10 Best Practices for Querying Screenwriting Agents & Managers in 2025

We survived, and now it's 2025! If you're a screenwriter looking to get repped by an agent or manager this year, don't neglect these important tactics.

Welcome to my Weekly Email Newsletter! Every week, I do a deep dive into an aspect of the craft and business of screenwriting from a (former) literary manager’s perspective.

Today’s post is for subscribers only. If you’re new here, I recommend checking out the free posts at this link to sample what this newsletter has to offer.

Otherwise, keep reading for my checklist on how to find a literary manager this year.

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I spent the past eight years working in literary management at a mid-sized management company (Evoke Entertainment, formerly known as the Cartel).

While I was there, I watched it grow to become one of the biggest management companies in the business.

Right now, film & TV is seeing a big shift in the rep landscape. Dozens of agents have left their companies to either start or join management firms. It’s no secret that this industry has suffered from a contraction, as the result of a content bubble created by streamer spending, production shutdowns during the pandemic, and multiple strikes.

It has not been a good time to find work as a screenwriter.

The downstream effect of that is that many managers pulled back on their willingness to consider new clients. They have been too focused on getting work for the clients that they do have.

The good news is that even though the industry has been slow, the gears of development and production are slowly, rustily moving back into motion.

The industry wide refrain among managers and writers has been “Survive ‘til 2025.”

Well guess what?

2025 is here.

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

Is it even a good time to try and break into the industry right now?

The real answer is, well, no. It’s not. It’s not going to be easy to get a rep to commit time and effort to developing your skills, network, portfolio, and job prospects.

But this career has never been easy.

If your goal is to find an agent or manager in 2025, you need to start getting out there anyway.

It will be slow.

But you need to do it.

Why? There’s a flurry of post-holiday energy.¹ Executives, producers, agents, and managers are back from their break. It’s a new fiscal year. Everyone is trying to figure out where their opportunities are this year.

They won’t be open to reading many new writers, but they will be open to some, especially if those writers come from personal connections.

Writers with connections and/or hustle will be making moves this month.

If you sit back and wait for the “right time,” you could be waiting for years.

And then, when it really feels like the business is picking up again, it will be too late. Everyone will have already signed their new clients and put into development the scripts that they love. There won’t be any room for you to catch up.

Slow progress is still progress. You need to get in the game now.

You can’t predict how it will pay off in the future. But you can sow your seeds for success.

Put these 10 tactics into place as you start your querying efforts.

They will give you the best chances of breaking through this year.

Tip #1: