VARIETY Many newspapers and magazines have established extensive sites on the web. The ones I've listed below are a few that screenwriters should keep up with regularly. Don't just read the box offices stats and gossip -- dig deeper and find out what agents are selling what scripts to whom and which executives are "greenlighting" which projects. Then file that information in your database (you are on a computer as you read this, so you do have a database of contacts and networking possibilities, right!?) and store for when your script is ready to go out to people. Find out who's responsible for selling and making the kinds of movies similar to your script and use the database to target them. Use a sniper approach to making it, not a shotgun "scatter pattern."
VARIETY
The bible of the biz. 'Nough said.
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
The bible's main competitor. I found somebody I had been looking for by just reading its news highlights.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Hollywood's hometown paper and, thus, has a vested interested in reporting well on it's own backyard.
CREATIVE SCREENWRITING
A "serious" publication that really tries to get into in-depth issues about the specifics of screenplay writing. It includes interviews with writers, serious and thorough analysis of scripts and articles about the particulars of writing for genres, character-driven movies, independents and other areas.
FULL DISCLOSURE
I wrote three articles for CREATIVE SCREENWRITING several years ago, but have no formal connection with them or their website. I just happen to think that of the several screenwriting magazines out there, they are one of the best.
If you'd like to read the articles I have written for them, please follow this link to where I have posted them on my own website:
NEW YORK TIMES
Not the best movie biz source, but lots of great articles; Sundays they do in-depth profiles and essays, not just the usual puff peices of most newspapers. It's free (so far), but you will have to register to get into the site.
Any other publications I should add to this list? As always, any and all suggestions are encouraged!
