Someday my belief that most people are inherently good and really want to help others will win out over my cynicism. But not today.
A new connection on social media was interested in some of my scripts and asked to take a look.
Did my homework. They were listed as a producer, with credits.
I’ve worked with credited producers before. Some have proven to be fantastic connections, whereas others…
After some back-and-forth emails, I found out that after reading my scripts, if they deemed any of them worthy of receiving a “CONSIDER” rating, I could then pay a “collaboration fee” as a confirmed commitment from me to get the ball rolling towards production. The “fee” would also give me an Executive Producer credit in addition to a writing credit.
And if that weren’t enticing enough, they ended with “Be rest assured. Production is guaranteed.”
Of course it is.
I really, really hate when this happens, and it seems to be happening more and more – especially with things getting tougher in the industry. Somebody offers to help out a writer, but IT’S GONNA COST YA.
A new or less-experienced writer is easy prey. They’re desperate to break in, no matter how, and figure “This is it!” Maybe they figure a 3- or 4-digit price tag is worth paying now in exchange for “guaranteed” results later.
Time goes by, with constant reassurances that “it’s coming along”, and then “we’ve hit some snags, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
Communication becomes less frequent, and then they can’t understand why their emails remain unanswered and their “partner” has seemingly vanished from the face of the earth, along with the money they shelled out to make their dream come true.
A tough way to learn a lesson, but it happens more often than we think.
As soon as a more experienced writer sees this, they quickly realize the whole thing is a scam and remove themselves from the situation as fast as possible.
A PROFESSIONAL PAYS YOU. YOU DO NOT PAY THEM.
If you find yourself in this kind of situation, just say “thanks, but no thanks” and walk away.
You won’t regret it.
Maximum Z 
Paul,
Thank goodness you’ve been around long enough to not get taken by scammers. I for now still pay InkTip a small fee to stay with them but they have offered good contacts. If you saw my post about my health you will understand that at this point I am kinda wrapping up any efforts with script writing & writing in general.
It’s been a great adventure to come West & hang out in the places I saw in John Ford’s westerns as a kid. Along the way, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting fellow writers like you who kept me going when I needed a nudge. My legacy will be my books on Amazon and Ginny and me owning an historic gold mining claim here in Colorado. Not bad for a kid from Queens.
Ride for the brand,
Jim
It won’t be as easy in the future to spot a scam. Those people are determined and crafty. If they can hook you in, it’s quite possible you could keep sending them money and more money with no end in sight. It’s their job to harm the unknowing in the worst way possible without actual physical harm. Basically it’s to steal your identity or rip you off for as much as possible. I absolutely agree, don’t be suckered into scams no matter how good it sounds.