Screenwriters’ agents are representatives of publishers and producers. They have an incongruous working relationship. In fact, this is probably the only case where the employee tells the employer whether he or she is actually worth working for or not! In this case, the employer is the screen writer, while the employee is the agent. The screenwriters’ agents are very important people indeed. They rule the career of the screen writer, and they can dictate the flow upon their whims.

What is the basic role of the screenwriters’ agents? They are simply the ones that help sell the scripts of the script writer to people who may be interested in the script in the movie industry. They ensure that the script gets to the best hands, all things considered, and they also make sure that the script is in a better position for being converted into a movie. The screen writers on the other hand must be in a very good relationship with their agents. They need to follow them up constantly so they can reap the maximum benefits from their agents. Of course, they need to have some experience in the legal hemisphere. However, what will actually take you really far is the experience. If you are a new screenwriters’ agents then you need to gather experience as quickly as possible so it would be a wise idea to take every project that comes your way. This will help you build up your portfolio. Also, having connection with the right people and the higher-ups will go a long way in helping you get your clients scripts read and accepted for the big screens.

Generally, the percentage that the agent takes as his cut is usually in the ten to twenty percent range.  This is a percentage off the total amount awarded the client, that is, the writer of the script. Also, as for the client, it is good for him to make sure the agent is very good before he hires him. Apart from being very lucky, having a very good agent can help the writer blaze on hot trails. Here are some ways to get a very good agent:

• You could conduct research and come up with a list of good agents. You can find these from the list of published books yearly, or from Writers Guild of America.
• You can select an agent that specializes in the particular genre you are writing on.
• You may opt for screenwriters’ agents that aren’t too picky and are enthusiastic in showing their skills. These are usually newer agents.

The screenwriters’ agents who actually go far are the ones who have the power of insight and can tell when they have a client who has a good script for sale. Thus, they are able to see through the client, and are able to decipher whether he has any real talent at all or not. The way the agent makes his own money is by getting a small cut off the deal he helps his client secure with a publisher or a movie producer.