One of my most popular posts to date has been “#16: Do I need to read the trades?” In that post, I outlined the minimum types of information you should scan the trades for and also suggested key trades to read. Thanks to the strong response I received, in this post, I’m going to follow up with specific examples of what you might find in the trades – and how you can translate that information into selling your own projects.

Whether you work in film or TV, you can put these tips to use, even if the specific example is not from your industry.

Let me start by recommending you immediately ditch any hard copies you receive of the trades and sign up for the electronic versions instead. That way, you can easily copy and paste information straight into your databases or share it with partners and reps. Remember, always show copyright love whenever it bears stating!

Now, here are six ways to “trade up” your daily reading into a focused, project-selling process:

Trade-Up Tip #1: Track the Trends
As you prepare to pitch various projects, the trades tell you what’s hot and what’s not. Guess which trend you want to be riding? For example, for reality TV professionals, over the past two weeks, we’ve learned that:

• My Network TV is about to replace 33% of its programming with reality TV AND 180 from telenovelas to targeting male viewers (reality producers, take note);
• Court TV’s first scripted project is a hit with viewers (fiction producers, here’s a new potential buyer!);
• NBC, the CW and Bochco himself all are about to launch original Web-based programs (everyone, are you still ignoring new media?); and
• Networks in general are looking for cheap ratings bonanzas in brand-friendly game shows (got a talent option you don’t know yet how to capitalize on?)

All of that info ought to help show creators decide which ideas they are going to prioritize developing to maximize sales possibilities. Database these updates in a simple table or spreadsheet, and you’ll always be timely in your pitch meetings. And remember, the execs you’re pitching expect you to know this info if it was in the trades!

ACTION PLAN: In Word or Excel, build a simple table with columns for network/studio name, programming announcement(s) and announcement date(s). If you’re a member of the Show Starter Online Group, we’ve started you off with a file of over a dozen network programming announcements from this year’s upfronts! If you’re not a group member yet, be sure to sign up when you buy the book (or join if you already have the book) by clicking here. Group membership is for book purchasers only.

BONUS ROUND: If you don’t have any pitches that ride the trends, rework existing projects to stay current. Is there a cooking pitch you love that also might make a terrific game show? For helpful process tips, read “Show Starter, Vol. 1,” pp 25-27.

Trade-Up Tip #2: Run “Comps” on Projects that are Similar to Yours
TV producers, before any pitch meeting you ever take, be absolutely sure to check the overnight ratings for the current shows at that network AND any shows anywhere else that are similar to yours. Filmmakers, regularly track the weekend box office for any studios or companies you hope to meet with or any films in your genre.

Now for the example: remember the hot new – and now former – ABC show “The Great American Dream”? At the end of March ’07, if you were about to pitch any dream fulfillment shows anywhere, or any show AT ALL to ABC, a quick glance at one day’s trades would have shown that “Dream” utterly tanked episode one (ratings report - 3/28/07)…and was cancelled after episode two (cancellation article - 3/29/07 - as in the NEXT DAY’s trades).

Translation: this might be a pretty bad time to pitch a new dreams-come-true project anywhere, and ABC execs might be particularly cautious about new genre projects in general. Isn’t that something you’d like to know before entering the room? You BET. At least so you can explain why your project isn’t vulnerable to the same ratings risks? And don’t be blinded even if you see high ratings. Just because the trades report “Fox Picks Up 13 More Episodes of 5th Grader,” it might mean Fox wants to do another deal with Mark Burnett rather than buy your equally biting game show.

ACTION PLAN: Do a quick ratings review in the daily trades to compare your pitch list to current shows. Push danger zone shows to the bottom of your list, if you pitch them at all over the next few weeks. Then shift at least one brand-appropriate trend-winner into your top three opening pitches.

BONUS ROUND: Brainstorm alternative versions of your danger zone pitches (Show Starter, Vol. 1, pp 25-27) so they no longer heavily rely on now-risky elements. Then if an exec challenges them, you can come right back with a well-thought-out twist on your pitch.

Trade-Up Tip #3: Dissect Deal Points
If you’re not sure what to expect and request in your own deals, read the trades to keep up with what everyone else is offering or receiving! For example, for all you filmmakers who are fighting mainly to get a piece of DVD rentals in your deals, shouldn’t you know that the “Netflix Founder Predicts End Of DVD Rental Business” and now is investing millions in digital film downloading? Meanwhile, reality newcomers and pitch partners can set some basic contract expectations by reading news like “Hedda Muskat has been named Consulting Producer on WE’s new show, ‘Wife, Mom, Bounty Hunter’ debuting on April 20. Hedda brought the show to World of Wonder who sold it to WE.” (© 2007 Cynopsis).

