What Professional Writers Understand About Pitching That New Writers Don't - Corey Mandell

Well, you know, it's interesting cuz I just watched a video on a entirely different industry, but a woman said that a person had just been hired out of college and they did great at this firm, but the firm let them go and the note finally came back to the person was, "Everything was perfect except they spoke too casually to everyone and at times used slang and were inappropriate and it turned certain people that were at the top off and that was the only reason. Everything else was perfect. " So, I see what you're talking about in terms of sort of interpersonal dynamics and not everybody's great. They might be great at at the typewriter at the computer, but interacting with others. Yeah, although I say one thing which cuz I think I agree with what you just said, but I also know from experience there're going to be people watching this video going, "Oh. " Cuz they're like they're more shy or introverted or not. But here's the thing which is really uh important. You're a writer. It's different. You're not that woman. You're not in corporate America. You're not a sell We're allowed to be nerdy. awkward. Sure. Um we're allowed to stammer um and trip over our words. But what we're not allowed to do is be someone that is not um collaborative, is defensive, um is um arrogant, or entitled. No one wants to work with that person. So, um But again, cuz I work with a lot of writers or like I get really shy in a room talking to people. I don't make eye contact or I I stumble and I always tell them, "Look, what you need to do when you go in that room is be authentic. Cuz a lot of people think, "Oh, when I go in the room, I've got to, you know, have funny things and I got to be the life of the party. " It's like, "No. If you're not the life of the party, don't try to be. " And I say, "When you go in there, the first thing you say is, 'Look, I'm terrified. Uh the reason I became a writer is I like to sit in a room and write stories. I have issues, social anxiety, whatever when I'm out talking to people. " And you do that, I guarantee you the producer, the agent, the executive, they're going to go, "It's okay. " You know, and they mean it and they're going to like they're going to create a comfortable space for you. And it's not a negative because they're like, "Oh, you you're not going to be out socializing and partying. You're going to be writing a lot. I love that. " You know? And some of the best writers are very socially awkward. Um so, you know, if you're nervous, just say, "I'm nervous. " Um if you know, you're pitching something and you start stumbling and you go, "I got really nervous and I messed it up. Can I redo that part? " They're going to say, "Yes. " Um just so that I think that's really important which is um there are a lot of areas in life where you want to be confident, articulate, you want to look people in the eye, you want to be able to make them laugh, you want to have quick answers and be quick on your feet. Um all that's help if you have those attributes, certainly helpful. And if you don't, you can be trained to get stronger at some of those, but you don't have to excel at those. But you have to be someone who Here's something that's really important that um I'm glad someone kind of pointed this out to me when I was starting out which is And if when people say like, "What's one important tip you can give me before I go in the room? " This is the one I give. Um What is your intent? And if you walk in there and your intent is to sell this pitch, or get this person to hire you or staff you or whatever, that's a mistake. Cuz they're going to know it. You can sense someone's intent. And you go in that way, you're trying to get an outcome. You're trying to sell them on something. And just think about it in life. Whenever you What do you do when you feel like someone's trying to sell you? What's your energy? Oh, I can remember a shoe store that is no longer and I used to go in and the woman, I think it was toward the end of the shoe store's reign, and I could sense how badly she needed to make sales. And she wasn't being mean, I just wanted her to leave me alone. Right. Exactly. And you back off, right? — Yeah. So, I tell people, let's say you've watched this TV show. It's quirky and unusual and you love it. But you know not everyone's going to love it. And you're with some friends and you're talking and you have writer friends like, "What have you watched recently? " And you're like, "Oh, I've watched this show and I love it. " And they go, "What? " And you say the show and they're like, "Oh, I haven't heard of it. Well, you know, what is it about? " Now, you're going to share this thing

