I am no longer an agent. I left agenting in 1997 to start my own Management firm which allowed me to work more closely with my clients in terms of their career development and growth rather than focusing solely on their next job and paycheck.
What makes your agency different than any others?
My Management firm is different from others in several respects.
1. We do not hold ourselves out as producers which other Managers tend to do with their clients.
2. We have a small exclusive client list and do not wish to grow any larger.
3. The desire to grow comes from growing our clients' careers, not our staff and our positions.
4. We are accessible.
What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?
Hard workers and writers who write! The writer who is willing to go the extra mile. Those are the ones who get the jobs.
Wendi what are you tired of receiving?
First drafts! Unresearched, poorly structured, laden with typos!
How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?
Write a well written letter! If you're a writer, you should be able to write a decent letter: from the basics of spelling my name correctly, using proper grammar appropriately and proofreading to having and getting across your unique voice and tone.
How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?
Keep writing and coming up with new ideas. One script/book does not make you a writer. A writer writes...and writes and writes some more. A writer should constantly be giving me new material all the time.
What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Wendi that they don't seem to?
I wish clients would understand that I make 10-15% because that's how much work I should have to do. The 85-90% left over should be done by the client. That does not mean handing over your written work and your finished. That should be just the beginning. I have seen many a great writer NOT have a career because they had horrible or negative or no personalities. You need to win people over. Network. Get people to want to hire you for more things, buy your next thing before you even write it. Be available to take the meetings that I set up for you. Have things to pitch to the executives in these meetings. Make sure the pitch is pitch ready! These people that I send your work out to may not buy your work (only one person can buy it if it even gets bought) but if they are fans of your writing, there will be an open door for a different sale. It is only up to you to whether you walk through it or not. I will set the general meeting. But YOU need to make the sale in the room. That is YOUR job. To WOW the executive. I need to get that phone call after your meeting from the executive who says, "I MUST be in business with your client." Only you can accomplish that. My only job is to open the doors for you. Your job is to walk through them and to sell yourself and your work.
What's the best way for a writer to reach you?
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