ACTION PLAN: Scan for any deal discussions regarding professional peers or potential buyers. The Cynopsis example above lets you know right away what you might expect to be offered by WE and/or World of Wonder as a new show creator.

BONUS ROUND: Oh, you know what I’m going to say: add this info to a database – and review it before you actually pitch any partners!

Trade-Up Tip #4: Improve Your Project Development Process
Seeking “the right” talent to attach to a project? You can test the industry’s temperature for star “heat” by reading that “Kid, Not Play, May Get Talk Show.” Or get a great lesson in built-in conflict for reality pitches when you read that “Season three of Run’s House on MTV begins April 9 at 10p. Rev. Run and the Simmons family return to face new crisis and growth situations such as the two oldest daughters, Angela and Vanessa living on their own in Manhattan.” (© 2007 Cynopsis). Whenever you read about greenlit projects in your industry, consider it powerful development guidance for your own projects.

ACTION PLAN: Scan the trades for talent and story success stories and see what equally compelling “headlines” you could write to promote your own projects. Do you have more work to do to develop the project?

BONUS ROUND: Write the headlines – and send them to your focus group to see if they want to see that show!

Trade-Up Tip #5: Gather Insider Information
I call this “Room Wisdom.” These are articles that give you explanations of how our business works that help you get inside the minds of the studio, network and production execs you are pitching. For example, the Hollywood Reporter recently ran an article called “Ad Ratings To Gain At Upfront,” explaining that advertisers increasingly want to base the ad dollars they commit to a network on ratings for the actual commercials that run during programs, rather than ratings for the shows themselves. Is that a big shift? Of course! Is that something you can talk about intelligently in the room when possible ratings enter the discussion? Sure – if you’ve read the article.

ACTION PLAN: Read insider information articles and make sure you can summarize the general idea into a straightforward sentence (like I just did above).

BONUS ROUND: Learn the article’s new buzzwords and do additional research on them. For my example article, you would research “ad ratings” (aka “commercial ratings”) and the new Nielsen measurements they represent.

Trade-Up Tip #6: Scan for Who | What | Where
I’ll say it again – success in isn’t just about know-how; it’s about know-WHO. You absolutely must know who the players are that can buy your projects or otherwise assist their sale. All the trades announce executive hiring, firings and job-swappings. Many also feature producers who have just sold new projects. You must know these names to learn whom you already know and whom you need to meet with – not just in the room, but also at panels, seminars and conferences you see advertised.

For example: got contacts at “The Amazing Race”? Guess what? Now you might have contacts at Oprah’s new wish fulfillment show – the trades just announced “‘Race’ duo to oversee Harpo reality series.” But before you send an e-mail blast to everyone you know who works anywhere, please read Post #12: Do you know anyone who’s hiring?” Please don’t ever let the first thing you say to someone – a stranger OR a friend – be “What can you do for me?” Make sure your energy in this industry is balanced between advancing your own dreams and sincerely investing in your core circle’s dreams at the same time. Those contacts are the ones who’ll call YOU to yell, “Hey, I just got the new Oprah show – send me your rez!”

ACTION PLAN: Database the names of studio execs, network execs, production execs, financiers and show runners and keep it updated through your daily trade reads. Start with the network and prod co dbs we give you at our online group (book purchasers, click here to join!), and keep it up-to-date. Those names are the key to your selling a project.

BONUS ROUND: Today, right now, send an e-mail to the five people who have helped you most in your career. Offer something specific to help them back – even if its updating one of THEIR databases. Get balance back in your professional relationships – and watch the immediate shift in your professional progress.

BONUS, BONUS ROUND – Stop typing your latest email blast asking people you otherwise never check in on to find you work. Now re-read “Bonus Round” and give that approach a try instead. Please trust me on this. And remember, send thank you truffles or coffee cards to everyone who ever gets you in front of anyone else for a meeting - whether you close a deal or not.

NOW GO SELL THOSE PASSION PROJECTS!

For more in-depth process and resources, buy:

• “The 1-3-5 Story Structure Made Simple System: The Nine Essential Elements of a Sellable Screenplay“; and
• “The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, Vol. 1: How to Create and Pitch a Sellable Reality Show”

now from Movie in a Box Books!

This is a frequent and fantastic question. If you’re starting in the business, knowing what to ask for is particularly hard, so here are some guidelines to go by.

