The Writer Got Screwed (but didn't have to): Guide to the Legal and Business Practices of Writing for the Entertainment Industry
You've got to love a lawyer who advises, "Don't make your lawyers  rich." Entertainment lawyer Brooke A. Wharton provides an authoritative and, yes,  entertaining primer for the beginning entertainment writer not just on the legal and  business issues of writing for the industry, but also on how to get a career jump-started.  The first section covers copyright, libel, and contracts, so that if you can't "control  the exploitation of your scripts and written work ... at least [you'll] know when you're  being screwed." The following section delineates the murky differences between  the roles of agent, lawyer, and manager. The gist of it is that you don't need all three, but  which ones you need depends on the type of person you are and the type of  agents/lawyers/managers they are (industry insiders are not prone to job-title limitations).  The next section has a series of interviews with writers, agents, and a producer, all of  whom help to enlighten us about the various writing jobs the industry offers, from film to  television to cyberspace. (If you're surprised to learn that "most writers working in  the film industry do not make their living from the sale of a spec screenplay," I've  got a good deal for you on some land in Florida.) Finally, there are lists of competitions,  fellowships, internships, and agencies. And what about jump-starting that glamorous  career? Contacts, baby. Contacts. And wouldn't you know, if you ain't got 'em,  Wharton's got great advice on how to make 'em.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.