In the business world, they say that there are two types of lawyers — deal makers and deal killers.  The deal makers work with you to find solutions to make contracts work.  The deal killers focus mainly on finding and capitalizing on problems.
Screenwriters can fall into deal maker and deal killer categories, as well.  Understanding the difference — and choosing to be a deal maker – can make your career.

For over two years, I've been watching the advice that screenwriters give other screenwriters on the Net about potential deals.  More than 90% of the advice falls into the "deal killer" category.  I don't think they're doing it intentionally.  In fact, they think they are giving good advice, but they may be keeping you from the exact experience that will ultimately make you successful. 

Conventional wisdom is to say "no" to anything but a "perfect deal."  For many screenwriters, the perfect deal is the deal they've seen in the media — the deal that comes out of a million-dollar bidding war.  But those deals only happen about 1% of the time.  The media highlights these exceptional deals, but the reality is that many of those big deals were preceded by small deals for the same writer that were not publicized.  The small deals gave the writer the education to ultimately perform well in the big-dollar deals. 

DEAL MAKERS…

• Understand the deal and its limitations.
• Negotiate in good faith and with good sense.
• Work to find solutions that work for both sides.
• Complete this deal and move to the next stage of their career.

DEAL KILLERS…

• Don't consider the other side or the limitations of the deal.
• Make unreasonable demands.
• Cause more problems than they solve.
• Continually re-negotiate.
• Advise other writers to do the same.

Which would you rather work with — a deal maker or deal killer? 

In reality, all deals are different, but there's also a different focus at different levels.  A-list deals are all about money, project selection, and positioning.  But for writers who are making their first deal, I would give very different advice…

There is Much More Value to Your FIRST DEAL than Money. 

If you're trying to break into this industry, you need to understand this advice.  Money is valuable, but there are other benefits to getting into business with a producer.

Think about the experience you need to take your career to the next level — including the contract negotiations, the celebration within your community, the change in how people speak about you, the increased credibility of being optioned or produced, taking notes from the producer to rewrite, getting the script ready for the next step (going out to actors, directors, funding sources, etc.), and whatever success comes out of the project.

When someone gives you advice not to do a FIRST DEAL, they are not considering all the value that comes out of that deal for your career.  Pay close attention to their reasoning.  Are they naturally a deal maker or a deal killer? 

But What if You Don't Have an Agent?

Obviously, the best scenario is to have an entertainment attorney, agent, or manager represent you on a deal.  But if you don't have representation, then you become the deal maker. 

If you haven't had a first deal yet, remember, the real purpose is to get you into the industry.  Look at your first deals as building blocks for bigger deals. 

And remember, you don't get into this business by turning deals down.  So focus your attention on making the deal, not killing it.  In general, 80% of your attention should be on making the deal; 20% on protecting yourself.  If you are spending more than 20% of your time trying to protect yourself, there's either something that needs to be solved in your deal — or in your philosophy. 

And yes, this is a philosophy.   Deal making is a way of thinking.  It is about coming into situations that will benefit you and finding ways to make them work. 

There's nothing wrong with turning down a terrible deal.  But if the deal holds potential, try negotiating to resolve any issues you have with the deal.  When writers turn down deals without considering the other values to their career, they've lost more than money.  My questions are: "Will this move your career forward?" and "Is this your only offer?"  If the answer to both questions is "yes," you may want to make the deal. 

You Already are a Deal Maker.

Here's the best news of the day.  You already make deals in daily life.  Look at your relationships.  Don't you make agreements about what restaurants you go to, who you spend time with, how you deal with the neighbors, and many other things?  If you have kids, negotiations never cease.   

Depending upon what you do for work, you may make agreements with your boss, request certain resources, exchange with other employees, get people to volunteer for events, etc.  And if you own your own business, pitching, negotiating, and deal making are an everyday occurrence. 

As a screenwriter, you may be exchanging feedback with other writers, making requests to interview experts on your subject, partnering with another writer to co-write a script, hiring script consultants, or getting your writer's group to do a table read.  Even though it doesn't seem like it, all of those events are you making deals.

Once you start interacting with the Biz, you'll find that many of the same skills come into play. 

ACTION: Practice being a deal maker in small ways.  Pick a situation and make an agreement with someone.  As you do so, observe how the process works for you.  Then do it again.  Make deal making a habit, and you'll be much more successful as a screenwriter. QUESTION:  What benefits will you get by being a deal maker as opposed to a deal killer?  And how will it advance your career to have your next script optioned or produced?

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