thing from a place of love and passion. But you know, it may you know, one of your friends might be, "Oh, that doesn't really sound like the thing for me. " Or they're going to watch it and love it not love it and it's not going to change You're still friends with them, right? You know? So, this is how I was trained and how I train writers. Like when I went in there, I would be like, "There is this project that I love and I want to share it with you. I don't know if it's what you're looking for. the kind of thing you're going to love. I'm just sharing it out of love. " That's very different to be sharing something than trying to sell something. And if you go in and cuz here's the thing, you have no idea what other pitches they're hearing, what company what like what projects are being sold. There there's You don't know what their boss is looking for. isn't looking for. Like you have no idea if they're going to buy this or not or hire you or not. And there's going to be things about it that are outside your control. But what you want to do is when you walk out of that room, you want them to say, "That's a real writer and I would love to work with that writer. " So, real writers are passionate about their characters and their stories and they share. They want to share it. I mean, I I'm not saying that you have to do this specifically, but what I always did um when I walked in a room and I was going to pitch something, I would say, "Hey, so okay, I got this project. I love it. I don't know if anyone else will. This might be completely not what you're looking for, but I love it and I if you're okay, I want to share it with you. " And when someone does that, you kind of lean in. Like, "Yeah, you love it? You want to share it? I want to hear it. " And I've already said up front, it might totally not be something that you're interested in which takes all the pressure off. And I and I'm saying it cuz it's true. But here is the thing. If I can disarm you that way and I genuinely and this wasn't easy, but I genuinely had to walk in there not trying to sell this, not like if they don't buy it, I'm going to walk out disappointed. I was like, "My only objective is to share my characters and my story in the best possible way. " And if I felt like I did that, I walked out happy. And what And the reason I did it is let's say for whatever reason you're not going to buy this script. You can't. You have a similar script in development or it's not the kind of thing your boss is now looking Whatever reason. We're going to have an experience that when I leave, hopefully you enjoyed. And also, you want the person to think you have integrity. That you're a writer and you care about story and characters and you're not just trying to sell something. And it's hard because I get it. I work with a lot of writers and they're like, "Look, I got this day job and I hate it and I don't have enough time to write and I'm getting all this pressure from this person or my parent or my whatever and I finally got this opportunity to go in and pitch and like I can change my life right now with this pitch and and if they buy it, you know, and dream dream. " And if they don't and I get it, but it's like, "Man, you go in with that energy. " Right. And from the beginning they're like, "Whoa. " Like this like that is Yeah. You know, everything goes back to high school and like you don't want the desperate person. You want the person you can't have, you know? You want the person who's you know, and so um as much as possible like just to let go of outcome. That's what every producer and agent I know says is focus on process and not outcome. And when you go in there, don't worry about the outcome. Just worry about the process. Just share this from an authentic genuine place. Know that it might not be their cup of tea or what they're looking for and that's okay. And just have that experience. And don't be desperate. And I know easier said than done, but um you can practice this and it makes a huge difference because then people are like, "I like that person. I like interacting with them. They have integrity. They really thought about this story. Let's put them on a list of there's some of you know, they're on the favorite list. And whenever I get a phone call from them or their agent with an idea, I'm like, "Oh, great. Yeah. Yeah, send Karen in. I love Karen. I want to hear. " And when you walk in, they're like they're hoping that now you've got something they can buy. That's the game. That's how you get a career and keep a career. Do you think though that comes with having already had something? Because you know, you're going back to like the desperation. I think I asked earlier, can Where do writers try too hard or people in the arts? We can sense that and I think that's for people that are newer and they really they have just got to have this one thing. I think it comes with time. Well, I agree and it's I

think it's so unfair because if you think about it, when a writer's had a lot of success, um they've got money, they've got confidence, people are looking to work with them. So, like when they go in a room, it's going to be a lot easier for them. Now, if you're an unknown writer, no one knows who you are, like things are stacked against you. Yet, the person who has success is much easier to go in the room and share and do everything I said. And the writer who's brand new, it's harder because there's so much stakes and on line. So, it's like unfair I think that it's inherently easier for the writers who don't need it to be easier for them and it's harder, right? I'll share a hack that I used and I've shared this with a lot of writers and some of them have said, "Life-changing. " Some of them said, "I think it helped a little bit. " And some have said, "That didn't help me at all. " So, it this might be helpful to someone, it might not be helpful, but I'll just share it. Um So, writers have really active imaginations. Um So, what I would do before I went into a meeting is I would take some time and this is going to sound crazy, but it worked for me. Um and I would imagine that I had written the script and I've sold it and I it's like, you know, my dream place, you know, and director is attached and my dream actors um and it's a go movie. I mean, this is amazing and I and this is all not true, it's all imagined. But, I really like fantasize about it for a while till it feels real and it my body starts getting excited and happy. And if that was true, but I and I was going in to pitch a project to you, I would go in and take it seriously and pitch it to you, but I wouldn't care that much if it wasn't something you want. Like I've got this huge thing, my career is taking off and it takes all the pressure off um and I could just go in and kind of relax and go, "Hey, I don't know if this is what you're looking for or not, but I love it. " And it puts me in that space and I would do that. Now, obviously, when I walked in there, I wouldn't be like, "Hey, I got this big movie going. " You know, I mean, it was just all my fantasy beforehand, but what it did is cuz I I used to get really anxious before I'd go in. I'm a very anxious person or I used to be. I've gotten better at it. And um so, it calmed me down, but it put me in that like more centered cuz you're right, if if I had sold the script and this amazing director and actor were going to do it and it was being made, I mean, when I walk into a pitch something and someone I'm going to be in a very different space than I need to make money, I got to quit my day job, I need this, you know, I'm going to be in a much better space. So, I just would imagine all of that was true and I feel for myself when I walked in, it it calmed me down and it helped get me into that space a little bit. I mean, I you know, it wasn't the same as if that was all true, but just imagining it helped calm me down and get me more into the space. And again, I've shared this hack with other people um and I have a friend who's an actor who could never get an audition and he started doing it, he started booking parts. I've shared with writers who said it was game-changing. that said, "It helped a little bit. " And I've shared with a lot of writers who said, "I've tried it a bunch of times, it doesn't do anything for me. " So, but that's a possible hack you could try. Okay. It's like uh creative visualization. Yeah, but I'm not visualizing an outcome. That's the difference. I'm not visualizing them buying it. uh wanting to hire me. Um you I know some people try that. To me, I see that actually backfires on people, but maybe for some people that works and they that you know, different strokes for different folks. I'm not visualizing an outcome. I'm visualizing that my life is different and I don't to sell this to you. Got it. — I'm great. My career is going huge. I'm relaxed. It doesn't really matter to me if you want to buy this or not. I'm going to pitch it cuz I love it and if it's not for you, it's not for you. So, visualizing a different version of me. Oh, okay, I get it now. I like that. I'm going to try it. I'm not with pitching cuz I'm not pitching scripts, but I'm going to try it. Thank you for watching the video all the way to the end. Here is a complimentary question from our book story questions.