I’ve been keeping something from you.

Last Spring, we started having secret workshops with a very select group of our writer friends and PRO members and the TOP Broadway literary agents in the city from the biggest agencies around, including CAA, ICM, WME, Paradigm, and more.

The Agents each spoke to small groups of only ten writers, giving them advice on how to get an agent, what to do when you have one, and how you can build a successful career in the business without one.  And then, at the end of each session, each of those writers got a private session with each agent, giving them their shot at pitching themselves and their shows (and a few were quite successful).

They were unbelievably enlightening, especially since so many of the writers had never even met an agent (they kind of hide, now don’t they?).

I had a fly on the wall during these “Meet an Agent Workshops” . . . and luckily, that fly knew how to take notes.

My fly wrote down the top takeaways/truth bombs from these literary agents, and I’ve compiled them for you!

Whether you’re a Writer or a Producer (Tip #3 resonated with me), or maybe you even want to be an Agent yourself, these tips are a terrific insight into the business side of Broadway and beyond, from, well, from TheAgentsPerspective. 🙂

Enjoy!

Top 10 Takeaways from Top Broadway Literary Agents

1. Agents are in the business of getting artists to make better friends.
2. A play or a musical has to be good enough to get people to leave their house.  What would get you off your couch to pay $150 for?
3. Getting a great director is like trying to see the best doctor in the world.  If you want the best, you have to wait.
4. Being a literary agent is one-third contracts, one-third dramaturgy, and one-third “life dramaturgy.”
5. In this day and age, theatre is an event.  You need to give me a reason to leave my home to see your show.
6. Having a website with video, audio clips, samples, etc. isn’t just important . . . it’s essential.  How can you sell anything without a storefront?
7. Your introduction email is an introduction to you.  It shows us how well you write!
8. You must immerse yourself in the theater scene.  Don’t just sit at home and write.
9. In this day and age, it’s easy to reach people, so it’s not crucial to be in NYC to have a successful career as a writer.
10. One of the best ways to attract an agent is to have a production . . . even if you have to produce it yourself.

I do feel a little guilty for not sharing the fact that we did these workshops sooner.

So, let me give you a little heads up.

We’re doing them again.

On March 7th, April 11^th, and May 3rd of this year, we’re bringing back some of the most popular literary agents from last year’s workshops to meet with 10 (and only 10) writers.  Each workshop will consist of . . . .

1. • Introduction
   • Overview of what an agent does.
   • Q&A
   • Private 10-minute pitch session.

Who are the agents?  And how do you get more info?

Well, as you can imagine, these guys and gals like to keep these private, so they are not inundated with submissions and such.  That’s why we’ve only made these workshops available to Pro members and folks on my free Writer’s List.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Meet an Agent Workshop, click here to sign up for our free Writer’s List, and we’ll email you all the specifics.

Get more info here.

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