (or any approved affiliates) receiving a greenlit (consider or recommend) grade will be eligible for publication in SFA’s Greenlit Market. The SFA 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 Federation 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 SFA coverage grading report. There are no listing fees for greenlit SFA Member or nonmember scripts. In the event Screenwriters Federation of America enables the eventual sale (or option for sale) of a screenplay published traditionally (via SFA publications) or digitally (via SFA website), the SFA will NOT collect any fees from the gross proceeds of any such sale. There are no commissions due SFA for sales—member or nonmember, it matters not. Screenwriters who have put in the work and made the grade, deserve the opportunity to be read—one and all. Our mission is to provide the marketplace with Federation sanctioned, professionally covered, greenlit scripts. A milestone for the Screenwriter and the Television and Motion Picture Industry at large.

Greenlit Market 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.

SFA PROFESSIONAL COVERAGE/ANALYSIS - FEES & SERVICES

Screenwriters Federation of America’s Coverage/Analysis service is available to both member and nonmember Screenwriters worldwide. Non-member fee is $550, SFA Member fee is $425. Coverage/Analysis fees include up to 120 pages and $2.00 per page thereafter. Upon submission an approved SFA 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 comments directly on the 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 below. 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. After grading your script the Analyst will write a professional logline of your screenplay, but may however, not elect to dwell on the proverbial coverage synopsis. This is a matter each Analyst’s personal style. All Analyst’s will generate a freestyle report/analysis that resembles something akin to studio-style development notes, story analysis and a Screenwriting Professor's communiqué. The size of the analysis will vary based on the condition and the complexity of the material.

STANDARD STUDIO COVERAGE

Studio Coverage reports are prepared by industry readers for independent and studio acquisition and development executives, directors and producers who do not have time to read every spec script submitted to their companies. It's a general 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. Don’t waste your shot with a Studio, Producer, Agent or that one individual who could have changed your professional life.

Who are these so called Hollywood readers? Well, one things for sure—they're not the high-powered gatekeepers to Hollywood. Typically, they're interns, students, film school graduates, aspiring screenwriters, etc., who are burdened with reading ten or more scripts a week at modest 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 Hollywood moguls and deal-makers you'd love to have read your script. But, unless you have the personal contacts to go straight to the top, you have to go through them.

LET'S GET IT ALL OUT. THE YIN & YANG OF STUDIO COVERAGE.

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 considering or recommending a script—someone higher-up the food chain will read it. Consequently, if the next reader (their boss) doesn't like the script—it potentially opens the door to wondering if the first level 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 coverage 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 very general sense, we believe this reflection is sadly accurate. Bottom line: your reading script must have flawless technical format and precision story structure for a reader to risk everything by considering your project.

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 and as bad as bad can be. A wise man once said, "you're never a loser until you blame others for your shortcomings." Generally, it’s not the industry reader’s 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. Aspirant Screenwriters are notorious for diving-in and writing their first script with minuscule focus on 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. We recently heard from a 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."