Reader Question: Are the holidays a lousy time to submit a spec script?
From Courtney:
’Tis the season and everyone is ready to enjoy turkey… football… and naps. Which will soon lead to that jolly man in the red suit. A large percentage of folks throttle down during the holiday season which spawns the question… is submitting a script during the holidays a deathblow… because in my mind most folks are in cruise control until January one. Or… is it time to strike while everyone else is knee-deep in eggnog?
This could be the shortest answer in GITS history by me simply saying “yes.” The holidays are the worst time to submit a spec script. Basically from the second week in December until mid-January, Hollywood heads for the hills… if you consider ski resorts like Aspen, Whistler, and Chamonix Mont-Blanc ‘hills.’
Actually since the Sundance Film Festival typically runs toward the end of January, that entire month can be a tough time for specs. And August ain’t so great either.
Now that’s all conventional wisdom per my understanding of it. Let’s compare to reality. Here is the breakdown of spec script sales in 2009 by month:
January: 3
February: 8
March: 10
April: 8
May: 7
June: 4
July: 5
August: 4
September: 3
October: 5
November: 5
December: 5
Hmm. Doesn’t quite match up with CW, does it? While January is slow, December is on par with most other months with 5 sales. Of course there are extenuating circumstances such as last fall when two studios announced they weren’t buying anything until the new year, so that likely depressed numbers in October and November.
One thing to consider: February-May seems to be the best period in terms of spec script activity.
I’ll go back through spec sales in 2008 by month. And after this year is over, I’ll be doing a 2010 spec script sales review.
By the way, you can look at what I’ve done for 2008 and 2009 here:
2008 Spec Script Sales Analysis
2009 Spec Script Sales Analysis
UPDATE: Logically, too, it’s probably safe to assume that the holidays are not a great time to send out a spec to potential reps. Yes, agents and managers are always looking for a great script and that’s not to say that you couldn’t get a rep by sending out a script this time of year. However when the Hollywood lit side of things slows down this time of year, it impacts everyone involved. So perhaps better to go out right after the New Year when people come back with renewed energy and a fresh attitude to kick ass in the upcoming twelve months.
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