In general, it’s very important not to sell yourself too short OR price yourself too high. What determines this is not just the “market rate” for the services you’re delivering. When you’re setting your fee for a job, take the following into consideration - every time:

RATE “CALCULATOR”

1. What the market rate range is for the gig;
2. What experience you’ll gain;
3. What contacts you bring;
4. What contacts you’ll gain;
5. What relationship(s) you’ll form with whom;
6. What credit you’ll receive;
7. Who is issuing that credit (it matters!);
8. What experience you bring to the table;
9. When you will be paid.

Seems like a lot! Believe it or not, ALL of these are monetized in the entertainment industry. So do that 9-point checklist on every offer and adjust accordingly. Let me quickly break down how to use the list:

1) Market Rate. This is your opening number. You can always start with Guild tables; for screenwriting and teleplays, for example, the Writers Guild posts a Schedule of Minimums for payments. If you AND your potential employers are novices, this quote will probably be too high for you, for the reasons on the rest of the list. So beyond the various guilds and unions for your industry, a great way to research the market rate is to ask someone who recently was promoted past the position you’re considering. They’ll be happier to quote their former rate than reveal their current one! How to find them? Get online on the industry forums and boards! Join a Yahoo! Group in your field and post away.

2) Potential Experience (”-”). If you’ll get important professional experience from the gig, this is worth lowering a quote in negotiations with someone who cannot pay much. The new work experience will help you get better jobs (and pay) as you rise. If the employer is a complete newcomer, however, be realistic about what kind of training you’ll actually receive. The key question to ask is, “What are the credits and background of the most experienced person I’ll actually be working with?” That will let you know how much you’ll learn in the process of doing the job.

3) Your Contacts (”+”). If you are bringing key industry names to the project, and that is part of what you are expected to contribute, that’s a bump for your fee.

4) Potential Contacts (”-”). There’s nothing worth more money in this business than personal contacts. If you’ll walk away with a great database of vendors, staff, crew and other industry contacts you connected with, take that into consideration as you set your price.

5) Potential Relationships (”-”). Beyond contacts, if the gig has you working closely with major players in your field, it’s worth flexibility on your fee. This isn’t just who will be on set with you. Which legitimate agents, managers, designers, network execs, bookers, casting agents, etc. will be part of the project and seeing you shine? Relationships are worth MORE than money in Hollywood.

6) Your Credit (”-”). If you have to choose between money and a better credit, in the beginning, go for the credit - as long as it is an accurate one! In other words, don’t trade a writing credit for a “co-producer” (meaningless) or “producer” credit if you actually and only wrote the script. Your producer credit will be vetted and tossed out in any credit dispute if the project goes anywhere. But if you’re working on a TV pilot, and they can’t pay well, but you can get an Associate Producer rather than a Production Assistant title, that is worth money in the bank on your next job. So work with them on your fee.

7) The Credit Source (”-”). A credit only means as much as the person who gives it to you. If a major company offers you a lesser credit, don’t dismiss it outright. That company’s good reputation and position in the industry might give you more heat when you go to your next gig - and it certainly can open that next door a lot faster.

8 ) Your Experience (”-”). If you’re new in the game, this is where you’ll potentially shave quite a bit off of your quote, and that’s a wide open range. If you’ll be working for an established company, there still are minimum expectations for rates (again, check with outside people at the level above where you’re being hired). Established companies are offsetting the lower rate with a list of career and future financial benefits. Newcomers are not. So if you are providing a real product or service to a fellow industry newbie, you must be paid for it. And not on the “back-end” (where unicorns and Bigfoot and other myths live)!

A producer who can’t shoot a film without your script…can’t shoot a film WITH your script - because they don’t have money. It costs money to make a movie, and part of that should go to compensating the writer, especially since, unlike the crew, you are getting no other tangible experience in the process, and your writing credit will be skeptically received on an indie film that never saw the light of day. But if you’ve never had a script produced or done a modeling shoot or been in a play, and a newcomer wants to hire you, don’t even think about holding fast to union minimums. Work with them on a fee or some tradeoffs, per the list above and tip that follows.

9) The Pay Date (”+”). The later someone is going to pay you for your work, the more you can bump (slightly increase) your fee. Almost everyone reading this has been approached by someone who wants them to do work for free (on “spec”), with promises of payment “on the back end.” That’s meaningless because you’re pretty much never going to see a back-end payment (it’s possible; just not likely!). So here’s a rule. If you are doing physical work for someone (writing a script, walking a runway, doing a photo shoot), you must arrange to get physical “payment,” of some sort, when you do the work.

