Getting Your Screenplay Proofread

I’ve started to receive a good number of emails from new writers with questions.  I’ll be posting the email exchanges as I think other aspiring writers can benefit from them.  If you have a question please let me know: info@sellingyourscreenplay.com

(Note: Please keep in mind that this is an informal email exchange so please pardon spelling and grammar mistakes)

Mike said:

I do have a question.  Who do you recommend for a proof reader?  I need one for both my screenplays and I don’t want to pay up the “ying-yang”.  What’s the average going rate?  How much should I expect to pay per script and per page?

Ashley Scott Meyers said:

I’ve never paid anyone to proof my screenplay.  My advice is to try and find other screenwriters and simply trade scripts back and forth and proof each other’s work.  This will help you both and will give you more than just notes on the grammar and spelling.  This is what I’ve done over the years and it’s worked well for me.

If you don’t know any other screenwriters try friends and family.  If that doesn’t work you should be able to place an ad on Craig’s List (use the Los Angeles version even if you’re not in L.A.).  Try and find an English major who’s great with grammar and spelling and offer whatever you can afford to pay.  I’m sure you can find someone.  A script should only take a couple of hours to read over so even if the person is a slow reader and really double and triple checks your writing it shouldn’t be more than a 3-4 hour project.  Certainly a lot less than $100 should get you a through reading but just make sure the person you hire is going to do a good job.

If you’re looking for a script consultant the prices will range widely.  I’ve seen quality script consultants charge as little as $100 and as much as $1,000. A good script consultant should give you much more than just notes on your grammar.  Make sure you take a look at some of their coverage on other scripts so you can get an idea about how much detail you’ll get for the price you’re paying.  I’m going to be reviewing script consultants in the near future so check back often for updates.