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Frequently Asked Questions

You have questions, we have answers (hopefully).

Who is my reader?

All WeScreenplay readers have relevant industry experience – this means they’ve worked in a reading capacity for an agency, studio, management company, or production company. Nearly all of our readers are still working these jobs and read additional scripts on nights and weekends. When you get your coverage back, you’ll receive a brief bio about your specific reader.

Can I request a reader who specializes in a certain genre?

The short answer is no. Here’s why. Our readers are experienced in reading for character, story, voice, and originality. These are the elements of screenwriting that transcend genre. When a reader is reading for an agency, studio, or management company, they’re reading all genres and just looking for the best writing. We believe that is the best process to mirror.

With that said, WeScreenplay is a little bit different in that our readers are able to pick the scripts they want to cover, rather than the scripts being randomly assigned to them. So readers may choose scripts in a genre they enjoy or with a logline that intrigues them. This ensures a reader is always reading what they want to read and when they want to be reading.

Are my scripts and ideas safe?

Absolutely. We keep a record of any reader who reads your work and all of our readers sign a release statement for the work they’re reading.

What if I don’t like my coverage?

If the coverage you receive ever does not meet our expectations for WeScreenplay’s offerings, we will give you a completely new reader and new read. We’ve built our brand on constructive, actionable feedback and want to ensure all writers feel they have benefitted from WeScreenplay’s notes. Understand that feedback you don’t agree with is not necessarily bad feedback. Often times the harshest notes are the ones that improve the script the most. However, we promise to work with any writer not pleased with the coverage provided.

I want to resubmit my script, but I want a new reader. Can I request that?

Your script is automatically given to a fresh reader each time you submit unless you request a specific reader.

How do I request a reader who I liked from the past?

You can choose a reader on step 3 of the checkout process by their analyst ID (shown at the top of every coverage). Note — there is an additional 25% fee and an additional 48 hours added to the estimated turnaround time when you request a reader.

When does Diverse Voices, The WeScreenplay Feature, The WeScreenplay TV, or The WeScreenplay Short Competition open?

You can find out all the information about our contests on the contest page. If a competition is not listed as open, just click LEARN MORE and then you can subscribe to that contest for an update when it opens.

What should I expect if I add a synopsis to my coverage?

If you decide to add a synopsis to your feedback, you should expect up to one page of synopsis describing the plot beats of your story. Please note — not every element of the script will be included and if a plot point is missed it is either that the reader determined it not critical to the synopsis or unclear. In fact, missing or confused plot points are the best way to use a synopsis: to understand what may be unclear in your story. This synopsis is not intended to be used as a pitching document, it is just for your understanding of how the script was interpreted.

The Marketing One-Pager package option is also a synopsis — but this is a professional synopsis that can be used for pitching or in a story document. Here, the reader will match the tone of your story and try to hit on the most relevant and exciting points of your story. It is much more polished than the synopses included in coverage and is designed to help you create a pitch for your work.

What do each of the scoring categories mean?

Overall Impression – A general feeling of your script, writing, and story. Is it professional? Easy to read? Do the characters and story elicit emotion in the reader?

Plot – Scene structure, conflict, tension, logic, and flow will all be taken into account.

Character – Complexity, uniqueness, and arc are the key components. Do the characters feel real, do their emotions feel honest, and are they different from one another?

Concept – It should be strong enough to carry the story, but doesn’t need to be marketable. It is ideal if there is a unique element in the concept that audiences haven’t quite seen before.

Structure – The overall story is built in a way that is connective and logical. The story should build emotionally, and the plot should ebb and flow.

Dialogue – The characters speak in a realistic, unique, and interesting ways. There is a subtext in the conversations between characters. The dialogue reflects the tone and emotion of the scenes.

I received two reads and the qualitative scores changed. Why did that happen?

Most importantly, the scorecard is a general tool used to illustrate how various craft elements are working in relationship to each other in the view of the reader. It’s an introductory metric, not the focal point. What matters is the written feedback itself. Are there commonalities in the comments? Do multiple readers get tripped up on the same things? Are there parts both readers agree on?

It’s your challenge as a writer to try to synthesize all of the feedback and look for commonalities in terms of elements that need to be tweaked, and to make those tweaks. You’re not required to agree with any or all of the notes from a reader; it’s simply analysis intended to help you strengthen the script.

What do the page-by-page notes in the Premium Coverage entail? Will they catch grammar and spelling?

This is not a full proofread, but the reader may point out typos or spelling errors. The real point of the page by page notes is to focus on specific storytelling issues. For example, a reader may point out that a line of dialogue feels inconsistent with the character’s voice or may suggest two scenes can be combined. These notes are story-focused first with some spelling/grammar issues second. If you really just want a proofread, we offer proofreading services under Marketing Services.

Does the 72 hour turnaround time include weekends?

Yes. You will get your coverage back within 3 days unless it is a major holiday. While over 95% of our coverages are returned on time, please understand that issues occasionally arise with readers. We ask our readers to prioritize quality over speed, so every once in a while a coverage may be slightly delayed.

If you absolutely cannot have a delay, we recommend our rush coverage option which will have your coverage returned within 24 hours, guaranteed.

Can I enter the same competition twice?

Yes. As long as you didn’t already win with the script, you may enter again. You will receive unique/fresh readers to your script for each read.

Do your different competitions have different readers?

While there is overlap in readers for each competition, the same script will never be scored by the same reader in any two competitions.

Do you provide script “coverage”, or script “notes”?

That’s a great question. Actually, in a traditional sense, the term “coverage” refers to a report typically written by a script analyst at a studio or production company intended for their boss’s consideration, not for the writer. What you receive from WeScreenplay, therefore, is what would be better described as “notes”. That is, the feedback is intended for use by the writer to improve the script, not for a third party who just wants to know if the script is worth being considered.

We call what we provide “Script Coverage”, but if you’re being pedantic, it’s better to think of what we provide as “Script Notes”.

What is Script Coverage?

When you submit your script to a producer or agent they have a first line of defense against amateurs. That first line of defense is called a script reader. These script readers read your script and provide the producer/agent with a “coverage report”. It is usually a detailed synopsis of the screenplay and some comments, including what worked and what didn’t. Finally, they assign it a rating: Pass, Consider, Recommend. Usually any script that doesn’t get a Recommend won’t move up the ladder.

What rating will my script get?

And why does it matter?

Pass

~80% of scripts we read will get this rating. It’s not the end of the world, but you’ll need to take some of the advice and amp up your script.

Consider

~17% of scripts we read will get this rating. This is great news. Usually this means you are basically there, but you have one or two small problems to fix up.

Recommend

3% of scripts we read will get this rating. You’re ready to go! Start sending this script out.