The bigger hurdle may be getting someone to read through your original screenplays. And don’t forget the taxes! All in all, depending on how many people are on your payroll, you’re looking at netting between 40 to 60 percent of the script’s sale price. If you have a lawyer, they need to be paid five percent. No matter the price, it’s important to remember that that’s not what you’re walking away with! Agents and managers require ten percent. So, these are the absolute lowest numbers you can expect to be paid for selling a script.
The WGA’s Schedule of Minimums says the lowest a writer can be paid on a low-budget film is $72,662, and $136,413 for a movie budgeted at $5 million or more. If you’re interested in learning about the cost of scripts, I’d suggest following along with industry trades, as they’ll often have articles that tell the sale of a notable script and the production company or other buyer details.
Now that we’ve seen the exceptional price of some of the most expensive scripts, let’s get into the average selling price.ĭerived from following along with industry news, I’ve determined that selling a script for higher than six figures is impressive, mid-six figures is still pretty great, and the lower six figures is more common.