Mind Your Business. Michele Wallerstein

      

      “This invaluable new resource gave me a better understanding of the whole process. Anybody with an interest in this subject should read this – to learn how it is done.”

      — Joel Simon, Producer, The Marine, X-Men,The In-Laws, The Wild, Wild West, Hard To Kill

      “Michele Wallerstein offers up what so few writers have but genuinely need: business sense. You may not agree with everything in this book, and you may not like to hear it… but it'll definitely give you a sense of what goes through agents’ heads as they read your work or evaluate your pitch.”

      — Chad Gervich, Writer/Producer, Wipeout, Speeders, Foody Call; Author, Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business

      “In Mind Your Business, veteran lit agent Michele Wallerstein gives you a perspective another writer won't. Minding your busines – and agenting your agent – is almost as important as your screenwriting craft. When I was starting out, Ms. Wallerstein was one of the agents people recommended I contact. She really knows her stuff. Check it out.”

      — Alex Epstein, Screenwriter, Bon Cop/Bad Cop, Naked Josh; Author, Crafty Screenwriting; Blogger, Complications Ensue

      “One of the most insightful and helpful books I've ever read about writing for TV and film and the entertainment business in general. I only wish it had been published when I was starting out in the business.”

      — Chuck Gordon, Producer, Hitman, October Sky, Unlawful Entry, K-9, Waterworld, Die Hard

      “In Mind Your Business, former agent Michele Wallerstein gives screenwriters an inside look at navigating the rough waters of Tinseltown!”

      — Kathie Fong Yoneda, Author, The Script-Selling Game

      “At last, a book that makes the business of Hollywood understandable and accessible (and less frightening). Spending time with Michele and this book can help any writer who wants a writing career – and wants to learn how to make it happen.”

      — Dr. Linda Seger, Script Consultant; Author, Making a Good Script Great, And the Best Screenplay Goes To…

      “Any screenwriter who thinks he or she knows what an agent ‘should do’ should read Michele Wallerstein's straightforward book – a veteran agent's glimpse into how the film world actually wheels and deals. Do yourself a favor, and learn what an agent can and can't do – and why.”

      — Mary J. Schirmer, Screenwriter; Instructor;

       Co-President of Screenplayers.net

      “A must-read for writers wanting to break into the business and a good reference for industry professionals. It's fun, honest and informative, with no frills, like Wallerstein herself.”

      — Madeline DiMaggio, Author, How To Write for Television; Writer, Producer, and Consultant

      “Loved this book! Michele Wallerstein's book delivers on its promise, offering expert advice and insightful anecdotes from a seasoned insider who truly knows the game and how to play it.”

      — Lisa Lieberman Doctor, former motion picture

       Development Executive; Writers Guild Award

       nominee; Writing Instructor

      “Mind Your Business is a practical, no-nonsense guide for writers navigating the film industry. It covers a broad range of topics, from money to meetings to contracts – and contains a lot of helpful advice for writers just getting started. Get inside the mind of an agent!”

      — Amanda Pendolino, http://aspiringtvwriter.blogspot.com

      “If you're serious about your screenwriting career and looking for the real skinny on agents, then this book is the perfect addition to your library. As every professional knows, if the business side of your writing isn't working, the creative side will never flourish.”

      — Robert Grant, Sci-Fi-London, www.sci-fi-london.com

      “Mind Your Business fills in the missing puzzle pieces for screenwriters. It not only offers great tips to absorb before writing a script, but also provides essential tools for thriving in Hollywood after you've gotten an agent. Finally there's a book that sheds light on the realities of the agent/writer relationship, the business of screenwriting, and the approach necessary to succeed in Hollywood.”

      — Trevor Mayes, Writer, Owner of www.Scriptwrecked.com

      “Mind Your Business gives a look at a side of the screenwriting world that isn't often covered in straight ‘art of screenwriting’ books. As a Hollywood literary agent, Wallerstein can give tips that other authors can't – especially by covering those ‘unwritten’ business rules writers usually discover as they go along.”

      — Erin Corrado, www.onemoviefiveviews.com

      A Hollywood Literary Agent's Guide

      To Your Writing Career

      MIND

      YOUR

      BUSINESS

      ------------

      Michele Wallerstein

      Published by Michael Wiese Productions

      12400 Ventura Blvd. # 1111

      Studio City, CA 91604

      tel. [phone]

      fax [phone]

       [email protected]

       www.mwp.com

      Cover Design: MWP

      Interior Book Design: Gina Mansfield Design

      Editor: Gary Sunshine

      Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Inc., Saline, Michigan

      Manufactured in the United States of America

      © 2010 Michele Wallerstein

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Wallerstein, Michele, 1944-

      Mind your business : a Hollywood literary agent's guide to your writing career / Michele Wallerstein.

      p. cm.

      Includes index.

      ISBN 978-1-932907-76-6

      1. Motion picture authorship. I. Title.

      PN1996.W235 2010

      808’.066791—dc22

      2010001873

       To my husband, Gregg Weiss

      --------------

      The idea guy, the love of my life,

       and the smartest

       and the funniest man I know

      CONTENTS

       ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

       FOREWORD

       PART I: GETTING STARTED

       Chapter 1 Mind Your Own Business!