Advice — marc hernandez

Securing Representation

Posted by Marc Hernandez on

On behalf of Crescendo Entertainment Group I attend a number of screenwriting conferences and events throughout the year. In doing this, I am able to get out there and meet screenwriters and hopefully impart a bit of advice to the many who are looking to hear from us, who work within the studio system. At these conferences a recurring question writers ask me is "how do I go about getting representation by an agent and/or a manager?" Representation by someone who passionately believes in the writer, someone who provides access to production companies and the studios and, hopefully, gets the...

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Writing Effective Query Letters

Posted by Marc Hernandez on

Our reader Sanborn from Costa Rica asks: Why is there so much fuss about writing query letters? I always thought it's my story or script that counts, not my cover letter. Please advise. Marc Hernandez, Managing Partner and Literary Manager with the Crescendo Entertainment Group in Los Angeles responds: With seven years in the agency and (Literary) management business, I have received and read literally thousands query letters from screenwriters with various levels of screenwriting experience. The letters have ranged from the completely non-descript to those that have compelled me to immediately pick up the phone to call the writer....

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Literary Manager or Agent: Which is Right for Me?

Posted by Marc Hernandez on

Our reader Seth from Colorado asks: What's the difference between an agent and a manager? Marc Hernandez responds: That's a good question, Seth. After all, writers need to understand the business of representation in order to maximize their potential and advance their career. The differences between an agent and a manager can be broken down into two primary areas: 1) legislative, and 2) scope of work. Legislative: Agents are governed by labor law in the state that they do business. Literary agencies are permitted, by law, to procure employment (i.e., writing assignments) for their clients for a fee. Managers, conversely,...

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