How Much Does a Screenplay Sell For?
You’ve written a screenplay and you’ve found an agent that claims they can get your screenplay sold – great! But, how much does a screenplay sell for? And, what can I expect?
These are very common questions for a screenwriter or really anyone that has considered writing a screenplay. Of course you would want to know how much your work was worth and what you could expect if your screenplay were to sell.
Unfortunately, screenplays can sell for just about anything and when we say anything – we mean, ANY THING! As in, any value. Including nothing at all!
So, how much does a screenplay sell for?
Probably NOT Six Figures
If you’re a screenwriter, you’re probably dreaming of the day that you sell your screenplay for six figures (or more). Perhaps you even believe that you’ll get 200, or 300 thousand for your screenplay.
While we hate to burst your bubble, the reality is, few screenplays sell for six-figures, and even fewer deals bring in more.
In fact, unless you’re a super-high-profile screenwriter, you’re pretty much NOT going to get a six-figure deal and you can bet you won’t get 200K in a single paycheck. It’s just not like that.
Lump Sums
Actually, even a super-high-profile screenwriter that gets a deal for 200K on their screenplay won’t likely see a lump sum check or deposit for that amount of money.
This is because contract lawyers, and Guild regulations, detail how a screenwriter will collect on a contract and rarely will it just be “here’s 200K.”
If anything, a screenwriter of this magnitude with a 200K deal would likely get about $50K upfront as a first draft and out of that would come government taxes, agent fees of 10% or more, and attorney or legal fees of 5% or more.
Multiple Drafts
Additionally, screenwriters probably won’t make any more payments on a script unless another draft is provided for which they could receive compensation if such is agreed upon.
Rarely would multiple instances of such compensation take effect, which is why even great screenplays often sell for much less than you might expect.
Writer’s Guild Minimums
Screenplay writers that are not part of the Writer’s Guild will not be afforded the support of Guild minimums which state the writer must be paid at least a certain amount.
Thus, if you’re not a member of the Writer’s Guild, you should be! Otherwise, you’re at the mercy of whatever the buyer wants to pay you for the screenplay and this is likely to be a lot less than what you want to be paid for the screenplay.
So, how much does a screenplay sell for if the screenwriter is a member of the Writer’s Guild?
Writer’s Guild minimums are as follows:
- Storyline or ideas sell for $5,000 upfront and $20,000 after production.
- Treatments sell for $15,000 upfront and $30,000 after production.
- Screenplays sell for $40,000 upfront and $75,000 after production.
Remember though, that you are at the mercy of the screenplay purchaser if you are not a Guild member, and thus you may make significantly less than the listed figures if you sell your screenplay.