At the outset it is important for an agent and a writer to have a real long conversation once they ve decided they like each other, about the way the agent works and the way the writer works and whether they fit together. Writers have needs and often rely on agents to meet them, however, a writer who needs his agent to help him write his scripts, will be greatly disappointed in an agent who chooses not to take an active role in developing a script. Conversely, the writer who does not appreciate receiving revision notes from his agent will be equally disappointed. It is imperative that writers decide what they want from an agent at the start. Some agents are practically like producers, some agents are like editors, some agents are strictly salesman, some agents are strictly negotiators.
Different agents have different skills and different interests.
Agents and writers start out with the hope that the relationship will be financially beneficial for both parties. Problems usually occur when writers get the mistaken idea that success happens even before the ink dries on the contract. You read in the trades about this person selling a screenplay for a zillion dollars, that one selling a screenplay for a zillion dollars, that is not everyday, admits Tantleff. What s much more common is a gradual introduction of a writer into the marketplace. Tantleff feels that unless a script is exceptionally hot or has name attachments, most writers will not experience a big sale.