If the employer is an established company and you are a working professional, do not do spec work for them. Once you do it for free, you will always be expected to do it for free - or at least for too little. Thank them for the offer of employment, let them know you don’t work for spec but are excited to work with them, then work out a deal memo through your lawyer, offering them an introductory fee for this first project and establishing a minimum “floor” for any projects that follow. Established companies are never shocked to talk to lawyers (that’s how we do things in Hollywood), and they are more than used to paying for people’s work.

Newbie employers can offer you “deferred payment” - but also request a guaranteed in-kind benefit you can leave that gig with (and sign that in a deal memo, too). If you’re doing a fashion show for someone, ask them if they will at least hire a professional digital photographer (or let you bring one) so you can get shots (free clothes aren’t enough - those won’t get you your next gig!). Ask the designer to alert the photographer that you’ll be bringing a laptop or memory stick to download your images before you leave, and bring a thank you note and truffle for the photographer. If you’re writing the script for someone’s film, ask them to buy a copy of professional screenwriting software and turn over one of their access codes to you. Work with strapped newbie employers to see what they can offer you in exchange for your labor - since they’re not offering you entrée to the contacts, relationships and respected credits that would otherwise make a lower rate worth it.

ONE LAST WORD. As you work more steadily in this industry, your “rate” transforms into your “quote.” Your “quote” is what you were paid on your most recent gig(s), and it’s the magic number everyone expects to pay you on your next gig. So once you begin working more steadily, you must be very protective of your quote, regardless of the additional benefits a certain gig would offer. Be particularly wary of being asked to accept a lower rate in exchange for a higher credit because that sets a ridiculously low quote for your new credit level. Sounds pretty sticky and uncomfortable? That’s why people have agents.

I very regularly hear the question: “Why should I read the trades?” Here’s the quick answer: you have to read the trades to know what’s going on in the industry you’re trying to earn work, income and respect in.

I think a better question is: “HOW should I read the trades?” That’s because once you zero in on the key information, you’ll be less overwhelmed by all of the additional stories that make reading the trades feel like such a task.

Which trades should I read? Everyone in film and television can benefit from Variety, Hollywood Reporter or TV Week. But yes, they cost quite a lot, so you might just want to subscribe to the weekly edition rather than the daily one. Even better, go online and subscribe to the e-trades - many of those are free! I’m a fan of Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis. There is also a great mix of e-mail newsletters available through Media Week. And this just in from a colleague: TV Week has a free e-newsletter, and right now, they’re also offering free access to their extensive site to new subscribers! TV Week is a major money-where-your-mouth-is champion of diversity in television, so I’m thrilled to announce any great opportunities from them.

Almost all entertainment fields have excellent trades targeting their members’ needs and offering employment info. For actors, you should at least regularly read Backstage. In the music industry, Billboard and Vibe are king, but regional trades may be more important for local information. For example, Music Connection, an L.A.-based mag, has great articles, artist spotlights and free classified, with national news, too. Fashionistas need Women’s Wear Daily, of course, but I’ve never come across a legit trade paper for modeling. Open to hearing suggestions on this one!

What should I read in the trades?There’s so much information packed into trade papers that it can seem like too much to tackle. So rather than read nothing, here are the three things I suggest you scan for:

1) Who’s working where in your industry’s “gatekeeper” positions? This means heads of A&R in the music industry, development executives in TV and film, casting directors in acting, fashion directors for stylists and designers. Start tracking the names you need to know, where they’re being hired/fired/reassigned, and get familiar with their points of view!

2) What are the current trends in your industry? TV & film producers, find out what types of shows and films are being produced (remember when cutthroat reality shows gave way to feel-good TV? That was foreshadowed in the trades!). Singers/writers/composers/producers, read what type of artists are being signed (is this really a good time to form a new hair band? Maybe…). Fashion folks, do I need to tell you to research what colors, textures and styles are current on the runway and the streets of Tokyo? And everyone, learn how new products are being pushed. For instance, musicians, if you’d been reading the trades, you would have known last year that building a solid MySpace fanbase gave you a better shot at a record deal. Those stories were breaking back in 2005!

3) What technological changes are taking place? Right now, everyone needs to be learning as much as they can about streaming media, mobile content, RSS feeds, mpeg4 and future video formats, and more. Not just to expand your reach to your audience - but to understand the scope of the contracts that are coming your way! Are those terms all total news and a mystery to you? That’s why you need to read the trades.

I get this question a lot, so I now have published a definitive book on the process. It’s called “The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, Vol. 1 - Ten Steps to Creating and Pitching a Sellable Reality Show.” It’s only $29.95 (including tax and U.S. shipping) at the Show Starter Web site - and it comes with FREE STUFF. Until your order arrives in the mail, here’s a very clean and concise explanation of what to expect from the process.

Let’s start with the “gut” answer. If you’re like most people who work in reality TV, you sell a show by working for some years in reality television, amassing good credits and production experience, building strong relationships with production companies, networks and vendors, running someone else’s shows for trench education, then pitching your concepts and your solid reputation to make your first sale(s). If that doesn’t sound like you, or even if it does, please read on.

If you’re like most people who don’t work in reality TV, you sell a show by coming up with an entertaining concept and find a personal “in” to a network exec or a production company where you can pitch. If a network exec likes the idea, s/he will partner you with a production company or show runner s/he already knows and trusts, and they will execute your concept. You will turn all of the control of your show, as well as most of whatever initial fees come in, over to the show runner or production company.

The same process happens if you approach a production company yourself to bring your idea to a network for you. Your attorney will work with the production companies to hammer out a “deal memo” that spells out what involvement, if any, you will have in the show. The company will do their best to remove you from any control over the process…because you have no idea how to run a television show. They also will take most of the money involved…because you are bringing nothing to the table but an idea that they will have to do all of the work to develop then execute, as well as use their hard-earned contacts to sell. In their eyes, you are bringing nothing to the table.

If you are still reading this blog after that stunning statement, you are ready for the road ahead as you try to pitch a show. You understand now how the industry will perceive you, and you accept your own limitations as someone who knows nothing about making a show but has an entertaining spin on a popular concept. You also understand, because I’m about to tell you, that you are not going to become rich when the show is sold.

Don’t confuse non-fiction TV with selling a movie or a sit-com or drama. “Back-end” and “created-by” fees and “residuals” are rare in this world. On your very first sale, be ready for some serious compromise if all you have is an idea. Your attorney is going to work hard enough just to keep you from being removed from the show entirely.

I’m going to write that again. YOUR ATTORNEY IS GOING TO WORK HARD ENOUGH JUST TO KEEP YOU FROM BEING REMOVED FROM THE SHOW ENTIRELY.

So how exactly do you sell your own show?

The smart way is to work in the biz and know that you are selling yourself and your experience and your reputation and your contacts far more than any concept itself. In fact, networks who have come to know you will call you and ask you to do a show for them! And you will be able control the production process and make the fees from it, because you’ve learned and earned you way into that position. Your agent is your best friend here because s/he is pitching you non-stop to the nets, setting up meet-and-greets with execs and keeping you up-to-date on how the net calls for content are shifting (and they always are shifting).

The fast way is to have a terrific concept and partner with someone else who can get it executed. You will have researched similar shows, checked out imdb.com for company and network information and approached the right people to match your genre and audience. If all goes well, you, indeed, will have sold a show, but often with limited involvement or reward! Your attorney will be your best friend here because s/he will need to be determined and creative to keep you a part of the process after the sale.

The back-door way is to know a person or property (like a popular book) that people want a piece of, develop a show with them attached to it, and have a written “option” that binds them to any sale. This is where having Paris Hilton as a close friend actually is a good thing. A hypothetical: Yes, she stole your boyfriend, but she felt so bad that she signed an option agreement allowing you to shop a makeover show with her as the host. Pretty much anyone will talk to you now, and you’ll have a lot more power keeping yourself attached since you are, at last, bringing something bankable to the table!

Whatever way you try to sell your show, remember, as always, to do an “entitlement” check before you start the process. If you are not Tyra Banks, do not expect to get a deal like Tyra Banks. If your talent is not Donald Trump, don’t expect to get a budget like Donald Trump’s. And if you have never run a television show (I didn’t say never written, produced, edited or shot, I said RUN), then don’t expect to run even your own. Not the first season, at least.

And please don’t go into reality TV to get rich. (Where are all of these Discovery Health- and Food Network-producing millionaires people think they’re joining the ranks of?) If you want to get rich, please go back for your MBA and head to Wall Street and build and protect your stock options like everyone else does. There’s way more chance you’ll get a return on your investment - and in a far shorter period of time! If you want to get rich quickly, with minimal effort, keep buying scratchers and hope for the best. But if you really want to make reality TV, while there’s no money at the start in this world, like almost everything else, working hard in this business ultimately has its own personal, professional and, yes, financial rewards. Plus sometimes, you get to make people eat bugs.